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Globe finally mentions Save Prog Talk group

raccoonradio said:
I don't think the Globe has mentioned the effort to bring prog. talk back yet, not since they said 1200/1430 would be dropping it a couple days before that happened. But today, Clea Simon does mention it, at the end of a column about David Boeri going to WBUR. She mentions when/where a meeting of the Bring PT Back group will happen

http://www.boston.com/news/globe/living/articles/2007/01/05/move_to_bur_excites_tv_veteran_boeri/
Click to expand...

These groups would be so much more credible if they would get their facts straight. They call 1430 "WSKS" on their home page.

They also use ignorance of the reasons behind the long delay with the finally upcoming power increase for 1200 to spin it as having been intentional by Clear Channel against Progressive Talk. They mistakenly appear to think that a power increase (for 1200? They don't specify) just happened when the two stations went Spanish. There has been no power increase yet.

What they don't realize is that Clear Channel first proposed the power increase for 1200 a few years before Air America and Progressive Talk formatted stations even existed. The City of Newton delayed approval for the necessary tower construction for over five years. They accuse Clear Channel of delaying the increase until Progressive Talk was removed from the stations, which is incorrect. Clear Channel didn't delay the power increase. If the city had granted initial permits for the towers, they would have built them years ago.

I'd venture to guess they probably think that a power increase for a radio station is as simple as flipping a switch whenever the owner feels like it. I doubt they even realize that building new towers, after the process of securing approval for them, is necessary.

There's truth to their other allegations against Clear Channel about their lack of local programming, content and advertising on the two PT stations, but as long as they keep spinning their ignorance of technical issues into false accusations, they're going to be butting their heads against walls which they themselves have created.
 
As you may have read in the Clea Simon article, they plan to hold a meeting in H2Otown Monday night. I may very well attend that meeting and set all of them straight (except for those who aren't straight, not that there's anything wrong with that).
 
And someone tell them that Slick Willard ("I LOVE this job!," he said, as he announced he wouldn't
run for a second term) _bailed out_ of Bain Capital about 5 years ago, so there's no right wing Romney
conspiracy to bury liberal talk. (Bain merger agreement with CC) :)
 
talk all you want...

They can TALK about it until the cows come home - but it won't change anything.
Right now, there really are no stations in the area for Air America to inhabit.
This is not a right-wing conspiracy - as much as some would like it to be one.
Air America did not have all of their affiliates (they do not own any of their own stations...)
in place, before they went on the air originally. Their business plan was incomplete. Throw that together with high management turnover, and being undercapitalized - I am surprised that they lasted as long as they did...
 
WLYN General Manager (Jeff?)

Remember, Progressive Talk was a combination of Jones Radio Network and Air America. It should have added a third component - live and local.

If people want to really get radical they can buy up time on any of the stations that broker time - WLYN, WNSH, WUNH, etc. etc and promote through the blogs and the Yahoogroups and get a network going. Become a power and then RKO and WTKK will have to react. I'm impressed with the petition, especially in light of how poorly
DePetro's petition went...they haven't scratched the tip of this blue state's proverbial iceberg yet in regards to getting signatures. If they align with Naral Pro Choice and the Pro-Gay Marriage lobby there will probably be tens of thousands of more signatures. A hell of a lot more listeners than Todd Fineburg's ever encountered even on a good day.
 
>>It should have added a third component - live and local.

something people like Donna and I have been saying since they started: need local content!
If they can't get on the smaller stations, what's left for broadcast: a pirate?

It's odd that while the Left can't get commercial radio success in Boston, they dominate
political offices while the Right has at least marginal radio success but hardly anyone in
office (thus maybe the "talk radio influences votes" argument maybe doesn't hold after all)
 
Air America blew it big-time when they were on our company's stations in Chicago and L.A.
They will never appear on any of our stations, as a result of those fiascos. Never.

Politically speaking, I fall somewhere in the middle. I don't believe in political correctness
of the Left, but I can't stomach Republican politics. I voted reluctantly for Patrick - the lesser of the
2 (main) evils.

