KNRS will pick up Sean Hannity show in October

SALT LAKE CITY — A day after KSL radio (FM-102.7/AM-1160) announced that it would drop the syndicated Sean Hannity show this fall, another local radio station announced that it would pick up the program.

KNRS (FM-105.7), owned by Clear Channel Broadcasting, has made arrangements to air Hannity's show, starting Monday, Oct. 4. It will run from 1 to 4 p.m. weekdays.

Hannity's last show will air on KSL on Friday, Oct. 1.

"We acknowledge the great partnership we've had with Sean Hannity and appreciate his contributions to furthering public dialogue," said Mark Willes, CEO of KSL Broadcasting Inc. and its parent organization, Deseret Media Companies, in a statement Thursday. "At the end of the day, we simply feel our future success and competitive advantage reside in creating unique local content, and that is our objective for developing replacement programming."

Hannity has been heard on KSL since October 2001 and is carried on more than 500 affiliates nationwide.

KNRS will have to do some adjusting to fit Hannity in its schedule. Currently the station airs Dr. Laura from 1 to 4 p.m., and with no other room in its weekday schedule, she will move to sister station KACP (AM-570) on Oct. 4 to accommodate Hannity.

In Salt Lake City, Hannity was the top-rated show from 1 to 4 p.m. in total listeners under the Arbitron diary ratings system. The "Sean Hannity Show" was also the No.1 program in six of the first nine months of electronic measurement that began last fall.

KSL's plan to create a live, local early afternoon show to replace Hannity goes against the national radio trend of cutting back on local talent.

KNRS expects to benefit from the addition of Hannity. The station already boasts several popular syndicated talk shows, featuring the likes of Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh.

"Sean Hannity is one of the biggest names in talk radio and has a track record of success in Utah since 2001. … Sean has a large, loyal following in Utah, which is evident by his dominant ratings for over eight years," said Stu Stanek, KNRS general manager. "We're confident that Sean's fans will embrace his show on 105.7 FM KNRS."

Five other Utah radio stations also air Hannity: KSUB in Cedar City; KVNU in Logan; KSVC in Richfield; KDXU in St. George; and KEVL in Vernal. All of those stations air Hannity live, except KVNU, where it is delayed until 7-10 p.m.

e-mail: lynn@desnews.com