If you’ve been fortunate enough to catch Paul Harvey on WHAS Radio in the last six months, you know how rare it is for the 90-year-old legend to actually do his own show. And as Harvey’s appearances have dwindled, stations have been abandoning him.
WHAS in Louisville will drop Harvey’s daily broadcasts at the end of the year, according to Clear Channel Operations Director Kelly Carls.
“In the last year, he’s been gone more than he’s been present,” said Carls, who says he regrets making the move because he’s been a Harvey fan since he was 10 years old. “His fill-ins are not great. Paul Harvey Jr. is awful, and we won’t subject our listeners to it.”
WHAS plans to fill the time by extending the Francene show by 15 minutes on weekdays and filling his other spots with other programming. Carls says it’s not a budgetary move, because Harvey’s show is offered to stations on a barter basis, meaning that stations don’t pay for the segments, but offer Harvey’s company commercial time during the broadcast.
He said WLW, the powerful station in Cincinnati, dropped Harvey earlier this year, as have most of the larger stations carrying Harvey around the country. In some markets, the show has been picked up by second-tier news stations or Christian programmers.
Harvey’s wife of 68 years, whom he called Angel, died in May, and Harvey’s appearances since have been infrequent. One of his more memorable fill-ins has been former presidential candidate Mike Huckabee. But the most frequent is Harvey’s son.
So that’s why Paul Harvey’s show is leaving WHAS and, well, now you know the rest of the story.
23 responses so far ↓
1 David Harpe // Oct 6, 2008 at 1:04 pm
It’s a shame that there’s not an opportunity for Joe Elliott in all of this. Would be cool if he and Francene tag-teamed the last half hour or something.
2 j // Oct 6, 2008 at 2:11 pm
Wow. Carls sounds like the moron. Both Harvey’s were, when you’re honest, awful. Paul just gained a respect in longevity and consistency very rarely seen in public celebs. For Carls to say Jr is awful shows why nobody listens to local radio anymore. Thank god for the SIRIUS XM merger… better just got way better.
3 bourbonball72 // Oct 6, 2008 at 2:20 pm
“His fill-ins are not great. Paul Harvey Jr. is awful, and we won’t subject our listeners to it.”–But they will subject listeners to Limbaugh and Savage??? A foolish consistency indeed.
4 Greg K // Oct 6, 2008 at 7:53 pm
Extending Francene 15 minutes?? I guarantee she will pick up 4 and the rest will go to an already-bloated commercial lineup.
5 DB // Oct 6, 2008 at 9:34 pm
People actually listen to Limbaugh and Savage. I don’t like Savage, but Limbaugh is a must listen.
6 PH Jr // Oct 7, 2008 at 10:06 am
Now, that’s news.
7 Gordon // Oct 7, 2008 at 12:25 pm
I’ve been an XM’er for 4 years now. The only thing I can listen to locally is WFPK and Dennis Miller on WGTK. That happens very rarely, as most of my listening is in the car with XM. As a former local radio guy for 15 years (I escaped 4 years ago) it’s very sad to see a once great media crumble because of short sighted owners and managers.
8 ctk // Oct 8, 2008 at 5:07 pm
i agree with the guy above. i’ve been sirius about radio since april and i have barely tuned into local radio since the best of xm package came online last week. i think that the loosening of local media ownership and the mass concilidation of major broadcast companies killed terrestrial radio. the local talkers pretty much sound the same because there aren’t any alternative views made broadcast. i wonder what would happen should louisville develop a progressive station (there are progressive shows out there, i would not advocate a straight feed of air america partially because they don’t know how to run a radio network).
radio is getting to the point where you could drive from boston to seattle on i-90 and still hear the same people on the radio using your standard am/fm radio. it is amazing that WHAS has not replaced the morning show and meiners with typical syndicated crap yet.
as for paul harvey, i tuned him out years ago when i finally sat and actually listened to what he’s been saying. he’s been giving that religious conservative bent for years now. i’d say that senior’s just secular enough to be broadcast on more stations than james dobson. and he’s gotten away with it only because he’s been in radio since marconi and tesla were around. i have no problem with the major stations dropping him just based on his message, but why would they drop “the rest of the story”? is this a part of a package deal? you could rerun those like peanuts is being rerun.
9 Mufasa Thedog // Oct 17, 2008 at 10:24 am
I agree that PH Jr. is awful. His morning 5 minute segment is all Star Wars type stories. And the various inflections he uses are amateurish, to say the least. Good riddance!
NOW THAT”S SUCKY RADIO!!