Yes, I agree that Air America should have had alot more local content. I am a Boston-area boy,
born and bred. I know for a fact that Boston is a unique, quirky place. That's why I'm still here! ;0)
 
WLYNgm said:
Air America blew it big-time when they were on our company's stations in Chicago and L.A.
They will never appear on any of our stations, as a result of those fiascos. Never.

Politically speaking, I fall somewhere in the middle. I don't believe in political correctness
of the Left, but I can't stomach Republican politics. I voted reluctantly for Patrick - the lesser of the
2 (main) evils.

Yes, I agree that Air America should have had alot more local content. I am a Boston-area boy,
born and bred. I know for a fact that Boston is a unique, quirky place. That's why I'm still here! ;0)
Click to expand...

How about Jones Network shows?
 
Save WILD-FM,Save Star 93.7,Save WCOZ, Save WCGY , SAVE Smooth Jazz 96.9,Save everything that is gone ! :D
 
Varulven said:
Maybe the outreach should be made to the Jones Radio Network to put Ed Schultz on WLYN?
Click to expand...
Please...that would be worse than being on WXKS-AM by far. Even WJIB-AM with 250 watts would be better. Not only is 1000-watts at 1360 no great shakes, but on several car radios I've owned, imaging from WRKO has occurred at many locations (1360 is twice 680).
 
The only place that the second harmonic of WRKO is a real problem is right
near their 50KW transmitter, behind Burlington Mall...

WLYN time is largely sold - time is available on WAZN 1470, however...
But it will NOT be Air America, or any reincarnation of Air America!
Those who lament the loss of an urban format might do well to think
about programming that format on WAZN. The WAZN coverage area would
probably work for them. I will be more than happy to talk to them about
making this happen...
 
I am not sure what was meant by missing an "urban format"-- I miss progressive talk, and as a consultant, I believe it can work in Boston. The successful stations that do this format (and yes there are some) use a combination of elements-- some Jones hosts like Ed Schultz or Stephanie Miller (both shows are turning a profit, and both have good numbers, even in red states) and a couple of AAR hosts or an independent syndicated host like Lionel. But the key is LOCAL talent, since this is not a format where you just flip on the satellite and walk away. Some of the national hosts are very talented, but having a local presence is very important if you want any format to work these days... I'd welcome the chance to discuss putting some progressive talk programming on a station with a signal that gets into Boston-- I am not making any excuses here (I've consulted stations that are right wing, left wing, moderate, and in between), but as I have said before on other boards, the Boston's Progressive Talk signal could barely be heard on the south shore, and the station had no promotion budget, no full-time staff dedicated to its growth, and only one part-time local host (on Sunday afternoons, for a couple of months). I believe there IS an audience for progressive talk (over 1000 signatures on the www.bostonprogressivetalk.net petition in only 1 week, largely via word of mouth) and I believe it CAN make money if done right.
 
Re: Globe finally mentions Save Prog Talk group (now WLYN & WRKO imaging)

Along Rt 128, on my vehicle which has a decent radio, 680 is heard under 1360 from Waltham to Rt 225. Then from Rt 225 (Lexington) to Rt 38 (Woburn), 680 wipes out 1360. Then from Rt 38 to a bit beyond I-93, 680 is under 1360 again. And this is going "across" 680's directional signal. I would imagine that its worse for 1360 if one goes north-north-west or south-south-east of WRKO's towers. FCC and other coverage maps do not take into consideration harmonic signal interference, and Radio-Locator maps additionally, do not take into consideration adjacent frequency interference.
 
dlhalper said:
I am not sure what was meant by missing an "urban format"
Click to expand...

He meant what is called an adult "urban" African-American oriented (mainly) music format, including adult R&B (not rap/hip-hop), Classic Soul oldies, etc... which, except for a few shows on college stations, is now absent in the Boston area since the sale of WILD-FM and the gutting of WILD-AM to satellite talk programming.
 
dlhalper said:
I believe there IS an audience for progressive talk (over 1000 signatures on the www.bostonprogressivetalk.net petition in only 1 week, largely via word of mouth) and I believe it CAN make money if done right.
Click to expand...

