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Name: the northern Michigan
media
Age: various
Occupation: supposed entertainers and informers of the north
Last Seen: Traverse City, Petoskey, et. al.
Bee-otched For: having its head up its ass
Age: various
Occupation: supposed entertainers and informers of the north
Last Seen: Traverse City, Petoskey, et. al.
Bee-otched For: having its head up its ass
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Last Friday as the world was shocked about the attacks in Paris, I decided to listen to a talk station out of northern Michigan to see what show they had on at 5 pm.
Apparently, WMKT 1270 out of Charlevoix's afternoon guy decided to focus on managing their sister stations in Cadillac, so they went with a syndicated show, Todd Schnitt out of Tampa, FL. He was talking about the tragedies out of Paris, and guess whom he pinned the blame on? Yup, President Obama.
He claimed that Obama is too light on Isis and basically swept them under the rug. REALLY?!? And guess who was responsible for Isis: DUBYA! He turned Iraq into a parking lot and a country with no guidance whatsoever.
But that's WMKT, a radio station that has never been over a one share in the ratings in a region where there's two other talk stations also with puny ratings: WYPV "Your Patriot Voice" 94.5 and WJML 1110/1210. True, there's WTCM 580, but they actually have good ratings, lead by Rush Limbaugh and local talker Ron Jolly. As for 'MKT, it doesn't shock me that their lineup is loaded with right-winged drivel. The station is owned by Trish MacDonald-Garber, whose father, the late Ken MacDonald practically gave her and her brother, Ken, Jr. (aka Mac), his entire broadcast empire.
In the early 1980s, MacDonald Broadcasting was a union shop. However, Ken decided one day that he wanted to bust them, so he did. I have a friend who worked at MacDonald Broadcasting HQ in Saginaw and was pissed over the disintegration of the union. He was living in a small apartment with a roommate while the Macs were living in a nice big mansion. He ended up moving to another market. As for Ken, he passed away in 1989, leaving the company to Trish and Mac. Of course, unions are supposed to be a cushion between employee and employer. Judging by the remarks I've heard about the two over the years, it explains why the doors of their company kept revolving. The only good thing I've heard is that Mac has retired and Trish is grooming her properties to be taken over by her sons.
Oh, and one of the stations she owns - and I kid you not - is called "Rush Radio" 1240 WATT in Cadillac. A woman owning a radio station devoted to a man who called a smart young woman a "slut". Nice.
It's sad that there's four talk stations up north and only WTCM is doing OK. Hell, WYPV even has a 'donate' button on their website. REALLY?!? It's a sign that things ain't doing too well at the Patriot Voice. Already, they've lost some local talkers - namely TV weatherman-turned-politician Greg MacMaster - and the only local show left is the one hosted by their owners in the midday.
The question is, where's Thom Hartmann? Stephanie Miller? Why so much angry old white man talk? Is it making money?
Also, why in the FUCKING HELL is Fox 32 still airing The 700 Club and Kenneth Copeland? Isn't Copeland under investigation for tax bullshit? The dude lives in a $6 million mansion and flies around in a $60 million jet plane all given to him by his ministry. Yet, The Jerry Springer Show - now on season #25 - is still homeless. It appears that none of the two big media giants owning northern Michigan's four big stations want anything to do with him. Folks, that's why I think the FCC needs to look into the two duopolies up north. However, media companies will always find ways to "own" more stations, i.e. buying a station just for the affiliation and branding rights and then moving it over to the .2 of the station they already own and then selling the gutted station for dirt cheap. Look at Rapid City, ND: Gray Television owns Fox KEVN-TV, but just recently bought ABC KOTA-TV as part of a mega deal with Schurz Communications. Gray can't own both, so chances are that Gray will keep KEVN, but KOTA will move to KEVN.2 while KOTA-TV itself is being sold for $1.
The point is, we own the airwaves, but lease them to companies. When a company decides to throw crap at our faces and ears, something's gotta change. I hope someday that broadcasters will listen to their fans and not people they like personally. True, in the world of broadcasting, there's not as much competition from a local standpoint, but factor in the internet, well, they should began to worry.
If Rush Limabaugh saved AM radio in the 1980s, who will save it now?
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