WXXM
Encyclopedia
WXXM is a radio station
owned and operated by Clear Channel Communications
and serving the Madison, Wisconsin
metropolitan area. The station airs a progressive talk format, and is noted for surviving a planned 2007 format change from that format to all-sports radio
after an organized outpouring of support from its listeners and advertisers. WXXM also airs the "Pride Radio"
LGBT
-oriented format on its HD Radio
subchannel (92.1-HD2).
music. The station had decent ratings, though they were handicapped by a lower-powered signal that did not saturate the market like many of the other local FM stations. (The station's current signal strength is concentrated on Madison's North and East sides, as well as the station's city of license
, Sun Prairie
.http://www.recnet.com/cdbs/goo_curves.php?data=43.169|89.261|3.7|125|60|0|221|0|1)]
Feeling that ratings could be better, Clear Channel
dropped WMAD's alternative rock format on October 28, 2002, becoming "Mix 92.1" and airing a modern rock-based Hot AC format. Listener outcry over this switch was so strong that on December 31, 2003 Clear Channel turned their struggling smooth jazz
station at 96.3 FM into the new "Mad Radio", adding the WMAD call letters and an alternative rock
format, while 92.1 adopted the WXXM call letters. (The new "Mad Radio" at 96.3 would be replaced by country music
on December 23, 2005, though it would resurface again in 2007 on WIBA-FM's
HD Radio
subchannel.)
"Mix 92.1" was a failure, as they could not compete with similarly-formatted stations in the market and its ratings were lower than that of the previous alternative format. During the week before Labor Day 2004, WXXM went jockless with announcements on the end of Mix 92.1 and the launch of the progressive talk format, directing current "Mix" listeners to sister CHR WZEE ("Z104")
.
"Steal My Sunshine
" finished playing), "Mix 92.1" was no more. After several hours of stunting with left-wing comedy bits, "The Mic 92.1" launched at 11:00 that morning with a CNN Radio hourly news update and Air America's
"The Al Franken
Show." Clear Channel had been experiencing success in other markets with progressive talk, and local management figured that the format would be ideal for the strongly liberal
Madison market. Hence, "The Mic 92.1" was born.
"The Mic 92.1" would rely heavily on Air America Radio
programming during its early months, though schedule adjustments would eventually be made, including acquisitions of programs from non-AAR distributors, such as shows hosted by Ed Schultz
, Stephanie Miller
, and Mike Malloy
(Malloy displaced original late evening hoste Phil Hendrie
due to many requests from listeners). "The Mic's" reliance on Air America Radio would dwindle over the years, with AAR programming being relegated to overnight and weekend hours by the time of AAR's Chapter 7 bankruptcy and shutdown in January 2010.
"The Mic" would also add a local on-air presence. Madison-based writer Stu Levitan briefly hosted a late afternoon show during "The Mic's" early months. Later local shows included "Forward Forum," a Saturday morning show hosted by John Quinlan
; "The Pro Show," a weekday morning program hosted by Lee Rayburn (with Jim Dick and later Jodie Shawback alongside as a sidekick); and 2-minute commentaries from Matthew Rothschild, editor of the Madison-based magazine The Progressive
. Additionally, national hosts heard on "The Mic" would broadcast shows originating from Madison's Barrymore theater, including Al Franken
(2005), Stephanie Miller
(2006), Ed Schultz
, Laura Flanders
, and Rachel Maddow
(2007).
ratings for the Madison market, WXXM ranked 11th of 25 stations overall, and the 2nd highest rated talk-formatted station in that survey.) However, on November 10, 2006, Clear Channel Madison made an announcement that would prove controversial—WXXM would change formats to all-sports on January 1, 2007. The station was to have taken the moniker "Fox Sports Radio
92.1 FM," featuring programming from that network as well as the Jim Rome
Show and other local sports play-by-play and discussion (including the local afternoon show "Heller & Murphy") that would move from sister station WTSO
.
