Clear Channel’s KNEW 910 has dropped Michael Savage, the controversial San Francisco based talk show host, replacing him with KFI Los Angeles talk show hosts John and Ken.

“We have decided to go in a different philosophical and ideological direction, featuring more contemporary content and more local information,” KNEW said on its Web site. “The Savage Nation does not fit into that vision.”

But can two Los Angeles hosts make KNEW more local?

“These are Californians, doing a California based show, talking about things that are happening in YOUR state,” the KNEW statement said. “Contemporary, funny, compelling. These boys are the real deal.”

Savage can still be heard on KSTE 650 Sacramento.

KNEW is also adopting KFI’s slogan, “More stimulating talk radio.” KFI began using that slogan several years ago when they were sued by KABC-AM for calling their station “talk radio,” a phrase the ABC station claimed to own.

As of 3:45 p.m. Thursday, Savage had not posted anything on his Web site about being dropped in his hometown. The Chron’s Matier & Ross have a call into him, that apparently has not been returned.

Over the years, San Francisco’s Board of Supervisors have complained to the FCC about Savage, calling his commentary hate speech. But ratings could have been the reason KNEW dropped Savage. KNEW was 28th in the August ratings measuring listners 12 and over. The other conservative station in the market, KSFO, was 6th.

UPDATE, 5:30 p.m.: The Chron reports that it got Savage on the phone but the conversation was brief: “Why don’t you call Mao Zedong? He’s your boss.” Then he hung up, according to Joe Garofoli. Garofoli points out that Savage’s show 23rd out of 75 in its time slot in the Bay Area market (total audience) in August, according to Arbitron.