Progressive talk radio in south Florida has been taken over by "sports talk."

[immoderate]

WINZ 940 AM, which was one of the original Air America outlets, became a "Sports Animal" station on Friday. The station featured Thom Hartmann, Stephanie Miller, Mike Malloy, and Randi Rhodes (until her demise.) Now the slogan for that station is "Beer, Chicks, and Sports."

Of course, this is just one instance of the assault on progressive talk radio that has occurred all over the country, usually replacing them with (another) Christian station, or (another) sports talk station. But I haven't heard of any protest here in Broward County (Ft. Lauderdale) which is one of the most liberal counties in the US.

I wrote to station (for all the good that would do.)

To:[email protected]

Mr. Charles,

Your station was the leading (only) source of information and truth in south Florida. I will never listen to it again. You are part of the dumbing down of America. There is little hope for democracy with the total corruption of the media. I can't believe you really think there is a paucity of sports talk on the radio. I don't use the word much, but evil describes what you do.

XXX(immoderate)
Tamarac, FL

There is now no progressive media in south Florida (Miami to Palm Beach,) except Keith and Rachel on MSNBC. NPR is useless. Our newspapers, the Sun-Sentinal, and Miami Herald are, at best, middle of the road. This is very distressing to me. :cry:

--imm

[geomon666]

1. Like we don't have enough sports coverage here.

560, 790 and now 940 (which used to be sports years ago). There's only one "news" channel left, 610 ,the home of Rush and Hannity and the rest of the screaming monkeys.

[SeeHopeWin]

5. 640 and 1400 are also sports!

[immoderate]

17. One thing about sports interviews is...

...they are 100% predictable.

--imm

[KamaAina]

22. Make that "110% predictable".

as in, "Our guys went out there and gave 110 percent today." :eyes:

[immoderate]

25. "We take it one game at a time." and "It's a team effort." LOL

"We're facing a worthy opponent."

"We need to get our defense working."

(Sounds like the makings of a good Lounge thread.):rofl:

-imm

[Kickin_Donkey]

2. I hear ya ...

In Sacramento, our two progressive radio stations were replaced by ESPN radio and ... gospel. I bet they're getting loads of ad revenue off that gospel format. :eyes:

[proud2BlibKansan]

3. And we have always had only RW or sports talk here

You are lucky you had a progressive presence for at least awhile on your radio. Many of us live in markets where that will never happen and we have to pay for satellite radio to hear any progressive shows.

[SeeHopeWin]

4. I share your frsutrations! I am in Ft Lauderdale...This will be the 5th sports

station in the area.

Neil Rogers on QAM is our only hope now!

[ChiciB1]

43. Try Living On The West Coast!!! It's Really Hopeless... n/t

[Occam Bandage]

6. When people don't listen to radio stations, they get replaced.

Air America was a brave experiment, but as it turns out liberals don't care for the talk radio format. I'm glad that liberal voices like Maddow and Ed are finding success on MSNBC; it seems we do like to watch them for half an hour even if we don't care to listen to them rant for two hours.

[Botany]

12. That is just not true

In market after market where there was any kind of 1/2 decent signal
progressive talk more than held it's own and in many cases beat out
right wing radio by a wide margin.

In Columbus, OH w/ a poor signal WVKO had sponsors w/ republican
backgrounds buy air time because their rivals were doing so well
with their spots on a progressive station ...... We liberals are very
loyal to those who help us.

[Occam Bandage]

14. Whatever you'd like to think. nt

[Botany]

16. This is not what "I would like to think" this is what I know to be facts.

I know that when I was on the "Blue State Dinner" on WVKO and would
mention Sanfillipo and would the listeners please go and buy some
fruit there today they got more customers.

And please don't confuse air america w/ all progressive talk ....
air america was poorly run in many ways.

[Freddie Stubbs]

44. Did WINZ 940 AM have a 1/2 decent signal? Did it beat out right wing radio by a wide margin?

:shrug:

[immoderate]

21. You are wrong. WINZ ratings were good.

WINZ as progressive talk, topped all of the existing sports radio stations in the area. Now they will be the fifth sports station. They have no chance. Granted that FOX Sports programming will come cheap to them, but they will lag severely in the all sports competition.
http://my2bucks.wordpress.com/2009/03/27/progressive-radio-to-leave-south-florida/

--imm

[RandiFan1290]

23. WINZ also had a big audience in Palm Beach County

I don't think they register them into the Miami market ratings.
I could pick up WINZ in Jupiter/Hobe Sound.

[no_hypocrisy]

7. This appears to be a trend that started (to my knowledge) in 2001 in NYC

when progressive WEVD was sold by The Forward to the ABC Corporation which immediately changed the format to sports radio.

