A conversation I had last night over beers got me to wondering a few things.
First, why isn’t there a station airing a progressive politics talk format, a la 620 WTMJ?
Would a progressive radio station have an audience here in Milwaukee?
Discuss.
20 thoughts on “Would progressive radio have an audience in Milwaukee?”
Comments are closed.
I’m not entirely sure it would succeed. With WTMJ having such a strong foothold (I didn’t really stop listening to it until Jagler left for a position in the government), the dollars to ruin the new station would be huge. I’ve been listening to AM 820, WCPT out of Chicago. Great reception during the day.
I would listen to it. When you’re in your car, there are no options other than right-wing hate radio. I’ll listen to 620 and 1130 only as long as I can stand it. Even when TMJ goes ‘news’ at 3:00pm it’s still slanted. Jon Mercure can’t have an interview with a Democrat or union rep without skewering them. Bring on a Republican or, god forbid, Walker and you can hear the slobbering. And this is supposed to be by a guy who’s an objective ‘reporter’? Even Belling doesn’t do that. And at least with Belling you know what you’re getting.
I have not listened to AM 620 since February. Could not handle the obvious bias in their news reporting. We need a liberal talk radio station here in Milwaukee in the worst way. I would be tuned in every day if there was one.
I think just checking out ratings throughout the country shows that it would be a success. In many same markets progressive talk beats right wing radio consistently. To think in a politically charged educated state like Wisconsin that there is only interest in right wing talk is ridiculous.
Absolutely. It would be hard work, but I imagine people can do it with enough work and determination.
I bet you Progressive Radio would have a place in Milwaukee or anywhere else in the country. After all, progressive radio would be appreciated in places everywhere. The only reason people accept Conservative radio is because it’s the only thing that’s offered to them. Nothing else to listen to, in that sense. Get a solid foundation and go for it.
ahem cough hack….clearing my throat and working on my radio voice as we speak.
Several major and medium radio markets have “progressive” talk radio stations that have significant audience numbers and local sponsorship. The nearest to the Milwaukee area is WCPT 820 AM, but its signal into Milwaukee is not as great as it used to be. Within the Chicago market, their coverage is augmented with 3 or 4 FM “translators” (low power FM, covering various suburban areas). Thus they cover Chicagoland well and appear to be successful. Stations that were affilliated with Air America (before the network went into bankruptcy and disappeared) also had significant listeners. Air America programming was successful (with personalities such as Ed Schultz, Rachael Madow, Ron Reagan, etc.), but their ineptness in management resulted in failure. Even without Air America, progressive radio continues in many markets carrying Ed Schultz, Sephanie Miller, and other talkers. Could it succeed in Milwaukee? It could, but what station management would invest in a “new” format in a market so fragmented with fractional shares? It would only be the second tier of stations that would seek out format change. It is more profitable for AM’s to broker out time to religious time buyers, or perhaps try another attempt at sports, etc. The FM’s seek only some segment of the 25-55 age group which supposedly only listens to “rock” and all its flavors.
I don’t normally comment, but I have to here.
I think a progressive local radio show would be a terrific idea, and I know just the group of guys to do it **wink, wink, nudge nudge**
If you put forth enough effort and passion, anything can happen.
I think it goes without saying I’d love to see a progressive radio format here in Milwaukee. Logically, it’d be relatively easy to implement, because there’s no shortage of good progressive content out there (Sly in the Morning, Ed Schultz, Stephanie Miller, etc.).
As I see it, the key is convincing a station with slumping ratings to take a chance on a new progressive talk radio format, but I think it’s definitely viable.
I also think it’s just a matter of finding the right station that’s fallen on hard times. It definitely has a place in a county that voted nearly 3-to-1 for Obama, and where a whole lot of people are sick and tired of TMJ/ISN’s complete lies. We have the good FM music indpendent alternatives (88.9, 89.9, 91.7), but none do talk like 92.1 in Madison.
1290 could be a place, though they have local programming that would have to be bumped. Maybe AM 920 would be a good candidate, who no one listens to anymore but did back in the day. Could also be a good place to give Sly a statewide forum, and maybe a local Milwaukee guy at another point in the PM, along with national people like Stephanie Miller and Ed Schultz.
The interest is out there, especially among people who AREN’T on Social Security and who have real jobs.
Is there any station that I could submit my show to? I was looking at the Milwaukee stations and almost all of the FM stations deal with music and the AM stations are either way right wing, sports, or Christian talk radio. I am looking to get the Progressive Voice out, but it’s hard to get people interested. Any ideas? Thanks!
There are some ideas being thrown around…..we should talk via email.
I think Thom Hartmann is the best of the bunch by far
Because “big” budget radio stations are corporate conglomerates with a right wing agenda. A progressive station would almost certainly have to be independent and ground up, or close to it.
Yes. Make it happen, ZW.
JCG, I wish it were as easy as me just making it happen, but unfortunately I’m not independently wealthy, so I can’t go out and buy a radio station to make it happen.
Weeeeaaaakkkkk! 😉
It’s not weak; it’s the unfortunate truth.
As I’ve said time and time again, I’m still looking for a wealthy benefactor to bankroll my fabulous ideas.
Hello,
Just be glad you do not live in Australia. We don’t even have any progressive radio personalities, let alone specialist progressive radio stations. All talk radio in this country – 100 per cent- is conservative – from centre right to ultra right. Even the national public broadcaster, which was once famously unbiased, was stacked by a previous conservative government with right wing operatives who have brought about a shift to the right in news and current affairs coverage.
Thank goodness for the internet which brings the likes of WCPT Chicagos Progressive Talk, Head On Radio Network with Bob Kincaid, Netroots Blue Skies and the heroic Mike Malloy within reach of my ears. If not for that I’d have lost the plot long ago. The content is a bit unfamiliar, coming from the other side of the planet, but the politics ticks all the boxes!
I know this thread has been dead for over a year, I found it with a desperate goggle search. But with all the energy in Wisconsin… all of the pent up political frustration… why is this thread dead? Day after day we are killed on Milwaukee’s airwaves. We still he waiting for Godot to run against Walker? Are we serious about changing hearts and minds or are we too busy planning to move? Years ago, I left for a job and then another and another… and Wisconsin is got worse not better. But at least I still contribute to progressive campaigns in Wisconsin, I still back the Pack, and I LOVE to vacation there. I don’t want to hear Tom Hartman vs. WTMJ… That’s not local. I want to hear John Nichols vs. Walker. If these unions are worth fighting for their leaders should also take to the air. Like the Ramones said, “We want the airwaves!”
James, I agree that we should take to the air, but the question is how we do that. While I’m certain there’s a market here for quality (and local) progressive talk, the sticky wicket is convincing an existing station to change its format.