Dr. Laura Schlessinger was on-air live for her last day on OTA radio. On the station I listen to, they only air 2 hours of the show and they played hour #1 and hour #3. She used the Beatles song "Hello, Goodbye" as a general theme, as it covers both saying goodbye to the old and hello to the new. She took calls "on any topic except cooking". In her opening monologue, she talked about why she's leaving "terrestrial radio". Later in the show she said "Satellite radio is a safe place for freedom of speech". She also pointed out that often in life, when one door closes, another one opens up. Although she took a couple of typical Dr. Laura show calls from troubled listeners, you mostly heard congratulatory calls and people calling to thank her for her service, as they told Dr. Laura why and how she was so important to them through her radio broadcasts. The best advice given on this last show was to a woman who had a 4 year old son who was "competing" with his one-year old brother for attention. Dr. Laura advised that mom should make the 4-year old boy important by asking him to chime in on issues like which park should they take the baby to... "Your a big boy now, and you were a baby boy once. Which park do you think we should take the baby too?" In talking and joking with her producer, I noticed that she has an annoying high-pitched cackle/laugh when she's laughing heartely. She ended the final hour with "And bless you all", instead of her usual "Now, go do the right thing" line. One of the local liners, from an advertiser I believe, said... "We'll miss you Dr. Laura".
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Dr. Laura's last call on OTA radio
- Thread starter johnbasalla
- Start date
Godspeed and good luck to her on satellite.
In Pittsburgh WPIT dropped her after she signed up for satellite.
WTYM Kittanning apparently signed her up right before she signed up for satellite. Laura Ingraham replaced her there.
In Pittsburgh WPIT dropped her after she signed up for satellite.
WTYM Kittanning apparently signed her up right before she signed up for satellite. Laura Ingraham replaced her there.
Did she ever mention that she was leaving OTR radio because she was a racist and hasn't been relevant in years?
johnbasalla said:
WJR and the other remaining over-air affiliates must have been thrilled about this part. Nothing for her to lose on the last day, tho.
Oddly enough, she's still listed on WJR's website:
http://wjr.com/programschedule.asp
Citadel stations are usually MUCH more attentive to the on-air website schedule, often changing it even for fill-ins.
Did WJR say what they'll run in her place, starting tonight?
WJR did not mention who would replace Dr. Laura Schlessinger. They just played their usual liners promoting their morning show when going into the stop-set and their often clever returns to the show... "Dr. Laura will see you now on WJR" ... "A doctor that waits for you! It's Dr. Laura on News/Talk 760, WJR."... one about returning to listen to more screwed up people with Dr. Laura ... and some generic ones too.
There is a possibility that it will be a locally generated Dr. Laura-like talk show. There were two days a couple of weeks ago when, for some reason, they didn't play Schlessinger's show. In its place was a local lady who was not nearly as interesting as Dr. Laura, because she didn't "shoot-from-the-hip" like Dr. Laura would. These successful national talkers... they have a "got-it" factor that others just don't have.
There is a possibility that it will be a locally generated Dr. Laura-like talk show. There were two days a couple of weeks ago when, for some reason, they didn't play Schlessinger's show. In its place was a local lady who was not nearly as interesting as Dr. Laura, because she didn't "shoot-from-the-hip" like Dr. Laura would. These successful national talkers... they have a "got-it" factor that others just don't have.
F
FreddyE1977
Guest
UpstateNYBill said:
I don't buy that. The "N-word" incident in my view was nothing more than a crass and brazen
publicity stunt. When you think about it, no professional broadcaster with years of experience would
EVER utter that word in front of a microphone, unless it was to stir-up a controversy and give herself
an excuse to jump to Sirius for big piles of cash.
Frankly I am disappointed in her.
FreddyE1977 said:
Dr. Laura wasn't a professional anything (including not being a therapist). She was a loose cannon over the years and her controversies has hurt her career.
Has it ever been disclosed how much money she got from Sirius? I doubt she would get anything close to what Howard got.
This would never have happened when "Dr. Laura" was in her prime, with a huge affiliate base on major market stations, many owned by Clear Channel.
In the end, she had something like two affiliates here in Ohio, a small second-tier talk station in Canton and a small station in Bellefontaine (which I'd have to look at on a map). Of course, as johnbasella will point out, she did have an evening clearance on Citadel powerhouse WJR/760 Detroit, which is darn near a local station for much of Northern Ohio.
Does she leave clearances on stations like WTAM, WTVN, WKRC, WSPD and the like (speaking for Ohio) for satellite radio? Of course not, but that era was long gone for her.
At least Howard was still on big market FM stations when he made the jump.
In the end, she had something like two affiliates here in Ohio, a small second-tier talk station in Canton and a small station in Bellefontaine (which I'd have to look at on a map). Of course, as johnbasella will point out, she did have an evening clearance on Citadel powerhouse WJR/760 Detroit, which is darn near a local station for much of Northern Ohio.
Does she leave clearances on stations like WTAM, WTVN, WKRC, WSPD and the like (speaking for Ohio) for satellite radio? Of course not, but that era was long gone for her.
At least Howard was still on big market FM stations when he made the jump.
WJR replaced her with another in a long line of political talk shows, or at least that's what they were talking about on Monday night. I was not interested enough to stick around long. Hosts name may be Jerry (something).
Jerry Doyle? The TRN Guy?
Jerry Doyle? Eep.
Indeed, that's the only political talker named Jerry that I know about, at least.
Dr. Laura is still on the WJR site and its program schedule.
http://wjr.com/programschedule.asp
Indeed, that's the only political talker named Jerry that I know about, at least.
Dr. Laura is still on the WJR site and its program schedule.
http://wjr.com/programschedule.asp
F
FreddyE1977
Guest
last night WJR was running John Bachelor.
He ran his old Al Jolson bumper music for at least 90 seconds and then
had to cut his guest short when he ran out of time. ???
He ran his old Al Jolson bumper music for at least 90 seconds and then
had to cut his guest short when he ran out of time. ???
Freddy is right. It's my fault for not knowing. It was just too uninteresting to give much time to it. I thought I heard the name "Jerry" somewhere along the short line. But, by that time I was paying even less attention. Don't ask me what they were talking about, I don't recall except that it was some political issue, he was talking to a guest "expert" on it and it wasn't about the new majority in the House of Representatives or anything about the new Congress.
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