Last month, as some of you know, NonStop Radio accepted nominations and supporting votes for those Progressive Talk hosts who helped lay the foundation of the format. The hosts who got the most support were recognized with Trailblazer Awards, a one-time-only honor.
Despite being newer to the field than most others who were nominated, Stephanie Miller got the single most votes for being a Trailblazer of Progressive Talk. It may surprise people to find this out-- sure, there are hosts who have been around longer, pack more "serious substance" per broadcast hour, or talk to more callers in a day than Miller does in a week. It is fair to say, however, that she has touched the lives of more people than anyone else has in as short a time, and all while debunking right-wing nonsense and keeping Liberals' sanity alive.
On Monday, April 30th, she is going to prove once again exactly why she deserved each and every ballot sent in for her.
MSNBC has decided to give Stephanie a shot for three days: Monday, April 30th, Tuesday, May 1st and Wednesday, May 2nd. This is a calculated move on their part, and one that bodes well for Progressive Talk as a format. In order to make the most of this golden opportunity we (that's YOU and I, so pay attention!) can't just tune in. Action taken can transform this bit of fortune into the inception of Progressive Talk Television.
Before we get into that, let's take a look into why MSNBC made this decision to try Stephanie out. First off, they know the value of having someone spend their airtime doing battle against neoconservative fiction: remember this is Keith Olbermann's network. Still, Olbermann's slickly-produced show can only handle an hour of debunking a night. Stephanie's show, like Imus' now-cancelled one, handles three hours of television.
With Olbenmann's Countdown being MSNBC's engine of growth, they'd be mad not to see Stephanie as a possible way to keep expanding. Why only offer viewers one hour of Progressive views a day when you can offer four (and those four hours will be vied-over by advertisers wanting to be seen during the hottest shows).
So, it all makes good commercial sense. Now here's where we come in:
We need to deluge MSNBC with gratitude. Let them know how much we appreciate them bringing Stephanie to their channel for this temporary spot, and make it clear that we want to see her every weekday.
Below is a letter I sent to viewerservices@msnbc.com. I strongly suggest that everyone else send their own note of thanks as well. Can you imagine the power that will be added to Progressive Talk if we can get the television airwaves to carry more hosts who entertain and inform while debunking right-wing talking points?
Yours in the Cause,
Aldous Tyler
NonStop Radio
www.NonStopRadio.com
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MSNBC,
Thank you, thank you, thank you! The only better news you could give me than Stephanie Miller getting a three-show temporary shot in Imus' former timeslot would be if you were to give her the slot permanently. Obviously, if you consider doing so or not will have a lot to do with how she does this coming week, but I can assure you this: even on her worst days, the Stephanie Miller Show is something I am loathe to miss. That kind of viewer/listener interest is something that sponsors kill for. After all, the less likely someone is to channel surf during commercial breaks, the more likely that person is to view/hear the advertisements.
Stephanie can give you that in spades. Having seen her radio program performed live on location here in Madison, Wisconsin, I can guarantee you that she is photogenic and has a smile that, with listeners becoming viewers, will win even better numbers than her razor wit alone already has.
Well, enough from me. I'm going to let you get to all the other put-Stephanie-on-permanently emails. Just one last thought: not all the emails may be eloquent, but every one will be a rabidly loyal listener of Stephanie who will GLADLY watch her on MSNBC each and every
morning.
With gratitude,
Aldous Tyler