Boston, Air America Radio Cancellation, Petition Drive

MADISON REDUX

Boston Libtalk Fans Hope To Bring Back Dead Stations







Hoping to do for Boston what "progressive" counterparts were able to achieve in Madison, a group of liberal talk radio fans have launched an effort to bring the format back to Eastern Massachusetts.

Given the same economic realities that have doomed libtalk in so many other cities, however, do they really have a chance?

After all, the previous Air America Radio simulcast generated rock- bottom ratings and failed to attract advertisers. Both stations have now been replaced by Spanish programming.

Initiating a petition drive, "Save Boston's Progressive Talk" has issued this statement:

Hey! What happened to "Progressive Talk"?

Clear Channel has again dropped the Progressive format, this time from Boston's two simulcast stations, WKOX - 1200 AM and WXKS - 1430 AM, also known as "Boston's Progressive Talk". Among those featured on the stations were shows hosted by Al Franken, Randi Rhodes, Rachel Maddow, Bobby Kennedy Jr., Sam Seder, Laura Flanders and Thom Hartmann, all part of Air America programming; as well as Stephanie Miller and Ed Schultz from the Jones Radio Network.

"Boston's Progressive Talk" has been the only format of its kind here, since it debuted in late 2004. In a world where over 90% of talk shows are conservative, Boston's Progressive Talk provided viewpoints seldom heard on Boston radio. It has been a vital source for news, current events and issues of importance to this progressively leaning area. Unfortunately, weak signal strength (down to 1kW at sundown), poor management, unprofessional sounding automation, lack of local programming and advertising, and virtually no local hosts, sales staff or publicity have kept the stations from succeeding the way we know they could.

Finally, in a shocking move, without warning or regard for Progressive Talk's audience or any chance to further promote and preserve the format, Clear Channel has dropped progressive talk as of noon Thursday, December 21, 2006 and changed over to a Spanish-language format. Ironically, only a few days before, the station had sent out a survey to listeners, asking about future preferences for the progressive show line-up.

Here in Boston, progressives are the majority. It is absurd to think that we cannot sell progressive radio here. We must let Clear Channel know how much we need and value progressive radio in Boston. The airwaves belong to the people, to serve the public interest -- which includes serving the local community as well as offering an opportunity to hear diverse points of view. While there are already other Spanish-program stations in the Boston market and numerous conservative talk radio stations and shows, there are NO OTHER progressive talk stations here and other media are not giving progressive issues and points of view any coverage. It is for these reasons that WE URGE Clear Channel Radio to reinstate Progressive Talk Radio in Boston!

Funny enough, blasting Clear Channel's management for being incompetent might seem counterproductive, but that's exactly what seemed to work in Madison. The problem is that the company put more time, money and effort into making libtalk succeed than anyone else by far.

And yesterday, the Boston Herald noted their new effort:

Defenders of liberal talk fight to keep it on airwaves

By Jesse Noyes
Boston Herald Business Reporter
Saturday, December 30, 2006 - Updated: 02:10 PM EST

A newly formed local group is planning to fight a decision by radio broadcaster Clear Channel to drop liberal talk from Boston’s airwaves.

“I think it’s absurd and defies reason to think that progressive talk wouldn’t work in the market,” said Robin Bergman, who is heading up a group called Save Boston Progressive Talk. Bergman’s group plans to petition Clear Channel to put the liberal talk format back on WKOX-AM (1200) and WXKS-AM (1430).

Until recently, those frequencies carried programming from the bankrupt Air America Radio network, which has hosts like Al Franken, and the Jones Radio network, which features liberal talker Ed Schultz. But those programs were dumped for a Spanish-language music format.

Now Bergman - who owns an arts and crafts business called Robin’s Originals in West Concord - is leading a group of protesters to pressure Clear Channel into restoring the liberal talk format.

Bergman started an online forum last week, which already has over 150 members. Earlier this week, the group launched the Web site www.bostonprogressivetalk.net and started an online petition.

Bergman said she hopes to get 5,000 people to sign the petition before submitting it to Clear Channel. “In an area like Boston there’s no reason that we couldn’t get thousands and thousands of signatures,” she said.

The group is also holding meetings. On Wednesday about 20 people met at Panera’s restaurant in Watertown in an effort to organize a grassroots protest group. Another meeting is scheduled for Jan. 8 at the same restaurant.

The oft- repeated mantra of Boston- area progressives has been that progtalk didn't work because both stations had weak signal strength. But between them, there should have been enough daytime coverage to reach many of the heavily- populated areas. While still a hurdle, the signal issue could have been overcome through a grass- roots effort to alert local libs that the stations existed.

And that's where the same questions come up just as they did in Madison: where were you people a year ago? How much effort did you put into getting the word out to potential listeners and advertisers when it was clear your favorite stations were in trouble?

Through blogs, newspapers, political groups and by word of mouth, it could have been possible to boost the standings of these stations long ago.

Instead, inspired by the strange situation in Madison, local libtalk fans want the company to revisit a failed format that didn't attract listeners or sponsors while it was on the air. What would be different this time? Where are the advertisers?

Most of all, after Air America is finished with its restructuring, how would a full programming day be filled, anyway?

Given the success progressives had in Wisconsin, we don't blame their counterparts in Massachusetts for giving this a try. At the same time, since the format has already been switched to La Rumba, it seems hard to believe this effort will get very far.


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