10 db // Jan 2, 2009 at 11:44 am
I still listen to Paul Harvey. I find in 15 minutes more news than on the repeated loops of news on the cable networks. So much for loyalty WHAS! Doing this in the name of protecting their listeners is laughable! Having a 90 something year old is like poison to your image. I hear in a few days CC is looking at more budget cuts and I suspect more syndicated crap is on the way. You no more care for your listeners than Scrooge cared for Bob Cratchet prior to the visits from the ghosts! If you cared for your listeners the you would put Joe Elliott back on the evenings. Listen to your Sunday Morning Talk Show tapes. Most callers start by saying, “we miss you Joe.” I’d love to hear your mission statement for justifying your existance as a radio station!
11 Ken Cunnagin // Jan 2, 2009 at 11:48 am
Please bring Paul Harvey back!
I thoroughly enjoyed all three of his daily programs whether he was there or a guest….
When I wasn’t otherwise listening to WHAS, I would take special pains to listen for Paul Harvey!
Please do not tell me what I want to listen to! Why don’t you take a poll or just plain ask your listeners and wait for a response!
12 db // Jan 2, 2009 at 11:49 am
Paul Harvey is still on WAKY 103.5 at 8:30 am, 11:45 am, and at 4pm with the “Rest of the Story”. Still another reason to listen to a locally owned radio station who cares about their listeners!
13 radio man // Jan 3, 2009 at 9:07 am
I have been listening to Paul Harvey since I was 11 years old. I knew one day this would happen. Yes Jr. does suck. He needs to stay with the format that his dad pioneered. I did not care for Fred Thompson; but I thought Huckabee did the best job as a fill in, but he has gotten a radio job some place else.
14 bill // Jan 6, 2009 at 4:46 pm
why has carle turned his back on radio’s newest star….LOU DOBBS….his show hits all the hot buttons americans want to hear…….Mr. carls what do you have to say?
15 George Caddell // Jan 6, 2009 at 6:50 pm
I have listened to Paul Harvey news and “the rest of the story” since 1969 and will now have to listen to another station. The man lost his wonderful wife of 68 years-give him a break. He is an icon.
16 dan // Jan 10, 2009 at 10:24 am
WHAS wimped out and fired John Ziegler. Brian Rueblin (fantastic news director) was ceremoniously dismissed. UofL got axed for UK. Joe Elliott got savagely replaced, Recently Paul Harvey’s story was ended.
Now I only listen to Francene and Meiners. When they go, I won’t listen to their replacements either.
I also keep a mental list of advertisers on WHAS, and make it a point to buy from their competitors. When given the chance, I tell the advertisers this.
Buy the way, the news sucks also. Seems like they read it straight from the Courier.
17 Pat // Jan 17, 2009 at 4:00 pm
Please find a spot for Joe Elliott. He sees both sides of things far better than Francene. He is so much more familiar with Louisville. He would be great in her place. It is not that I dislike her, but she goes on and on and on and on. Like she likes to hear herself talk. Joe is so fair. He repects others opinions and lets others talk. He is a gem.
18 Dr. J. L. parks // Jan 19, 2009 at 11:38 am
PLEASE bring Paul Harvey back!! Huckabee is FINE by me and I simply don’t turn on WHAS when Paul’s (or Paul Jr.) news in not on. PERIOD.
19 wanda hamilton // Jan 19, 2009 at 3:13 pm
BRING BACK Joe Elliot ,he speaks my natural understanding of life .I love Paul Harvey .He is the only reason may listen Rush Limburg (10 minutes)is to hear if today is the day he will self destruct with all that hate talk.Francine can be so PETTY .Like today she spent so much time whining today about the cost of the Inauguration ,didn’t have hard facts ,didn’t have a peculiar quote on cost ,just wanted to rain on a very special day.I love talk radio ,I want to support local ,but im tuning in on public radio more then ever
20 jon cates // Feb 3, 2009 at 12:12 pm
Got tired of Joe B. and Denny’s Wildlife BS and switched to the Francine Show??? What does she lead into Rush?? How can a Redneck show stay on WHAS?? Oh, forget the ultimate Retardican Rush is on in the afternoon! Take me back to CALIF!! Oh, I heard Francine say she went to WVIRG. and still has the sofa on her porch!! E HAW
21 Francisco // Mar 1, 2009 at 3:49 pm
Bring on Boortz!
22 Doug // Mar 2, 2009 at 10:02 am
It is a moot point now. Paul is gone. Still I am glad I bought an internet radio. No Rush, No Savage. But Damn why in the world would WHAS EVER replace Joe Elliot?
23 Carla // Mar 21, 2009 at 12:41 am
Younger listeners will simply turn off Rush and the other wind bags that waste their time. When will the advertisers realize how poorly these stations run their media outlets. I stream most of my shows except Air America. I truly believe less and less people are listening every week.
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