***updated***

Brian Maloney and I have been hearing rumblings about various Air America departures. Another one is now official. (VP of finance Sinohe Terrero resigned earlier this month.) Via the Air America blog this morning:

It is with great regret that we write to let you know that Katherine
Lanpher will be leaving “The Al Franken Show.” Katherine has received a book deal from a new imprint at Time Warner to write a memoir of her move to New York.

While we will miss Katherine every time Al fumbles an interview, mangles an introduction, or has to go to the bathroom in the middle of a segment, in other words, all the time, we are thrilled that she has this opportunity to use the talent that has sustained us at “The Al Franken Show” in a new and rewarding way.

Her deadline in mid-January is unusually aggressive and necessitates an almost immediate departure so that she can begin procrastinating in earnest. Katherine has been very generous in agreeing to work for another two weeks while we prepare as best we can for our Post-Katherine Era.

Her last broadcast as co-host will be on Friday, Oct. 7th. Her first broadcast as best-selling author should take place sometime next spring.

The Staff of The Al Franken Show

Guess not enough listeners fell for that panhandling scheme to keep Lanpher on board.

Lanpher’s actions certainly speak louder than Air America Radio CEO Danny Goldberg’s huffy words–posted over at The Huffington Post.

Who else is next?

Reax from Bore America and Brainster.

Brian and I will have more. As always, stay tuned…

***
430pm EDT update. Via the Philadelphia Inquirer, WHAT-AM is dropping Al Franken and Randi Rhodes:

Al Franken and Randi Rhodes are getting the boot from Philadelphia airwaves, as WHAT-AM (1340) is pulling off programming from Air America, the liberal talk-radio network.

Friday will be the last day, and a new WHAT lineup will begin Monday, said general manager Kernie Anderson, adding that “things were not working out” with Air America after about a year.

WHAT aired Air America’s programming from noon to 7 p.m. weekdays, sandwiched between the rest of its lineup. The juxtaposition of liberal talk and WHAT’s African America-targeted talk programming seemed an odd fit from the start.

Ratings were abysmal.

comments (0)   trackbacks (1)