Will this do?
Posted on 11/28/2016 9:58:08 AM PST by bigbob
Madison-area progressive radio takes another hit. John "Sly" Sylvester’s daily call-in program has been booted from 93.7 WEKZ-FM.
Sylvester, a longtime liberal commentator, announced on his Facebook page that he learned of the change Friday. WEKZ is part of the southern Wisconsin/northern Illinois Big Radio regional chain of eight stations, based in Monroe. He will remain a DJ for the station.
The change comes at a bad time for Madison listeners of liberal radio. On Nov. 9, 92.1 The Mic, WXXM-FM, dropped its progressive talk format and replaced it with Christmas music.
“The last two years I've been pulling double duty for Big Radio,” Sylvester wrote on Nov. 13. “In addition to my talk program, I've been hosting the morning show on sister station 105.9 The Hog [WWHG-FM, “Everything that Rocks,” based in Janesville]. Big Radio felt that in order for me to continue long-term with the company, it was best to make this change.”
Sylvester declined to comment to Isthmus about the change. Scott Thompson, owner of Big Radio, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. A station official says that Sylvester’s show will return to WEKZ-FM next week, but as a music program.
“So Trump triumphs, and progressive radio gets unplugged on 92.1, and Sly gets canned? That doesn’t make any sense at all,” says Matt Rothschild, executive director of the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign, formerly editor and publisher of The Progressive magazine. He had been a guest on Sylvester’s program many times, as recently as Election Day.
“We need progressive voices on the airwaves now more than ever,” says Rothschild. “And there’s a real hunger for them, too. But the corporate media owners are reducing our outlets, making it more difficult for us to reach a mass audience.”
“I’m shocked to hear about Sly,” says Mitch Henck, a veteran Madison broadcaster whose program aired on The Mic until last week. The station is one of several owned by iHeartMedia, which also owns Madison’s WIBA-AM and FM, WTSO-AM, WMAD-FM and WZEE-FM (Z-104). Henck and Sylvester had previously worked together, and Sly was a frequent guest on Henck’s program.
Sylvester’s program aired from 3 to 6:30 p.m. on WEKZ since early 2013. Before that, it ran for 15 years on talk radio 1670 WTDY-AM (now WOZN sports radio, “The Zone,” owned by Mid-West Family Broadcasting). In November 2012 that station laid off its entire news and talk staff and temporarily replaced it with Christmas music.
Isthmus contributor Stu Levitan’s Books and Beats program is another casualty of The Mic’s format change, but he says he’s in discussion with management about a possible new program for the station. Levitan’s history segments continue on WORT-FM news, and as podcasts.
Does progressive radio have a future in Madison?
“It is hard to sell advertising on a lefty talk station,” says Henck. “NPR attracts millions of listeners every week. It is hard for more militant lefties to compete with that. It is rapidly becoming a podcast world. That is now my world.”
His podcast show can be found at mitchhenck.com. In his announcement, Sylvester said that he will continue to produce interview segments with progressive leaders, at slysoffice.com.
SLY RADIO MEDIA THE MIC 92.1 FM - See more at: http://isthmus.com/news/news/sly-loses-his-talk-show/#sthash.rOws6qiE.dpuf
Those outside the WI area may recall this lump had 15 seconds of fame after he showed his true colors by referring to Condoleeze Rice as "Aunt Jemima" on the air.
And those who understand the economics of commercial broadcasting are not surprised, nor do they think we need prog talk more than ever. The people have spoken otherwise.
YAWN....who cares?
“He will remain a DJ for the station”
...spinnin’ the hits with liberal talking points throughout.
It would appear there weren't enough of those.
never heard of him
Let’s not forget that huge lefty talk network, Air America.
Oh, wait...
Whatever happened to Air America, the liberal national talk radio network?? They were so sure that there was this great yearning for liberal talk radio. In a nation of diverse opinions, why does liberal talk radio struggle so much? Just because of competition from NPR? NPR has one station in many major cities. Whereas many cities have several conservative oriented talk stations. NPR stations tend to have microscopic ratings in radio ratings such as Arbitron.
Clearly leftists just don’t listen to liberal oriented talk in big numbers. For as much as they bitch about Rush Limbaugh and Hannity and others, why don’t they support their own???
“....WXXM-FM, dropped its progressive talk format and replaced it with Christmas music.”
Where’s the ha-ha-ha guy?
Actually BIG RADIO covers a large area. Most of the listeners are conservative.
Lib shows just don’t last long.
They’re frauds trying to spew false information to low-information voters.
If you can’t draw an audience you cannot attract sponsors.
He should sue NPR and PBS. all of those corporate sponsorships and foundation contributions, and 'money that comes from viewers like you' should be prorated and paid to Sly to keep his show going.
True, and Scott Thompson the owner has a good understanding of his market, despite the fact that parts of it are pretty blue, owing to being Madison bedroom communities. But he knows how to make money, and liberal talk that pisses off more than half of his potential audience ain’t it.
[liberal talk that pisses off more than half of his potential audience ain’t it.]
Let Sly go to PBS. Madison LOVES PBS.
There you go. He and Feingold are great pals, so at least that option is off the table.
I had not thought of Lefty Talk Radio competing with NPR before but it makes sense.
Back in my twenties I listened to NPR because I couldn’t stand the commercials on regular talk radio. But I eventually got fed up with the Left Wing slant of NPR.
But this makes sense. Why listen to commercial Lefty talk radio with nearly half of your listening time shot dead with commercials when you have government subsidized Lefty talk radio with far fewer commercials?
Plus NPR is available in most market, is primarily on FM which is high quality sound and is even on XM satellite radio.
By the way XM has Leftist talk radio. I very rarely put it on but that is also competing with terrestrial Lefty talk radio.
But NPR is not competition for Conservative talk radio.
I think Lefty talk jocks are at a slight disadvantage because of NPR but I think they should be doing better than they are on terrestrial radio unless for some reason Leftist in this country simply do not listen to talk radio for some unknown reason.
Personally I find it irritating and their argument juvenile.
I think many prefer the snooty, intellectual, arrogant style of NPR over the street fighter types like Sly who come across as left-wing versions of Hannity.
Plus they feel good when they make those BIG pledges to NPR stations (and deduct them from their taxes!).
I listen to some music programs on NPR, enjoying the fact that it has been paid for by liberals.
ahahahah - The Trump effect -
Trump is discarding PC - and is championing CHRISTMAS over "Holidays" - again.
We're taking our country BACK.
Wait until he's actually sitting in the Oval office
He has recognized US = WE the People now feel empowered and will stand up and TAKE THIS COUNTRY BACK - -
Hope first day, Trump issues arrest warrant on Soros - THEN watch the rats scurry for cover!
I don’t know if she is still on NPR (she was old when I was listening twenty years ago) but Diane Rehm drove me away from NPR.
Will this do?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.