How To Get Your Own Radio Show

Posted on December 29, 2010 by Trish Nelson

How To Get Your Own Radio Show

BFIA posts today about recent developments in media. 

First, we would like to acknowledge the 5th anniversary of IBLTV's (Iowans for Better Local Television)  filing of a Petition to Deny License Renewal of Sinclair Broadcasting-owned KGAN-TV.  While the license was renewed (as far as we know), in the years since the filing, we have noticed a distinct increase in local news coverage by the station, as well as saying good-bye to Sinclair's non-local, corporate CEO, right-wing commentator, Mark Hyman of “The Point.”  So we'll take a victory.  For more info., you can check the BFIA archives or visit the IBLTV website.  The Iowa group's activities were also featured in Broadcasting & Cable. Check out TV Brouhaha in Iowa and Iowans Petition to Deny KGAN License Renewal

As regular readers know, this blog has been persistent, some say maniacal, about pushing the media reform message, but if you're a new reader, please check out our previous work on the subject.  We've posted links to a few samplings below.  For more articles, use key words “media reform,” “fairness doctrine,” “conservative radio,” “shock jocks” or “right wing talk radio” in the search box to the left. 

Right wing talk radio in Iowa is one of our pet peeves.  You'll be shocked when you learn the amount of brainwashing that is going on in Iowa through the publicly owned airwaves.  Let us know if you're interested in helping us correct this serious threat to a functioning democracy.  But we digress…Here are some media items of interest from the past week.

How to get your own radio show 

According to Citadel Broadcasting, this is how you do it:  (1) Make a lot of noise (2) put “tea party” in the title (3) have a lot to say about matters of the state (4) fit like a glove with Beck, Limbaugh, Hannity and Levine (5) be a failed uber-conservative candidate for public office.

 Talking Points Memo: 

“Tom Tancredo will no longer need to depend on the whims of Fox News schedulers for opportunities to spout off on immigrants and terrorism. The inflammatory former Republican Congressman, fresh off a surprisingly close loss as a third-party candidate in Colorado's gubernatorial race, is getting his own radio show: 'Tea Party Radio with Tom Tancredo.'

The show will premiere January 3 at 10 pm, and will air daily on Citadel Broadcasting's KVOR station in Colorado Springs, CO.

'Tom made a lot of noise in the gubernatorial race in Colorado,' Citadel Market Manager Mike Knar said in a statement announcing the show. 'He has a lot to say about matters of the state and his show fits like a glove with our award winning line up [Limbaugh, Hannity, Beck, Levine, that is..] on KVOR.'”


So everyone, start organizing now for your very own LPFM station in your town.

Not neutrality better than nothing?

While most (virtually everyone) on the left do not think the FCC protected the free and open internet with their recent rule proposal that they voted on right before Christmas, there are some nuanced opinions out there.  Commissioners Copps and Clyburn did their best to protect the public interest, and reluctantly voted for Genachowski's proposal, with Copps saying it was “better than doing nothing.”  You can watch the video to hear all of the commissioners' comments prior to their votes.  Click here to read the full FCC Net Neutrality Order

Marvin Ammori, a net neutrality expert and media law professor at University of Nebraska-Lincoln, explained the new net neutrality rules in user-friendly language on MSNBC's Countdown last week.  On his website Monday, he posted, How the FCC's Copps and Clyburn Strengthened the Open Internet Rules and linked to an opinion by Barbara van Schewick, professor at Standford and author of Internet Architecture and Innovation. Click here to read Professor van Schewick's Open Internet Rules Stronger Than You Think.

And here's an excerpt from her book:

“Many people have a pragmatic attitude toward technology: they don’t care how it works, they just want to use it. With regard to the Internet, this attitude is dangerous. As this book shows, different ways of structuring the Internet result in very different environments for its development, production, and use. If left to themselves, network providers will continue to change the internal structure of the Internet in ways that are good for them, but not necessarily for the rest of us — individual, organizational or corporate Internet users, application developers and content providers, and even those who do not use the Internet. If we want to protect the Internet’s usefulness, if we want to realize its full economic, social, cultural, and political potential, we need to understand the Internet’s structure and what will happen if that structure is changed.”  ~ Barbara van Schewick, Internet Architecture and Innovation


What phrase do WHO-Radio audiences most hate?  You may be surprised… or not.

