In early July, talk show host Bob Frantz was unceremoniously shown the door at Oak Tree…bounced from his evening talk show on then-Clear Channel-now-iHeart talk WTAM/1100 in Cleveland. The reason? Budget cuts.
Before being moved to evenings, Bob was hired to clean up the midday mess left behind by liberal syndicated talk host Jerry Springer…before WTAM brought back conservative syndicated host Glenn Beck.
It’s that midday slot where Frantz will return to the Cleveland radio airwaves weekdays starting Monday from 9-11 AM, on Salem talk WHK/1420 “The Answer”.
Quoting a release helpfully sent to us from friends at Summit Park Drive:
“There has been a very loud cry from Clevelanders to hear Bob Frantz on the air once more, since his mic went silent 5 months ago,” said Salem Cleveland GM Mark Jaycox. “His straight forward honest approach to news, sports and politics has earned him a strong following among conservatively minded listeners who want more in-depth perspective on news stories that effect our daily lives,” added Jaycox.
Frantz is able to straddle both politics and sports, and seems to have an opinion about everything in either genre. “If there was a more perfect match for the kind of radio program that I want to do; for the conversations I want to have with Northeast Ohio, I honestly wouldn’t know where to find it,” said Frantz. He added: “I am so thrilled to be joining a radio team—and a company—that is so completely in tune with my own core beliefs and ideology.”
Veteran Cleveland radio newsman Jim McIntyre is already in place as WHK’s news director, and will be heard doing news on Frantz’s show.
The addition of Frantz means a shuffle of 1420’s schedule of the Salem Radio Network national talkers.
Frantz airs after Bill Bennett’s 6-9 AM “Morning in America”, then the following two hosts trim to 2 hour programs: Mike Gallagher slides to 11 AM-1 PM, followed by Dennis Prager 1-3 PM, then it’s Michael Medved 3-6 PM and so on.
Though some have already asked us about this, we note that several Salem talkers elsewhere actually employ some local hosts.
At the company’s WNYM/970 “The Answer” in the New York City market, former “Saturday Night Live” cast member Joe Piscopo hosts morning drive. He was the eventual replacement for Curtis Sliwa of “Guardian Angels” fame, a former WABC/770 staffer who recently returned there.
In Chicago, “Big John” Howell has been hosting mornings on Salem’s WIND/560 until recently…he is rumored to be headed for Cumulus talker WLS/890.
And Salem has such a history even in markets similar in size to Cleveland.
In Sacramento, Salem’s KTKZ/1380 features former FM morning co-host Phil Cowan, once heard on the market’s top AC station in morning drive with Paul Robins. If you watched Fox TV late night after Joan Rivers for a while, you may have seen “Paul and Phil” on “The Wilton North Report”…if you looked quick enough.
The same Salem station had earlier poached an evening talk host from “Paul and Phil’s” sister AM news/talk station.
So, while Salem’s secular talkers are very much known for SRN hosts like Bennett, Prager, Medved and the like, the company is not at all shy about hiring some local talent…especially in a situation like this.
And about Bob Frantz’s last line in the Salem press release:
“I am so thrilled to be joining a radio team—and a company—that is so completely in tune with my own core beliefs and ideology.”
Frantz has actually been doing short form commentaries for WHK for some time.
And courtesy of the excellent “Tom Taylor Now” daily E-newsletter, a quote from Salem’s top programmer Senior VP Phil Boyce…talking about the latest “Answer” rebranding with more of the company’s talk stations taking the branding already on WHK here:
“Boyce also says Salem is sticking with politics and hard news instead of following some other talk stations into “fluff.”
Well, there you go. It would seem to be a perfect fit.
But will it dislodge listeners, who miss Frantz’s run on WTAM, from his former station? We’ll see.
The new Cleveland gig won’t affect Frantz’s other new recent job…as afternoon sports talk host on Cumulus sports WLQR-FM/106.5 “The Ticket” in Toledo…
So happy to hear that Bob is coming back on the air here, again. Salem is a good fit for a committed conservative who walks the walk! Congrats!
It’s good that WHK has added a local host, but not good that WHK has decided to lop of Dennis Prager’s first hour. Mr. Prager is, by far, my favorite talk show host out there. He’s not a “hot-dog” like others. He comes up with ways to express one self about “hot-button” issues that are brilliant and true. I called the station and was put in touch with the GM. I suggested that they run the missed hour overnight or on weekends. I shared that I’d rather see them dump Mike Gallagher altogether (although my guess is that Salem might not want that). I told him that it’s too bad he couldn’t do something with Bill Bennett’s show because it’s so boring. The GM said that there was “some network problems” with trying to cut into Michael Medved’s show.
Glad to read this, even though a week later.
I’ve heard Bob’s shorts being broadcast on WHK for awhile and was hoping he would be getting a show. I was skeptical it would happen though since the daytime on WHK was filled with all network shows. Good for them for bucking the norm. I haven’t cared for Gallagher and wished they would replace him. Liked hearing Laura Ingraham much more than him.
Congrats Bob. Will start tuning in tomorrow.