How to listen to progressive talk the hard way. Author: livingonliDate:04/23/2008 05:54:47
In light of some other bloggers recent comments I felt the need to throw in my own.
Progressive Radio seems to be in another state of flux as a result of the whole Randi Rhodes situation. Here in the New York area, we have always had at least one alternative voice to counter the spin and disinformation of the M$M. For many years, the main choice was Pacifica Radio’s WBAI which always had an eclectic mix of programs to tune in. But, in recent years, the station has been a victim of factions and in-fighting with staff turnover that has turned the station into an un-listenable mess of amateur programming and hacks who are on the air because they are friends with current Program Director Bernard White. Except for Democracy Now! and a handful of smaller shows, I can’t listen to it anymore.
Fortunately, on March 31, 1994, Air America came on the air.
We in the New York area had received the network from day one through first WLIB and then later WWRL. I also ended up purchasing satellite radio so that I could listen to the programming of Air America and other progressive talk shows when I was outside of the New York area. Recent programming changes at Air America and at WWRL have created conditions where I lost the ability to listen to certain shows without being tied to the computer. It was one thing when I needed the internet to listen to Steph, but now like some other people I have to be tied to the computer to hear hours 2 and 3 of Thom or Randi Rhodes live and how many people can do that if they need to get other activities done. The convenience of being able to listen to these shows in my car or on a regular radio helped me quite a bit. So, you can compare the choices, here are the weekday schedules for WWRL, “Air America” XM 167 and Sirius Left-Sirius 146.
WWRL; 6-9 AM Local morning show (whose description disappeared from the web site) 9-11 AM Infomercials (who listens to Infomercials on the radio anyway?) 11AM-Noon Dr. Ron Daniels Noon-3 PM Ed Schultz 3-6 PM Air America Afternoons (apparently WWRL’s new deal with Air America locks them into carrying the network at that time so no Randi). 6-8 PM Rachel Maddow 8-10 PM Al Sharpton (delayed broadcast) 10 PM-1 AM Alan Colmes
XM 167: 6-9 AM Bill Press (AAR no longer provides programming for this time slot) 9 AM-Noon Lionel Noon-3 PM Ed Schultz (Exclusivity apparently doesn’t require them to carry the network full-time as is) 3-6 PM Air America Afternoons (no word on whether XM will bring back Randi any time soon) 6-8 PM Rachel Maddow 8-10 PM Thom Hartmann (first two hours delayed) 10 PM-Midnight Mike Malloy (hours 1 and 2 on slight delay) Midnight-2 AM Clout (delayed) 2-4 AM Jon Elliot (hours 1 and 2 delayed) 4-6 AM Thom Hartmann repeat
Sirius 146: 6-9 AM Bill Press 9 AM-Noon Alex Bennett (in-house) Noon-1 PM Thom Hartmann (first hour only) 1-3 PM Lynn Samuels (in-house) 3-5 PM Ed Schultz (hours 1 and 2) 5-8 PM Make It Plain with Mark Thompson (in-house) 8-9 PM Stephanie Miller (hour 3 only) 9 PM-Midnight Mike Malloy Midnight-3 AM Thom Hartmann (all 3 hours) 3-5 AM Lynn Samuels repeat
So what are your options or are you stuck in front of the computer all day? Feel free to discuss.
In Atlanta our ONLY option is streaming or buy satelite radio. About a year after AAR started, we had a station that played the entire AAR lineup. It was great. However, after the one year contract was up, the owner decided to convert the station to an "Arts and Music" station. He kept Al Franken until Al retired from AAR.
Although GA is a red state, the Atlanta area is VERY blue. It's unimagineable to me that this radio market can't support a left-wing radio station. After AirAtlanta closed up shop, we were part of an effort to get one of the local stations to change, but due to lack of interest, that petered out.
Until some programming director with some balls and vision comes along, we're tied to the computer...
Comment byRaine on 04/23/2008 12:51:36
Good morning! Good job there liv!
Someday I want to liv in an area that has prog radio. Someday. I have always been tied to the computer for my listening pleasure.
Comment byTriSec on 04/23/2008 12:52:45
Well, it boggles my mind that Boston/Cambridge does not have an AAR station.
We're similar to Atlanta...about a year after the startup, we got a station. It was low-wattage and I could only pick it up during the day and line-of-sight, but it was affiliated with the FM powerhouse "Kiss 108" and seemed immune from financial pressures. There was even a permit pulled to construct a new antenna and increase the wattage.
Less than a year into it, the owners decided to change format to the lucrative Spanish-language format, which of course there was a huge demand for in the Boston area.
Did I mention that it was owned by Clear Channel?
Anyway, there was a group founded, and a grassroots movement started that had some steam for about a month. There was a petition, and a lot of angry people, but they drifted away once it became apparent that we couldn't do a damn thing.
I don't listen to much anymore. I hardly get a chance to listen to Momma....I don't even pick up Dr. Maddow's podcast anymore, but I'm trying to remember to get on to NovaM in the afternoons for Thom...
Comment byright wing hater on 04/23/2008 12:54:14
Hey Bob and Raine!
You have to remember, Atlanta may be blue, but the corporations that broadcast here...ClearChannel, Cox Communications are all Red to the core
As such, combined with the religious right's domination of local politics, especially state politics they pool resources together and usually, 'buy out' stations cause they don't want that damn liberal stuff on the airwaves...
