NORTHAMPTON - The Bill Dwight Show, a popular morning news program on local radio station WHMP-AM, is off the air beginning Tuesday after the host allegedly walked away from his show Monday following what the program director called a disagreement over "station policy."
Dwight, 55, who served as Ward 1 city councilor from 1996 to 2004 and had been doing the show for almost four years, said he left the show Monday following a disagreement with management about which "direction the program should go in."
"It was a disagreement about a programming decision that we were in conflict with and after I disagreed with management, we both agreed that this was probably the best time to part ways," Dwight said Monday, adding "As far as I know, the Bill Dwight show is pretty much done."
The show aired weekdays from 9 to 10 a.m. Chris Collins, WHMP's program director, stressed Monday that Dwight had not been fired but had left the station following a disagreement.
"Let me be very clear in saying that Bill was not fired, he was not dismissed. We love Bill and we are very sorry to see him go, but ultimately it was his decision to walk off the show," Collins said. "This is not a personal thing. There is no animosity. Bill gave us four good years, but policy is policy, and we need to adhere to the policies we have set."
Neither Dwight nor Collins was willing to reveal the station policy in question.
Dwight said he didn't know yet whether he would return to the airwaves.
"I had plans to show up and broadcast tomorrow morning, so right now things are way up in the air," Dwight said.
To fill the hourlong programming void left following Dwight's sudden departure, Collins said the Stephanie Miller Show, which was airing from 10 a.m. to noon, will now begin at 9 a.m. and last three hours rather than two.
Owen Boss can be reached at oboss@gazettenet.com.
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