Talk Radio Network host Michael Savage has sent a letter directly to British Prime Minister Gordon Brown asking the PM to intervene personally to have Savage’s name removed from a recent list of individuals who are banned from traveling to the U.K. In his three-page letter to Brown, Savage quotes Winston Churchill and even quotes the Prime Minister himself. “I noted at your moving speech at the D-Day memorial on Saturday (6/6) you stated, ‘tyranny may suppress, it cannot endure forever … dictatorship may for a time have the power to dictate, but … it will not in the end decide the course of the human journey.’ I believe that little could be more tyrannical than the arbitrary and unfair exercise of power to exclude someone from a country for the purpose of suppressing free speech. I respectfully appeal to you to prevail upon the new Home Secretary to address the injustice caused by Ms. Smith  [recently resigned British Home Secretary Jacqui Smith] and remove forthwith my name from the list of excluded individuals.” British newspaper The Independent has Savage’s full letter posted HERE.

The blog-o-sphere has been buzzing the past couple of days over accusations that Premiere Radio Networks host Rush Limbaugh and Salem Radio Networks talker Hugh Hewitt were both calling on Americans to boycott General Motors in the wake of a the government’s bailout of the automobile manufacturer. While transcripts of comments show that both hosts have argued vehemently against the government bailout, neither conservative host has specifically called for a “boycott” of the troubled company. However, on his MSNBC show yesterday, Dial-Global syndicated liberal radio and TV talker Ed Schultz called out SRN’s Hewitt on the topic, and suggested viewers should boycott “these psycho talkers out there” and specifically called for a boycott of Salem Radio Network.

Responding to Schultz’ comments, SRN VP Tom Tradup pulled no punches telling NTS MediaOnline Today, “With all due respect, Mr. Schultz appeared to be channeling pro wrestler Hulk Hogan, screaming into the TV camera and calling for a boycott of SRN. It struck me as irrational and laughable, given that Ed’s audience high water mark came on April 17th with around 581,000 total viewers. Meanwhile, Hugh Hewitt’s most recent cume was closer to one million listeners. Maybe Ed ought to worry that Hugh’s listeners might boycott him.”

Appearing this week on CBS-TV’s Late Show With David Letterman, Sirius XM Radio personality Howard Stern launched into a rant about the former Tonight show host who recently turned over the keys to NBC television’s late night franchise to Conan O’Brien. “I never liked Jay, I can’t stand Jay,” said Stern. “I’ve never seen anybody who behaves like a robot like this guy. I watched his final show saying goodbye to the Tonight show and he read it off a teleprompter!” Stern also had over-the-air radio and Premiere Radio Networks talk titan Rush Limbaugh in his sights during his sit down with Letterman. He described commercial radio as being “in the hole” and called Limbaugh “a big bloated turd.” Popeater.com has a video clip of Stern’s rant, along with a vintage 1984 appearance on Letterman’s show by the self-proclaimed “king of all media” HERE.

In related news, Letterman seems to be closing the ratings gap between his Late Show and NBC’s Tonight with Conan O’Brien, thanks in part to Stern’s appearance on Monday night (6/8). O’Brien started out strong, but his numbers have dropped steadily on each night since his debut as host of Tonight. Meanwhile, today’s New York Daily News reports Letterman and CBS are close to inking a new deal to keep the talk host with the network at least through the spring of 2012.

Responding to yesterday’s NTS MediaOnline Today story detailing the Top 10 markets for newspaper website visits, KSTP/Minneapolis PD Steve Konrad takes issue with our observation that the Media Audit study could suggest there are still opportunities for local News/Talk radio outlets to establish themselves as the “go to” online source for news, info and entertainment in many markets. “How can a News/Talk station be the ‘go to’ place for news and information when the newsrooms at most stations have been reduced to less than skeleton staffs?” asks Konrad. “And those that do remain are voice-tracking newscasts for multiple out-of-market stations, resulting in most radio news being regurgitated from other sources. So what exactly would make the radio station’s web page the ‘go to’ for a market’s news and info?” Observing that he believes “radio lost the ‘first choice for news’ position long ago,” Konrad suggests the best path for News/Talk radio to take is to “stop trying to be all-things-to-all-people, expand on the strong, appealing parts of our exclusive content, and satisfy our listeners even more deeply.” Your comments on this topic, or any story you read here, are always welcome at al@ntsmediaonline.com.

CBS Radio all-newser KCBS/San Francisco celebrates the station’s 100th year on the air tomorrow (6/11) with a broadcast from the corner of First and San Fernando streets in nearby San Jose where the station first broadcast in 1909 as “San Jose Calling,” then KQW, and finally KCBS … In other Bay Area radio news, crosstown KGO and its News Director Paul Hosley have parted ways in the latest round of cutbacks at the Citadel-owned News/Talker. Ken Berry, PD at Talk clustermate KSFO — and a former ND at KGO — will takeover Hosley’s duties. Also exiting KGO yesterday were meteorologist Leo Ciolino and Executive Producer Trish Robbins … The Washington Post reports today that sources close to the decision have told the newspaper that CBS Radio FM talker WJFK/Washington will flip to Sports/Talk next month. No official word from anyone at CBS, but rumors have circulated for months that CBS planned to put Sports on DC’s FM band in a move similar to highly successful flips already executed at former “Free FM” talkers in Detroit and Dallas.

Bragging Rights: The Missouri Broadcasters Association has honored KCSP (610 Sports Radio)/Kansas City with two Broadcast Excellence Awards, including a first place trophy for “Large Market Play-By-Play Coverage” for the Sports/Talker’s coverage of local high school basketball … The Ohio Associated Press Broadcasters annual awards show last Sunday (6/7) saw Clear Channel News/Talker WLW/Cincinnati pick up a ton o’ trophies, including “Outstanding News Operation” and “Outstanding Sports Operation.” Wanna “brag” a little about the people and programming at your station or company? Email details to al@ntsmediaonline.com.

This group of SoCal broadcasters recently met for lunch and some good old-fashioned face-to-face networking. Enjoying the sunshine and conversation at an L.A. eatery are (l-r): KFWB’s Wendy Sinclair and Lisa Osborne, KKGO’s Lauri Allen, former KFI and KABC-TV staffer Laszlo Czegledy, former KFI programming assistant Estela Marroquin, KFI’s Sabina Mora, KLOS’ Kelli Gates and KABC’s Debra Mark.