The license is too valuable and the format needs to make money to survive.

The station is owned by clear channel.

Clear Channel wants to deliver a message to the left: you won the battle, but we will get you in the end.

Hartmann said, "I don't see any evidence that this is a political game being played" by Clear Channel. But Hartmann's guest, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, expressed concern that radio is dominated by "extreme right-wing" hosts. "We have got to figure out a way," Sanders said, to give radio listeners alternatives to "Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity." He said, "That's a major, major issue."

After Willard lost Bain/Cheap Channel has little motivation to own the hundreds of stations they do...the company they bought in '07 and this signals the first moves in what Bain does...fatten up the turkeys before they're sold off.

Cheap Channel has a nearly 15 billion dollar debt...a lot tied up in radio stations that have lost both advertising and overall "stick" or property value in recent years. Talk radio on the whole (and most specifically) hate radio have become an economic liability as advertisers are staying away. Sports talk is far less controversial, requires almost no local talent...just plug into the satellite and could help increase the value of the station to a potential buyer.

It's a shame that such a fine station is no more...but it's a canary in the coal mine...radio is in a very distressed situation as the corporates destroy what was left of a once vibrant and fun business...

Switching to a sports format is a cheaper way of keeping the public uninformed.

We need to break up the clear channel monopoly.

Bain Capital.

Another bit of trivia for you, they also own Doubleclick...

Screw corporate radio. OCCUPY YOUR RADIO!

support them because you heard about them on that station?