By now you may have heard about the grassroots movement currently underway to return John “Sly” Sylvester to the airwaves after WTDY silenced him last week. “Give Sly The Mic” is an attempt to persuade the powers that be at The Mic 92.1 to give Sly his own show, so that Wisconsin Progressives can continue to have a voice. Here are the details:
Tell 92.1 to Give Sly the Mic!
CALL: 608-274-5450EMAIL: TimScott@clearchannel.comThe Mic needs Sly because:
- Workers need a voice on the public airwaves fighting for them.
- Small businesses that take good care of their employees depend on Sly’s loyal fan base.
- Sly and his listeners give progressives the support they need to stand up to Scott Walker.
As a political blogger, I have gotten a lot of important information through livestreaming and listening to podcasts of Sly’s show on WTDY (and nobody interviews Glenn Grothman quite like Sly!). It has been less than a week, and I am already feeling the information void caused by Sly’s absence.
As a middle class Wisconsinite, I have appreciated the way that Sly has stood up for the rights of working class people, holding politicians on both sides of the aisle accountable for their words and actions, oftentimes angering even those on the left.
Sure, Sly has made my blood boil at times with some of the things that he has said, and I don’t always agree with him or like his bombastic style. But every time I have contacted him, he has been willing to listen, which says a lot about who he is as a person.
For these reasons and more, I stand in solidarity with Sly. I ask that you do the same.
CALL: 608.274.5450 and tell the Mic:
- I strongly urge you to put Sly in the Morning on your airwaves as soon as possible.
- I support Sly in the Morning and his sponsors because he is a life-long Wisconsinite who provides an entertaining, insightful perspective that can’t be found anywhere else.
- I would become an eager 92.1 listener and supporter if you decide to add Sly to your lineup.
This is a worthwhile effort, and I hope it’s successful. But I hope the following statement on the “Give Sly the Mic” site is just a careless oversight and not an intentional diss:
“For the first time in modern radio history, there is no local, high-quality progressive radio talk show in Wisconsin.”
I was actually listening to Doug Cunningham’s local progressive show, “The People’s Mic,” when I read that. Oops, I thought.
Marcie,
I will ask for clarification on that statement and get back to you. Thanks.
Marcie, I was told that there was “definitely no slight intended” and that the wording will be adjusted. Thanks!
Thank you, Lisa! I figured it was just a case of not remembering every relevant fact while making a (justly) passionate and urgent plea. Easy to do.
For the last 15 years, this individual has Slymed Clear Channel’s Vicki McKenna. Broadcasting her home address, calling her a whore, calling her “Chlamydia,” picketing her speaking engagements. That behavior is of a piece with his demonstrated record of misogyny. This individual brought WTDY down around his own head and took other people down with him.
Recommended reading:
Madison Politiscope: Wisconsin’s top Rush Limbaugh-style moments
http://host.madison.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/politiscope/madison-politiscope-wisconsin-s-top-rush-limbaugh-style-moments/article_f1b28f30-67e2-11e1-b15f-001871e3ce6c.html
(By the way, David, I’m still waiting for Mark Belling to apologize to me for berating me on-air for protesting at Gov. Walker’s house even though I never protested at Governor Walker’s house. Belling called me, by name, a “jerk” and a “jackass” for doing something I didn’t even do-without retraction, without apology.)
Q: What is the difference between Sly’s show and McKenna or Limbaugh’s show?
A: Ratings.
I appears the market does not truely appreciate Sly’s brand. Perhaps he should rethink it.
Yet inside sources have indicated that ratings had nothing to do with this format change, that ratings were fine.
Ok, the ratings were fine.
Couple of things:
Sly will land somewhere in a simalar role/business.
WTDY opted for a total format change for some reason or another. What puzzles me is why an employer would cut the “Sly format” with fine ratings in favor of a new format that is yet untested/proven. Just sounds risky.
Another right-wing brainiac pipes up who must have forgotten or simply ignored that Sly = hometown business sponsors and Vicki M (Belling, et.al.) = Bradley Foundation $M’s.
No freaking difference at all.
Blaska, hmmm, misogynist, what’s that phrase I’m trying to recall? Takes one to know one, pot calling kettle black, less than equal pay for women, forced vaginal ultrasounds, cutting pre-natal care from Wisconsin’s poor women is not a tax increase on or health threat to women, legitimate rape? Geez I’ll think of it sooner or later, Dave.
Oh now it comes to me Davey, Sandra Fluke, and Rushboy Limnuts.
From Badger Democracy: “The latest Arbitron Ratings for the Fall Period 1 (FallP1) show that WTDY was on an upward trend, with WXXM (The Mic) on a downward trend. WTDY went from a 0.9 in the first quarter of 2012 to a 1.7 in the most recent rating. WXXM had dropped from a 3.7 to a 2.4 for the same period. It is safe to say that “Sly in the Morning” was carrying the ratings of WTDY.”
Link to BD post: http://bdgrdemocracy.wordpress.com/2012/11/28/give-sly-the-mic-a-win-for-progressives-and-clear-channel-call-to-action/
Link to ratings chart:
http://ratings.radio-online.com/cgi-bin/rol.exe/arb171
And what, pray tell, would you do with the HUGELY popular lineup at WXXM? You’re upset with your favorite radio station so your solution is to “give” another radio station to your hero. Those of us who have always been WXXM listeners maybe don’t want the station “GIVEN” to someone else just because you’re pissed off.
Stephanie Miller will always be more popular than Sly. Deal with it.
Randy- I’d be curious to see the ratings numbers for Steph Miller vs. Sly from 8am-10am. All I’ve seen is TDY’s total numbers, which I have little doubt dropped off tremendously after Sly’s show got done for the day, and didn’t recover in PM drive that much. I’m not so sure that Steph beats Sly for numbers head-to-head, and with Sly’s show being local, it means more revenue for the station with all-local ads.
I think an easy solution for the Mic (if Sly would ever work for Clear Channel again) is to give Sly the 6am-9am slot, and have Steph from 9-11. Win-win for fans of both.