WCCO Radio not yet ready to name a new morning show host

Listeners eager to learn who will take over the morning show at WCCO Radio will have to wait a little longer.

It's been more than three months since Dave Lee retired after a 30-year run. Brad Lane, who took over as the station's program director in April, said he won't have a permanent replacement named in time for the Minnesota State Fair. He added that a decision may not come until late fall or early 2022.

"The initial plan did fall apart," Lane said on Monday. "We did have hosts ready to go, but for various reasons those hosts couldn't join us. We're not just twiddling our thumbs here."

Lane would not comment on who the station had been negotiating with, but rumor has it that management was eying two people who already are well-established personalities in the Twin Cities.

Lane, who previously worked at the ESPN radio stations in the Twin Cities and Milwaukee, said the entire schedule is under review.

"The morning show is a huge deal, but the rest of the lineup also has to be looked at," he said "Everything needs to be assessed in terms of relevance and what is of a compelling nature."

Lane said that diversity is being taken under "incredible consideration," adding that almost all the candidates he has recently talked to about filling Lee's former time slot are women.

WCCO's legacy has been built almost entirely on shows hosted by white males.

The lack of wider representation becomes even more apparent after the announcement this past weekend that Sunday morning host Roshini Rajkumar will be leaving her show, "Real Talk With Roshini," on Sept. 5 after a nine-year run.

"It's a little bittersweet, but I've been thinking about this for the past year," said Rajkumar, who also runs her own media-consulting company. "It was a business decision. It just doesn't make sense to give up my Sundays when I have so many clients."

Rajkumar, who will continue to work with WCCO on content-sponsored programming, admitted that the weekend gig became less appealing after the station shortened her show from three hours to one during the baseball season to make room for "Twins Today."

After the season ends, Lane said he might revive "Sports Huddle," which starred the late Sid Hartman. He has yet to make a decision on who will replace Rajkumar.