RADIO NETWORK: Underlying chaos in new scheduling
It has been absolute chaos for the past few weeks. How so? Well, at Heartland Newsfeed Radio Network, we have to revamp our schedule once again. For those who recall, we had a schedule update effective in October.
However, some things have changed since October. Bobby Likis Car Clinic ended production in October. Until the end of 2020, we’re playing best-of broadcasts. The production status of some other shows is in question as well.
This is our current thought process as we set up our schedule for 2021.
All times are in U.S. Central time zone
Minimal changes during the week
There are very few changes taking place on the weekday schedule. Those receiving some changes were mostly in the morning dayparts.
Free Talk Live is swapping time slots with Sports Overnight America. As a result, the overnight rebroadcast of the nationally-syndicated libertarian program will air at midnight seven nights a week. Moreover, Sports Overnight America will have an hour reduction from the schedule airing from 3 a.m. to 5 a.m.
Network programming from the Liberty Radio Network/LRN.FM will air from 5 a.m. to 5:30 a.m. 90 minutes of religious programming will then follow. The new times are 5:30 a.m. for Pastor Rick’s Daily Hope, 6 a.m. for 66/40, and 6:30 a.m. for Insight for Living.
Between all three of their weekly podcasts, Lions of Liberty will air weekdays at 7 a.m. The flagship podcast will air on Monday and Tuesday, Electric Libertyland on Wednesday and Thursday, and Felony Friday on Friday. With the earlier slot move, this results in Titillating Sports airing all three hours on weekdays.
Radio programming shuffle
With Bobby Likis off the air, trying to fill the weekend schedule was a puzzle. However, with some astute planning, this is what we are currently looking at.
Finding new programming was going to be difficult. Therefore, Sunday programs Rick Steves’ Europe and Freakonomics Radio will now air on both days. Their respective air times are 3 a.m. and 4 a.m.
The Jim Rome Podcast and Left, Right, and Center will air on their respective days at 5 a.m. Rome’s podcast previously aired Sundays at noon. The latter previously aired at 6 a.m. on Sundays, therein the move is an hour earlier.
Classic Radio Theater and Into Tomorrow given schedule shuffles
The scheduling of Classic Radio Theater and Into Tomorrow is receiving a shuffle. The classic radio program, which airs from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday and 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday, is moving earlier. Therefore, both will be airing on the same weekend slot. The show will air from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. on both days.
As a result, this will push Into Tomorrow to the 9 a.m. to noon slot, two hours than usually scheduled.
The tech program did previously broadcast from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. every weekend.
Weekend afternoon shuffling in store
With the exception of the live broadcasts of Wrestling Observer Live, the remaining afternoon schedule is changing.
While we had plans for SportsMap Radio Network’s Jake Asman to take over Saturday afternoons, the syndicate said no. So we had to go back to square one.
Enter two libertarian radio programs to fill that vacancy.
Taxation is Theft Radio, hosted by Daniel Behrman, breaks down libertarianism, voluntaryism, and anarchism in a way that can best be understood. There are usually interviews on these shows, so stay tuned! The show will air from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. every Saturday.
Leading into Free Talk Live is The Coalition, hosted by Pat Ford. The flagship program is part of the Coalition Radio Network, based in Rhode Island. The broadcast will air from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. every Saturday.
The remainder of Saturday remains intact, capping off with Free Talk Live, Questioning Authority and Statewide.
Sunday afternoon kicks off with another libertarian radio program, The Political Deep Dive, hosted by David Valente. This is a one-hour program airing from noon to 1 p.m.. However, there is usually an aftershow, so we will make that available as part of our archives.
From 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., prepare for the Mother of All Talk Shows. That’s right — the popular Radio Sputnik program hosted by George Galloway is coming — and it will be live!
This will be followed by The BAD Crypto Podcast and Wrestling Observer Live in their respective 4 p.m. and 5 p.m. slots.
Similarly, nothing is changing for the remainder of Sunday’s schedule.
Programs we will be wishing adieu to
With this reprogramming, we will see some programs not returning.
There is some valid reasoning for not retaining Dorf On Sports. Host Andy Dorf has incessantly been adding politics into sports, and it became a tipping point not only for listeners but for management as well.
State Week In Review was a short-term solution at the time for programming, but we will use them as it becomes necessary.
Both MLS programs, MLS ExtraTime and That’s So MLS, are indefinitely off the schedule. The primary reason was the lack of programming space. We will once again consider them should a vacancy become available.
I have decided to suspend the production of Heartland Classic Radio Theater. Hopefully, things will get better in order for this project to come to fruition.
Integration of USHL hockey programming
Given that COVID-19 threw a wrench in our initial plans this year, we’re attempting additional programming.
In February, we tried to add games from the U.S. Hockey League (USHL) to our lineup. The proposal was to involve the airing of live and tape delay game broadcasts. However, the 2019-20 USHL season was canceled roughly a month and change later.
Currently, we have plans to broadcast
This time, we’re going to attempt this with two USHL teams.
The first is with the Youngstown (Oh.) Phantoms, in which their radio network is fine with. The second is the Chicago Steel. However, we have yet to hear back from them.
This programming would usually require the pre-empt of existing programs, but we will try our best not to do that. We will keep you updated on social media regarding these announcements.
We are selling radio sponsorships for this special programming. More information is available on this page.
For more radio network news, follow Jake Leonard on Twitter @JakeLeonardWPMD and Heartland Newsfeed @HLNF_Bulletin on Twitter.
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Jake Leonard, a broadcast media and journalism veteran, is the editor-in-chief of Heartland Newsfeed. Leonard is also GM and program director of Heartland Newsfeed Radio Network, wrestling editor and contributing writer for Ambush Sports, a contributing writer for My Sports Vote and Midwest Sports Network, and a former contributor to Bleacher Report and Overtime Heroics. He resides at home in Nokomis, Ill. with his dog Buster.
