Austin’s Air America affiliate went off the air late last night (early this morning). The website for KOKE 1600-AM is also gone without explanation left behind.
The blog, Liberal Talk Radio, has a few details.
Thanks to “RFKin2008,” who also has more thoughts, for the heads up.
In the meantime, AM 1360 KLSD in San Diego hangs on by a thread. And, aside from Mike Gravel, not a single Democratic Presidential candidate, that we’re aware of, has said or done anything about the next likely casualty of media deregulation (Bill Clinton) and the abolishment of the Fairness Doctrine (Ronald Reagan), which will leave America’s sixth largest city without a progressive talk radio station during a Presidential Election year.
Disgraceful.
Wow, no comments on this?
I think this is sad. It’s like all the sheep are just moving in one direction. We really need to put our money where our mouth is. Boycott anything even remotely not supporting your cause.
I hope the situation changes soon.
One day there was static, the next day there was mexican music. Good grief, like we need another one of those stations! The bluest city in the state now has no liberal radio voice. A co-op station and we the people radio network have weak signals, only to be heard in small parts of town. The program was sometimes annoying, with hosts talking/yelling over callers, but still…it is a sad loss. There are some interesting comments on democratic underground about the radio business. The evildoers are winning! grrrrr…
The Austin Chronicle covers the surprise change:
The comments from Austin residents on the story give a pretty good clue to the pressures and circumstances that led to the switch to an all-Tejano music format. Technical issues, weak signal, no promotion or local programming (poor management), etc….
It was a right wing conspiracy to shut to the station..they snuck up behind (I’m guessing by way of Waco) and mugged it. Probably becuase they are saying things the Right don’t want you to hear!!!!
Nope…the station just fell down outside a pub while walking it’s dog.
Side Note: Congrats to Rush on the 2.1 million dollar bid on the smear letter.
Humor Disclaimer…..
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OMSmedia is Don Haas, youngest brother of former ROV of San Diego County: Mikel Haas. Don is an admitted hardcore republican and federalist. Please take his opinions with a grain of salt since he is a pilgrim in an unholy land.
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Dillinger,
I noticed it too, it’s awful quiet out there. When instead people should raise hell.
When Nancy Pelosi first became the House Speaker she had focus and energy and support of all Progressive Democrats. After the summer break the DLC took over and things have been pretty bad. The call for bi-partisanship can only leave a Republican fascist boot in our faces. This is what we’ll probably see more of if Hillary Clinton is elected. She IS the DLC.
Another DLCer, Harold Ford Jr., has recently called for a bi-partisan plan for Iraq, involving staying there for many more years to “protect our interests”.
Also, investigations show Clinton is receiving lots and lots of money from around the world, including the Iranian-American PAC. Yep, you heard that right — she now receives support from both Israeli Jews and Iranians! That, added to her support from Mr. Hsu (of Chinese descent I believe) and documented support from Pakistanis, should pretty well put our foreign policy in the hands of everyone but Americans.
Hillary’s Money
The voice of the American people isn’t being heard so clearly with these DLCers in charge.
If you want experience, as Hillary says she offers, you can support Senators Chris Dodd or Joe Biden. They have much more experience than Hillary offers.
If you want leadership, character and middle-American values support John Edwards.
reply to comment #3- “The comments from Austin residents on the story give a pretty good clue to the pressures and circumstances that led to the switch to an all-Tejano music format. Technical issues, weak signal, no promotion or local programming (poor management), etc….”
It wasn’t replaced by “an all-Tejano music format. The Austin Tejano Music Coalition has been fighting to get BMP to have at least one of their “Spanish” stations play some regional Tex-Mex conjunto/tejano music. And now Border Media Partners end up selling the progressive agenda station back to the previous owner who does away with it.
What can we do about this? Get active… become an activist for the things we care about. The corporatists will slowly take away our freedoms.
Letter to the editor of Austin Chronicle, submitted today…(I would add the hyperlink to the website mentioned, but duh, these darn computers are so complicated!)
re: No More Air America in Austin
It is outrageous that Austin loses the only liberal radio broadcast available. I surely do miss voices speaking truths that I can relate to. But it also occurs to me that “liberal media” is overrated.
Electronic election theft is a mainstream concern, but there is a media blackout on the topic in mainstream news. This is why we need the so-called “liberal media” outlets to cover this story with well informed voices.
Where are the ongoing stories about electronic vote fraud? Why are we still expected to vote using cyber-counts, instead of hand counted paper ballots, counted at the precinct level? Where is the outrage that elections are rigged? Where is the liberal media on this basic issue of democracy? I have to rely on the internet to stay up to speed on the issue.
Even the Austin Chronicle has refused to cover the publication of local activists who co-edited a book a year ago, HACKED! High Tech Election Theft in America: 11 Experts Expose the Truth!, by Vickie Karp and Abbe Waldman-DeLozier. Will the Chronicle please cover this important issue by featuring a story on this locally published book?
One of the best new radio programs on election integrity issues airs on We The People Radio Network, on “Vote Rescue Radio-Where Citizens Count, One Vote at a Time”, hosted by 2 well educated election integrity activists, Karen Renick and Vickie Karp. The program airs on Sunday afternoons 2-4pm. http://www.wtprn.com/listen.shtml
It can also be heard on the radio in the Austin area on 90.1, and can be heard on the phone at 512-485-9010.
It would be great for the Chronicle to have a regular feature on election news. There is much that goes on behind the scenes in our election system beyond the bad soap opera on issues and candidates.
California’s Secretary of State Debra Bowen conducted a “Top to Bottom” review of electronic election systems used in that state and promptly decertified their use. Even Austin’s Hart-Intercivic was decertified. Why is Travis county still using Hart election system when election experts have deemed it too risky? Where is the liberal media on our regularly stolen elections?
That is just as outrageous to me as losing Air America.
It wouldn’t have closed if people listed to it. This goes to show, that even in a liberal city like Austin, the Air America message doesn’t draw much of an audience.
In spite of what the Austin Chronicle said, I do think that Air America will be missed. It is news to me that Ed Schultz was one of the most popular radio hosts. I remember how upset listeners were when he replaced Randi Rhodes in the afternoon. As for liberal hosts complaining, with the Bush administration we have plenty to complain about and it seems nothing we do protests march petitions whatever seems to stop their abuse. In regards to KOKE they did have a pretty good web site, and they finally put Randi on live. Of courses they didn’t air Tom Hartman except on Saturday mornings and then would replace him with a garden show. I wasn’t happy with them tampering with the programming but I least they had some of it. I think a lot of listeners liked to listen to Air America programming when they were driving. And now that will be hard to do. I hope that as a listeners I can continue to get Air America and radio stations like Nova which also has progressive programming on the internet and I hope the internet neutrality act will not pass. I think on the whole anyway that Austin Radio sucks. The only stations I listen to now are KMFA and KUT. I am also reminded that Jim Hightower could not find a local radio station to carry his local program years ago and so it goes.