FIRST OFF . . .

KABC-AM (790) general manager George Green, on the hot seat with listeners for shaking up the station’s lineup and cutting loose some familiar personalities, explained Tuesday that his goal is to eliminate network programming and focus on local issues. Green also said controversial talk-show host Superfan (Ed Bieler), who pulled in high ratings when he was on KABC in the mid ‘70s, might be back. Superfan could possibly take over the 7-9 p.m. slot left open after the station stopped airing Tom Snyder’s ABC network show. Snyder, who frequently was preempted by Dodger games, was dropped from the KABC schedule about a month ago. On Monday afternoon, Green faced a live firing line when he went on the air to respond to a flood of letters and calls about programming changes at the station. Listeners expressed their anger about the departure of psychiatrist David Viscott, who had hosted a call-in program for eight years. Green called Viscott’s departure “a very mutual parting of the ways” and urged listeners to tune in to Sonya Friedman, who has replaced him. “I must be frank with you. . . . For some time now it has been over. He thought it was over. KABC thought it was over,” Green said. Viscott was on vacation and unavailable for comment. Friedman’s show, from 1-3 p.m. daily, is a mix of psychology and topical issues. Green also answered questions about the modified time slots of top-rated morning personalities Ken Minyard and Bob Arthur (now 5-9 a.m., instead of 5-10 a.m.) and Michael Jackson, formerly 10 a.m.-2 p.m., who now has the 9 a.m-1 p.m. hours.