Mike Webb, tossed off of AM despite being top rated show on the station

is still running via streaming audio

http://stream.mikewebb.org:8000/listen.pls

Pick one.

I've written KIRO to ask why. Here is the text:
-------------------------------------------------------------
I've been a regular listener to the Mike Webb Show for some time now. The last few days I listened to Erin Hart filling in and turned off some guy who was just rambling about nothing, and figured Mike was just taking a few days off. Now I have heard via the web that Mike was pulled off the air for some comments about some union dispute involving KIRO.

Can you tell me what is really happening?

Is Mike just taking time off, was he temporarily suspended as some sort of punishment for something he said, or has he been fired? If station management has pulled Mike off the air I certainly hope you reconsider.

Thank you for any clarification,
(signed)
-------------------------------------------------------------

The email address for comments is:
kiromanager@entercom.com

I didn't hear anything about this... who's in his slot now?

out of seattle... he's usually 10pm-1am on KIRO. Is he gone from KIRO for good, or suspended for something?

and they are playing it tomorrow during the protests..I called Bush a traitor and a liar on a 45 minute interview. I didnt know what KIRO was, but I did it, and Im glad I did.

... rights to that frequency.

Thinking of your son a lot lately.

I'm glad you did it too.

down into Oregon and up into BC. 50,000 Watts. Mike was top-rated on the station and in his time slot was top rated for the whole market.

That's how he's referred to himself several times on tonight's webcast.

If he were gone from the station for good, something tells me he wouldn't be allowed to identify himself as such.

This seems to be a really murky situation.

is that he was involuntarily put off the air by management.

Whether this reference is an old habit or some indication that the censorship was time-limited - I don't know. I hope he gets back on soon. Email or call the station if you agree: kiromanager@entercom.com

and full mp3 downloads in the "Protest Songs" thread on the Mike Malloy board (I MISS MY MIKE MALLOY!)
http://www.mikemalloy.com/board/viewtopic.php?t=7240&sid=2ebc92afd5bec02c4de2e3705d2238b4

Mike mentioned that if/when he gets back on the air he might continue an extra hour on the internet because of the freedom it offers. I for sure prefer hearing the music over tuning out commercials.

try the last one

http://www.mikemalloy.com/gallery.html

management to pull the plug. Mike says he hopes this will
be resolved soon.

Actually you are right. Something about AFTRA pulling his creds for reasons unclear to me.
(edit: changed content to reflect info from Mike's show)

About eight years ago, Mike's predecessor in the late-night liberal talk slot, Bill Gallant, was named representative of the station's union in what turned out to be rather contentious contract talks. Although the negotiations were eventually settled, supposedly to everyone's satisfaction, Gallant's own contract was not renewed shortly thereafter, despite the fact that he'd been at KIRO for decades and had very high ratings for that slot. (Gallant went on to another Seattle station before having to resign for health reasons; he wound up doing work as the relatively liberal Roman Catholic Archdiocese's press secretary before his death last year. :-( ) After Gallant's firing, KIRO went through a series of moderate-left hosts before bringing in Webb as a substitute about a year or two later. I would be very surprised if we hear from him there again, especially with Erin Hart (an alleged liberal with more of a DLC orientation, mostly notable for lambasting anyone critical of Ariel Sharon or the Likud party as an anti-Semite) in the wings to take over.

:grr:

Makes your reply obscure. Anyway, from what he says, Mike ran into some conflict with AFTRA over dues he paid, and paid again, and the AFTRA rep pulled his card costing him his job. (Sounds like a power trip by the union rep, possibly ideologically based.)

or not and AFTRA raising the ante after he complied.

or did the union kneecap him?

The station can't use him without AFTRA credentials.