Langford Broadcasting’s WGTO has added progressive talker Ed Shultz from noon till 3 p.m. weekdays on 910 AM and 101.1 FM.

The decision to place the Ed Shultz show on WGTO was based on what station owner Larry Langford calls “a need to serve the public interest by bringing all sides of a discussion to the airways. Many area radio stations have almost blindly programmed all conservative talk hosts without regard for the basic premise that the airways are the property of the public and broadcasters are simply trustees.

“As a former journalist and political commentator, I do not agree with all of what any talk show host says, conservative or liberal, but I believe that when one faction gets most of the air time, it’s important that when a well-produced program that challenges those views is available, it gets time as well.”

Shultz is considered by many to be the progressive answer to Rush Limbaugh, whose program has been heard in the South Bend market for many years.

WGTO’s AM signal at 910 transmits from Cass County but provides enough power into Indiana to give South Bend listeners an alternative choice. It also sits close on the dial to conservative talk station WSBT, ironically to the left of WSBT’s 960 position, prompting Langford to smile and say, “With the Shultz show, we are to the left of WSBT in more ways than one.”

WGTO has continued to struggle with a lack of local time sales despite very high local listenership of its morning Swap Shop program, Classic Hits music format, local news and Chieftain Sports coverage.