| I have to take a break from Progressive Radio. After Lee Rayburn's local broadcast in the mornings, I turn to NPR. If I am still at home, I much prefer to listen to classical music these days. News out of Washington D.C. is worse each day. News from New Orleans is heartbreaking, and news from Iraq-- well, it remains incomprehensible. I would rather research the news on the Internet at Counterpunch, Common- dreams, or Democracy Now. I read the articles while I am riding the bus, among the chatter people on cellphones, and then the chaos of voices, similar to the classical music at home, provide some contextual background. I can't afford to go numb from reading the news. On the other hand, I have three radios at home -- or 2.5 if you count the CD player with its radio. So I would like to use one of them for news. Madison's local news stations are for children who shouldn't be introduced to the death and destruction in New Orleans and in Iraq or be subjected to the latest Republican sex scandal or King George's war-is-going-well speeches. Brett Farve 24-7, spring, summer, fall, and winter is good news. I am sure this is heresy for some. What happens when he retires? I am happy to hear Mike Malloy early in the evenings now. He is not afraid to confront the news from Washington, D.C, New Orleans, Iraq — or that little town of Jena, Louisiana. I will return to that in a moment. I signed the petition to return progressive radio back to Madison, but recently I am disappointed with some of the national hosts of Air America or Mother Jones radio. I started to feel this way the night I expected to hear Mark Riley, now a former Air America host. Riley, along with Randi Rhodes, was one of the original Air American hosts. In May 2007, Riley left his early morning broadcast to host the Air Americans that aired in the evenings here in Madison. I was happy about that too. Riley commented on the news from his perspective as a Black man living in the U.S. Other than Riley, the only other Black hosts we hear in Madison from the progressive radio are Jesse Jackson on Sunday mornings and Chuck D, Sunday evenings. Rarely do the national hosts interview a Black guest. Worse, they tend to cover the same ground everyday, that is, pose the same question: Why did Bush go into Iraq and rant and rave about that for hours. Or they rant and rave about the quality of progressive news in contrast to Fox News, in between interviews with Democratic politicians. These hosts, Fox News, and the Democratic politician guests stay clear away from ranting and raving about the injustice of the Jena 6 or the near travesty that would have been committed by the state of Texas last week against Kenneth Foster. If there's guest, usually a White guest, selected to discuss issues surrounding Jena 6, Kenneth Foster, or the blackout of New Orleans, he or she speaks with a detachment that is numbing. Cold. Icy cold! Michael Vick, Michael Vick -- News and progressive talk show host ranted and raved about Vick. People barely noticed Karl Rove sneaking out the back door of the White House, barely heard about the ranting and raving of easy news the announcement that Tony Snow and Gonzales would follow soon. People are quitting the White House by the droves and people are dying in Iraq by the hundreds. Black victims of Katrina marked the second anniversary of the hurricane wondering what country are they living in! I would have liked to hear Riley's discussion on these retiring-to-family folks from the King's court, and the struggle of Blacks in the Ninth Ward and those in exile wanting and waiting to return home. White teens hanging a noose under a tree as a symbolic gesture of "welcome" to Black teens, fellow students at a high school, does not stir outrage from the progressive community, from the whole country at once! Kenneth Foster, on Death Row for not killing anyone is bad enough. But Kenneth Foster set for execution and saved by an 11th hour stay says that the rotting away of the American collective heart is a done deal. Thanks to Jena residents and others elsewhere who refused to go numb, the way of American these days. Thanks for appeals to the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles on behalf of Kenneth Foster from the attentive and warm hearts of Americans, Bishop Desmond Tutu, and Former President Jimmy Carter. Progressive radio hosts ducked serious discussion on these cases. Maybe they feared losing sponsors and listeners if they appeared too pro-Black. Thanks to the ever fear-less Amy Goodman, Democracy Now! Otherwise, these days, being pro-Black is not good, particularly for progressive |
| Voices/Dr. Jean Daniels Progressive Radio? |
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