I'm always suspicious when I see petitions to "save" some radio station that no one listened to. My guess is that most of the signees never listened to, nor probably ever even heard of the station. How much credibility does an internet poll have? Wasn't there a station in Maine that tried to drop AAR a couple years ago & was subjected to some sort of organized protest? If all the people who protested were actual listeners, the station would probably have had a 5 share. If there's one thing the left is adept at, it's organizing protests.

As far as there being an audience for liberal talk...I'm sure there is. Are there enough of them to support a station? Who knows...other than a handful of markets AAR was a major flop. Was it because no one was interested in leftist talk or was it because AAR just did such a dreadful job of it? Maybe the next group who tries the format will learn frfom AAR's mistakes and do it "right".
 
Oldbones, I totally disagree with you.

All you have to do is look at the passionate letters on [email protected] to see there are a LOT of disappointed listeners who have
reflected their point of view in the Petition.

Yes, the DePetro and other silly petitions give a bad name to all of them; but some are valid.
There are musical petitions for causes that seem to generate sincere and serious activity - Beatles' fans
are loyal and some of these can obtain positive results. The Yahoogroup is a back-up system DePetro
could never provide: real people, real names, a real audience for BPT. I wish they had all come sooner more quickly but like "New Coke" I guess the brand had to be taken away (Classic Coke) to awake the sleeping
giant.

Despite Clear Channel's efforts to stifle Boston's Progressive Talk,
there was a much bigger audience out there than got logged. The listeners were faithful and many.

Did anyone at CC manipulate the Arbitrons? Very possible that it happened. Anyone who has worked in this industry knows that books "fall into" hands and data is manipulated. Arbitron is one of the least scientific systems around. Didn't CBS back another ratings system only to be ostracized by Arbitron?

Poor signal, awful advertising, hideous public service announcements, no live and local, yet we are in a
"Blue State" that wants the programming.

Hmmmm....something doesn't add up. WRKO tries its best to elect Kerry Healy and gee whiz all those
people who weren't listening to BPT suddenly show up at the polls. Gee...was it our imagination?
 
If the petitions or other efforts can bring fruit, then great, but I get the idea CC won't budge other than maybe to return it to 1430 once 1200's power goes up. As I've said, people could try to convince Entercom, Greater
Media, CBS, or other owners to try and pick up one or two of the progtalk shows or maybe even switch to all
prog. talk but they're convinced it's a ratings/billings loser. Maybe a Miller or Schultz could get put on
and it could lead to more prog talk (or even, if they dare, a local lib show--I mean besides E&B)

The Madison station was saved. There's an effort to help bring it back in Columbus OH but the PD has
responded to emails with "sorry, we're not changing our minds" or words to that effect. The simple fact is
that if stations feel prog talk would bring up their ratings/billing, you'd hear it.

You'd hear Randi Rhodes instead of Laura Ingraham. Steph Miller instead of Todd Fineburg. Or maybe a smaller
station will announce within days that they're the new home of Air America. John Kerry will announce he's
buying WWZN and putting libtalk on 1510. It could happen.

So could Republican domination of the Mass. legislature. Anything can happen.

>>Did anyone at CC manipulate the Arbitrons?

(imitating Ross Perot's voice, as is he were on Larry King's show): "It's a CONSPIRACY, LARRY!" :)

>>Poor signal, awful advertising, hideous public service announcements, no live and local, yet we are in a
"Blue State" that wants the programming.

Now THAT I agree with.
 
>>Are there enough of them to support a station?

Maybe not; try to convince the likes of WRKO or WTKK to pick up a show.

>>Was it because no one was interested in leftist talk or was it because AAR just did such a dreadful job of it?

The latter, plus weak signals/lack of promotion. Jones shows had more promise.

>> Maybe the next group who tries the format will learn from AAR's mistakes and do it "right".

yes
 
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