Demand Rational Radio!

Have you had enough of Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Dennis Miller, Michael Savage, Jan Mickelson, Steve Deace, Fred Thompson, and friends saturating the publicly owned radio airwaves across Iowa and across the nation?

Here's what we're doing about it in eastern Iowa. Let's make it a statewide/nationwide effort. Please pass this on. Start a petition in your community. Get after your local station.

If you live in eastern Iowa, sign our online petition

Three years ago, approximately 500 citizens signed a petition to bring progressive talk programming to Iowa City Radio Station KXIC 800 AM. We made the case that it would be good business sense because of the high proportion of listeners in the Iowa City-Cedar Rapids corridor area who hold progressive views. The petition, accompanying letters, and public pressure were successful, resulting in KXIC adding two progressive programs, Thom Hartmann and The Randi Rhodes Show from Air America Radio.

Shortly after these programs began airing, the 2006 mid-term elections occurred, which were disastrous for Republicans. Clear Channel subsequently pulled the plug on much of its progressive programming around the country, and Iowa lost what few progressive programs it had. Thom Hartmann and Randi Rhodes vanished from our local station, KXIC, and today, the most progressive geographic area in the state is forced to endure Sean Hannity from 2-5 daily in their place. In 2006 in the Quad Cities, a local station, WKBF 1270 AM, aired progressive talker Stephanie Miller, Ed Schultz, several Air America programs, and a locally produced progressive talk show.

WKBF 1270 AM, also a casualty of Clear Channel's 2007 mass station-flipping, is now a 24-hour Christian station (www.truth1270 - that requires listeners (owners of the airwaves) to register and log in before you can even see the program schedule.

Again, we find ourselves three years later, asking our local station, KXIC 800 AM, to broadcast more balanced programming, because the exclusive broadcasting of conservative opinion does not reflect or represent the range of political views of our diverse community. See Action steps below.

[FYI: 91 percent of the total weekday talk radio programming is conservative, and 9 percent is progressive, according to a 2007 American Progress report. Arbitron, the national radio ratings company, reports that more than 90 percent of Americans ages 12 or older listen to radio each week, "a higher penetration than television, magazines, newspapers, or the Internet."]

**ACTION**

1 - Please sign our online petition

2 - Please e-mail KXIC: [e-mail]
Send a brief note. Use your own words why you feel your local station should air more balanced programming.

3 - Please call KXIC

Business Lines:
[phone] [Mon.-Fri. 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.]

Studio Lines:
[phone]
866-609-TALK (8-2-5-5)

Fax: [phone]
Snail Mail: 3365 NE Dubuque St, Iowa City, IA 52240

4 - Please write a letter to the editor

Cedar Rapids Gazette: [e-mail]
Iowa City Press-Citizen: [e-mail]
Daily Iowan: [e-mail] or use their webform @ www.dailyiowan.com

5 - Please pass this on to all of your progressive friends and lists.

Thanks, everybody!

Iowa Rapid Response Action Team
and PREIA (Progressive Radio for Eastern Iowa)

 

 

Follow Trish Nelson on Twitter: www.twitter.com/trishnelson

Comments

[vfdowner]

Radio is like everything else - trying to make money based on sponsor advertising. The only thing that will make a radio station change or add programming is the potential for additional advertising dollars. If there is compelling programming, a petition is a good way to get it on your local station since that will show interest for a particular show. If that show doesn't make money for the station, though, be prepared for it to be cut from the programming.

[woodsywizz]

Dear vf,

Clear Channel has shut down hundreds of money-making progressive programs and stations, converting them to sports, Christian, or right-wing talk. The power of gigantic corporations can tilt the marketplace, which is exactly what has happened here.
Radio ISN'T "like everything else", it is a regulated use of a limited public resource - the airwaves - which was de-regulated by Republicans for the benefit of large corporations. This is the opposite of 'the free marketplace', a phrase degraded to a hypnotic mantra - endlessly repeated with little meaning.

[chroma601]

Wait a minute - aren't these pinheads on conservative radio constantly going on about how liberally biased all media are, except for Faux, which is fair and balanced?

[David2]

As I tell my listeners at ShockNet Radio (just google it), WE are the alternative, and if you want more of it, you have to patronize it and tell your friends to patronize it.

[TRYKER]

91% !!! No bloody wonder we have so many crazies in this country. Good grief.
It's been over-whelming during the last 8 years how many friends and relatives have "gone over to the dark side" and fallen in with every twisted rationale they've been fed over the radio.
I had no idea that 90% listened to radio every day...prob­ably people driving to work. work.work.
Talk about vast right wing conspiracy­...radio..­.TV...prin­t, they have it all. The only thing is...it's an empty shell full of hot air, nothing. And it doesn't seem to be doing anything but killing its party and any speck of respect anyone had for the Republicans. They've got a broadcasting bubble that is about to burst, it won't be too much longer. Their lies are so preposterous now, they're death rattles, the end is near.
In spite of them, the truth will out.
In spite of their willingness to "follow along", hunger, sickness and poverty will shake up the sheep to the truth that they were being lied to. Every month, millions more feel the pain that the corporations wreak on them. Pain has a way of waking you up.

[surlyatbest]

Here is an idea. Raise money, buy a radio station, broadcast programming that attracts listeners and sponsors. Conservatives did it, so can liberals.

[querencia]

Lovely idea to demand rational radio- and, you can also listen online to some very excellent progressive shows - check www.democracynow.org for one such. Cheers!