Premiere Radio Networks, Inc.

Type	Wholly owned subsidiary of Clear Channel Communications
Founded	1987
Headquarters	Sherman Oaks, California
Key people	Kraig Kitchin, President and COO
Industry	Radio broadcasting, advertising
Website	www.premiereradio.com

Premiere Radio Networks is an American radio network. It is the largest syndication company in the United States based on popularity of programming. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Clear Channel Communications and it was headed until recently by Kraig Kennith Kitchin who is currently transitioning out, handing the reins over to CC Executive Charlie Rahilly.

Premiere syndicates some of the most famous names in American broadcasting, including Rush Limbaugh, Coast to Coast AM, Bob Costas, Jim Rome, Dan Patrick, Dr. Laura Schlessinger, Leo Laporte, Glenn Beck, Sean Hannity, and Randi Rhodes. Premiere programs are carried on over 5000 radio stations worldwide, primarily in the United States and in Canada. The network also provides the rights to streaming audio for participating shows' premium services (e.g., Rush Limbaugh's Rush 24/7 and Glenn Beck's Insider) through their Streamlink system.

Several programs are carried on XM Satellite Radio, which is the exclusive satellite provider for Premiere and parent Clear Channel Radio. However, shows that are not produced by Premiere or any Clear Channel subsidiary, but are distributed by Premiere, are allowed carriage on Sirius Satellite Radio unless otherwise specified by said show's producer.

[edit] Distribution

Premiere Radio's programs are currently distributed over satellite, CD-ROM, or downloadable via FTP. Only pre-recorded countdown shows are distributed on CD or FTP. The FTP server is also implemented as an emergency backup for pre-recorded content that was not distributed over satellite properly. For years, Premiere Radio used the popular ABC Starguide satellite system to distribute their programs, but has fully converted over to X-Digital Systems for their satellite delivery.

Premiere's entertainment programs are distributed on a mixture of fee and barter based deals. Many of their weekday entertainment programs, including Elvis Duran, Bob & Tom, and Big D and Bubba are fee based with little to no network ad inventory. Most of their weekend countdowns are barter based, and include up to 5 minutes an hour of network ad inventory. Nearly all of Premiere Radio's talk programs are barter based, with Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity as exceptions. Most talk programs have 5 minutes an hour of inventory, with some having 4 minutes, and very few having 6 minutes. Currently six of Premiere's programs have mandatory featurettes. These are short segments that contain a minute or less of network advertising inventory, and are played in mornings on a daily basis. In the past, Premiere's featurettes had content that was not attached to any particular show, with segments from personalities such as Maria Bartiromo, Donald Trump, and Ty Pennington. All have been dropped. Now the featurettes contain content from the show or host that the mandate originates from. Some programs require run-of-schedule advertisements, which are advertisements that require airplay outside of the show each weekday, usually in mid-day and afternoons.

[edit] Programs

All times are Eastern. Programs are organized alphabetically, and display their date, time, if they're available for online download, if they broadcast on XM Radio, and additional information.

See also List of shows syndicated by Clear Channel.

• - An asterik indicates that the show requires a paid subscription to download.

[edit] Former programs

• Rick Dees Weekly Top 40 (moved to Dial Global/Triton Radio in 2006, and later at Citadel Media in 2009)
• Carson Daly Most Requested (Daly left the show in 2007)
• Last Night on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno (moved to Westwood One, January 2007)
• The Phil Hendrie Show (Hendrie left in 2006 to pursue a career in television, he later announced a return, but on Talk Radio Network)
• The Ken Hamblin Show (Hamblin left the show mid-90s)
• After Hours with Glenn Hollis (cancelled in 2005)
• Boot Scootin' Partyin' Nights with Bo Reynolds (later Hollywood Harrison)-- cancelled mid-90s, Reynolds hosts a similar show on another network now
• Star & Buc Wild Morning Show (immediately cancelled in 2006 after DJ Star threatened the daughter of a rival jock)
• Michael Reagan (moved to Radio America in 2003, then to American Family Radio in 2009)
• Rockline (moved to Crystal Media Networks in 2003, then to Dial Global in 2008)
• "Live From the 60's with the Real Don Steele". Syndicated 3 hour radio program marketed to radio stations with an Oldies format. It launched in early 1988 and ended production in 1993. Some stations aired reruns until late 1996. Steele died in August 1997 from lung cancer; producer M. G. Kelly took over the show, retooled it into American Hit List, and distributed the new version of the show himself through 2008.
• Lionel (cancelled in 2001, revived and moved to WOR Radio Network and later Air America Radio)
• Dreamland with Art Bell, later Whitley Strieber (replaced by Matt Drudge and Ian Punnett; now heard online exclusivley.)
• Jeff Rense (left in 1998, went to Genesis Communications Network, now at Republic Broadcasting Network)
• Sex with Dr. Natasha - Ended in Spring 2004 as a response to the 2004 Super Bowl halftime show and the FCC crackdown that followed. Even though the show had never been cited or fined by the FCC, it was canceled by Premiere out of fear of one.
• After Midnite Weekends - This weekend version of the overnight program was hosted by various hosts, among the most notable being Whitney Allen (who later spun off her own program, The Big Time, which airs to this day) and Larry Morgan (the last host). Reruns of Blair Garner's weeknight show have taken its place.
• Matt Drudge. Drudge voluntarily ended his show on September 30, 2007; Drudge would keep with this Drudge Report Web site and continue hosting as a guest host on various shows, most notably Clear Channel radio shows.
• Wake Up With Whoopi - canceled in November 2007.
• Kidd Kraddick in the Morning (moved to ABC Radio, February 2008)
• Mid-day with Mike McConnell - Reverted to a local show in February 2008.
• Radio Kandy - Hot AC countdown show hosted by John Candy. Lasted from 1988 to 1990.
• Costas on the Radio - show ended May 31, 2009 so that Bob Costas could concentrate on his other projects.
• American Top 20 and American Top 10 with Casey Kasem - Ended July 5, 2009.
• Premiere also syndicated the Cutler Comedy Networks, a series of sketches and parody songs for morning drive time radio programs produced and written by Gil Christner.
• Dr. Laura - Moved to Talk Radio Network August 2009.

[edit] 24/7 radio networks

• Fox News Radio - Premiere feeds this network thanks to a programming agreement between Fox News and Clear Channel.
• Fox Sports Radio - Premiere completely owns and operates this network and distributes it to AM, FM, Worldspace, and XM.
• ReachMD - Exclusively on XM Satellite Radio
• National Lampoon Comedy Radio - Handles sales and distribution of the network, which is currently only planned for digital radio platforms.

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Premiere Radio Networks official site
• Premiere Radio Networks satellite feed schedule
• Gil Christner