Signed, Sealed, Delivered: Boston Progressive Talk On the Air!

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Thursday April 30, 2009 · 4:34 PM PDT

2009/04/30 · 16:34

Okay, I admit it. I'm still not very good at dealing with good news. Remember the Onion video of the Obama zombies who, after devoting months of work to their candidate, enduring countless ups and downs, couldn't face the fact that he had won the election? That could have been me on the screen. Heck, it could have been you. But let's just try for a second to suspend our disbelief: After two and a half years, a group of progressive activists allied with business and political leaders has succeeded in leasing a Boston station, WWZN (1510 AM), with a solid 50 kW signal reaching comfortably into New Hampshire, to broadcast progressive talk from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. every weekday! In addition to local host Jeff Santos (6-10 a.m.), who has been on the air since Election Day, the lineup will include nationally syndicated hosts Stephanie Miller (10 a.m.-noon), Ed Schultz (noon-3 p.m.), Thom Hartmann (3-6 p.m.), and a final local hour (6-7 p.m.). We'll also be online for streaming and podcasts at RevolutionBoston.com. This news has been a long time coming.

Poll

73 votes Show Results

How do you generally listen to progressive talk radio?

73 votes Vote Now!

How do you generally listen to progressive talk radio?

regular radio

23 votes

satellite radio

11 votes

streaming on the Web

17 votes

podcasts

5 votes

I don't

17 votes

Canvassing is All About Showing Up

AlanF

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Sunday July 13, 2008 · 4:24 PM PDT

2008/07/13 · 16:24

[cross-posted from Activist Land and Blue Mass Group]

I co-lead a local group of Obama supporters preparing to canvass in New Hampshire, the swing state closest to us. (For those unfamiliar with the term, "canvassing" means going door-to-door for a candidate, putting yourself in touch with voters and the canvass on your sneakers in contact with the sidewalk.) One member sent me this question:

How does one prepare for canvassing? My support for Obama is largely subjective based on his handling of various situations. I don't think that will help me to be an effective canvasser - suggestions?

I'd like to point her to a nice succinct "elevator pitch," and any links or suggestions would be welcome. But I also want to use this as an opening to hold forth on what canvassing is about, how to enjoy it, and why (to paraphrase Woody Allen) ninety percent of success in canvassing is just showing up.

Poll

50 votes Show Results

Have you canvassed yet this year?

50 votes Vote Now!

Have you canvassed yet this year?

Yes, more than once.

31 votes

Yes, once.

6 votes

Not yet, but I will before September.

6 votes

Not yet, but I will before November.

5 votes

No, and I don't plan to.

2 votes

Beyond paralysis

AlanF

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Sunday January 13, 2008 · 2:21 PM PST

2008/01/13 · 14:21

[cross-posted from Activist Land and Truth & Progress]

Yesterday, I read an arousing diary, HOW TO BE A CLIMATE HERO (which had been crossposted from Truth and Progress). The author, Audrey Schulman, described breaking through her fellow passengers' paralysis in order to bring help to a woman who was undergoing a seizure aboard a train. She found the scene strikingly evocative of her attempts to counter the inertia she has encountered regarding the issue of climate disruption.

AlanF

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Tuesday November 06, 2007 · 7:00 AM PST

2007/11/06 · 07:00

[to be crossposted to Washblog]

Gotta love this groan-worthy statement (in PDF format) from the Democratic FCC commissioners, Copps and Adelstein, regarding the upcoming FCC hearing in Seattle this Friday, which Republican Chairman only announced a mere five business days ago. It reads, in its entirety (emphasis mine):

JOINT STATEMENT BY COMMISSIONERS COPPS AND ADELSTEIN ON SEATTLE MEDIA OWNERSHIP HEARING
A hearing with only five days notice is no nirvana for Seattle and the Pacific Northwest. This smells like mean spirit. Clearly, the rush is on to push media consolidation to a quick and ill-considered vote. It shows there is a preordained outcome. Pressure from the public and their elected representatives is ignored. With such short notice, many people will be shut out. We received notice of the hearing just moments before it was announced. This is outrageous and not how important media policy should be made.

Yup, that's on the official FCC site.

Poll

10 votes Show Results

Will you be attending this hearing?

10 votes Vote Now!

Will you be attending this hearing?

Yes.

7 votes

No.

