A Complaint I Just Sent to Clear Channel Regarding WPYR (AA in BR)

[grimcity]

TO: [e-mail] (the main radio contact at Clear Channel [e-mail] (the station manager of both WPYR *and* the Republican WJBO)

I'm buying XM Radio because of WPYR (1380 Progressive Talk, Baton Rouge)

Hi, my name is Neal *... I'm one of many people that petitioned, pestered, begged and nagged for an Air America radio station in the Baton Rouge area. Well, we got it, but it's terribly half-assed compared to the stations I've seen in other cities.

Allow me to explain:
The "Ed Schultz" radio program is played instead of Randi Rhodes (which I have no problem with), but the station uses the commerical blocks from Randi's show... meaning that commericals *and* station identifications come on right in the middle of someone's sentence!

For reasons I don't know, the station plays station identifications mid-sentence during the Jerry Springer show as well.

The biggest complaint I have, and the reason I'm leaving your channels and sponsors is this:
The station is a "sun up till sundown" radio station, which I guess is fine in general, but since the last time change, "dusk" falls at 5:00 PM (I noted yesterday). It was 5:15 last week, but now it's 5:00. This makes no sense...
1. Before the time change, the station stayed on the air until 7:15.
2. 5:00 PM is the beginning of PM drive time.
3. We still have sunlight at 5 PM.

This is a real shame, considering that you have the entire AM talk radio market in Baton Rouge... WJBO has no competition now (with the demise of WIBR, another conservative radio channel) other than WPYR which you own. It's almost like those of us that are left-leaning (or just not Republicans) are being teased... we *know* that there's an Air America station in town, but you can't listen to it on your way home after work. I don't expect you to change or attempt to change anything, but I will... I'm going XM and I'm recommending that others do the same.

I guess I should commend you for giving it a shot, but it would be nice if you could treat it as something other than a red-headed step child (for the benefit of those that aren't switching over to XM).

Cheers,
Neal

ps
I've complained about most of the enclosed issues before, I promise this is the last.

[Chomskyite]

1. I've written to Matt

He's a pinheaded little twirp. Very likely you'll get a smart-alecky Hannity-clone response. He's drunk on the kool-aid. And he's every bit as smarmy and cocky as his on-air persona.

[grimcity]

2. Yeah...

I had actually written to Matt before with my complaints and recieved a bunch of non-answers. That's why I included Sanda Coyle as a recipient. She's not local, she's *the* radio contact for Clear Channel Corp.