Less than 18 months after longtime radio personality Hank Stolz made a huge move to the station from competitor WTAG AM 580, bringing with him a focus on local programming, WCRN has moved on to at least its fifth different daytime lineup, dropped to two main on-air personalities during the week, and added a new local Saturday show.
The most immediate changes are the loss of Telegram & Gazette columnist Dianne Williamson from her short-lived early afternoon talk show, and the move of Stolz from his afternoon slot to a co-hosting role with morning host Peter Blute from 6-10 a.m. Stolz is running the soundboard during that block, as well as filling the 1-3 p.m. block between the Drew Mortgage show and Howie Carr. The Laura Ingraham show is on 10 a.m.-12 p.m., Drew Mortgage 12-1 p.m., Carr 3-7 p.m., and Dennis Miller at nights. The station is also adding Hermis Yanis Jr. to a Saturday afternoon show, beginning this weekend.
The slot is Stolz’ fifth at the station. When he started in April 2007, he was on from 8 a.m.-12 p.m., sharing the first hour with Blute. Since then, he has occupied the 2-7 p.m. slot, 1-5 p.m., and 2-5 p.m. as Howie Carr left and returned, and other shows were added, dropped, and shuffled.
Essentially, the new lineup means that Blute and Stolz are the only two truly local on-air personalities for the station that boasts itself as “Live and Local,” and made a big push to be the local alternative when they brought Stolz aboard. At the time, and several times in the intervening months, Stolz reaffirmed his desire to bring as many local voices as possible to the station, as well as get out into the community as much as possible. That mission will be a little more difficult with the current lineup.
Still, Stolz sounds a positive note about the direction of the station. “The new book is beginning, and this is the strongest lineup that we felt that we could have right now.” o
