Last week, Salem Radio Network announced a series of lineup changes that included AM 990 The Answer host Chris Stigall being elevated to mornings on the national network. After being announced as the network’s new morning show host, Stigall made no bones about it: this is what he’s always hoped for.
“It’s terribly exciting,” he said. “It’s one of those things that as a kid — ever since I started doing radio, and then when I really learned what talk radio was — it’s always something kind of in the back of your mind that you’d love to get there eventually. I’ve been very fortunate to be able to work in Philadelphia for a long time now. That’s a substantially larger city than Kansas City where I got my start, which when I got my start, Kansas City was an unbelievably big city to work in.
“It’s interesting. The old way of looking at broadcasting was you climb up the ladder by working in one market, and then a bigger market, and then hopefully, maybe, syndication someday,” continued Stigall. “Of course, the digital game has changed all that now, but there’s still something really exciting about being syndicated across multiple radio stations. The old-school guy in me is excited about it.”
The elevation for Stigall comes on the heels of Sebastian Gorka leaving the Salem Radio Network lineup to return to the White House to serve in the second administration for President-elect Donald Trump. Gorka — who helmed the 3-6 PM ET timeslot in the network’s schedule — will serve as the Deputy Assistant to the President and Senior Director of Counterterrorism.
Included in the changes is the move by Hugh Hewitt to Gorka’s old window, when he had previously been heard from 6-9 AM ET. However, Hewitt spends time in both the Eastern and Pacific time zone, meaning on some days, he was hosting a show from 3-6 AM PT. Obviously, that’s not conducive to a great personal life, and Hewitt was more than happy to return to his old afternoon timeslot, allowing Stigall to elevate to the national stage in the process.
And while others have sought to avoid morning drive, that daypart is one Chris Stigall relishes.
“It’s the best part of the day. To me, it’s always been the best part of the day,” he shared. “When you talk about radio, in my humble but accurate opinion, morning radio is the most intimate time for the entire broadcast day on radio. It’s why I loved it when I was a little kid. I remember my parents getting ready for work, listening to the guy on the morning show. And from being a little kid, I thought, ‘Oh, that’s a special job. I want that particular job.’
“So I’ve always had an affinity for the idea of being in people’s cars and in their homes as they’re getting ready for school, or work, or whatever it is they’re doing. To be able to step up now, at this level, and continue, for the most part, during that time slot across the country, it is an unbelievable honor. It’s a real thrill.”
The news/talk radio space — especially at the national level — can be a dog-eat-dog world. Behind the scenes angling for positions, better dayparts, or more resources and exposure can, at times, be the name of the game. Despite that, Stigall has never been interested in playing those games. Instead, he hoped his work on the air did the talking.
“I think we all love the business, and what we do. Some people really aggressively politic for openings. I’ve never been much for it,” he admitted. “I’ve always sort of hoped that, if I was any good — eventually, in time, if the opportunity presented itself — people that were in charge of decisions like that would see fit to promote the show.”
Which is exactly what happened. Stigall hasn’t been a Salem Media Group lifer. He joined the company in 2019. However the — in his words — “fortuitous” circumstances of Donald Trump winning the 2024 election, and subsequent addition of Sebastian Gorka to his administration led to his elevation to the national stage.
And while Chris Stigall has wanted and wished to be on a national platform, the opportunity with Salem Radio Network couldn’t be a more perfect one. Due to the rapid changes in technology in recent years, the host is able to take his show to a national audience from his previous studios at AM 990 The Answer in the City of Brotherly Love. That, coupled with the fact that he doesn’t have to uproot his family, made this the perfect time and place to make the leap.
“Everything stays exactly the same. That’s the blessing in the whole thing,” he stated. “It’s so funny. My parents and my family, when I came home and told my entire family (that he was being added to the national lineup, that was the first thing out of their mouth: ‘Does this mean we’re moving?’ Because that’s always been, historically, what it means in our business. When you get a promotion, you’re moving.
“That is the beauty about the advancement in our business, the change in our business is now there is no such thing as moving. You don’t have to move. You can stay right where you are. So, that’s great. I told the family the days of moving are over. At least for this family.”
The Chris Stigall Show will begin its run in national syndication in the Salem Radio Network lineup on Monday, January 13th. In addition to being heard nationally on terrestrial radio, the show will also be available as a video simulcast on Salem News Channel, the streaming network run by the company.
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Garrett Searight is Barrett Media’s News Editor, which includes writing bi-weekly industry features and a weekly column. He has previously served as Program Director and Afternoon Co-Host on 93.1 The Fan in Lima, OH, and is the radio play-by-play voice of Northern Michigan University hockey. Reach out to him at Garrett@BarrettMedia.com.
