Nationally syndicated talk show host Mike Malloy just called in to confirm that the KSAC (1240 AM) rumors (see my posting below) are true:

The station is changing to a gospel format come Monday morning.

"I got the call from (KSAC general manager) Paula Nelson today - she told me it broke her heart to have to make the change," Malloy says.

The Atlanta-based talk show host says he first heard about the switch earlier this week via his boss, Nova M Radio CEO John Manzo.

Manzo, on the phone from Phoenix, also confirms the switch.

The reason? Economics.

"They don't have the revenue to support the format," Manzo says.

Malloy put it in even clearer terms.

"It's not a ratings thing - we have plenty of listeners," Malloy says. "KSAC is experiencing what most other liberal talk show format stations are experiencing - it's not a lack of audience, it's a lack of business support."

In other words, not enough advertising dollars.

Big-name, deep-pocked businesses, Malloy says, are turned off by the station's progressive format.

"If you listen to Rush Limbaugh or Sean Hannity, you'll hear (plenty) of national ads," he says. "If you listen to someone like me or Randi Rhodes, there's a complete lack of those types of sponsors."

It's a problem plaguing liberal talk radio in markets across the U.S., he adds, noting that stations in San Francisco and San Diego have been forced to make similar changes.

Messages left by The Bee at the offices of KSAC have yet to be returned. Malloy says Nova M is searching for another local station to carry his talk show. ("I love Sacramento"). In the meantime, listeners can stream his show at MikeMalloy.com.