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| Quinn&Soe (Post-Gazette photo) |
Listener Mark Rickard showed up early, taking a detour on the
way to work at software company. His destination: a toy drive Friday featuring
conservative talk radio hosts Jim Quinn and Rose Tennent.
According to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, he wasn't the first
to arrive in the pre-dawn hour, but he must be among Quinn and Rose's biggest
supporters. For five years, Mr. Rickard maintained a Facebook page for the
radio show, "The War Room With Quinn and Rose." Then treatment for
colon cancer forced him to shut it down last February.
"One of the reasons I started it was to share their
values with people out there," said Mr. Rickard, who said his health is
"fine now."
When news spread that Clear Channel had severed ties with
the duo, effective Nov. 18, he re-activated the Facebook page, and it became a sounding board for dismayed
listeners.
He was hardly alone Friday. Between 6 and 9:30 a.m., a
steady line of fans streamed into the salon, its bright-white, modern decor in
stark contrast to the wet, black morning. What was originally planned as an
annual fundraiser -- Toy Treasures is a favorite charity of Ms. Tennent's --
instead became the hosts' first public appearance since the show was abruptly
canceled.
Clear Channel Communications, which owns WPGB 104.7 FM,
where the show originated, said in a statement that Quinn & Tennent
could not reach financial terms. A no-compete clause in their
contracts means they cannot be on the air in the Pittsburgh market for six
months.
Tennent said her contract allows her to fill in for nationally
syndicated host Sean Hannity, however, and she is scheduled to do so Dec. 30.
"We never had a chance to say goodbye," Ms.
Tennent told a well-wisher at the salon. "Oh, I feel like I'm going to cry
now."
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