Just Imagine A Radio Station That Would Cover Local Political Meetings Live

[BobMSmith1959]

Sometimes I’ve often wondered what goes on at the political meetings with the governor or the mayor, such as down over in Springfield at the House of Representative or at the Downtown City Hall at the Daley Plaza Center? Do you often wonder about that?

I have been hoping that maybe someday that there would be a radio station on the AM dial that would only do full coverage at these meetings with the politicians. Especially for the CTA and RTA board members would have a public hearing, whenever there a mass-transit doomsday strike that is in effect; I would like to know what is going on? Do you?

About a month ago, while I was on my way home from work, I happen to turn on my Sony Walkman on AM-850, I happened or I thought I heard some kind of a board meeting being broadcast over the airwaves. I said to myself, Wow! This sounds very interesting! Oh boy, I like this! I don’t remember what it was all about, but it sure sound like a real political meeting.

Does anyone think that this type of a new format could be the new future of AM Radio?

 

[b344077]

While sich a format would be laudible, it would attract such a small group of listeners, it wouldn't be feasible.

Here is one possible exception: WTTW broadcasting on one their digital channels, feeds from DC, Springfield, etc of events like a press conference or gubernatorial speech in it's entirety.

 

[b344077]

Oops! I hit the send button too soon.

If we're fantasizing, here is one: CC or Newsweb donates an AM station to Network Chicago. That station would fill in the gaps that the current set up that WTTW/WFMT can not do. It could permit more spoken word broadcasts (not talk..spoken word.) It would permit more exposure of those great Studs Terkel tapes form years before. It would permit an audio tape replay of Chicago tonight from the night before with local news inserts. (listen to the audio only and you will get my drift.) It would provide a source for the kind of programming that is being left behind with the changes at WBEZ. Just think: Jazz, Folk Music (Midnight Specials national feed, etc), The Met broadcast being simulcast) etc, etc. Long form discussions of various issues.

 

[BobMSmith1959]

Ok,
What if you were driving, on the highway or going somewhere long distant, and you want to know what is going on in the politics of their political meetings.

It wouldn’t be feasible to watch television while you were driving a car, but of coarse you would get into a car accident and you may get injured.

I wondered if there is a new kind of a radio that carries HD television band but I never saw one as of yet, unless if there is something out there on the market that I don’t know about?

Do you or anyone know is there any such a radio that carries HD television signals?

 

[proddude41]

Formatically, maybe it's not such a terrible idea. But you'd have to have the state of Illinois do it. It would take a lot of money that doesn't need to show a profit.

The state runs its own news and information service called the IIS -- Illinois Information Service -- down in Springfield. Maybe you want to ask them.

 

[BobMSmith1959]

Formatically, maybe it's not such a terrible idea. But you'd have to have the state of Illinois do it. It would take a lot of money that doesn't need to show a profit.

The state runs its own news and information service called the IIS -- Illinois Information Service -- down in Springfield. Maybe you want to ask them.

That'a a very Interesting Idea that you have there!
I might write them a letter, but again, I doubt it if they even would respond back to me,
because I am only one person with the only one idea throughout the whole state of Illinois.....

 

[jp1520]

That'd be like C-Span on radio...I'm pretty sure it'd never generate enough listenership to keep the lights on.
Maybe on a secondary HD channel or something...but not a main channel station. The Illinois Channel on cable is doing this kind of thing already. Research shows most people don't really want the raw material.
They want it put into context. That's why NPR news does so well.

 

[BobMSmith1959]

That's why NPR news does so well.
[/quote]

NPR may cover some small portian of local or state news,
but NPR mostly cover world wide news especially they cover
big issues on the war on Iraq. Local stuff such as CTA & RTA,
City Hall or House Of Rep in Springfield issues, this I hardly doubt it,
because every time whenever I listen to NPR, I always keep on hearing
and talking about the war on Iraq....

 

[Tom Wells]

While WGN would seem best positioned to cover city council meetings and such, I really don't think hizzoner da mare would
appreciate the coverage. Like sausage-making, we might not really care to witness the ugliness.
One problem is that maybe only 20% of the coverage area of Chicago big signals is "city listeners".
The others couldn't care less if Chicago fell into Lake Michigan.
In Illinois state coverage, the other problem is that Chicago listeners often don't give a hoot about "downstate" the other word
for "Springfield and rest of Illinois"

There a 3 Illinois from the viewpoint of a Chicagoan. 1. Chicago-centric 2. Suburb-centric 3. Everywhere else.
These places are all quite different. Trying to satisfy listeners in all of them pretty much excludes this kind of political/governmental radio.

Do you remember "council wars", the Star Wars-inspired comedic coverage of the city council meetings in the 70's on WXRT?

 

[BobMSmith1959]

Tom,
I must say that I gotta to agree with you on that one about WGN's coverage.
Well I guess they kind of do a coverage as needed unless something is really
going on with the Mayor's Office, Down State and RTA & CTA Issues.

There's only one thing, WXRT covered Political Meetings back in the 1970s?
I thought WXRT was always a rock station and even back then???...

 

[Tom Wells]

WXRT didn't really "cover" the meetings, but they were so divisive (city council meetings) in those days that all stations were reporting on the squabbling. Yes, WXRT was a rock station at the time, and still is.

Anyway, someone wrote up bits where city council members "became" Star-Wars type characters, and played out the council's woes and internal tribulations described as though they were an episode of Star Wars. It was very good radio.