Back in January, KCFR was going on and on about how they were going to move their NPR/etc. service back in the spring to the FM band -- which filled me with much glee. Then ..

... nothing. No more announcements. No commercials or boasts. Silence on the subject. I began to wonder if the deal fell through, or the FCC turned them down, or what.

A bit of digging, though, and it looks like the schedule is now July to shift from 1340 AM to 90.1 FM. Yay.

Filed under :: Fourth Estate :: Media
Link · Print · Edit · Comments (0) · Pings (0) · TR/G

 Rush Limbaugh is a big fat idiot.

Talk show host Rush Limbaugh is sparking controversy again after he made comments that appear to call for riots in Denver during the Democratic National Convention this summer.

He said the riots would ensure a Democrat is not elected as president, and his listeners have a responsibility to make sure it happens.

"Riots in Denver, the Democrat Convention would see to it that we don't elect Democrats," Limbaugh said during Wednesday's radio broadcast. He then went on to say that's the best thing that could happen to the country.

Yeah. Riots are better than ... I mean ... yeesh, words fail me.

Several callers called in to the radio show to denounce Limbaugh's comments, when he later stated, "I am not inspiring or inciting riots, I am dreaming of riots in Denver."

This is not your father's "I have a dream" speech.

Limbaugh said with massive riots in Denver, which he called part of "Operation Chaos," the people on the far left would look bad.

On behalf of Poul Anderson, who has an excellent book titled Operation Chaos, go suck an egg, Rush.

"There won't be riots at our convention," Limbaugh said of the Republican National Convention. "We don't riot. We don't burn our cars. We don't burn down our houses. We don't kill our children. We don't do half the things the American left does."

No ... you just dream about it ...

Filed under :: Elections 2008 :: Fourth Estate
Link · Print · Edit · Comments (1) · Pings (0) · TR/G

Interesting NY Times article about all those retired military serving as "media analysts" for the various networks, and the conflicts of interest that the networks ignore (or at least don't mention) when they bring them on the air.

The effort, which began with the buildup to the Iraq war and continues to this day, has sought to exploit ideological and military allegiances, and also a powerful financial dynamic: Most of the analysts have ties to military contractors vested in the very war policies they are asked to assess on air.

Those business relationships are hardly ever disclosed to the viewers, and sometimes not even to the networks themselves. But collectively, the men on the plane and several dozen other military analysts represent more than 150 military contractors either as lobbyists, senior executives, board members or consultants. The companies include defense heavyweights, but also scores of smaller companies, all part of a vast assemblage of contractors scrambling for hundreds of billions in military business generated by the administration’s war on terror. It is a furious competition, one in which inside information and easy access to senior officials are highly prized.

So hardly unbiased, objective, uninvolved observers of what's going on. But that financial interest has further ramifications.

Records and interviews show how the Bush administration has used its control over access and information in an effort to transform the analysts into a kind of media Trojan horse — an instrument intended to shape terrorism coverage from inside the major TV and radio networks.

Analysts have been wooed in hundreds of private briefings with senior military leaders, including officials with significant influence over contracting and budget matters, records show. They have been taken on tours of Iraq and given access to classified intelligence. They have been briefed by officials from the White House, State Department and Justice Department, including Mr. Cheney, Alberto R. Gonzales and Stephen J. Hadley.

In turn, members of this group have echoed administration talking points, sometimes even when they suspected the information was false or inflated. Some analysts acknowledge they suppressed doubts because they feared jeopardizing their access.

And the networks, interested in getting "scoops" and "trusted figures" to expound on the day's news, are more than happy to put these folks on the air, gliding along with their own "don't ask, don't tell" kind of attitude.

It's a long article, but worth reading.

Filed under :: Fourth Estate :: Geopolitical Brouhaha :: Politics & Law
Link · Print · Edit · Comments (0) · Pings (0) · TR/G

From the most insightful political commentators of this era.

Oh, and in case you missed it in the comments ... this.

Filed under :: Elections 2008 :: Fourth Estate :: Media - TV
Link · Print · Edit · Comments (0) · Pings (0) · TR/G

Because I am sick unto death of the Democratic nomination race. Or, more properly, the coverage of the race. If I read one more article about "Clinton is washed up" / "Clinton is surging back" / "Do or Die in Texas and Ohio," I'll scream.

Of course, from my various news feeds, the same stories are splattered in papers over there, too (at least in the UK). I almost want her to be knocked out of the race because I'm tired of reading how she's about to be knocked out of the race ...

