Laura Ingraham Off The Air As Deal With Radio Distributor Ends

Laura Ingraham, whom MSNBC host Ed Schultz famously called a “talk slut,” is temporarily leaving radio as she searches for a new distributor.

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Igraham told her audience Tuesday that her deal with distributor Talk Radio Network has ended, so she’ll be off the radio airwaves for a while.

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"I feel the time is right to expand and retool my radio program and to explore other syndication options," Ingraham wrote on her website Tuesday. She said she’ll continue her regular appearances on the Fox News Channel, where she sometimes substitutes as host of the top-rated The O’Reilly Factor.

Ingraham had been with TRN for nine years and was syndicated on more than 300 radio stations nationwide. While her audience was estimated at roughly 5 million per week, she was largely unknown beyond conservative media until Schultz  criticized her on his radio show,  calling her a “right-wing slut” and a “talk slut.”  He apologized and took a one-week unpaid leave from his MSNBC television show because of the incident.

"After much thought and reflection,” Ingraham joked on her website Tuesday, “I have decided to pursue my first loves – modern dance and the xylophone. In the highly unlikely event that these efforts do not prove fruitful, I intend to return to radio."

Email: Paul.Bond@thr.com