TEGNA Rock “100.7 KFM-BFM” KFMB-FM San Diego announced on over the weekend that it has been unable to come to terms with Dave Rickards and Cookie ‘Chainsaw’ Randolph on new contracts and have pulled the plug on the Dave, Shelly and Chainsaw morning show immediately.

The contracts of the three hosts were set to expire at the end of the month, but Shelly Dunn announced last week that she would exit the show and retire on Friday, July 27. With the move by the station the final show by the trio aired on Thursday.

General Manager Alberto Mier y Teran made the following statement regarding the move to cut ties with the station’s morning show of the past eight years:

After extensive negotiations and a generous offer to the DSC team, we were unfortunately unable to reach an agreement to keep the show here at KFMB. We wish the DSC the very best with their future pursuits.

We also want to thank and wish Shelly Dunn well on her retirement, which she announced last week. She’s had an incredible 30-year career and will be missed.

We are looking to the future and remain committed to our listeners in San Diego.

ALBERTO MIER Y TERAN
KFMB President & General Manager

Host Dave Rickards tweeted on Friday night that the show has found a new station with further details forthcoming.

I’ve got a new place to hang this bad boy. #staytuned pic.twitter.com/4SN50RYX0t

— Dave Rickards (@DaveRickards) July 20, 2018

Original Report 7/5: After eight years on TEGNA Rock “100.7 KFM-BFM” KFMB-FM San Diego, the Dave, Shelly & Chainsaw morning show is on the hunt for a new station.

The San Diego Reader reports that Dave Rickards, Shelly Dunn, and Cookie ‘Chainsaw’ Randolph are free as of July 1 to negotiate with other companies prior to their contracts expiring at the end of the month. The report states that TEGNA, which purchased the KFMB stations at the end of 2017, has not even attempted to negotiate with the show. One of only two radio stations in TEGNA’s portfolio along with sister News/Talk 760 KFMB, the stations are rumored to be on the selling block, with the Reader stating that Local Media San Diego (who previously managed KFMB and KFMB-FM in 2015-16 in a joint partnership with then owner Midwest Television) a likely suitor.

The DSC as the show is also called has been a morning stalwart in San Diego since 1990. It began as “The Dawn Patrol” on 101.5 KGB-FM before moving to “Rock 102.1” KIOZ in 1992 and followed that station to 105.3 in 1997 before moving back to KGB-FM. After being let go by Clear Channel in January 2010, the show reappeared that August on what was then Variety Hits “100.7 Jack-FM” KFMB-FM. The station then flipped to its current identity in January 2016.

INSTANT INSIGHT: In theory there should be plenty of suitors for Dave, Shelly and Chainsaw. Should a new owner quickly be found for KFMB-FM, they could reappear as an option. iHeartMedia’s “Rock 105.3” KIOZ has been the most hurt since the launch of KFM-BFM as it currently languishes in 17th place in the market with a 2.6 share. Broadcast Company of Americas Classic Hits “105.7 Max-FM” XHPRS is at a 2.5 share.

And then there’s Entercom’s drama filled 97.3 KWFN. The station debuted in March as Hot Talk/Rock “97.3 The Machine“, but after the social media storm triggered by incoming morning host Kevin Klein, the station quickly shifted to Sports as “97.3 The Fan“. Current KWFN morning host Dan Sileo was originally set to host middays on The Machine and could easily slide back to that slot, which is filled by syndicated hosts Jim Rome and Doug Gottlieb, should Entercom import DSC for mornings.