Radio career Laura Schlessinger

schlessinger s first appearance on radio in 1975 when called in kabc show hosted bill ballance. impressed quick wit , sense of humor, ballance began featuring in weekly segment. schlessinger s stint on ballance s show led own shows on series of small radio stations. 1979 on air sunday evenings 9:00 midnight on kwiz in santa ana, california. year, los angeles times described show dealing types of emotional problems, though sex therapy show s major focus .

in late 1980s, schlessinger filling in barbara de angelis noon-time relationship-oriented talk show in los angeles on kfi, while working weekends @ kgil in san fernando. big break came when sally jessy raphael began working @ abc radio, , maurice tunick, former vice-president of talk programming abc radio networks, needed regular sub raphael s evening personal advice show. tunick chose schlessinger fill in raphael.

schlessinger began broadcasting daily show on kfi nationally syndicated in 1994 synergy, company owned schlessinger , husband. in 1997, synergy sold rights show jacor communications, inc., $71.5 million. later, jacor merged clear channel communications , company co-owned schlessinger, take on day, llc, acquired production rights. show became joint effort between take on day, produced it, talk radio network, syndicated , marketed radio stations, , premiere radio networks, (a subsidiary of clear channel), provided satellite facilities , handled advertising sales. of september 2009, schlessinger broadcast home in santa barbara, california kfwb flagship station. podcasts , live streams of show have been available on website monthly fee, , show on xm satellite radio.

at peak, dr. laura program second-highest-rated radio show after rush limbaugh show, , heard on more 450 radio stations. writing in 1998, leslie bennett described popularity of show:

in age of moral relativity, dr. laura s certitude compels... schlessinger s fervor indisputably evangelical, , listeners believe paragon, beacon of hope , rectitude in dissolute, degraded world.

in may 2002, show still had audience of more 10 million, had lost several million listeners in previous 2 years dropped wabc , other affiliates, , moved day night in cities such seattle , boston. these losses attributed in part schlessinger s shift giving relationship advice lecturing on morality , conservative politics. pressure gay rights groups caused dozens of sponsors drop radio show well. in 2006, schlessinger s show being aired on approximately 200 stations. of 2009, tied third place along glenn beck program , savage nation.

schlessinger used hot talkin big shot , song country , blues singer , songwriter nikki hornsby, several years cue music radio program , national radio commercial advertising show.

on august 17, 2010, during appearance on larry king live, schlessinger announced end of radio show saying motivation regain first amendment rights , , wanted able on mind without special interest group deciding time silence voice of dissent. several of affiliates , major sponsors had dropped show after on-air use of racial epithet on august 10.

on january 3, 2011, schlessinger s show moved exclusively sirius xm radio.