3 votes

Another Jon Rallies for KLSD

AlanF

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Thursday October 11, 2007 · 6:27 AM PDT

2007/10/11 · 06:27

For those of you who haven't been tuned in, Clear Channel is threatening to add San Diego's KLSD (K + Liberal San Diego) to the long list of radio stations to lose progressive talk. The company's modus operandi seems to be:

(1) Buy up as many stations as the FCC will allow one company to own (which is a lot).
(2) Stick progressive talk on the weakest signal in town and...
(3) Hope no one notices.
(4) If, despite a dearth of promotion or local staff, ratings soar and a loyal audience gathers, then flip the station to another format and...
(5) Hope no one notices.

A concerted effort thwarted this plan in Madison, however, and will hopefully throw sand in the gears in San Diego as well. A big crowd turned out for an August 27 rally, and the hope is to get even more people to show up at a rally this Friday morning (link to more details near end of diary).

Before the August rally, I interviewed Jon Elliott, one of KLSD's hosts, who has joined the struggle to save progressive talk. In honor of Friday's rally, I've interviewed another Jon involved in the battle, fellow Kos community member Jon Monday.

Poll

28 votes Show Results

Had you heard about the upcoming KLSD rally?

28 votes Vote Now!

Had you heard about the upcoming KLSD rally?

Yes, and I'll be there.

9 votes

Yes, but I can't be there for some reason (for example, I live on the other side of the country).

17 votes

No, but I'll be there.

0 votes

No, and I can't be there.

2 votes

Jon Elliott Wants You to Save KLSD

AlanF

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Monday August 27, 2007 · 6:10 AM PDT

2007/08/27 · 06:10

On Saturday I blogged here and on Calitics about how we need to save KLSD, the lone progressive talk radio station in San Diego, which may be flipped to sports unless enough listeners make themselves known. I mentioned the rally that will be taking place this morning (Monday) at 7:30 a.m. Pacific time outside the Clear Channel office (9660 Granite Ridge Drive). See details on the SaveKLSD.com website.

I live near Boston myself, but every progressive talk radio station is crucial. In the words of noted radio expert Ben Franklin, we who are trying to defend progressive talk "must, indeed, hang together, or most assuredly we shall all hang separately."

Yesterday I spoke with Jon Elliott, a talk show host on the station, and followed up with Kate Reifers, his director of research. His show is syndicated across the country, but his residence and his heart are in San Diego. Below the fold I'll tell you about my conversation with Jon.

Poll

26 votes Show Results

Had you heard of the threat to KLSD?

26 votes Vote Now!

Had you heard of the threat to KLSD?

Yes, from Saturday's post here on Daily Kos.

3 votes

Yes, from elsewhere.

20 votes

No.

3 votes

Rally Monday - Save KLSD - San Diego Progressive Talk Radio

AlanF

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Saturday August 25, 2007 · 8:43 AM PDT

2007/08/25 · 08:43

[cross-posted at Calitics -- any suggestions regarding other CA/San Diego blogs would be welcome]

I've been posting on progressive talk radio a fair amount this year, focusing on the efforts of our Boston group to buy a station as a solid home for progressive talk. Relying on the kindness of Clear Channel and similar media behemoths, as we have discovered, doesn't work.

While we're making good progress (hey, we're progressives, after all), many stations across the country are still dependent on the whims of these media giants.

Now San Diego's KLSD (yup, that's the real name) is in trouble. This is a call to action, not an extensive analysis, so much of the content comes from the SaveKLSD.com website. If I have a chance, I'll update it later. Thanks to NonStopRadio.com and user rougegorge for alerting me.

Had you heard of the threat to progressive talk in San Diego?

69 votes Vote Now!

Had you heard of the threat to progressive talk in San Diego?

Yes.

50 votes

No.

19 votes

"The Real News" Junkies Get a Fix

AlanF

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Wednesday July 18, 2007 · 5:46 PM PDT

2007/07/18 · 17:46

Withdrawal symptoms are brutal, especially when they last for decades. And we've been jonesing for something approaching journalism on the evening news for a long, long time.

What would you say if I told you that there's a network bursting onto the scene that's going to present you with real journalism untainted by corporate or governmental money -- because it refuses to accept any? That's staffed with "unbought and unbossed" journalists from around the world -- Pakistan, Brazil, Canada, India, as well as the United States? That could have told you in real time that Colin Powell was making things up before a war broke out? I hope you'd respond as I did...

TELL... ME... MORE!

Poll

47 votes Show Results

What's your involvement with "The Real News"?

47 votes Vote Now!

What's your involvement with "The Real News"?

I had heard of it before reading this diary, and I already donate regularly to them.

3 votes

I had heard of it before reading this diary, and I already had given them a one-time donation.

4 votes

I had heard of it before reading this diary, but now am giving them a regular donation for the first time.

1 vote

I had heard of it before reading this diary, but now gave them a one-time donation for the first time.

