1010 KXXT Phoenix AZ: Dead Air
At midnight MST Air America's Phoenix affiliate 1010 KXXT, shunted from Stephanie Miller's mix of humor and satire into a featureless Christian broadcast. Without so much as a "how-do- you-do" Phoenix's "liberal" voice vanished into the warm night air.
I had tuned in especially to witness the event--sort of like making the extra effort to to stay up late just to watch Haley's comet or Mars' close rotation to the Earth--an event that comes once every 60,000 years. Unlike a celestial event the switch from liberal talk to Christian tell was chilling. I felt the reach of clammy dogma for my brain. Instead of shutting down my brain I went online and started streaming...
Most Phoenician liberals are going to mourn KXXT. For better than a year a mix of syndicated national talk show hosts mingled with old local and newcomer talent alike. Day and night free-thinkers valley-wide had a respite from the conservative talk that normally blankets the valley. Issues near and dear to liberal hearts from actual coverage of the Bush administration's endless failures to the lifting up of our own values like social justice, peace and personal accountability, filled the waves. Drive-time home took on meaning. Hell, Randhi Rhodes got me through the 2004 elections without my killing a Republican!
I however, won't miss KXXT. Why? It wasn't a "liberal" radio station at all.
From what I understand only two of the local broadcasters were compensated appropriately (if at all). For the underpaid even expenses went uncovered. There were feeble, well, no investments in marketing and none in developing a long-term vision for the station. KXXT was run to show a profitt. In the end the station managed by a libertarian made millions for its Christian Republican owner, who then unceremoniously sold out and cashed in. Yea, some liberal there.
I think those who made out on the sale of KXXT owed we who invested their broadcast and loyal listening time better than a kick in the ass on their way out the door, but since that's all we got I say good riddance. Maybe next time Phoenician liberals will be smart enough to invest in themselves, for themselves, by themselves. Until then, I'll be getting my AA fix the 'old-fashioned' way: online streaming.
Oh, and don't despair Phoenicians. Those of us interested in alternative media are putting our heads together. We know you're out there and we believe we can step in and somehow give you the media and loyalty you earned: you are NOT forsaken.
[UPDATE 3-27-06] They're Ba-ack!
I had tuned in especially to witness the event--sort of like making the extra effort to to stay up late just to watch Haley's comet or Mars' close rotation to the Earth--an event that comes once every 60,000 years. Unlike a celestial event the switch from liberal talk to Christian tell was chilling. I felt the reach of clammy dogma for my brain. Instead of shutting down my brain I went online and started streaming...
Most Phoenician liberals are going to mourn KXXT. For better than a year a mix of syndicated national talk show hosts mingled with old local and newcomer talent alike. Day and night free-thinkers valley-wide had a respite from the conservative talk that normally blankets the valley. Issues near and dear to liberal hearts from actual coverage of the Bush administration's endless failures to the lifting up of our own values like social justice, peace and personal accountability, filled the waves. Drive-time home took on meaning. Hell, Randhi Rhodes got me through the 2004 elections without my killing a Republican!
I however, won't miss KXXT. Why? It wasn't a "liberal" radio station at all.
From what I understand only two of the local broadcasters were compensated appropriately (if at all). For the underpaid even expenses went uncovered. There were feeble, well, no investments in marketing and none in developing a long-term vision for the station. KXXT was run to show a profitt. In the end the station managed by a libertarian made millions for its Christian Republican owner, who then unceremoniously sold out and cashed in. Yea, some liberal there.
I think those who made out on the sale of KXXT owed we who invested their broadcast and loyal listening time better than a kick in the ass on their way out the door, but since that's all we got I say good riddance. Maybe next time Phoenician liberals will be smart enough to invest in themselves, for themselves, by themselves. Until then, I'll be getting my AA fix the 'old-fashioned' way: online streaming.
Oh, and don't despair Phoenicians. Those of us interested in alternative media are putting our heads together. We know you're out there and we believe we can step in and somehow give you the media and loyalty you earned: you are NOT forsaken.
[UPDATE 3-27-06] They're Ba-ack!
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