Larry O’Connor is going national. The longtime 105.9 WMAL morning host is bringing O’Connor & Company to the Salem Radio Network, filling the morning drive slot vacated when Chris Stigall departed to run for Congress in Missouri.
The move pairs Larry O’Connor with one of conservative talk radio’s most established national platforms — and he’s not leaving Washington behind to do it.
That last part wasn’t a given. When the opportunity first surfaced, O’Connor wasn’t sure it could work.
The Phone Call
Following Stigall’s exit, several guest hosts filled in during morning drive. And while Larry O’Connor knew he would be interested in the position, he wasn’t sure he could check every box in what would be needed to make the show possible.
“When this idea started to hatch, my amazing agent, Heather Cohen, said, ‘Hey, they’re looking to do this thing,'” O’Connor said. “I said, ‘Well, I’ve been on WMAL my whole career in Washington, DC. I love that station. And I love that audience. I don’t want to leave WMAL.’
“Heather said, ‘No, I think the plan is that we’re going to be able to join the Salem Radio Network, go national on all their stations, but still stay on WMAL.’ I said, ‘Heather, if you can make that work between Cumulus and Salem and make everybody happy, then I’m on board.’ She made it work with Phil Boyce and David Milner at Cumulus. They did it.”
The result is a national morning show that keeps its Washington roots intact. That local focus, O’Connor says, isn’t going away — it’s expanding.
“We’re still going to have that focus,” said O’Connor. “The important thing is, if you’re doing radio in Washington and you’re talking about something that happens in Frederick County, Maryland, you need to make that relevant to people who live in Prince William County, Virginia. That’s about 100 miles away.
“In the same way, we’ll make these issues and topics relevant to people all around the country. Then we’ll double down on that effort. We’ll see stories happening in the suburbs of Chicago. We’ll see stories happening in Kansas City. And we’ll focus on those not only to resonate with our affiliates, but also to make them relevant to people in DC and across the country. Those local stories — whether they involve school board fights or local environmental regulations — are happening everywhere. When something flares up, we’ll make it relevant to everyone.”
Never Shying Away From a Challenge
Syndicating a morning show is notoriously difficult. Most major markets protect their morning hours with local programming, and the revenue those shows generate makes stations reluctant to hand off that time. O’Connor knows the challenge well — and knows why Salem’s infrastructure changes the math.
“For about four years, I did an afternoon drive show,” the new Salem Radio Network host shared. “At the time, I recognized that afternoon drive would be easier to turn into a nationally syndicated show. It’s just the nature of the beast. It’s challenging to syndicate a morning show. Most major markets have their own local morning show. That’s one of the reasons I came back to Washington to do mornings after doing afternoon drive. Morning shows are so important to a station. They drive a lot of revenue and listenership. So syndicating one is difficult.
“But Salem already had the built-in network infrastructure,” continued O’Connor. “Chris Stigall created a huge show that I’m inheriting, thank God. Chris was actually the best man at my wedding. I’m thrilled to pick up his microphone and continue the relationship he built with the Salem national audience. It’s the perfect fit. Honestly, there’s really only one national morning show network with that kind of infrastructure, and that’s the Salem network. If it was going to work, this was the way to do it.”
O’Connor’s Role Going Forward
Beyond the radio platform, the deal plugs O’Connor & Company into a wide digital ecosystem. O’Connor’s existing relationship with Townhall becomes a central piece of the puzzle, and his colleagues there are apparently more fired up about the potential than he is.
“All of my colleagues at Townhall have been incredibly excited about this — sometimes more than I have,” the longtime 105.9 WMAL host shared. “They see the opportunity for synergy and cross-platform content sharing. My Townhall show, which I do live every day at noon, will feed into the radio program. And vice versa. Some of my interviews and commentary from the morning show will carry over to Townhall and across all their platforms.
“This is part of David Santrella’s vision for ‘One World Salem,'” O’Connor continued. “It’s about building a real bridge between national radio personalities, local shows, and all of Salem’s digital platforms. Those digital platforms are growing rapidly because that’s how people consume content now. To be on AM stations across the country while also leveraging dynamic websites like Townhall, Hot Air, RedState, PJ Media, Twitchy, and Bearing Arms — it allows us to transcend terrestrial radio and connect with a broader digital audience. The possibilities are endless, and we’re excited about it.”
All Roads Led to This
There’s also a television dimension. Salem’s radio shows simulcast on the Salem News Channel, available on Roku and Samsung TV. Adapting a morning radio show into a simultaneous TV broadcast is a different kind of challenge — and one that Larry O’Connor admits hasn’t fully settled in yet.
“Salem’s radio shows also simulcast on their streaming platforms and cable network, Salem News Channel, which is available on Roku, Samsung TV, and their app,” stated the O’Connor & Company host. “So I’m adapting a morning radio show into a morning television show as well. I don’t think it’s fully hit me yet. Maybe over the weekend, when things slow down and I’m not taking calls from executives or reviewing contracts. When my wife and I are just relaxing, I’ll probably look at Meredith and say, ‘Oh my God, this is really happening.’ I’m looking forward to that moment.”
Larry O’Connor’s path toward a national audience didn’t start with this deal. He’s spent years guest-hosting for Mark Levin, and he’s drawn from mentors including Dennis Miller and Hugh Hewitt. Those experiences shaped how he thinks about the bond between a host and a national audience.
“I’ve been fortunate to guest host for Mark Levin nationally on a regular basis. He’s been a great mentor,” O’Connor said. “Before that, Dennis Miller and Hugh Hewitt also had a big influence. I love the dynamic of opening up to a national audience. You start to realize that even if accents differ or city names are hard to pronounce, talk radio listeners share a common bond. We all care about this country. We’re patriotic. We want our voices heard, especially when we feel ignored. That’s where talk radio comes in. It’s the original social media. It’s where people can comment, respond, debate, and even argue, while still recognizing that we all love our country. I can’t wait. I’m incredibly excited about it.”
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Garrett Searight is Barrett Media’s News Editor, which includes writing daily news stories, features, and opinion columns. He joined Barrett Media in 2022 after a decade leading several radio brands in several formats, as well as a 5-year stint working in local television. In addition to his work with Barrett Media, he is a radio and TV play-by-play broadcaster. Reach out to him at Garrett@BarrettMedia.com.
