group formed to save lib talk in Boston Boston Herald

[Neggy]

Defenders of liberal talk fight to keep it on airwaves
By Jesse Noyes
Boston Herald Business Reporter
Saturday, December 30, 2006

A newly formed local group is planning to fight a decision by radio broadcaster Clear Channel to drop liberal talk from Boston’s airwaves.
“I think it’s absurd and defies reason to think that progressive talk wouldn’t work in the market,” said Robin Bergman, who is heading up a group called Save Boston Progressive Talk. Bergman’s group plans to petition Clear Channel to put the liberal talk format back on WKOX-AM (1200) and WXKS-AM (1430).
[EDIT]


[EDIT-content edited for citation exceeding fair use limitations. Unauthorized use of copyrighted content is a violation of our terms of service]

 

[Varulven]

Thanks, Neggy.

I will sign the petition - but I would rather see Progressive Talk on a bigger signal - say

102.5 Kountry's Liberal Broadcaster, WKLB

Progressive Talk on Country Radio!

it's possible in a blue state, y'know...

 

[AKLes]

Petitions are not a bad thing.

Generally ineffective, but not bad.

Now a well-funded PR campaign might actually accomplish something.

Where might one send contributions?

 

[Mickey37]

I can't fault this "progressive" devotee from West Concord for doing what she thinks is best, but it has vitually no chance of accomplishing the goal.

Perhaps it will convince another station to take a second look at the format, but Clear Channel is not about to do away with Rumba, not yet.

A better signal would indeed bring in a larger audience.

Wouldn't it be a hoot for CBS to turn one of its signals into "progressive" talk? WZLX, perhaps?

 

[Neggy]

I was reading the "Radio Equalizers" blog this week, and it seems an effort similar to this got CC to keep Lib Talk on the air, even after they decided to go to sports out in the Twin Cities.

Minnesota is as liberal as Mass is.

I think WAZN would sell them the time if they got the backing

 

[ciao99]

The irony

“I think it’s absurd and defies reason to think that progressive talk wouldn’t work in the market,” said Robin Bergman, who is heading up a group called Save Boston Progressive Talk. Bergman’s group plans to petition Clear Channel to put the liberal talk format back on WKOX-AM (1200) and WXKS-AM (1430).

The irony:the net effect of this protest is liberals are petitioning Clear Channel to silence a station that is serving a minority group: Hispanics in Boston.

 

[NHRonin]

Maybe if more of them were listening the liberal station would have stayed on the air.

Hey, at least they still have NPR!

 

[Varulven]

Not at all, Ciao. The Rumba stuff pushed Progressive talk off the air. So Liberals aren't looking to "silence" a voice; progressives are seeking not to be silenced: we were there first. Unless you are saying that
Mitt Romney's gardeners illegally apprehended a progressive talk station in a Blue State - but I don't think you're that kind of person.

There's no irony in people wanting to keep programming on that they like. Though as Les points out, a petition will have as much of an effect on

Clear Channel as it has on WILD not going WAAFlle on us.

Then there's the anti-gay marriage petitions...how many names on that anti-gay marriage petitions are valid?
About as many as on the John DePetro petition - and look where it got him?

A more effective method is speaking in front of a City Council. So let's petition the City Council to open up something on the expanded band at 50,000 watts - a new station for Boston.

As for NH Ronin's suggestion: my belief is that there were a lot more listeners than got reported to Arbitron.
The awful PSAs and horrific advertisements did much to keep tuning listeners OUT - so - people may have
listened to Ed Schultz or Randi, but might not have gone so far as to log the station as their favorite because, frankly, WKOX and KISS AM did a horrendous job.

 

[WLYNWAZNgm]

At one time, Air America might have been a good match for WAZN.
Given their past problems with our company (MRBI) in Chicago and LA -
it will not happen. As much as I would like to put the blame on W. and his boys
- and I would! - the problems arise with the way Air America has been run as a business -
undercapitalized and unstable.

 

[Laurence Glavin]

At one time, Air America might have been a good match for WAZN.
Given their past problems with our company (MRBI) in Chicago and LA -
it will not happen. As much as I would like to put the blame on W. and his boys
- and I would! - the problems arise with the way Air America has been run as a business -
undercapitalized and unstable.

Since I can no longer hear A.A.R., not even on a distant signal (Buffalo's WWKB carries non-A.A.R. programming),
I don't currently have direct exposure to how they're doing. But from what I've read, they're close to emerging from bankruptcy and acquiring more focused management. If liberal talk ever returns to the Boston area, I don't think WLYN or WAZN will be the station or stations that would do the format any good though.

 

[Eli Polonsky]

So let's petition the City Council to open up something on the expanded band at 50,000 watts - a new station for Boston.

The FCC doesn't allow 50,000 watts on the expanded AM band for some reason. The stations on that band are limited to 10,000 watts day, 1000 watts night.

 

[Neggy]

http://business.bostonherald.com/businessNews/view.bg?articleid=174511

Since I have pppppp ooooh'd the mods again, here is the link to the rest of the story
http://business.bostonherald.com/businessNews/view.bg?articleid=174511

(and if you insist on editing, try to leave the parts that make the rest of the posts relevant, like say the website. The Byline really doesn't help the thread much does it)

 

[Neggy]

and the intent of the expanded band was not to create new stations, but allow daytimers and others to get a new frequency that got them out from some fo the restrictions they were operating under.

The FCC allowed you to run both for a while, but at some point you had to surrender the orig. license.
Some stations balked at this and I don't recall hearing the outcome.

