Erick Erickson will transition out as editor of RedState, the conservative website he founded, and has named Leon Wolf, a writer for the site, as managing editor of RedState, the Huffington Post reported on Monday.
Erickson’s departure comes after RedState was acquired by Salem Communications, a group that manages conservative talk radio shows and owns media entities like Twitchy. As the Huffington Post noted, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported in August that Erickson may leave RedState to focus on his radio work with Salem’s competitor, Cox Radio Group.
The Huffington Post obtained a memo from Jonathan Garthwaite, vice president and general manager of Townhall Media, a conservative site owned by Salem.
“As a few of you know, Erick Erickson will be transitioning out of his role as Editor of RedState this Fall to focus more on his Atlanta radio show and other projects,” Garthwaite wrote, according to the Huffington Post.
He added that Wolf has been “earning more and more respect from readers with each passing year.”
“We have great expectations for RedState’s growth in readership and influence during the critical months ahead for this country,” Garthwaite said. “This is an exciting time for RedState as we take the successes of 2015 and build on them during the 2016 election year and beyond.”
Erickson also announced Wolf’s new role in a Monday post on Red State, referencing his work with a competing media group.
“As things keep getting busier and busier for me, with a new book coming out early next year, seminary, and more and more radio obligations, it is only fitting that I’m bringing Leon on today as our new managing editor,” Erickson wrote. “Over the past several months, Leon has also been coming down to Atlanta and filling in on WSB. It is my intention to make his super guest/fill-in host for Salem. It is one of the awkward bits of Salem’s purchase of RedState. Given that I have a radio show, I cannot do much radio with our present Beltway Overlords. So Leon will be able to fill that void.”
So, what will RedRash and Itchy look like under new management? 20% more insane?
chuckles He is moving to focus on his job as a right wing AM radio host, at a time when the love affair between conservative talk radio and AM radio is coming to an end. Brilliant business move!! Such profound forward vision.
I can’t think of anyone that will miss him and his tantrums.
I read RedState regularly -bear with me here- and I am pleasantly surprised. Granted, it’s a haven for all manner of fascists, haters and nutcases, etc, etc and I defend none of it. But as RedState diarists go Leon is far more thoughtful than most, and on occasion he cuts through the ideological chest-thumping with something of genuine insight and actual value. This is bound to be a controversial choice over there and I am very curious to see how it plays out.
Given that Red Sates entire comment was platitudinous blather they really must not want to talk about this.