09-28-2024, 05:06 AM
(09-28-2024, 03:42 AM)Maxmars Wrote: It occurs to me that given your assessment that he can't just have the stations change their political support framework; and also assuming that they were offering a voice to conservativism in the first place... that conservative voice could still become muted or even silenced.
But it is kind of presumptuous of me to make assumptions... perhaps this is just a financial scheme that doesn't pertain to furthering an ideological agenda...
Well, maybe it isn't... but I'm still apprehensive about it. 200 radio stations that theoretically reach over a hundred million listeners is a lot of 'voice' to play around with.
I can't really attest to how this will play out... but it does strike me as worth paying attention to when the FCC (and all her political appointees) just appear to have bent over backwards to make it happen so "quickly."
Perhaps "bent over backwards" and "quickly" are the wrong words... "laid down," and "suddenly," seem more harmonious with what they appear to have done.
I hope you find your license... we need voices like yours out there (or maybe you don't need one anymore, I don't know.)
Max, my reply was not intended to be contrary to your OP, but rather complimentary. This, in the context of similar reports circulating recently and being hyped up into doom porn. I was merely trying to put some balance into the reality of what will likely happen should such a buyout take place.
No doubt it is a disturbing development regardless of what side of the political fence one sits on. Having large segments of the media controlled by one political ideology is never a good thing. Balance in the media, either through objective journalism (which is laughable today), or just sheer raw competition, is critically important. People need to be able to hear all sides of the political and ideological spectrum, and then be given the freedom to make their own decisions about which ones they feel are right for them and their futures. This is increasingly not the case today, and the Soros backed buyout of so much of the radio spectrum is very concerning indeed.
As for me, I've often thought about getting back into the business in some capacity. Much has changed since my days though, and there have been many improvements. Even the talent has improved considerably. Not too worried about finding the old paper copies of my license, if it was still valid then it would be recorded with the FCC and a simple phone call would confirm this. I could probably even look it up online now if I was really motivated, but alas I am old now. Remember the movie classic 'American Graffiti', where Richard Dreyfus makes his way to the radio station in the desert while trying to locate the beautiful blonde he saw earlier? He encounters a person who alleges to be just an employee (in reality the radio personality, Wolfman Jack). Well, that lone guy operating the radio station all alone late at night was me once. It wasn't the 50's, rather the late 70's, but it looked much the same. In fact, I remember watching the movie and laughing at how it was almost a mirror image. The radio call sign was different (1360 AM KRKK, "K-Rock" in my case), but the gravel parking lot, the nondescript white studio building, and the lone streetlight in the middle of nowhere was identical. But I digress (memory lane! LOL!)
Regarding 'voices', I look around me today and see the plethora of different media sources people are exposed to these days and I wonder if one voice really ever gets heard. This is probably my biggest apprehension. It takes a lot of time and effort to put together a coherent and quality program day after day. With the tidal wave of different choices today, what with the internet, XM, social media, radio, television, cable, and so many others, I'm not sure it would be worth it. Regardless, there is something to be said for balance in media, and I feel this is both critically important as well as sorely missing today.
Maybe next time.
