Tom Leykis is returning to local radio. Starting Feb. 25, he will be on KGIL/1260 AM – “Retro 1260 AM” – from 8 to 10 p.m. Thursdays with his lifestyle program called “The Tasting Room.”

Leykis was among those who lost their talk shows when KLSX 97.1 FM switched to the Top 40 AMP format in February 2009.

KLSX also dropped his syndicated show “The Tasting Room,” which Leykis’ Web site – www.tastingwithtom.com – describes as a “lifestyle-themed program for men with a taste for the finer things life, from fine wine, high-end spirits and craft brews to first-rate dining and premium cigars.”

“When I left CBS, we also severed the relationship with my syndication group Westwood One,” Leykis said in an interview. “But my producer and I kept the stations we had and continued to feed them new shows on our own. The idea was we would do this until we figured out a business plan and what we wanted to do,” he said.

Leykis confirmed the start date with KGIL Wednesday. He said he is forming a new “boutique syndication company called The New Normal. “Instead of being a big monster that syndicates160 different products, we will do some hand-picked projects that I believe in and use a small team of people to work on affiliate relations and ad sales,” he said.