Jeff Davis, the general manager at 1160/WCFO-AM, was listening to Dr. Laura Schlessinger on his own station last Friday, knowing she was leaving terrestrial radio for Sirius/XM in three weeks.

He said she was pimping satellite radio and that did not please him at all. So on Monday, he sent an email to Dr. Laura’s syndication company and said he was cutting her short two weeks early. Today was her last day on WCFO.

“It won’t be soon enough,” Davis said. For now, he will put Lou Dobbs in daytime from 2 to 4 p.m. and will give Laura Ingraham an extra hour from 10 to 2 p.m. “I just got sick of her extolling the virtues of satellite radio which is by implication a huge knock on her many terrestrial radio clients over the years.”

Some other stations, he said, have already bailed.

When Dr. Laura announced her move two weeks ago, Davis was much more sanguine about the situation.

“She never got great ratings but it was wonderful to sell,” Davis said in late November to me.  “Clients recognized the name immediately.”

UPDATE on Thursday December 16, 2010, 5:20 p.m.: Geoff Rich, who represents Dr. Laura, sent me what he sent Davis after he heard about what Davis told me:

Dr. Laura has been very respectful toward her affiliates and not “pimped” her move to Sirius XM on her radio show since November 30, the day it was announced and where she had to address it on her show since it was news.  You did not complain to me that day, nor have you since.

I challenge you to come up with an aircheck of her show in the past 2 weeks where she has “pimped” Sirius XM or mentioned it other than in passing.

You never expressed any complaints or concerns to me, nor did you say anything about this issue in your cancellation notice.

In 30 years in radio I have seen many radio station executives break contracts and give attitude — but never in public.

There is a first time for everything.

Wishing you well for the holidays,

Geoff

Geoff Rich
President
Take On The Day, LLC/The Dr. Laura Program

I read your article, and I agree with Jeff Davis.  I just read another article on her website dated December 27, 2010 where she states she made the AP List, almost bragging about what she said and done to me.  Just another slap in the face!!

She has never shown any remorse for what she has said.

Nita “Jade” Hanson