(I do think it would be good for the party if it was settled tomorrow. But even if it's not, I am sorely fatigued of the echo chamber headlines ...)

Filed under :: Elections 2008 :: Fourth Estate
Link · Print · Edit · Comments (1) · Pings (0) · TR/G

A few years back, Colorado Public Radio, which has the main NPR station in our area, KCFR, split into two channels.  The old FM station was turned into classical music KVOD, and the NPR news station shifted over to the AM band.

Which, to be honest, is okay, because, y'know, it's just people talking.  Right?

That's the way I feel, until each time I travel to LA and listen to KPCC, and hear the amazing textures of the voices and sounds of the NPR news there.  Coming back and listening to it on AM makes me feel like I have a black and white TV for a while -- yeah, you can see it all, but it's just not as nice.

Recently, KCFR was playing around with HD Radio, so you could get the NPR channel on the FM side of things (with special equipment).  I actually pondered the idea (for about 30 seconds)..

Now, though, it sounds like they're buying another (normal) FM channel, and will be moving KCFR back over to FM.  Which makes me very happy -- almost enough to consider sending them money ...

Filed under :: Fourth Estate :: Media Moguls
Link · Print · Edit · Comments (8) · Pings (1) · TR/G

Filed under :: Fourth Estate
Link · Print · Edit · Comments (0) · Pings (0) · TR/G

Filed under :: Fourth Estate :: Potpourri
Link · Print · Edit · Comments (0) · Pings (0) · TR/G

Okay, you'd be hard-pressed to find someone who is less sports-interested than I am -- especially regarding baseball.  Yes, I will sometimes watch a sporting event on TV  ... if there's nothing else to watch, read, or do, and more for the novelty value than  anything else.

There is some tribalism in me, though, so I do vaguely follow the local sports teams, especially if they're doing something particularly interesting.  And if they get to the play-offs, then I'll grunt like my fellow tribe members.  And if they get to the big championship series ...

... well, yeah, it's kind of exciting, and I'm willing to indulge in a modicum of rah-rah, fly a flag, follow the box scores, demonize the Other Guys, that sort of thing.  I can do so with a clean conscience, knowing that next year I'll be back in my who-cares mode.  It was easier to be gung-ho back when our office was downtown, right along the route of post-Super-Bowl / post-Stanley-Cup victory parades, and with a sports store or kiosk on every corner.  But I'm sure there will be some opportunity for ritualistic banding-together.

I do have something of a fondness for the Rockies.  They came into being around the time I arrived here (the team's first season was in 1993, and Coors Field opened in 1995).  And I like the purple and black color scheme.  And, of course, they are Our Team.

And, yeah, there's some sort of visceral dislike of the Red Sox, though I couldn't say why.  Maybe because they seem like a Big Shiny Sports Franchise from Back East.  I was rooting for Cleveland, just because. 

So I hope the Rockies win, though I'm not going to try to buy tickets, or even go out of my way to watch any of the games.  It will allow me to thump my chest like all the other guys in the local tribe.  I'll razz the Boston fans, locally and elsewhere in the company when the subject (inevitably) comes up in conference calls.

But, y'know ... life goes on.  :-)

Filed under :: Fourth Estate :: Personal
Link · Print · Edit · Comments (11) · TR/G

It's been a long week -- busy times last weekend, travel and unusual surroundings during the week, along with all the activity crammed around the margins to keep normal work stuff going along.  Slept in late this morning, but still spent the day feeling somehow fatigued, unmotivated, and groggy.

Part of that's played out in general lack of postage here.  My apologies.

Watched some good TV last night, and tonight.  Otters arrived from Santa Fe.  Read a bit.  Played some good CoH with Margie.  Ate some very yummy pesto spinach pasta.

I'll probably try to do something a bit more productive tomorrow.  Maybe.  Then Monday is a half day of working, followed by a long afternoon/evening of doctor's appointment and flying.  Then a long and very-un-looked-forward-to series of meetings Tuesday.

Then, supposedly, back to normal Wednesday.

I had an opportunity for an interesting, even worthwhile, trip the following week as well.  I decided not to pursue it.  I need  a bit of normalcy and routine.

Filed under :: Blogging :: Fourth Estate :: Job Jollies :: Media :: Media - TV :: Travel
Link · Print · Edit · Comments (0) · Pings (0) · TR/G