On this board, I've read several posts over the years with the same change of format: from progressive political to sports.

Before I thought it was a coincidence. Now I'm not as certain.

[Occam Bandage]

9. It's not a coincidence, and it's not a conspiracy.

Stations people don't listen to get replaced by stations people do listen to. People don't listen to progressive talk. People do listen to sports.

[immoderate]

13. Are you sure?

Granted that progressive talk doesn't attract huge audiences. I am not privy to the ratings, but I know that Thom and Randi outdid their conservative competition in some markets. Plus, the demographics may make up for pure numbers. Sports and music attract a lot of teenagers.

--imm

[Occam Bandage]

15. Some shows did fine, yeah, but they couldn't support entire stations.

The best AAR shows could outdraw the weakest RW shows, but when AAR stations were spending half their time just running infomercials, death wasn't far off.

[Webster Green]

24. It is a right wing conspiracy, and you are wrong.

It's not paranoia if they really are out to get you.

There's a lot of right wing money being spent to dominate the airwaves with their propaganda.

No doubt about it! :banghead:

[Brian01]

37. ratings

WINZ Liberal Talk ratings beat all five sports radio stations throughout South Florida: see http://www.stationratings.com/ratings.asp?market=429 & http://www.radioandrecords.com/rrratings/DetailsPage.aspx?MID=164&RY=2009&RQ=1&MP=2&OTHER=2&MN=Miami-Ft.%20Lauderdale-Hollywood&MS=FL&MR=12&12P=3559700&UP=4/2/2009&SU=CM&BPER=20.1&HPER=45.8&OPER=&NSD=4/30/2009&CE=0

[Botany]

8. this is a nationwide movement

AM radio and Fox is all they have left and the lies and smears pumped out by Rush, Beck, Bill Cunningham, and
others only work when they are in a vacuum so progressive radio is targeted by the right to be shut down.

In Columbus, OH we have had 2 progressive stations shut down one in 2006 and one in 2008 after
the republicans got their asses kicked in the elections. My own :tinfoilhat: on the matter is
that the right has billions that were skimmed off the war in Iraq to buy up and shut down progressive
talk.


http://www.ohiomajorityradio.com/listen/

a nice link to stream progressive talk.

[NightWatcher]

10. the only way I've EVER received progressive talk was via the web

[immoderate]

19. Too bad. Imagine driving home at night with Mike Malloy.

I'm going to miss that.

--imm

[moez]

11. It's pretty simple...

If they don't get supported by listeners, then they don't last....

[tammywammy]

18. Agreed n/t

[KharmaTrain]

20. Radio Is Desperate For Money...Any Money

Sports still brings in money from bars, beer companies, weenie hardening drugs, car dealers...a lot easier sell than political radio that many companies avoid. Or they're brokering or selling the air time for whatever they can get to whomever will buy...religious, infomercials, foreign language.

WINZ is a Cheap Channel station that has been consolidating and watering down their operations around the country...jumping from one format to another or caniabalizing their stations to squeeze what little money there is out of properties they overpaid for.

[TedKelly]

45. Apples and Oranges

You are comparing the ratings of two different formats. WIOD is billed as a N/T and WINZ was just talk. Listeners tune into WIOD for news regardless of their political affiliation. Especially Ind. or uninterested listeners.

I worked for WIOD's sister in Palm Beach WJNO and I never did a news story for WINZ ...only WIOD. See what I am saying?

[BigBluenoser]

26. Why does MSNBC have to run shows about prison life and entrapping child molesters

18 out of 24 hours a day or so.

To pay the bills I assume.

Different demographics get their information differently.

[immoderate]

27. That's their weekend filler.

I guess they could go for bowel-cleansing infomercials instead. Maybe the latest abs machine.

--imm

[BigBluenoser]

28. It seems to be on all the time every day...

But I only flip there when I do a breaking news run. I tend to watch TV after I read something about it on the internet. I will retract my question.

[Davis_X_Machina]

29. They function as another arm...

...of the Right-Wing Noise Machine. Jim Rome's 'sports' show on SNR, e.g., is probably 30% politics, and you can imagine which way that tilts.

[Initech]

30. Why am I suddenly reminded of Idiocracy?

[Raymond Budelman]

31. Sad, but not surprising . . .

We liberals are too distressed the current state of affairs to stop and listen to the radio. The nonexistence of liberal radio is not a problem unique to FL.

[butterfly77]

32. Sometimes I go down the AM dial and where they have removed..

certain programs over the years and I hear the same game football,basketball or whatever sport there is and it is on 3or4 stations at the same time.

