December 12th, 2008 
joel Rush Limbaugh appears to be the latest victim of cost-cutting at Connoisseur Media’s WJET 1400.
In a response for a request for comment, CM-Erie General Manager David Calabrese indicated that station decided to go in a different direction:
The economy is tough and layoffs are everywhere, Rush is the victim of a slow economy and we decided to lay him off rather than affect someone locally.
Rush’s people were uncompromising with us. We feel that the Dennis Miller decision is a good one for the region and the station.
One can speculate that Rush’s new multi-million dollar contract has come into play with clearance renewals at the local level. Given the margin mandates that the corporate operators live under, the relatively inexpensive Dennis Miller show must have looked enticing.
Miller’s show launched in March 2007 and airs in Buffalo, Cleveland and Pittsburgh. He seems to take a lot of listener calls, and sprays tons of his intellectual conservative humor throughout the program.
By my calculations, Rush has been a mainstay of WJET middays since 1990 or 1991, when the call letters were WLKK and Tim DeCapua owned 1400 as a standalone AM.
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I usually listen to Rush at work on WJET. I’ll be tuning into WJR (Detroit) from now on. I’ve heard Dennis Miller’s show online and I like it, but not from noon – 3:00. I enjoy Neal Boortz’s show from 10:00-12:00 but I like Frank Beckmann on WJR too. I should quit WJET all together.
I might add that daytime is the only time I listen to WJET because after sundown their reception sucks (in west county). On weekends I pick up to Coast to Coast AM from Richmond, VA or Louisville, KY better than Erie. Weak!
yeh, i won’t be listening anymore! i like Dennis Milller but i don’t just want to be entertained at lunch time, i wanna know what’s going on out there in the real world, & yes 1400 AM reception sucks in west county after sundown, always has and always will. grew up in the sixties listening to Frank Martin & WJET but always lost ‘em at sundown & had to switch to CKLW from Detroit at night. so where on the dial is WJR in Detroit and is Rush on the same time there?
This is part of the cost cutting downward spiral. Rush is worth every penny IF you can sell him. Dennis Miller will have lower ratings and be even harder to sell. Conn. Media needs to focus on increasing revenues NOT on cutting more costs. 2 weeks ago they lost their number 1 sales rep ( he gave them almost 6 weeks to address his concerns so that he might stay) and just after he left they had to cut talent at the Wolf & on Rocket because the billing wasn’t high enough. Fortunately I can get Rush from 930 WBEN out of Buffalo most days. I’ll have to try WJR too.
Now Hannity will be the most expensive show on WJET how long until that gets cut? Maybe they can switch to 100% infomercials so their content can pay to be on the air instead of the other way around.
Tom – WJR is 760 on the dial. Rush is on noon – 3:00 just like here. The only time he’s not on is if there is a big news story in Detroit (like the mayor going to jail). They interrupt Rush to cover it.
570 WKBN from Youngstown is another option for Rush from 12 to 3. I’m not sure about coverage in other areas, but it comes in well in Edinboro and Meadville (where Rush is also on 1490 WMGW).