On the heels of rebranding Conservative Talk 970 WNYM New York as “The Answer” in March, Salem will expand its new brand to the West Coast on Monday, March 23.

870 KRLA Glendale/Los Angeles and 590 KTIE San Bernardino are the next two stations to transition to the new branding, but may also not be the last as the company has registered domains with TheAnswer branding for 16 other frequencies. Along with the new name comes a new morning show for KRLA and KTIE as Heidi Harris, most recently at KDWN Las Vegas takes over the 6-9am slot previously filled by Glenn Beck on both stations.

The Press Release Follows:
Beginning Monday, April 23rd, there will be a new morning show, new attitude, and new brand for Salem Communications’ News Talk radio stations in Los Angeles and the Inland Empire. Morning host Heidi Harris will be joining the stations for wake-up duty 6am to 9am. At the same time, KRLA-AM 870 and KTIE-AM 590 will re-brand the stations as “The Answer,” following on the heels of a similar re-branding at the company’s News Talk radio station, WNYM-AM 970 in New York City.

Salem’s new VP Director, Spoken Word Format, Phil Boyce announced the change, saying both the new morning show and the new name and positioning will make both stations more competitive, with more attitude in the imaging, and more opportunities to position the stations in their markets. “We have been using the name ‘The Answer’ in New York since March 12th, and could not be happier with the response. The on air attitude and positioning is much more positive and we decided we could do something similar for KRLA and KTIE. The addition of Heidi Harris to the morning show is a major investment in the future of these stations, so the timing was perfect to combine the new show with the re-branding effort,” said Boyce.

Heidi Harris was first heard on the air on KDWN in Las Vegas in 1998 during the Monica Lewinsky scandal, when she volunteered to go on the station for free. Her unique take on that issue and others captured the imagination of the city and caught the attention of crosstown competitor KXNT where she became co-host of the morning show in 1999. Later she became the solo host of the morning show on KDWN and developed a great track record, attracting the attention of Salem and KRLA management who wanted their own local morning show. Harris departed Las Vegas radio in March and quickly made the jump to Los Angeles and Riverside, where she begins April 23rd, 6am to 9am.

“I am thrilled and excited to join Salem Communications, a company that has quickly become one of the most respected places to work in radio and a company with a huge commitment to what I do: the News Talk format,” said Heidi Harris. “I can’t wait to get back on the radio, and to do my thing in Los Angeles and the Inland Empire, two great markets for talk, and two great stations,” according to Harris. Boyce added, “Heidi is a proven talk radio pro with a great personality and great instincts on topic selection and on-air attitude, so I am confident she will make a splash in LA and the Inland Empire.”

Regarding the changes, KRLA/KTIE Program Director Chuck Tyler commented, “The LA and Inland Empire morning talk airwaves are ready for a little shake-up. When Heidi became available we immediately knew she was ‘the Answer’! These are very exciting times for KRLA and KTIE.”

Boyce also added that the on-air imaging of both KRLA and KTIE will be reflective of the cities they serve, adding: “I have had a blast writing some of these on-air promos about LA and the Inland Empire, just like I did in New York City. Obviously the Southern California attitude is a lot different than New York, so the imaging will be different, but is just as imaginative and creative.”

Salem Communications Corporation is the largest commercial U.S. radio broadcasting company that provides programming targeted at audiences interested in Christian and conservative opinion radio content, as measured by the number of stations and audience coverage. Upon completion of all announced transactions, the company will own and/or operate a national portfolio of 96 radio stations in 37 markets, including 60 stations in 22 of the top 25 markets. Salem also programs the Family Talk(TM) Christian-themed talk format on SiriusXM Radio, channel 131.

Salem also owns Salem Radio Network, a national radio network that syndicates talk, news and music programming to approximately 2,000 affiliated radio stations and Salem Media Representatives, a national media advertising sales firm with offices across the country.

In addition to its radio broadcast business, Salem owns an Internet and a publishing division. Salem Web Network is a provider of online Christian and conservative-themed content and streaming and includes websites such as Christian faith focused Christianity.com, Questions and Answers about Jesus Christ at Jesus.org, Christian living focused Crosswalk.com(R), online Bible at BibleStudyTools.com, Christian videos at GodTube.com, a leading website providing church media at WorshipHouseMedia.com and Christian radio ministries online at OnePlace.com. Additionally Salem owns conservative news leader Townhall.com(R) and conservative political blog HotAir.com, providing conservative commentary, news and blogging. Salem Publishing(TM) circulates Christian and conservative magazines such as Homecoming(R) The Magazine, YouthWorker Journal(TM), The Singing News, FaithTalk Magazine, Preaching and Townhall Magazine(TM). Xulon Press(TM) is a provider of self publishing services targeting the Christian audience.