[afelinefan]

33. Did anyone catch the INSULTING send-off?

The unspeakably "witty" Sports Animal had THE most
insulting send-off for Air America on Friday, too. Did anyone
else catch it? They had some crappy Rush impersonator mocking
the people who had listened to their station:  "Thom
Hartman, Stephanie Miller, et. al. have all run away like
Randi Rhodes"...etc, etc... ClearChannel IS the devil--I
totally get that. But why purposely insult and alienate
potential listeners? It was really, really disgusting. I wish
EVERYONE would get Sirius so we can screw ClearChannel and
hopefully put them under.  I know that's where I'LL be tuning
in for my progressive fix from now on! 

[immoderate]

34. Hi, welcome to DU!

They didn't publicize the changeover much. I only caught one announcement -- the really insulting one I quoted in my OP.

--imm

[MiniMe]

35. The progressive station in DC turned into a full time infomercial station

[AngryAmish]

36. Well, it is Masters week...

[leftofthedial]

38. Did you see the Yank-mes? P*wned by the frigging Orioles.

Sabathia is a fat turd who will have $72 "Cheap seats" at new Yank-me Stadium emptying faster than Tim Geithner's Treasury. LOL

[Brian01]

39. WINZ Lib Talk ratings beat sports radio in ALL of South Florida!

WINZ Liberal Talk ratings beat all five sports radio stations throughout South Florida: see http://www.stationratings.com/ratings.asp?market=429 & http://www.radioandrecords.com/rrratings/DetailsPage.aspx?MID=164&RY=2009&RQ=1&MP=2&OTHER=2&MN=Miami-Ft.%20Lauderdale-Hollywood&MS=FL&MR=12&12P=3559700&UP=4/2/2009&SU=CM&BPER=20.1&HPER=45.8&OPER=&NSD=4/30/2009&CE=0

[Brian01]

40. WINZ Lib Talk ratings beat all 5 sports radio stations throughout S FL

WINZ Liberal Talk ratings beat all five sports radio stations throughout South Florida: see http://www.stationratings.com/ratings.asp?market=429 & http://www.radioandrecords.com/rrratings/DetailsPage.aspx?MID=164&RY=2009&RQ=1&MP=2&OTHER=2&MN=Miami-Ft.%20Lauderdale-Hollywood&MS=FL&MR=12&12P=3559700&UP=4/2/2009&SU=CM&BPER=20.1&HPER=45.8&OPER=&NSD=4/30/2009&CE=0

[Awsi Dooger]

41. The Miami Herald announced this several weeks ago

In the Sports Media column of the sports section. The WINZ spokesman said they weren't generating enough revenue with the progressive format. I concede I haven't listened in months, as opposed to last year during the primaries when I had it on every day.

It reminds me of casinos in Las Vegas who want to be able to advertise they have a sportsbook but don't want to risk anything or pay plenty of employees. Consequently they allow a firm called Leroys to set up a satellite book in a little corner, with maybe one or two lowly paid employees on the premise during operating hours. That's essentially what WINZ has done. They don't even have a local sports talk host right now to compete with 560 and 790 and the others. In last week's Sports Media column the WINZ guy said they might add a local show in the future. In the meantime they are relying on name recognition of the ESPN hosts to trump the local chatter on other stations. Best of luck with that.

I mentioned the change to my dad last week and he was upset but said the same thing, that he hadn't listened in months.

[BeachBuckeye]

42. The Guy James Show

The Guy James Show is still on the internet at 3 eastern till 5. www.theguyjamesshow.com coming to you from the blue waters and sandy beaches of Fort Myers, Naples area Florida. I'm surrounded by the hard right here but I'm still putting out the truth every show. www.theguyjamesshow.com or www.whiterosesociety.org listen live

Best Regards,
Guy

[KharmaTrain]

46. The Sad State Of Corporate Radio

WINZ is owned by CheapClear Channel...a company that has seen its revenue plummet across the board along with its stock price and market caps. The company overspent for thousands of radio stations that are now bleeding red and a top-heavy corporate who thinks the answer is to "downscale" or consolidate more. It means finding the "least resisitance" in making a buck out of stations that have lost 75-90% of their values in the past two years. Not a pretty picture.

Talk radio is not very advertiser friendly. Most large corporations don't like to be associated with the controversy and radio's once strong local retail base has all but been Wal-Marted and Wall Streeted into oblivion. Thus stations constantly change formats to scamble for whatever money can be made. Sports is one such format as it seems that no matter how bad the economy is, there are guys who need their stiffies stiffened, run to the gambling boats, drink a lot of beer and eat at fast food joints. Bottom dollar, but it's a dollar.

With virtually all major radio signals owned by one corporate giant or another, it's difficult for a Progressive talk format to take hold as thse companies see no return on the investment.