WILD could have easily applied for an expanded band slot.

 

[DanStrassberg]

The FCC doesn't allow 50,000 watts on the expanded AM band for some reason. The stations on that band are limited to 10,000 watts day, 1000 watts night.

Except for (I think) two of them. WWRU in the New York market (licensed to, I believe, Jersey City) runs 10 kW-U DA-N with four towers at night and a pattern far more complex than appears necessary. I think there is also an ex-band station on the West coast that runs 10 kW-U DA-N. It might be the one in Vallejo CA.

But whoever posted that the Boston City Council should allocate a channel for progressive talk either can't be serious or is totally clueless. In case it's the latter, allocation of broadcast channels is a Federal Govenment matter. States and cities can petition the FCC, I guess, but neither has jurisdiction in the area of channel assignments.

 

[DanStrassberg]

At one time, Air America might have been a good match for WAZN.
Given their past problems with our company (MRBI) in Chicago and LA -
it will not happen. As much as I would like to put the blame on W. and his boys
- and I would! - the problems arise with the way Air America has been run as a business -
undercapitalized and unstable.

Jeff: You are making the same mistake about progressive talk that a lot of others within and outside the industry are making. The one area in which Air America seems to have succeeded beyond anyone's wilidest expectations is in branding. To a lot of people, Air America IS progressive talk and progressive talk IS Air America. That simply isn't true and, given AAR's financial woes, the brand-identity thing is merely adding to progressive talk's woes. Another program distributor, Jones Satellite Networks, has generated WAY over 100% of the profits from progressive talk. I say WAY OVER 100% because, while AAR has been losing money by the bucketful, Jones's two main programs, Ed Schultz and Stephanie Miller, are both in the black. In fact, Schultz's show has been in the black in every quarter for the last five. The financial backing for Schultz's show comes in part from ex-CCU honcho, Randy Michaels. Unlike AAR, Jones's operation is NOT amateur night. If someone approaches you to buy time on WAZN for Schultz and Miller, you should not dismiss the suggestion out of hand. Jones is not connected with AAR! Unfortuately, the fact that both Jones and AAR had product on the same stations in many markets (WKOX and WXKS were two such stations), has left too many people with the impression that Jones is connected with AAR. FALSE! (And you should make sure that Mr Liu knows that. Unless he has a political axe to grind, which I don't think he does, he really should have no beef with Jones.)

 

[AKLes]

The FCC doesn't allow 50,000 watts on the expanded AM band for some reason. The stations on that band are limited to 10,000 watts day, 1000 watts night.

If he waits until January, Senator Edward Kennedy ought to be able to easily convince The FCC that Boston is a very special case deserving of equally special treatment, especially considering the under-represented proposed format.

 

[rapking]

Booo Booo Hoooo ! Cry now that your radio station is history . Now when I cried about WILD-FM , Alot of posters told me to get over it...So I say to this group..."Cry Me A River ". Boston need a Spanish station. Thank you Clear Channel .

 

[Varulven]

WOW! Look at all the signatures!

I was #3 in the afternoon, 38 now at 11:33 PM.

John DePetro, eat your heart out. Legitimate signatures. Very impressive.

 

[ciao99]

Booo Booo Hoooo ! Cry now that your radio station is history . Now when I cried about WILD-FM , Alot of posters told me to get over it...So I say to this group..."Cry Me A River ". Boston need a Spanish station. Thank you Clear Channel .

I'm with you on this one Rapking.

When AAF silenced WILD's Urban AC, when JSports silenced the Latin stations, the response was to get over it. Or that I could get XM or listen to a webstream on my computer.

This market does a poor job of serving minorities. Or me, a Caucasian man who likes gospel, R&B, and Latin music. The sports fans have more than enough outlets for sports, including a couple that never achieve ratings. Liberal talk fans can listen to NPR. And if that's not good enough, well hey, now you know how the Hispanic and Black communities in this city feel: Marginalized on their own radio dials!

 

[ciao99]

Move it to 1510AM

Not at all, Ciao. The Rumba stuff pushed Progressive talk off the air. So Liberals aren't looking to "silence" a voice; progressives are seeking not to be silenced: we were there first. Unless you are saying that
Mitt Romney's gardeners illegally apprehended a progressive talk station in a Blue State - but I don't think you're that kind of person.

There's no irony in people wanting to keep programming on that they like. Though as Les points out, a petition will have as much of an effect on

Clear Channel as it has on WILD not going WAAFlle on us.

Then there's the anti-gay marriage petitions...how many names on that anti-gay marriage petitions are valid?
About as many as on the John DePetro petition - and look where it got him?

A more effective method is speaking in front of a City Council. So let's petition the City Council to open up something on the expanded band at 50,000 watts - a new station for Boston.

As for NH Ronin's suggestion: my belief is that there were a lot more listeners than got reported to Arbitron.
The awful PSAs and horrific advertisements did much to keep tuning listeners OUT - so - people may have
listened to Ed Schultz or Randi, but might not have gone so far as to log the station as their favorite because, frankly, WKOX and KISS AM did a horrendous job.

Why not put liberal talk on 1510? That station comes in clearly but still doesn't get any ratings!

My issue with this market is that it is oversaturated with sports. Non-rated sports stations are tolerated in Boston while major format voids exist. No one will miss 1510 except the guy on Boston Radio Watch, who somehow thinks the station's performance is a top 10 story for 2006.

Liberal talk is worthy of a frequency, and it's ratings while low, still beats several of the duds on our AM dial. But Spanish programming is filling an even bigger void. Clear Channel made the right decision.