Savage sues his own syndication co. TRN!!

[scott5]

http://www.courthousenews.com/2010/12/21/32756.htm

 

[FTL_Ian]

Woo hoo!

So, does this mean he's going to refuse to perform his show on TRN?

Let's dish.

 

[microbob]

Does anyone like this guy? TRN should cut all ties with Savage.

 

[scott5]

Does anyone like this guy? TRN should cut all ties with Savage.

Talk Radio Network has syndicated The Savage Nation for the past decade, standing by the controversial host through thick and thin — including through numerous protests and advertiser boycotts launched against his show by activist groups including GLAAD, FAIR and CAIR.

 

[microbob]

He seems like he would be hard to work with. If He's not careful, He could self destruct.

 

[FTL_Ian]

Update from Al Peterson at NTS MediaOnline:

UPDATE: Oregon-based Talk Radio Network released a statement Tuesday afternoon (12/21) stating: Recently, media outlets have reported that [Michael] Savage has filed litigation against OTRN (Original Talk Radio Network, Inc.) in an attempt to escape his contract. OTRN will hold him to his contract. “Michael’s contract is crystal clear,” said OTRN CEO Mark Masters (pictured). “We are 100% confident that the courts will justify our position. The Michael Savage Show will remain on the air with OTRN for the foreseeable future.”

 

[Signal_Faded]

Does anyone like this guy? TRN should cut all ties with Savage.

If they cut ties with him, who else do they have? I have heard from programmers that TRN uses Savage as leverage to take some of their other, less noteworthy, products. If TRN cut ties with Savage they would be in a world of hurt. They would be losing massive amounts of national ad dollars as well as a major bargaining chip.

Love him or hate him Savage typically performs well in the ratings...he is an entertainer.

 

[FreddyE1977]

Picking a fight so he would then have an excuse to truck on over to Sirius XM?
(hmmm....where have we seen that before?)

 

[FTL_Ian]

So... is the no-name "Courtside Radio" syndicator supposedly trying to pick up Savage actually owned by Savage? (Googling "courtside radio" reveals nothing.)

 

[SFStatic]

You have to wonder who "Courtside Radio" is. Search brings up absolutely nothing on this entity. FTL-Ian is correct. It may be a straw man company for Savage, or for others.

 

[DonTheTrucker]

According to http://www.rbr.com/radio/trn-to-stick-with-michael-savage-but-savage-wants-out.html, Courtside is Norm Pattiz's company.

 

[johnbasalla]

I like Dr. Savage, even though he is over the top, and I don't agree with him all the time. His appeal is somewhat akin to why I like The Three Stooges and The Bowery Boys. They do things I never could do, like throw a pie at some haughty, holier-then-thou, socialites. I'm too polite to yell at, and sharply insult, leftists/far left liberals. Dr. Savage does it for me when they pull some of their P.C. antics, or big government baloney.

 

[wbhist]

Wonder if this is why The Savage Nation this week is running "Best Of . . . " retrospectives of clips from within the last year.

 

[wbhist]

Picking a fight so he would then have an excuse to truck on over to Sirius XM?
(hmmm....where have we seen that before?)

I don't know about the Sirius XM angle, but . . . with Savage, there was the time in 2003 when he bolted KSFO in San Francisco for rival KNEW . . . and in retaliation, Disney/ABC pulled his show from their stations. In New York City, this was how Mark Levin got his evening show on WABC 77 - while WOR 710 picked up Savage in New York a few weeks after.

 

[FreddyE1977]

Wonder if this is why The Savage Nation this week is running "Best Of . . . " retrospectives of clips from within the last year.

or will Chuck Harder just be guest hosting?

 

[Ultimajock]

Wonder if this is why The Savage Nation this week is running "Best Of . . . " retrospectives of clips from within the last year.

or will Chuck Harder just be guest hosting?

...Chuck Harder?!!? Is he back on the hustle again??...

...as for The Savage Weiner's latest shenanigans, isn't this remarkably similar to how Ken Hamblin bought his one-way ticket to career oblivion?...

 

[UpstateNYBill]

While I like Savages show, he does like to play the victim card (as do many conservatives). A contract is a contract and he signed it. he should live up to it.

You would think that at 68 years old and with a successful family business, Savage would be ready to retire.

 

[koolestcat]

I can understand Savages frustration at not getting into major markets like Seattle, San Francisco or LA successfully but he has to consider the fact that it tough for a show like his to be supported by the syndicator when the heat is on if the show is one of many as compared to TRN where his show is one of the standouts that they dont want to lose.

 

[koolestcat]

Looks like San Diego is moving Savage from Live to a delayed late night slot.

Is there any major market on the west coast where Savage is live? Seattle is gone, San Diego is delayed now, San Francisco has a distant Sacramento signal and he is delayed in LA on a station in a small suburb. The only one I believe might be Portland but who knows how long that will last.

A track record like this is probably why the guy is upset at TRN. They have not done a great job at growing his stations and if anything they are compressing the reach.

 

[scott5]

Savage can only blame himself for all of this, his show is not what it once was ,the 3'd hour of his show is mostly canned interviews, he keeps telling his listeners how tired he is from his show and how doing his kind of show burns him out. He is off too many times without letting the audience know before which creates a disconnect between the host and the listener. That does not make him look good like he is IN his show to make it better etc. so his ratings dropped and now some stations dropping or tape delaying him.