Westwood One is shaking up its weekday afternoon Conservative Talk block in January 2019.
Michael Savage’s “The Savage Nation” will cut back from three hours to one hour daily from 3-4pm eastern while Ben Shapiro takes over the 4-6pm slot.
Cumulus launched Ben Shapiro on six stations in April including a live clearance on 770 WABC New York and delayed clearances on WMAL Washington DC, WLS Chicago, WYAY Atlanta, and KABC Los Angeles. The live show will be separate from Shapiro’s daily podcast.
It is that daily podcast/live broadcast model that Savage will switch to. He will host the daily afternoon show as well as a separate daily podcast in January.
Westwood One, the largest audio network in the U.S., and podcast-to-broadcast innovator Ben Shapiro are launching a nationally syndicated two-hour LIVE radio show. The first live episode of The Ben Shapiro Show will air in January 2019.
Earlier this year Westwood One made history as the first company to bring a podcast to broadcast in the commercial segment when The Ben Shapiro Show podcast became a dedicated radio show in 60 markets — debuting on WABC-AM in New York and top market stations in Los Angeles, Chicago, and Washington D.C. The show has been so successful that Westwood One and Ben Shapiro are adding the two-hour LIVE radio show in addition to the one-hour podcast broadcast. The live show will air from 4-6pm EST.
Breaking the mold once again, the live radio show will forego nationally recorded ads, and restrict advertising opportunities to a limited number of powerful live reads like the ones heard in Ben’s podcast.
“I grew up on talk radio and cut my teeth there,” Shapiro says. “There’s no medium that allows the exchange of ideas and the explanation of detailed narratives better than talk radio, and I can’t wait to bring two more live hours to listeners across the country. And we’re going to bring the values of podcasts – islands of advertising surrounded by oceans of content – to talk radio, too, merging the best of both worlds. Westwood One is a tremendously innovative partner, and I can’t wait to get started!”
“Ben Shapiro is a luminary for young conservatives, and a stunningly exciting discovery for political talk radio fans,” said Suzanne Grimes, Executive Vice President, Marketing for Cumulus Media and President, Westwood One. “Since debuting his podcast on the radio, listenership is up dramatically on his podcast and in his radio broadcast markets, in the latest testament to the power of Ben’s narrative. Expanding Ben’s reach with a two-hour live radio show is another milestone in our dynamic partnership.
The Ben Shapiro Show is a high-energy, action-packed program as Ben covers America’s most powerful political personalities, brutally breaking down the culture, while never giving an inch.
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Westwood One, America’s largest audio network, and legendary broadcaster Michael Savage are innovating together in 2019 with the launch of a one-hour version of The Savage Nation radio show, which has millions of dedicated listeners, and a new original podcast.
The Savage Nation podcast will also be available for radio broadcast, as Westwood One pioneers bridging the demos and consumption patterns on both linear and on demand audiences. This is the first original podcast from Michael Savage, who currently releases an on-demand version of his radio show. Savage is excited to experiment with audio and create a podcast that will reach his listeners and fans all over the country.
“As I move into the next phase of my 25-year radio career I hope to bring even more listeners to the medium of audio with The Savage Nation,” said Savage. “I will be free to innovate in unique ways on my podcast. The flexibility of the platform will permit me to expand my story-telling and insights into politics, books, food, cars, and rock and roll. I’m going to change the way talk radio is spoken and consumed.”
“Dr. Savage’s on-demand audience is massive, and I have no doubt this new podcast will be too,” said Suzanne Grimes, Executive Vice President, Marketing for Cumulus Media and President, Westwood One. “He has fans from all over the world and from different walks of life who will flock to his versatile new shows.”
The combination of podcast and broadcast will fuel the audience for both shows. Savage will cross-promote across The Savage Nation radio show and podcast, which will also be heavily promoted by Westwood One Podcast Network – the fastest growing podcast network in America.
The Savage Nation podcast will be available in January at michaelsavage.com, Apple Podcasts, Google Play, WestwoodOnePodcasts.com, and the Westwood One Podcasts App for iOS or Android.
