part of a two-pronged strategy to boost the station's profile on the air and in the rapidly expanding audio world of smartphones, tablets and personal computers.

Along with dropping Shearer's show, the station pulled Tom Schnabel's world music and jazz program off the Sunday schedule after 20 years, shifting him to a new online-only show premiering next month.

"The old way was always about radio," Ferro said. "You've got your bandwidth. You've got 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and that's all you get. KCRW has to be more than a place on the radio dial."

That strategy is being challenged by the 69-year-old Shearer, who voices multiple characters on TV's "The Simpsons" and played the bassist in "This Is Spinal Tap." Many of his listeners, he said, don'tstream can sample music and news stations from around the corner or around the world, as well as Pandora, satellite radio and other audio options.

Shearer and "Le Show" have already laid claim to some of the digital landscape that Ferro wants the rest of the station's programming to conquer. In addition to all its over-the-air options, the weekly hourlong mix of comedy sketches and observations on current events is available on smartphones via Stitcher.com. And as Shearer says, it's also "live and archived whenever you want it at two different locations, HarryShearer.com and KCRW.com."

She says it was the robust online presence that made it a handy candidate to drop from the airwaves.

"For many listeners, there would be little to no interruption of 'Le Show,' and that was important