» Todd Manley Exits KTRS/St. Louis: The PD at the Gateway City Sports/Talker tells NTS Aircheck Today that he's returning to the Windy City to pursue a new opportunity outside of radio. "After a very fun year in St. Louis I am headed back to Chicago to join an incredibly innovative marketing-communications team in a newly created role. Tukaiz Imaging-Print-Interactive is bringing me on board as their Manager of New Business and Consumer Markets." Adding that KTRS is in "great hands" Manley reports that, "Executive Producer Lauren Ryan and Operations Coordinator Kara Carter will have expanded roles, and KTRS sports programming couldn't have a better leader than John Hadley. I will continue to be involved in developing the station's imaging alongside Creative Services Director Steve Wein.

» ESPN Radio Moves In Madison: Effective New Year's Day the 24/7 Sports radio network will segue from its current nine-year home at Clear Channel-owned Sports/Talker WTSO-AM to crosstown Good Karma Broadcasting FM Sports outlet WTLX-FM. WTSO will rebrand as "The Big 1070" and plans a locally driven lineup built around afternoon drive market mainstays Heller & Murphy. WTSO will also retain radio rights to University of Wisconsin sports and will remain the Madison flagship of the NFL Green Bay Packers, Major League Baseball's Milwaukee Brewers and the NBA Milwaukee Bucs. In a memo to listeners WTSO PD Tim Scott said, "ESPN has been a great partner but their agenda moving forward was not in the best interest of our listeners."

» Bill O. Bails On Radio: The FOX News Channel personality has officially confirmed rumors that have been around for most of the past year that he will quit his Westwood One syndicated radio show in early 2009. O'Reilly cited the need to reduce his weekly workload and to focus on his top-rated nightly FNC TV show as the reason for stepping away from daily radio duties. First launched by WW One in 2002, O'Reilly's radio show never quite measured up to the success of his nightly television show despite its auspicious start on over 200 stations out of the box. The network reports the show is currently heard on more than 400 stations nationwide, most of whom are likely fielding calls from a bevy of syndicators today seeking to slide one of their shows into O'Reilly's daily two hour timeslot. No word on whether or not there are any plans for a new talk show to replace O'Reilly in the WW One lineup.

» Monica Moves To Weekdays: Following the success of the Monica Crowley Show on weekends, Talk Radio Network has upped the program to a new weekday slot from 3-6pm (ET). Among the charter affiliates for Crowley's new Monday through Friday talk show are KGIL/Los Angeles, WTNT/Washington, WNSH/Boston, KPAM/Portland, and KJLL/Tuscon. The move reunites Crowley with former WABC/New York PD Phil Boyce -- now President/Programming of TRN Entertainment -- who first added Crowley to WABC's weekend lineup back in 2002. "There is nobody on the radio today more on top of the day's breaking issues than Monica Crowley," says Boyce. "She is smart, knowledgeable, and witty. Her fire and passion for the issues makes her a true standout in the field of syndicated talk."

Talk Media News Notes: Current WSKY-WKTK/Gainesville GSM Dick O'Neil is upped to VP/GM at the Entercom FM Talk and AC outlets ... Jane Mago succeeds Marsha McBride as the NAB's new chief attorney. McBride will continue to serve as a strategic advisor to the NAB on pending issues at the FCC and Congress ... Strand Media Group, producer of the long running Something You Should Know with Mike Carruthers, launches Relevant Prep, a new daily content prep service for both on-air and online use. Learn more about the service that debuts December 15 HERE ... The RAB has released its newly redesigned Radio Marketing Guide in a new interactive format at www.rab.com ... CNNRadio presents Planet In Peril, a 10-part series examining the environmental conflicts between growing populations and natural resources. Anchored by Anderson Cooper its available for download by affiliates on Dec. 8 HERE.

Catching Some Florida Rays: During a recent visit to the Sunshine State in support of his book The Christmas Sweater, Premiere Radio Networks host Glenn Beck (r) enjoys some of that world-famous Florida winter warmth with WMMB/Melbourne PD and morning host Bill Mick.