KSTP radio's general manager resigns (UPDATE)

From Neal Justin

KSTP radio's Todd Fisher sent a letter to employees Thursday morning announcing his resignation. Here's a copy of the letter:

When I came back for Hubbard in 1996 relocating from the East Coast, I was excited about my newest venture in the frozen turndra and thought I'd give this "Minnesota thing" three or four years and see what happened.

Thirteen wonderful years have now passed and with very mixed emotions, I wanted to let all of you know that I'll be leaving Hubbard radio effective Nov. 2.

I want to thank Ginny Morris for giving me the shot to rise from the programming ranks to the GM's chair.

Also, I want to thank all of you for your dedication and passion for this wonderful business. We have experiencd some truly great times and have labored mightily through the challenges together.

I've worked continuously in radio management for 24 years so I'm really looking forward to a break, time to recharge and figure out what comes next.

END OF LETTER.

Now the speculation part....

After years of reading these kind of letters, you kind of get a feel for what probably happened behind the scenes. Since Fisher doesn't have something else lined up, odds are that he was pushed out (we've got a call into Ginny who runs the operation). It's also clear that KSTP, which employs a lot of talented broadcasters, has a branding problem. Yeah, they have the Twins, but that hasn't been enough to give them a true identity - and that's important to advertisers.

It would seem that Dan Seeman might be in line for the job since he's already under the Hubbard umbrella (he runs 107.1 FM) and is a master at the identity game. We've also got a call out to him. Stay tuned for updates.

UPDATE 1: Just got off the phone with Ginny Morris. She said Fisher's departure was a "mutual decision." She thanked Fisher for his many years of service and pointed out that he "led the charge" on getting the Twins on 1500 AM (the contract with the team has one year left). Morris said that she'll temporarily take over the GM duties (a post she's held in the past) and that there's no set deadline for naming a new GM.

UPDATE 2: Gave a call to Dan Seeman, who would seem to be a top contender to add KSTP to his Hubbard duties. He said there are "no plans for it." I'm running 107.1 every day."