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: JohnLaton@ClearChannel.com
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:
(319) 354-9500 [Mon.-Fri. 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.]
Studio Lines:
(319) 354-0800
866-609-TALK (8-2-5-5)
Fax: (319) 354-9504
Snail Mail: 3365 NE Dubuque St, Iowa City, IA 52240
4 - Please write a letter to the editor
Cedar Rapids Gazette: editorial@gazettecommunications.com
Iowa City Press-Citizen: opinion@press-citizen.com
Daily Iowan: diopletters@gmail.com 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)