Conservative radio talk show host Michael Savage wrapped up 26 years of syndicated radio programming Thursday afternoon, after announcing earlier this year that he would continue his show as a podcast instead.
Savage will host a special episode of "The Savage Nation Podcast" on New Year's Day, according to the show's producers, and his radio show will no longer be heard via the Westwood One broadcast radio distribution system.
His podcast is linked to his website and can also be heard free of charge through several other outlets, including iHeartRadio and Spotify.
Savage said on his podcast Wednesday, while talking about the move, that he's in the "top 2% of podcasts" downloaded nationally. He insisted it will remain free because of advertising sponsors but promised the ads won't be disruptive.
"I can't do this anymore," he said on the podcast Wednesday about his show. "The truth is, with my brand of freeform [association] it's been a real challenge ... it's been good to me, I've been good to it."
He added that his podcast will be "more edgy in some ways" because there are "things I'd like to talk about that I generally avoid on national radio because of FCC [Federal Communications Commission] constraints."
Savage's former producer Karen O'Toole commented in written remarks that his longtime program, while often controversial, "broke the mold for conservative talk because he doesn't shy away from larger conversations."
"It was the moments when Savage would break from the conventional conversation and address the great questions of life that he would transcend the AM airwaves," she said. "No longer was it a frivolous talk show but rather a spirited discourse by a distinguished lecturer or a captivating tale by a master storyteller."
Savage, who has an archive of articles on Newsmax's website, announced in September both on the radio and on Twitter that his show was wrapping up on New Year's Eve and that he'd be podcasting exclusively effective in January. He did not say why he was leaving, except to slam "types" like Fox News' Chris Wallace, who "took over radio — only vanilla permitted."
“You will not hear me on this radio station anymore as of January,” Savage told listeners when making his announcement in September. "I cannot give you the reasons; I am constrained for legal reasons. You will no longer hear Michael Savage on radio anywhere in America."
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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