Carolyn Jenison, Executive Director of OneIowa.org was a guest on WHO Radio yesterday during the slot that is normally Jan Mickelson's who is on vacation (I didn't catch the name of the sub-host).  The podcast does not appear to be on the WHO website yet, but Carolyn did a great job with a challenging audience.  To wit:  Whoever the  host was yesterday (please e-mail us if you have the name), here is what he said about WHO listeners.  “People in this audience hate the phrase open-minded..”   If it wasn't so sad, it would be funny, like satire.

It's the ownership, stupid…

Our filibustering hero, Bernie Sanders, last week had harsh words for FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski's recent proposal approving Comcast's takeover of NBC Universal. 

“…FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski has circulated an order that would allow Comcast, the country's largest cable and Internet provider, to merge with NBC Universal, one of the country's largest media conglomerates.

“If approved, this new media giant will be the largest cable provider, the largest Internet provider, and one of the largest producers of content in the United States.  At a time when a small number of giant media corporations already control what the American people see, hear, and read, we do not need another media conglomerate with control over the production and distribution of media content.  What we need is less concentration of ownership, more diversity, more local ownership-and more viewpoints.

“By law, the FCC may only sign off on the merger if it determines that it serves ‘the public interest, convenience, and necessity.' Far from meeting the public interest standard, Comcast's takeover of NBCU would create a monolithic media superpower and cause irreparable damage to the U.S. media landscape and society as a whole…. Despite the public interest standard, Chairman Genachowski appears to be charging ahead, pressuring his fellow commissioners to approve this deal.

Once we allow companies to become this powerful, the FCC does not regulate them.  They regulate the FCC.  

Time is running out to stop this deal.  I hope the American people will take notice and stand with me to demand that the FCC change course, vote down the order, and reverse the disturbing trend of media consolidation.”

You may think it is already too late to put the genie back in the bottle, but things can always get worse, so if you can, please write the commissioners and be sure and use the talking point, “public interest.” 

Chairman Julius Genachowski: Julius.Genachowski@fcc.gov
Commissioner Michael J. Copps: Michael.Copps@fcc.gov
Commissioner Robert McDowell: Robert.McDowell@fcc.gov
Commissioner Mignon Clyburn: Mignon.Clyburn@fcc.gov
Commissioner Meredith Attwell Baker: Meredith.Baker@fcc.gov

Previous media reform posts on Blog for Iowa

Is Conservative Talk Being Rammed Down Iowans' Throats?
BFIA & Fallon Forum Take On Right Wing Talk Radio In Iowa
Conservative Talk Radio in Iowa – How Much Is Too Much?
Are Iowans Being Brainwashed By Fox News?
Iowa
in the Age of Consolidated Media
Getting
Our Message Out: Fighting Fire with FM (and Net Neutrality)
The
Great Surprise – The Telecommunications Act of 1996
The
Plane Facts About Media: What I Learned While in Flight
A
Brief History of Media Consolidation
Observations
on the Media in Iowa
GOP Has Reason To Fear Fairness Doctrine
Conservative Pundits Fear Return of Fairness Doctrine
Help Restore Balance on the Public Airwaves – Bring Back the Fairness Doctrine
GOP Tries To Censor Free Speech While Pretending They Are For It
Harkin v. King on The Fairness Doctrine
FCC Nominees to Consider Ownership, Diversity; Say No To Fairness Doctrine
'Shock Jocks' on the Radio Airwaves in Iowa
A Step In The Correct Direction For Talk Radio In Iowa

Other:

Who owns your local radio station?

Iowa Broadcasters Association
http://www.iowabroadcasters.com/resource/ibadir10.pdf

The Public and Broadcasting: How to Get the Most Service from Your Local Station
http://www.fcc.gov/mb/audio/decdoc/public_and_broadcasting.html

The Structural Imbalance of Political Talk Radio
http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2007/06/talk_radio.html

Study:  Localism Key to Correcting Conservative Talk Radio Imbalance
http://www.blogforiowa.com/blog/_archives/2009/2/23/4101530.html

Pew Research on Health Care Reform Validates Need for Media Reform
http://www.blogforiowa.com/blog/_archives/2010/6/28/4564588.html

Powell Memo
http://reclaimdemocracy.org/corporate_accountability/powell_memo_lewis.html

MUST READ:  Grassley letter to Genachowski on the Fairness Doctrine
http://grassley.senate.gov/upload/Letter-to-FCC-Chairman.pdf

Prometheus Radio Project
http://prometheusradio.org/


This entry was posted in Iowans for Better Local TV, Main Page, Media Reform. Bookmark the permalink.