In its original announcement , management cited audience research that showed a desire among listeners for more coverage of local high school and college sports, as well as more live broadcasts of other sports programming that would be tape-delayed on Clear Channel's other stations in the Madison market (including WIBA
and WTSO
), along with coverage of the Madison Mallards
baseball team. (Clear Channel had won the team's broadcast rights, and planned to air the games on WXXM.) Jeff Tyler, the market manager for Clear Channel Madison, later admitted that other reasons contributed to the format change, including the financial problems facing Air America Radio
and problems attracting advertisers to the progressive talk format, which in turn leads to lower revenues generated by the station. In fact, WXXM was ranked last out of 14 Madison radio stations that reported earnings.
In relation to the announcement, "The Pro Show" was discontinued the week of November 10, 2006 (replaced by Air America's
"The Young Turks"). "Forward Forum" was previously cancelled on October 28, 2006, and would migrate to competing station WTDY
.
"The Mic's" proposed change reached national notice. Ed Schultz
, a vocal proponent of the petition drive on his show, was among those suggesting that the format flip resulted from a lack of effort among management and salespeople at Clear Channel Madison to commit to the progressive talk format and to promote it to advertisers. Schultz even criticized Tyler by name on his show. Stephanie Miller
featured Walasek on her program, while her show's resident impressionist, Jim Ward, performed a parody of what WXXM's sports format would sound like—an intentionally pedestrian play-by-play of girls' volleyball in a thick Wisconsin accent.
Walasek and other supporters of "The Mic" continued to pressure Clear Channel Madison to reverse their decision, suggesting that if their efforts for WXXM proved unsuccessful, they would promote continuing progressive talk programming on another station in Madison, including the possibility of pooling money and resources to purchase a station.
subchannel—was explored. Nevertheless, the outcry continued, culminating in the "funeral" and delivery of the "Save the Mic" petition on December 20, 2006.
However, late on December 21, 2006—one day after the "funeral"--Clear Channel Madison announced that WXXM would not change from progressive talk in 2007. Tyler confirmed the reversal in a message first played on air on December 22, 2006 (see "External Links"), indicating that management was "overwhelmed" by the support of fans, advertisers, and community leaders for The Mic. Tyler also confirmed that the station's agreement with Fox Sports Radio
had to be ended in order for the reversal to take place.
Local weekday programming did not immediately return to "The Mic", which did leave some station supporters disappointed.. Mike Ferris, FM operations manager for Clear Channel Madison, countered that WXXM's schedule would be "kind of in a holding pattern” until Air America's
financial situation cleared up. However, on May 21, 2007, Lee Rayburn would return to host "The Mic's" 6-8AM weekday time slot. Rayburn did keep busy during his 6 months away from the station, including joining former "Pro Show" co-host Jodie Shawback on a series of podcasts from the Escape Java Joint in Madison;http://mortymadcat.libsyn.com/ fill-in duties for Air America Radio
hosts; and co-founding an online media company in Madison, Willy Street Media. Rayburn also worked a second evening show (Mondays thru Thursdays at 7PM) from September 2007 until early 2008.
Local programming did immediately return to "The Mic's" weekend lineup, featuring the returns of "Progressive Forum" with Matthew Rothchild and "Sunday Journal" with host Stu Levitan (which would be rechristened "Books and Beats" by 2009). Other local shows that previously aired on "The Mic" included "The Recovery Zone," a Sunday morning programming that featured frank discussions about recovery from addictions, and "La Original," an all-Spanish-language music program broadcast on Friday and Saturday nights in 2007 and early 2008.
Concurrent with supporters' claims during the "Save The Mic" drive, WXXM's advertiser base did see an increase after the reversal, albeit one featuring mainly smaller Madison-area businesses as opposed to advertisers with a national base and/or deeper pockets (which are usually more desirable to radio managers and salespeople). On-air encouragement from "The Mic" to patronize their sponsors increased noticeably since the beginning of 2007.
