WABC TUNES OUT SAVAGE (Disney/ABC Management Orders Savage Off the Air)

New York Post ^ | July 3, 2003 | John Mainelli

[Dont Mention the War]

July 3, 2003 -- MICHAEL Savage has been permanently dropped from WABC' lineup following the collapse of West Coast contract talks that used the Bronx-raised blabber's beloved New York affiliation as leverage.

WABC (770 AM) abruptly yanked Savage off the air earlier this month in solidarity with its San Francisco sister station, KSFO, during noisy negotiations with Savage, who's based at KSFO but is syndicated by another company.

[sinkspur]

I listened to Savage last night, for the first time in weeks.

He's approaching clinical insanity. What a colossal mess of a show!

[Petronski]

BOYCOTT DISNEY: a vortex of seductive evil™

[Reactionary]

Savage rocks.

[BCrago66]

Levin's pretty cool too.

[Keith in Iowa]

>>Boyce told The Post he thinks Savage sub Mark Levin has been "sounding pretty good."

But this would be a good thing...The Great One - Mark Levin should be a good replacement for Savage. Besides, Levin is a Freeper.

[dc-zoo]

You're right. The guy is a certifiable nutball.

[sinkspur]

Savage rocks.

For about ten minutes. He spent so much time talking about himself, I counted only two calls in the first two hours. And nothing he said had anything to do with what he said five minutes before.

[Sunnyvale CA Eng.]

Yes, Savage was falling apart last night at times. He seems to have a few different personalities. I thing he really screwed himself with the whole KSFO thing. KSFO is a little 5000 watt station with a relatively small coverage area in the Bay Area. WABC is a monster and this is a huge loss to him. KSFO now runs 5 or 6 house of Hannity every day which gets boring fast. I have always felt that Savages national appeal would be short lived but I guess the jury is still out on that one. I can't imaging the MSNBC show staying around too long either. I've seen it a few times and it's hard to watch - you can often sense the tension in the guests because they never know which Savage showed up today.

[sinkspur]

Different Mark Levin. Not F. Lee.

[StriperSniper]

Ironically, WABC was in the midst of planning a 50 percent increase in Savage's airtime when corporate higher-ups ordered him gagged.

So they were finally going to give us the whole show, that sucks!

(But I do love Mark's show)

[StriperSniper]

Different Mark Levin. Not F. Lee.

Nope, same one.

[sinkspur]

Nope, same one.

My bad, then. Somebody else told me it wasn't the same Levin. We don't get him here.

[John Lenin]

Maybe they didn't like the "Hollywood Idiot of the Week" skit ??

[Archie Bunker on steroids]

Yes, he's nuts, but thats one of the reasons he is so entertaining. I chuckle all of the way home listening to him...and unlike Rush he's not afraid to speak out against the gay blitzkrieg.

Do you want a Rush clone? No, we need a little variety and I enjoy Savage.

[BCrago66]

Some like Savage because he's generally on the right, but he's continually on the verge of some kind of psychotic break, which makes for uncomfortable listening. Most people don't want to witness another man's breakdown.

[StriperSniper]

We don't get him here.

WABC streams on the web. 7-9 PM here in the east(but not today).

[sinkspur]

but he's continually on the verge of some kind of psychotic break,

He spent thirty minutes haranguing people who exercise, who try to eat right, said it's just a way to "hold onto youth."

I thought he was married, but some of the things he said last night indicated he has a major problem with women.

[StriperSniper]

he's continually on the verge of some kind of psychotic break, which makes for uncomfortable listening. Most people don't want to witness another man's breakdown.

Yeah, but sometimes it helps confirm one's own sanity. ;-)

[dersepp]

I've been listening to Savage since 1995 and seen him three times at his functions. He's fast and impatient on his show like the surgeons I work with in the O.R., but a sweetheart one-on-one.

I love that he doesn't hold back as some. During the Monica mess, he paraphrased Clinton,"That depends on what the definition of jizz is."

[byteback]

crap! I just found knew was carrying Larry Elder and now he gets bumped for Savage.

knew910

[Crowcreek]

" Most people don't want to witness another man's breakdown"

Most people are such perfect cowards they start to feel ill when someone else shows backbone.

[Thorondir]

Yes, he does, but some people cannot tell an act from reality. Others want another pablum-spewing, Rebublican-rubber-stamping, Rush clone. Some others just hate him because he is courageous and conservative, and they lack those qualities. Regardless, the guy cracks me up and he is right on, on most issues, if a little coarse in his delivery.

[Slyfox]

Besides, Levin is a Freeper.

Hold on now! You don't want to go and blow his cover now, do you?

[Crowcreek]

He was just making fun of those who work out for vanity. Savage wrote a book about healthy living, and another about medicinal herbs, I think. He rides his bike every day to stay in shape.

He's right on the money -- I've rubbed elbows with every type of exercise fanatic, sometimes on the same day!

Sink, you need to get knee tatoos. Let me suggest "Bircher" and "Savage" -- One for each knee!

[Keith in Iowa]

I don't think it's that big a secret... :)

[Mr. Mojo]

He's approaching clinical insanity. What a colossal mess of a show!

Approaching? During the crisis with China over the plane they forced down a year or so ago Savage screamed that we should 50 Chinese cities immediately --- just wipe them off the face of the earth. I thought he was kidding and merely expressing his anger in a less than appropriate way, but he repeated it again for the next 2 days. The guy should be in a rubber room.

[Mr. Mojo]

Savage screamed that we should 50 Chinese cities immediately

I left out a word: NUKE ....Savage said that we should NUKE 50 Chinese cities immediately.

