KNUV/On Second Thought's doors have been padlocked...

[clbuck]

Uh oh...

http://blogs.phoenixnewtimes.com/bastard/2009/03/nova_ms_successor_on_second_th.php

The Curse of Randi Rhodes: Nova M's Successor "On Second Thought" Padlocked in Phoenix

By Stephen Lemons in Feathered Bastard

I'd been tipped off that KNUV 1190 AM, formerly the flagship station of the liberal Nova M radio network, and briefly, the home of Nova M's successor network, On Second Thought, had been padlocked. So I had to see for myself, as On Second Thought's driving force, Mike Newcomb, was apparently doing his afternoon show today as usual. At least, that's the way it sounded to someone who's not a regular listener of Newcomb's show.



But as you can see from the photo above, 1190 AM's offices are indeed chained up. The security guard for the building told me that the padlocking occurred today. When I asked why, he shrugged and said, "Something to do with the rent."

(snip)

So why is 1190 AM still broadcasting as of 9 PM Monday? According Sean Ryan, a producer at the station and briefly a GM at the station until he parted ways with the Drobnys in February, 1190 AM is currently on auto-pilot, playing "best ofs" until it ultimately goes dark.

Great, how is Mike Malloy going to broadcast tonight (last night, he was off because of a snowstorm in Atlanta)?

[NightWatcher]

1. but Malloy says he's gonna keep going on Nova/2nd Thought/whatever

I dont really see how he can do it. Last night-snow, what will it be tonight?

[rurallib]

2. I think I am streaming NovaM on KNUV right now?

I am listening to Stephanie Miller and the irrepressible Dewey Hopper is doing the news. WTF?

[Towlie]

4. Stephanie Miller comes from The Jones Radio Network.

[librechik]

3. Oh fer gawd's sake. Can we get ONE liberal media outlet that's financially stable?

I'm not giving 2 cents for AirAmerica's chances either. Can't any investors look at Obama's win and see there's an enormous market here?
The Republican Mass media has been unwatchable--and they're preparing to destroy our president. COME ON!!!

[Towlie]

6. No, AM radio is NOT the appropriate medium for a liberal talk show.

It's a matter of "location, location, location". AM radio is like a street full of adult book stores and pawn shops. It's just not the right neighborhood.

[librechik]

7. It works for Rush.

and of course we deserve better. We have to confront hate radio on it's own turf and demonstrate that Americans won't listen to Rush if there's ANY nonevangelical alternative. They're deliberately keeping us off the strong signals. it's war and the Dems are pretending it just isn't happening.

[Towlie]

8. Of course it works for Rush! He's the metaphorical equivalent of an adult bookstore.

[librechik]

9. liberalls are entertaining and naughty too! george carlin, Smothers Brothers, M.

and nowadays Jon Stewart, Colbert, Cho, on and on--Bill Moyers, Olbermann---

you can't be serious about that!

All that happened is that starting back in the late 80s a quiet blacklist operation started gradually removing liberal content and replacing it with conservative. We've been had. And they are making millions off our apathy. We Let It Happen On Purpose.

[SoCalDem]

11. The problem is this..

Clear Channel is right wing, MOST of the "corporate family" of the Cannibal-Capitalist System is right wing, so of course they see to it that their propaganda machine is fully maintained, well-lubricated (with cash), and staffed with a complete "stable" of talent..

"Liberal, left-leaning media has no such backing, and since a lot of what WE stand for is anathema to the "biddness-bullies", they can just withhold financial backing and/or advertising, which is still the lifeblood of media..

People need to be paid.. they will not/cannot work for free .

The left does not have a "pure" message like the right has. We always TRY to gain consensus, and that's not a message that translates to talk-radio all that well, apparently.

A brief look at a few of the causes we espouse, shows the difficulty:

immigration
women's rights
election reform
union accessibility
fair pay
choice
gay rights

"Shows" built around any of these issues would be hard to build a big enough audience to make much of a difference, and we do not have the deep pockets of the right, to keep them on the air.

Sometime back, the left apparently decided that OUR shows must be comedic, light-hearted, and vastly entertaining, so the hosts chosen to represent us, have often been comedians, musicians, and bon vivants of the entertainment world. To many, they are seen as lightweights, just out to get a laugh, or to promote their latest gigs somewhere.

