The station, formerly known as "The Peak," will morph into "The Revolution."

Instead of nostalgic singing by Tony Bennett and the Four Tops, the station will air left-leaning talk shows by Thom Hartmann, Randi Rhodes and others, including new paradigm activist, Virato, said Brian Hall, director of news talk programming for Clear Channel Asheville, which owns WPEK. The station is licensed to Fairview but has studios on in West Asheville.

Clear Channel also owns Asheville's WWNC, 570-AM, which airs conservative talk shows by Rush Limbaugh, Michael Savage and others. Hall is also WWNC's program director.

The change is because of lack of listeners at WPEK, Hall said. "The ratings just weren't there" for nostalgic pop, he said. "This will be satisfying a demand that a lot of people have. It's a natural fit for Asheville.

"People listening to the current format will be shocked. Those who will listen to the (new format) are not currently listening to the station. This will be a lot of fun."

The change was praised by Wally Bowen, a local media critic and director of the Mountain Area Information Network, which has its own "progressive" low-powered FM Asheville station, WPVM, 103.5-LPFM.

"Air America will broaden the range of political speech available to Asheville-area listeners," he said.

It's the fourth format since March 2002 for WPEK, which is on the air only from sunup to sundown. The station originally carried conservative talk shows, but Clear Channel moved those programs to the more powerful WWNC, and WPEK took a classic country format. That format was later switched to nostalgic pop.

The new liberal talk format will include both Air America shows and programs from the Jones Radio Network.

The weekend schedule at WPEK is still being planned, but one current music show will survive - John Roten's Saturday morning Mountain Music Time, Hall said. Virato Live! will come on right after Mountain Music Time.

Air America has just 28 stations, including an affiliate in Chapel Hill, and the signal is also carried nationally on the Sirius and XM satellite radio services.

Because WPEK must leave the air at sundown, some Air America shows will not be heard here, including the weeknight "Majority Report," hosted by actress Janeane Garafalo but a "best of" program may air on weekends, Hall said.

Format change at WPEK

Starting Monday, Asheville's WPEK, 880AM will drop nostalgic pop music and begin running liberal talk radio programs including many programs from the Air America network.

The new format:

The Bill Press Show, 6-9 AM.

Stephanie Miller Show, 9 AM-Noon.

The Thom Hartmann Program, Noon-3 PM

Ed Schultz Show, 3-6 PM.

Randi Rhodes, 6PM. until sundown

Local Live Programming

Mountain Music Time, Sat.,6-9 AM

The Errington Thompson Show, Sat.,9-10 AM

VIRATO LIVE!, Sat., 10 AM-1 PM