[ladylib]

I agreed with a lot of what he said, but he was just so obnoxious, I coudn't listen to him.

Get a better messenger WABC!

[tkathy]

He is so self absorbed and arrogant, I can't stand listening to him.

[M_Man]

KNEW is 20KW during the day, back down to 5KW after sunset.

It must be political, KSFO could have had the Top Three Talkers- Rush, Hannity, and Savage.

ABC/Disney, home to Michael Moore's next- "Fahrenheit 911"

[Calvin Locke]

I haven't listened to Savage either. Doesn't help that the local has the Yankees. Even interferes with Howie Carr.

I'd get off my duff and shut off the pc with the noisy ps to pickup WABC or WGY for Savage.

[Tribune7]

I have been wondering when Mark Levin was going to get a show. This is great news. I hope it is syndicated.

[July 4th]

We don't get him here.

Depending on the time of day, you might! WABC comes loud and clear into Wisconsin after about 10pm.

[aristeides]

He's approaching clinical insanity. What a colossal mess of a show!

You don't like how critical he's been of the Supreme Court's Lawrence ( gay rights) decision? Did you also approve when corporate Disney took Bob Grant off WABC?

[yooper]

Coming from you, I'll treat your comments the same way I treat Leanord Maltin's movie reviews:

"A Spectacular Picture": (translation) "It Sucks."

[aristeides]

Well, I certainly wish Mark Levin had not taken advantage of Savage's dispute with corporate Disney to get a show.

[Las Vegas Dave]

ping!

[sinkspur]

Savage wrote a book about healthy living, and another about medicinal herbs, I think. He rides his bike every day to stay in shape.

He needs to ride it more.

Michael Savage is FAR from being in shape.

[all_mighty_dollar]

Savage Rocks! Can't be summed up any other way, given my 4+ years of listening experience with Savage & almost 15 yrs of experience with Rush (mostly full-time). I went through a 'talk radio withdrawal' when he was off the air. I listened to Sacto radio but that was a hassle, so I turned the radio off in protest/disinterest, including even parts of Rush- a first for me. I wasn't even listening to 100% of Savage’s program, but I NEEDED the 'honesty' of his views, his 'no holes barred' approach. Lee Rodgers used to 'have it' on the morning show but he's gotten too 'main-stream' as his show ratings spike up to near the #1 area.

I'm listening to Mike on 910 on the dial now and a 'calm' has returned to my 'everyday life'. However, my radio listening has NOT returned to the previous total levels & may never again. Rush, hitting lead off, may have got the world's attention for conservatives and explained overall strategy, but Savage is batting 'cleanup' and defining the needed and the various important details we need for success. Savage’s scientific academic background (UC Berkeley PhD) makes him perfect for the role.

His phrase - BORDERS, LANGUAGE, and CULTURE - may go down in history as the 'cross-roads' for defining the future of the USA.

At this point on the EIB Institute for Conservative Studies learning curve, Mike may be more important than even RUSH, the ultimate hero, IMHO.

Leadership Skill Set requirements do change over time, IMO, and conservatives may need to acquire new 'street-cleaning' skills if the conservative cause is to remain active, effective, & viable. The easy academic part may well be nearing an end. The days of the talk-radio host may soon be overshadowed by new requirements.

And the loss of WABC in NYC isn't much of an issue either because, NYC, like "Old Europe" or the NYT, is relegating itself to the 'backwater' of political influence.

[oceanview]

I knew the guy would flame out, his ego is immense. He's made enough money to retire.

[oceanview]

Levin will not make it either, he is constantly angry. He is angry for the entire show, every caller. I just can't take that.

[Cicero]

I've never heard him, so I can't judge, but IMHO there's room for all sorts of talk-show folks.

So, he said we should nuke China? saying it isn't quite the same thing as doing it. The Chinese need some slapping down. If he were in the government, it would be another matter, but as a talk show host, why not? It's what's called a rant.

More than a few Freepers call for nuking Baghdad and the like. It's never bothered me very much, because I read it mainly as a way of saying they're angry. If they had happened to run across the nuclear football one of those times clinton lost it, it might have been a different story.

[Crowcreek]

Well if you're judging by looks, you must be using the 'pudge estimation' technique. That can be hit or miss. Fat is just fat -- It's not a reliable indicator of health. It's also not a reliable indicator for level of conditioning.

It's just a measure of how much extra weight you're packing around.

[Maria S]

I've just assumed Michael Weiner (savage) was some kind of psychophrenic nut. Or else bi-polar. Never know how he's going to react. I've quit listening.

[onyx]

The "great one" is a FReeper? What's his FReeper name, if you know?

[Thorondir]

You don't like how critical he's been of the Supreme Court's Lawrence ( gay rights) decision?

Things that make you go, "Hmmmmm..."

[habs4ever]

Gee, Levin angry? nah, he's never that when on FF, no siree...which makes me wonder why he'd ever think he could cut it on the air if he can't handle himself on an internet forum.

[habs4ever]

holdonow

[dogbyte12]

Savage reminds me of B-1 Bob. I half expect to read the newspaper next morning and find out one of them went postal.

Savage has totally lost it. I actually heard his very first broadcast on KGO in San Francisco. He was trying out a different schtick to start, but has "evolved" into more of a whacky. Much of it's an act, but not all. I get cynical about it, because I have listened to people locally, get syndicated nationally, and all of a sudden they have a personality shift.

I like my morning/afternoon shift in L.A. though. Prager,Medved, Hewitt... all reasonable, all right, none of them Mike Savage.