Grassroots Meet Rainmakers: Boston Progressive Talk Radio

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Tuesday May 01, 2007 · 6:02 PM PDT

2007/05/01 · 18:02

This week, Air America "pre-founders" Sheldon and Anita Drobny came to Boston to meet with Save Boston's Progressive Talk Radio, which is working to put progressive talk back on the airwaves. The Drobnys spent most of that time meeting with politicians and potential investors, but also spent an evening with the group at progressive comedian Jimmy Tingle's theater in Somerville. Many people from our group who couldn't attend have been begging for a description of the event, and I thought I'd post it here for the enjoyment and edification of Bostonians and non-Bostonians alike.

Poll

58 votes Show Results

Had you heard of the Drobnys before?

58 votes Vote Now!

Had you heard of the Drobnys before?

Yes.

29 votes

No.

29 votes

Who (Almost) Killed Progressive Talk Radio?

AlanF

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Monday April 16, 2007 · 7:13 PM PDT

2007/04/16 · 19:13

Yesterday, in Invisible Airwaves Crackle with Life, I told you about hopeful signs in the struggle to get progressive talk radio back on the airwaves, particularly in Boston. I also mentioned that the next day, I'd post the editorial, "Who Killed Progressive Talk Radio?" that I had published in a local paper (though they insisted on renaming it "Corporations Killed the Liberal Radio Star"). You will find it humbly submitted for your perusal below the fold.

Poll

72 votes Show Results

How much had you heard about the progressive talk situation before reading this diary?

72 votes Vote Now!

How much had you heard about the progressive talk situation before reading this diary?

Nothing.

13 votes

Nothing before I read the "Invisible Airwaves" diary yesterday.

2 votes

I had heard about the closings, but that was it.

12 votes

I had heard about the closings and one or two developments since then.

17 votes

I've followed it closely.

18 votes

I belong to a progressive talk radio group.

10 votes

Invisible Airwaves Crackle with Life

AlanF

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Sunday April 15, 2007 · 6:40 PM PDT

2007/04/15 · 18:40

... and no, I'm not talking about Imus's departure from radio.

As some of you are aware (how many? take the poll!), liberals were roundly punished for winning the 2006 elections by having progressive talk formats purged from radio stations across the country. The major culprit was the megaadveradiobehemocorporopoly known as Clear Channel, run by Bush associates from San Antonio. Their strategy, it seems, was to quietly place progressive talk on weak signals starting in 2004, keep the stations secret, and eventually cancel them, citing lack of business. (I described this strategy in more detail in an editorial called "Who Killed Progressive Talk Radio?" in a local newspaper. I'll post it tomorrow.) [UPDATE: You can see it here.] Progressive radioheads are hard to keep down, though, and I want to tell you about some of the positive developments in this story.

Poll

84 votes Show Results

How much had you heard about the progressive talk situation before reading this diary?

84 votes Vote Now!

How much had you heard about the progressive talk situation before reading this diary?

Nothing.

19 votes

I had heard about all the closings, but nothing else.

19 votes

I had heard about the closings and one or two later developments.

15 votes

I've been following the situation closely.

12 votes

I belong to a progressive talk radio group.

19 votes

Definitive list of reasons to regret Imus's departure

AlanF

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Thursday April 12, 2007 · 8:30 PM PDT

2007/04/12 · 20:30

Yup, I've heard too much about Imus, too. Too many dire warnings that his being taken off the air will blow back in our faces when the censors go after all the progressive commentators. Too many laments that we've lost our one and only chance to have a profound discussion about race.

So in what I hope will serve as garbage disposal for the present and time capsule for the future, I will list every reason I've heard that we shouldn't be glad that Imus in the Morning is history.

Poll

42 votes Show Results

When was the last time you felt as bad about a firing?

42 votes Vote Now!

When was the last time you felt as bad about a firing?

When Pombo, Santorum, and the rest were voted out of office.

9 votes

When former war hero and later bribe recipient Duke Cunningham tearfully resigned.

8 votes

When Tom DeLay was nailed to the cross.

25 votes

My letter to the AP about Plame puff piece

AlanF

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

Saturday March 17, 2007 · 11:10 AM PDT

2007/03/17 · 11:10

I saw Julie Hirschfeld Davis's AP puff piece on Plame, commented on it on an open thread, found the address to which I could send a complaint, and did so. That address is info@ap.org.

After I sent it, I saw that a diary by theyrereal on that article has hit the recommended list, so it has gotten some attention. I considered attaching my letter in a comment to that diary, but figured it would be too long. So I'm treating this an action diary whose purpose is not to bring attention to the article (as theyrereal has already done), but on how to respond to it, and to report on any responses from the AP that we might get.

I included my letter below the fold. Feel free to use it for inspiration for a letter of your own, but please don't follow it too closely, as that would diminish the impact.