We're in the land of Neal "Fair Tax tooth fairy" Boortz and the evil empire Cox Corp (basically Newscorp-South)
There is a petition, but maybe someday after Obama is elected, we'll have a local station again... Daily Reading has been posted
Comment byvelveeta jones on 04/23/2008 12:58:44
Morning all!
:rage: don't get me started on our "progressive" station! It more than sucks. Its owned by CC, but often the quality sounds just like they are holding a cheap omni microphone to a cellphone that has a radio station playing in the background! I swear! Oh, and have I mentioned that they shut off at sunset? That's around 5:15 in the winter. :rage:
Anywho. Aunt Azalea will be appearing later this morning. She got up really early and felt compelled to write a blog because she was sooooo angry!! She'll post it after SMS if there's no complaints.
Comment byRaine on 04/23/2008 13:00:39
I hope you are right RWH. It SUX bad not having a radio station down here. I was so excited that I wsa moving down here jus for that... I almost changed my mind!
:rage: don't get me started on our "progressive" station! It more than sucks. Its owned by CC, but often the quality sounds just like they are holding a cheap omni microphone to a cellphone that has a radio station playing in the background! I swear! Oh, and have I mentioned that they shut off at sunset? That's around 5:15 in the winter. :rage:
Anywho. Aunt Azalea will be appearing later this morning. She got up really early and felt compelled to write a blog because she was sooooo angry!! She'll post it after SMS if there's no complaints.
No problem with that at all!
I will set her up with the ability to write her own blog!
Comment byRaine on 04/23/2008 13:06:24
Aunt Azalea can now post blogs...
Comment byRaine on 04/23/2008 13:08:20
:clap: nice one this morning DJ!
Comment byvelveeta jones on 04/23/2008 13:14:56
Thanks Raine, its a quite powerful blog. Though, its difficult for me to be objective.
:P
Comment byRaine on 04/23/2008 13:17:32
basically, Hills bragged about being in debt last night... She whined that he outspent her!
Comment byRaine on 04/23/2008 13:21:40
you think emile looked at hillary last night? Was she wearing a flag pin?
I do not remember seeing it.
Stupid voters.
Comment byvelveeta jones on 04/23/2008 13:23:26
Quote by Raine:
you think emile looked at hillary last night? Was she wearing a flag pin?
I do not remember seeing it.
Stupid voters.
I don't think even McBush wears one! Though, he is a........ war hero (blah blah).
Oh boy... Lavendar with the Roller derby analogy? That is quite a stretch?
Comment bywickedpam on 04/23/2008 13:57:24
Quote by Raine:
Quote by wickedpam:
Morning :hug:
Okay if Hills won by only 8.6%-10% doesn't that still make her statisiclly out of it? Didn't she have to win by 27%?
Didn't you get the memo? The Goal posts moved again!
Indiana is the new Pennsylvania!
* fumbles threw "In" box pulls out memo *
Nope only memo I have is navy is the new black and I think thats 2 years old :p
Comment byRaine on 04/23/2008 13:57:30
Comment byRaine on 04/23/2008 13:58:26
Navy is now retro!
Comment bywickedpam on 04/23/2008 14:00:54
UGH! Mom told me last night she doesn't want Obama to win, says his wife is a radical and she doesn't like that he doesn't wear a flag pin and she was upset that he didn't have his hand over his heart for the National Anthem.
Granted I pointed out you don't put your hand over your heart for the Anthem but she swears that you do. :thud:
Told her to stop watching Fox and she said she wasn't, now I just don't think she should watch the news.
Comment byjd_in_ny on 04/23/2008 14:02:25
"That's it, you've lost your brain privileges."
Comment bylivingonli on 04/23/2008 14:03:08
Quote by wickedpam:
UGH! Mom told me last night she doesn't want Obama to win, says his wife is a radical and she doesn't like that he doesn't wear a flag pin and she was upset that he didn't have his hand over his heart for the National Anthem.
Granted I pointed out you don't put your hand over your heart for the Anthem but she swears that you do. :thud:
Told her to stop watching Fox and she said she wasn't, now I just don't think she should watch the news.
She needs to watch Keith Olbermann or at least visit snopes.com which has debunked most of the crap being thrown around.
Comment bylivingonli on 04/23/2008 14:04:15
Quote by wickedpam:
Or going to put in an order this afternoon and was going to add an SMS inspired wine. Would people prefer
Then again that might remind me of a few trips to Montreal I had.
Comment bywickedpam on 04/23/2008 14:04:52
Quote by livingonli:
Quote by wickedpam:
UGH! Mom told me last night she doesn't want Obama to win, says his wife is a radical and she doesn't like that he doesn't wear a flag pin and she was upset that he didn't have his hand over his heart for the National Anthem.
Granted I pointed out you don't put your hand over your heart for the Anthem but she swears that you do. :thud:
Told her to stop watching Fox and she said she wasn't, now I just don't think she should watch the news.
She needs to watch Keith Olbermann or at least visit snopes.com which has debunked most of the crap being thrown around.
Trust me I'm working on that. Love the snopes! KO is on at 8pm it interfers with her shows.
Comment byRaine on 04/23/2008 14:05:53
Quote by jd_in_ny:
"That's it, you've lost your brain privileges."
:rofl:
Comment byRaine on 04/23/2008 14:07:07
Oh Mala... Did you tell Momma Mala that none of these tools are wearing a pin?
And as far as Michelle Obama she is about as radical as you are. (I mean that in a very good way)
Comment byRaine on 04/23/2008 14:08:01
Quote by wickedpam:
Or going to put in an order this afternoon and was going to add an SMS inspired wine. Would people prefer