Conservative talk radio limited in Calif.

California fans of conservative talk radio are witnessing a statewide scaling back of the verbal political sparring, an industry worker says.

Eric Hogue, a radio host in Sacramento said with a number of conservative shows being dropped or trimmed by California stations, the conservative radio world is facing an uncertain future, the Los Angeles Times reported Sunday.

It’s lonely, it’s quiet, and it’s a shame, Hogue said. I think this state has lost a lot of benefit. I don’t know if we can grow it back any time soon.

The thinning conservative radio ranks has been blamed in part on the ongoing economic downturn, which has dried up advertisement revenues.

Popular conservative show hosts Roger Hedgecock and Tom Sullivan have also redirected their attention away from California politics after switching to national shows, the Times said.

The content is the same, Hogue said of such conservative radio losses, but it doesn’t have the reach it once did. There are major players gone.