As others have mentioned in comments in that diary, Yahoo is carrying a better story from Reuters that is also more highly rated. Please uprate this story and downrate the other one.

Poll

33 votes Show Results

Which action have you taken?

33 votes Vote Now!

Which action have you taken?

Wrote a letter to the AP and uprated/downrated the articles.

5 votes

Wrote a letter to the AP.

4 votes

Uprated/downrated the articles.

16 votes

Neither.

8 votes

"We want all of you!": Interview with Paul Jay, IWT/The Real News, Part 5 of 5

AlanF

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

Saturday January 06, 2007 · 10:20 AM PST

2007/01/06 · 10:20

In my first installment, "Go big or go home": Interview with Paul Jay, IWT/The Real News, Part 1, I took us back to the prehistory of IWT/TRN, the courageous TV network that will search out the truth and bring it to a worldwide audience, uncompromised by money from corporations, advertisers, or governments.

In Part 2, "Oh, you mean the REAL news!": Interview with Paul Jay, IWT/The Real News, Part 2, Paul puts the REAL in The Real News.

In Episode III, "We'll go where the facts take us": Interview with Paul Jay, IWT/The Real News, Part 3, I followed Paul on a fact-finding tour.

In Number Four, "Seeking truth, not balance": Interview with Paul Jay, IWT/The Real News, Part 4, I told about how we gave IWT so much publicity in 2005 that the network had to hide from us for a year and a half.

In this final section, Paul tells us how he needs every single one of us.

Poll

80 votes Show Results

Had you heard of IWT/TRN before?

80 votes Vote Now!

Had you heard of IWT/TRN before?

No.

34 votes

Yes, from other installments of this interview.

13 votes

Yes, from diaries by other authors on Daily Kos.

3 votes

Yes, from elsewhere on the blogosphere.

2 votes

Yes, from other sources.

28 votes

"Seeking truth, not balance": Interview with Paul Jay, IWT/The Real News, Part 4

AlanF

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

Thursday January 04, 2007 · 5:32 PM PST

2007/01/04 · 17:32

In my first installment, "Go big or go home": Interview with Paul Jay, IWT/The Real News, Part 1, I took us back to the first murmurs about Independent World Television/The Real News. IWT/TRN is the intrepid TV network that will search out the truth and bring it to a worldwide audience, uncompromised by money from corporations, advertisers, or governments.

In Part 2, "Oh, you mean the REAL news!": Interview with Paul Jay, IWT/The Real News, Part 2, Paul brought us feedback from cab drivers.

In Episode III, "We'll go where the facts take us": Interview with Paul Jay, IWT/The Real News, Part 3, I followed Paul where the facts took us.

Welcome to Number Four.

AlanF

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

Wednesday January 03, 2007 · 6:37 PM PST

2007/01/03 · 18:37

In my first installment "Go big or go home": Interview with Paul Jay, IWT/The Real News, Part 1, I returned to 2005 to explore the roots of my obsession with Independent World Television/The Real News.

In Part 2, "Oh, you mean the REAL news!": Interview with Paul Jay, IWT/The Real News, Part 2, Paul talked about cab driver focus groups and how IWT/TRN intends to hit the big time.

Today, Paul talks about how The Real News will boldly go where none have gone before.

AlanF

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

Tuesday January 02, 2007 · 5:18 PM PST

2007/01/02 · 17:18

In our last installment "Go big or go home": Interview with Paul Jay, IWT/The Real News, Part 1, I introduced you to the fearless Paul Jay and his network Independent World Television (IWT), with its flagship show The Real News. I recommend that you read that diary to learn how I became involved with IWT/TRN. In this section of the interview, Paul will tell you exactly how IWT/TRN plans to go big.

AlanF

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

Monday January 01, 2007 · 12:45 PM PST

2007/01/01 · 12:45

Now that we've broken a corrupt party's stranglehold on political power, it's time to put the corporate Goliaths of the media on notice. I was pleased to see a healthy debate two days after Election Day about restoration of the Fairness Doctrine. Whether you find yourself pro or con, it's great that the subject is being discussed. However, I want to tell you about an entirely different approach toward reclaiming truth on the airwaves.

AlanF

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

Sunday November 05, 2006 · 8:45 PM PST

2006/11/05 · 20:45

I've updated the dKosopedia List of election integrity hotlines and addresses (short name: Election protection hotlines) to help us get an overview of the different election protection hotlines that are active throughout the country. I tried to develop as comprehensive a list as I could, including short descriptions of the hotlines. Read More

Women Donors Network says "Boo!" to "Count Hackula"

AlanF

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

Thursday November 02, 2006 · 7:36 PM PST

2006/11/02 · 19:36

Readers of the New York Times who encountered the Women Donors Network's new ad this Monday might have gasped in horror... or laughed. Or both. Let's see what you think about it. Follow me over the fold, if you dare. Read More

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