Attn all Stephanie Miller fans & stalkers (progresive radio listeners too)

[Botany]

Please sign our petition to save "free speech" in Ohio.

http://www.ohiomajorityradio.com/

Clear Channel is shutting down one of it's most successful stations in Columbus and flipping
it to right wing 'stuff." This is being done after progressive radio helped big time in
turning Ohio blue and helping us have a "cleaner election" this time.

Buffalo, Columbus, Boston, Cincinnati, Arizona, and other "liberal talk" stations have been
or are going to be shut down because the powers that be think free speech is bad. Except
for Rush who is on 5,000,000 stations.

[acmejack]

1. Internet broadcasting, computers and cellphones?

Screw radio. But we better fight like hell for net neutrality.

[illinoisprogressive]

2. I wonder if the wingers are buying the slots out

[Botany]

4. In Arizona

Some right wing christian outfit bought one station and flipped it
to Jesus 24/7 even though there was many other stations that did
Christian radio in the market already.

[brentblack]

3. It pisses me off too...

...but, sadly, this is about economics - not free speech.

Progressives don't have the time, what with real jobs and responsibilities, to listen 6 hours a day to radio shows that echo what we already know. Stephanie Miller and the other Air America people (expect Al Franken - that guy is just boring and not funny) are great, but how can you create time to listen to them when you are struggling everyday under this adminstration?

The rethugs have all the time in the world and need constant reaffirmation for their warped ideals.

This is simple economics....

[democraticinsurgent]

8. Sorry, I don't buy it

I totally disagree, in fact. Clear Channel did squat to promote this station and yet it has a loyal and significant audience.

Of course Air America has its issues, but remember this: Rush Limbaugh, alone, made rightwing talk radio a powerhouse. Except, he and his AM network were given MANY years to slowly build audience under very little pressure for numbers. At that time, station groups only had two ideas for AM's: sports, and talk. Neither produced big ratings but they both delivered male audiences that could be packaged with other stations to advertisers.

With national progressive talk still in its infancy, it's being given the total red-headed stepchild treatment by Clear Channel. The righties already have the better frequencies so progressive talk has suffered with lousy signals. Then they do nothing to promote it, not even getting the program listings in the Columbus Dispatch, which is free and easy!

My belief is they are throwing this format over the side because they never wanted it in the first place. A lot of us were suspicious when they gave it a shot 12-18 months ago. Now I think they can say, hey, we tried it and it failed. Which is not really true--they just don't want America to get any bluer.

Simple economics? No, they'll not gain much if anything by having two right wing talkers in Columbus. They will gain a lot of pissed off listeners who will switch to satellite radio, thereby steepening the slippery slope that commercial is skidding downward already.

[OwnedByFerrets]

11. NO its not......

They are winning the time slots in these citys. Its not economics.

[unpossibles]

14. I see it as a combination of things

one of which is that most Liberal people I know actually like to read (not all though) and generally get their information from a variety of sources instead of having it force-fed into their eyes and ears via Fox and RW radio. Call me elite, but I'd say we like to think about the issues and they like to be told what to do by their authority figures.

That said, I did listen to AAR in the car during my commute and will miss it.

[radfringe]

5. done and good luck

I'm in reich-radio hell (NE-PA)...

[Sydnie]

6. Check out this yahoo group too

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/save_progressive_radio_boston/

The organizer from Madison is a member too, so I am hoping that they will help lead the way to bringing it back in Boston. You haven't lost yours yet, right? Getting a grassroots movement started for your area is important because you still have a chance to stop it before it happens. You can join this group even though it's geared for Boston. The info is good for all of us in the same position.

:loveya:

[Botany]

7. Did I ever tell you that you are my Fav?

We are going to lose it next tuesday. The person behind the attempt to switch formats
in Madison is behind the switch in Columbus, too. It was planned to give us no time or
chance to fight the move.

I got an e mail from Steph that the new Congress is going to look into bringing back
the fairness doctrine for broadcasters ..... What piss me off is "we" are the majority but
Rush, Fox, and Clear Channel get to control so much of the message.

BTW Happy New Year!

[Sydnie]

9. At least you got a heads up

We didn't even get that out here. One minute it was Step signing off, next minute it was Salsa music!

I am sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo pissed that they did this and XM would give me some of the shows, but not Steph and that really makes my head explode.

[Botany]

12. Not from the station but from the local paper .....

..... on 12/23 w/ everybody on vacation too. Steph pulls big #s here too but
the local clear channel station has never spent one dime promoting it's product
or even trying to sell air time ... all they run is P.S.A.. Public Service Announcements.

But now they are trying to recruit more sales people for the new format.

[Botany]

13. dupe

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

10. Done

Signed the petition and wrote emails. Wonder if I'll get an answer saying that only 6 people have emailed about this.