3 votes

I had heard of it before reading this diary, but would rather give them moral support and publicity than a donation.

9 votes

I had not heard of it.

27 votes

Little Miss Sunshine at the FCC Hearing

AlanF

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Sunday July 15, 2007 · 2:39 PM PDT

2007/07/15 · 14:39

(crossposted from my blog, Activist Land)

Last Thursday, a group of members of the Save Boston's Progressive Talk coalition drove to Portland, Maine to testify at an FCC hearing. Little did we know that, like the desperate family in the movie Little Miss Sunshine, we'd end up having to push our car to get there. Nor did we realize the degree to which the hearing itself would resemble the pageant depicted in the film. But, in the best Hollywood tradition, we learned a lot from our little road trip.

Poll

105 votes Show Results

Do you believe that the Fairness Doctrine should be enforced?

105 votes Vote Now!

Do you believe that the Fairness Doctrine should be enforced?

Yes.

58 votes

Not in its previous incarnation, but perhaps in a different form.

35 votes

No.

12 votes

So how does Daily Kos measure up?

AlanF

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Wednesday May 23, 2007 · 5:58 PM PDT

2007/05/23 · 17:58

In my May 13 diary, "What does Daily Kos accomplish?", I began with these questions:

"What purposes does DK achieve?"
"How well does it succeed in them?"
"How can we quantify that?"
"Which purposes are in tension with each other?"
"Which ones are most important?"

saving all but the first and third questions for later. As luck would have it, on the same day, another diarist simply declared "DailyKos sucks". Well, that's straightforward, but a bit unscientific.

Poll

27 votes Show Results

Do you like the idea of applying quantifiable criteria to a diary?

27 votes Vote Now!

Do you like the idea of applying quantifiable criteria to a diary?

Yes.

15 votes

No.

12 votes

Holt's paper ballot bill (H.R. 811) scheduled for debate

AlanF

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Friday May 18, 2007 · 7:02 AM PDT

2007/05/18 · 07:02

What would you say if a bill that had attracted a majority of House members as cosponsors was prevented from reaching the floor? Doesn't sound very democratic, does it? But that's just what happened to the election integrity bill (H.R. 550 in the 109th Congress, successor to H.R. 2239 in the 108th Congress) proposed by Rep. Rush Holt (D, NJ-12). Both 550 and 2239 were bottled up in the Committee on House Administration by the Republican chairs, Rep. Bob Ney of Ohio (now in jail for conspiracy as a result of the Abramoff scandal), and then Rep. Vernon Ehlers of Michigan. However, as Barbara Boxer said, "elections have consequences" and Holt's H.R. 811-110 finally hit the floor last week. In a comment, Nathaniel Ament Stone said here yesterday that the bill has been scheduled for debate ~~today~~ soon. This is very big news.

Poll

22 votes Show Results

How much did you know about H.R. 811 before reading this diary?

22 votes Vote Now!

How much did you know about H.R. 811 before reading this diary?

Had followed it closely and was aware that it had reached the House floor.

7 votes

Had followed it closely but didn't know that it had reached the floor.

5 votes

Had followed it to some extent.

4 votes

Had heard of H.R. 2239 or 550 but was unaware of 811.

2 votes

Never had heard of any of these bills.

4 votes

What does Daily Kos accomplish?

AlanF

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Sunday May 13, 2007 · 3:14 PM PDT

2007/05/13 · 15:14

Yup, this is meta. But it's meta that's trying to go someplace new.

I believe it could be helpful to develop a toolbox for exploring such questions as:

"What purposes does DK achieve?"
"How well does it succeed in them?"
"How can we quantify that?"
"Which purposes are in tension with each other?"
"Which ones are most important?"

and also to extend such questions to the "micro" level: "What purposes does diary X achieve, and how well does it succeed?"

I think that Hunter was aiming in that direction in his Daily Kos 4.0 Suggestions Thread, but since he is in a position to actually implement changes for DK4.0, the discussion turned mostly to discussion of the functionality and layout of the site. Since I have no such power, perhaps the discussion I'm starting here will take a different turn.

Poll

87 votes Show Results

What do you think is the most important thing that Daily Kos does?

87 votes Vote Now!

What do you think is the most important thing that Daily Kos does?

Keeps us sane as individuals.

15 votes

Builds a community.

18 votes

Raises awareness of topics.

39 votes

Teaches us about topics.

6 votes

Connects us with officials.

2 votes

Raises money.

3 votes

Marshals canvassers.

0 votes

Incubates new blogs.

2 votes

Inspires new groups.

2 votes

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