The others who have been on-air personalities, have often been so MIDDLE-ish, that they attracted or inspired such small niche followings, that they never lasted long,.

A long series of "failures" is not particularly attractive to investors. Our "investors" have often been more like "patrons", than true investors, so once they get their noses out of joint, they bail, or they decided to treat the venue as their own private soapbox (the Greens), and then tired of it, and bailed out.

Republicans have a more "defined" message. Money is king, regulation of business is evil, democrats/liberals/progressives are responsible for every bad thing that ever happened, tax-cuts can solve every problem, and Jesus is Double-Plus-Triple-A-Good . The "hosts" of right wing radio do not have to adhere to these tenets themselves, but they DO have to pretend to, so their less-than-intelligent listeners will keep listening.

Their bargain with their listeners is this:

Tune in every day and we'll bash the people you hate, and we'll validate your prejudices. Not sure whom you should hate?..tune in and we'll tell you.

[Sebastian Doyle]

14. Clear Channel IS a right wing company (literally founded with Bush Crime Family money)

Yet paradoxically Thom Hartmann's show originates from KPOJ in Portland, which is a Clear Channel affiliate. It was also the first Air America affiliate on the West Coast. Green 960 in San Francisco is also a Clear Channel station.

So while there's no doubt that the corporation itself is made up of right wingers, it's also a fact that right wingers are greedy bastards. So when they have radio stations that make money, they're more inclined to keep the format.

AM 1090 in Seattle is a CBS Radio affiliate, which already went through several format changes in the past, so same principle applies. If it's making money, that trumps politics.

Obviously this is easier in Portland or SF than it would be in Alabama or Nebraska, but if you have a station in your market, support it. And if you don't, lobby the management of a station with a weak format (and better yet, weak ratings) until they change.

[MikeNearMcChord]

5. Dial Global just got Thom Hartmann

Ed Schultz and Stephanie Miller are part of that group also.
Here is part of the story.
http://www.opednews.com/articles/2/Thom-Hartmann-Leaves-Air-A-by-Rob-Kall-090302-67.html

[Sebastian Doyle]

12. Good news is that Dial Global (formerly Jones) seems to be solid

Bad news is that it's NOT a "Liberal Network" by design. They also syndicate right wing shows. I wouldn't be surprised if Randi Rhodes isn't trying to cut a deal with them though. The fact that she and Ed Schultz hugged in front of the cameras a couple months back might lead someone to believe there was something behind that, other than "hey, our guy got in to the White House, let's kiss and make up". Like maybe Randi trying to cut a deal with Ed's employers?

Now Mike Malloy being on the same network with Schultz??? That's another story entirely. Or with Neil Boortz, also syndicated by Dial Global. Malloy hasn't exactly made it a secret what he thinks of Boortz.

[clbuck]

10. Update

As of 7:53 AM 1190 AM is still on the air, with Stephanie Miller's syndicated show being piped in. Apparently the station is being controlled via remote access. I'll try to get down to the station sometime today to see if they picked the lock or paid the rent.

[KharmaTrain]

13. The Credit Crunch in Action...

To make a radio operation work, stations need a flow of cash and/or credit to survive...especially a small operation. Most operations rely on advertising that takes 60 to 90 days after you hear it on your radio for the money to be collected...and some agencies are now stretching out those payments to 120 days and beyond. And that's taking into consideration you have a sales department that is able to sell considering the low status of AM radio and the overall economy.

In the best of times these operations were able to skate by...getting a big check or floating a new loan or getting an infusing of cash to keep the wolves at bay. That's no longer an option. And what you're seeing happen here is also occuring to the right wing hate stations. They're just a bigger tree to fall, but fall it will. Radio stations are now virtually worthless and it soon will be cheaper to just cut the power and go home. Think of it like real estate...this is the first step of a station foreclosure.

Hopefully Mike and others can find their way into streaming audio and staying active. I've long advocated using this medium as an alternative to conventional broadcasting...and as a way to retake what's left of the broadcast airwaves after the current system implodes. Radio could be the next "netroots"...people powered and self sustaining.

[Cleita]

15. It seems like this company is a prime small business candidate to get some of that

stimulus money that Congress just hocked our grandchildren for last week.