1130 WISN morning host Jay Weber is set to end his daily news/talk radio show in the coming weeks. He says the time is right because of changes in the industry.
Weber will host his final program on December 23rd, ending a 35-year run on the iHeartMedia Milwaukee station, including the past 18 in morning drive.
He isn’t completely stepping away, however. He’ll host a twice-weekly podcast centered on local issues for the company, mimicking a strategy created when former colleague Mark Belling exited the station’s daily lineup last year.
In the wake of his announcement, Weber spoke about the reasoning for why he’s leaving the show behind, saying that the game has changed, and not in a manner he enjoys.
“No disrespect to the new generation of talkers, but I feel like my generation of talk radio is over,” said Weber.
Weber pointed to the talk radio boom following the explosion of The Rush Limbaugh Show as the golden era in his mind, stating that it couldn’t be replicated today.
“We were inventing an entirely new aggressive, important, and game-changing genre,” Weber said. “And it really has been a game changer in this country: some will argue for the better. Others will argue for the worse. I’ll leave that to the historians. All I know is, it was a blast to do.”
Jay Weber, 59, also noted that he had considered signing another three or five-year contract to remain in the daypart with 1130 WISN, “but in my heart, I know it’s time.”
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