It's definitely going to be tough. Rich deserves better but he's a very loyal guy and they've been together for 16 years. If he stays on the show with a new cohost, Fred absolutely will end their friendship, I definitely see him as being that vindictive and petty. If Rich walks with Fred, the station is going to be screwed having to fill the timeslot, so they'd probably have to give him financial and creative incentive to stay. It's going to be hard on him to make that decision.
Anything would start with Lockhart getting re-hired, it's complete bullshit that Rich is paying his salary because the station is cheap. I don't know who else they'd get, like James Stewart or maybe trying to bring Crash back from Atlanta. Or a complete outsider. If they could land Michael Holley it'd be a coup but I don't know if he'd want to do mornings every day.