For weeks the liberal media have been almost orgasmic over rumors that the Cumulus radio network was dumping conservative talk show host Sean Hannity.
On Friday, Inside Music Media's Jerry Del Colliano reported that it's actually Hannity that's dumping Cumulus (subscription required):
Sean Hannity, the popular conservative radio and TV talk show host, turns down a recent Cumulus offer to renew his contract to continue aitring [sic] his show on 40 of their stations.
And now Lew "Trickey" Dickey has apparently seized the low road again.
He allowed Michael "I hope you get AIDS and die, you pig" Savage to go on Cumulus stations and predict that he - the 71-year-old talker - will replace Hannity in afternoon drive. [...]
Sources close to the situation who wish to remain anonymous in my witness protection program say it's the other way around.
I have known for weeks that the opposite is true.
According to Del Colliano, Cumulus has been trying as recently as the past few weeks to get a new contract with Hannity but Hannity said no.
He's done with Cumulus.
Sources close to Hannity told Del Colliano that he feels Cumulus treats its employees “like dirt…sub-human.”
As such, Hannity and his syndicator Premiere (owned by Clear Channel) asked Cumulus for a release to negotiate a new deal elsewhere, but Cumulus has still not responded.
Hannity can't renew his Clear Channel deal until late October. According to Del Colliano, “Cumulus knows that renewal will be completed in a New York minute.”
Just how wrong were liberal media members on this?
According to Del Colliano, Clear Channel is “100% behind Hannity and will replace 80% of the Cumulus stations as soon as the current deal is up.”
This will allow Hannity to stay on 500-plus stations carried through Premiere.
For the record, sources close to Hannity told me Friday that Del Colliano's gotten it 100 percent correct. Another prominent, independent source also confirmed this moments ago.
This also squares nicely with what Alan Colmes predicted back in July.
Yet this likely won't stop liberal media members from dancing in the streets once again prematurely celebrating the death of conservative talk radio and one of its most successful leaders.
The perilously liberal Huffington Post is already at it with an article published a few hours ago titled "Sean Hannity Reportedly Set To Be Dropped From Cumulus Network."
Nothing can be further from the truth, but the truth rarely has much to do with what passes for journalism these days.
Something else to consider is that Cumulus knows that Hannity wants out - they've likely known it for a while! - and are using the liberal media to bash him as he exits.
As usual, they're more than happy to play the role of willing accomplices.
