Posted by chicagomedia.org on May 15, 2008 at 22:51:14:
In Reply to: Changes at WCPT, replacing Randi Rhodes posted by chicagomedia.org on May 15, 2008 at 22:49:54:
We want you to be the first to know about the new lineup on the station, debuting Monday, May 19th. First, you need to know that we took our time to make a decision because we wanted to not only hear from you, but we also wanted to know what options would be available to us. We received a great deal of feedback from our listeners and we read every e-mail and letter. After all is said and done, it is clear to us that WCPT listeners share the same passion and different viewpoints as all those who are participating in this year's primary season. During a divisive time within the Progressive political spechicagomedia.orgum, Thom Hartmann's straightforward approach has allowed WCPT listeners to hear all sides of the issues in a no-nonsense manner. Thus, we have made the decision to move Thom's show to the 2:00 pm - 5:00 pm time period which allows us to make room for the new Rachel Maddow Show, which will air from 5:00 pm - 8:00 pm.
Since we added Thom's show to the lineup in February 2006, he has developed a terrific following on the station with his common-sense approach to Progressive ideals. Thom was not only one of the first people in the United States to do a Progressive Talk radio program, he is also an innovator in the fields of psychology, ecology and economics. He is the four-time Project Censored Award-winning, New York Times best-selling author of nineteen books. Thom's books have been written about in Time and many other magazines and he has been mentioned on the front page of The Wall Street Journal. He has spoken to hundreds of thousands of people on five continents over the past two decades and millions more on NPR, BBC Radio and CNN.
Although Thom's show will continue to run on tape-delayed basis in his new time period, we have developed a unique way for him to have a weekly dialog with WCPT listeners. Starting on Friday, May 23rd, we will be pre-empting the 4:00 pm hour of Thom's national show and instead, he will be doing a one-hour live show for WCPT listeners only. "Thom Hartman's Third Hour Friday Live" segment will give our listeners a chance to call Thom and talk about the issues that are important to us.
As for bringing Rachel Maddow back to WCPT... We can't tell you how excited we are for her to return to the station. This is a homecoming for Rachel as she formerly hosted mornings on WCPT. Recently, her career has skyrocketed though her many appearances on MSNBC where she has been a particular favorite of Keith Olbermann and is a regular panelist on the network's "Race for the White House" program. The new "Rachel Maddow Show" is a fast-paced, funny, news-based program which features everything from the worlds of politics, pop culture, current events, sports and whatever else is on Rachel's mind.
All of us at WCPT appreciate all of the input that you have given us. We know that many of our listeners have enjoyed hearing Randi Rhodes on WCPT over the years and we appreciate her work on WCPT and in pioneering the Progressive Talk format. With Thom's new time and the addition of Rachel, WCPT is poised to be an important outlet during one of the most historic times that we have ever faced.