Charlie Pallilo returning to Houston sports radio in August

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Charlie Pallilo, a fixture on Houston sports talk radio since 1989 but absent from the airwaves since last October, will return Monday, Aug. 21, with Gow Media's KGOW (1560 AM), the station announced Wednesday.

Pallilo, 51, will work from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. weekdays on KGOW with weekly guest appearances on Gow Media's KFNC (97.5 FM), said David Gow, the company's president. He also will contribute to Gow Media's CultureMap website and its SportsMap site scheduled to launch this year and will at some point contribute in some fashion to the company's SB Nation Radio Network.

"I've been trying to hire Charlie for years, but he wasn't available until his departure from 790," Gow said. "We've been looking for the right fit and spot in our lineup for him.

"We think he is one of the top sports talk hosts in the city. He is really thoughtful and insightful and has a great rapport with his listeners. His analysis and his ability to talk about the details of sports and why things are taking place is unparalleled, and I know people will enjoy listening to him on our airwaves."

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Charlie Pallilo will return to the Houston airwaves on Monday, Aug. 21. ( Melissa Phillip / Chronicle ) Charlie Pallilo will return to the Houston airwaves on Monday, Aug. 21. ( Melissa Phillip / Chronicle ) Photo: Melissa Phillip, Houston Chronicle Photo: Melissa Phillip, Houston Chronicle Image 1 of / 3 Caption Close Charlie Pallilo returning to Houston sports radio in August 1 / 3 Back to Gallery

Pallilo, whose hiring by KBME (790 AM) in 2004 launched the iHeart Media-owned station as the city's second all-sports outlet, had been out of work since last October, when he was yanked off the air and replaced by former KILT (610 AM) host Josh Innes. He came to Houston in 1989 and spent a decade at KTRH (740 AM) before moving to KILT in 1999.

Pallilo had refrained from comment on his departure since being let go but said Wednesday it was iHeart Media's prerogative to take the station in a different direction in the afternoon drive time slot.

"It doesn't break my heart that it didn't go gangbusters, but if they felt economically and with the type of product that they wanted to put out that they wanted to shift from X to Y, that was their call," he said. "It wasn't a joyful experience, but if it had happened when I was 30 it would have been more challenging and, I presume, traumatic."

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Pallilo said he never considered leaving Houston and does not intend to change his more cerebral style of talk radio in his new role on KGOW.

"There will be a difference of working middays as opposed to afternoon drive, but as a solo host I will always want the interaction with callers," he said.

"I will not be modernizing to do a show around phallic references or any similar sub-knuckle-dragging, lowest common denominator material."

HIS REPLACMENT: Josh Innes upbeat about future, regrets swipe at Charlie Pallilo

As one of the deans of sports talk radio in Houston, Pallilo's dismissal came as a shock to longtime listeners, and the drastic nature of his departure was amplified by the decision to replace him with Innes, whose more confrontational, irreverent style and eagerness to amply on his own life and his opinions and thoughts outside of sports, oftentimes in ways that offended more traditional listeners, came as a marked contrast to Pallilo's more evenhanded style.

Innes then complicated the matter by launching a series of mocking jibes making fun of Pallilo's departure and denigrating his abilities and impact as a broadcaster. He subsequently apologized for the personal references and said he wished Pallilo well.

While he had refrained from comment, Pallilo said he appreciated the support from those who were upset by his departure.

"It was flattering. Comforting, I suppose, is a reasonable word," he said. "I was aware of the blowback. I didn't engage with it. No one is going to appeal to everybody, but I wanted to be a worthwhile show for a worthwhile audience.

"So for those who swore off 790 and were banging the 'Where is Charlie?' drum, on the personal level it was worth a lot."

In addition to his 1560 AM show, Pallilo will appear from 1 to 1:30 p.m. Mondays and Fridays on KFNC's Joel Blank-Barry Laminack show and will appear from 10-10:30 a.m. Wednesdays with John Granato and Raheel Ramzanali.