In January 2009, "The Mic" made a schedule change that was greeted with more controversy, replacing Thom Hartmann's
afternoon program with The Dave Ramsey Show
, a program that is more known for financial advice and at times displays a conservative viewpoint. Though station management said the move was intended to broaden the station's listenership and not to make a wholesale change in political ideology, complaints from listeners and a few advertisers prompted WXXM to return Hartmann's show to the 2-5PM slot, while moving Ramsey's show to the 5-8AM slot in place of Lee Rayburn (Rayburn left the station by his own choosing earlier in the month, in part due to the direction he felt the station was taking by adding Ramsey's show). Ramsey's show, however, had a short stay on "The Mic," who replaced it one month later with the syndicated Bill Press Show
. After Lee Rayburn's 2nd departure from "The Mic," the station's weekday schedule would remain all-national until August 2011, when a schedule adjustment allowed for the 5-6PM hour to be filled by "Outloud" with local host Mary Carol.
"The Mic's" reversal back to progressive talk left Madison's two all-sports stations scrambling their lineups:
WXXM's reversal received national attention as it occurred at a time when progressive talk struggled to gain general acceptance on the commercial airwaves, as evidenced by stations dropping the format or reducing progressive content and the financial struggles of Air America Radio
. The "Save The Mic" campaign and its success inspired similar campaigns in markets where the format was dropped, in danger, or never had a regular presence.
"The Mic" and its format plight received further attention in the form of Born Again Free Speech: Victory of The Mic 92.1, a 2007 documentary produced by Madison-based Brazen Video Productions.
Radio station
Radio broadcasting is a one-way wireless transmission over radio waves intended to reach a wide audience. Stations can be linked in radio networks to broadcast a common radio format, either in broadcast syndication or simulcast or both...
owned and operated by Clear Channel Communications
Clear Channel Communications
Clear Channel Communications, Inc. is an American media conglomerate company headquartered in San Antonio, Texas. It was founded in 1972 by Lowry Mays and Red McCombs, and was taken private by Bain Capital LLC and Thomas H. Lee Partners LP in a leveraged buyout in 2008...
and serving the Madison, Wisconsin
Madison, Wisconsin
Madison is the capital of the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Dane County. It is also home to the University of Wisconsin–Madison....
metropolitan area. The station airs a progressive talk format, and is noted for surviving a planned 2007 format change from that format to all-sports radio
Sports radio
Sports radio is a radio format devoted entirely to discussion and broadcasting of sporting events. A popular format with an almost exclusively male demographic in most areas, sports radio is characterized by an often-boisterous on-air style and extensive debate and analysis by both hosts and...
after an organized outpouring of support from its listeners and advertisers. WXXM also airs the "Pride Radio"
Pride Radio (HD)
Pride Radio is a dance top 40 radio network launched by Clear Channel Communications and their online division, CCRD in 2006. This service targets listeners in the LGBT community...
LGBT
LGBT
LGBT is an initialism that collectively refers to "lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender" people. In use since the 1990s, the term "LGBT" is an adaptation of the initialism "LGB", which itself started replacing the phrase "gay community" beginning in the mid-to-late 1980s, which many within the...
-oriented format on its HD Radio
HD Radio
HD Radio, which originally stood for "Hybrid Digital", is the trademark for iBiquity's in-band on-channel digital radio technology used by AM and FM radio stations to transmit audio and data via a digital signal in conjunction with their analog signals...
subchannel (92.1-HD2).
Music as "Mad Radio" and "Mix"
Throughout much of the 1980s and 1990s, 92.1 was WMAD, which programmed alternative rockAlternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
music. The station had decent ratings, though they were handicapped by a lower-powered signal that did not saturate the market like many of the other local FM stations. (The station's current signal strength is concentrated on Madison's North and East sides, as well as the station's city of license
City of license
A city of license or community of license, in American and Canadian broadcasting, is the community that a radio station or television station is officially licensed to serve by that country's broadcast regulator....
, Sun Prairie
Sun Prairie, Wisconsin
Sun Prairie is a city in Dane County in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. A suburb of Madison it is part of the Madison Metropolitan Statistical Area. The 2010 US Census estimates the city's population to be 29,364. It is the sixth-fastest growing city in Wisconsin, and the fastest-growing among cities...
.http://www.recnet.com/cdbs/goo_curves.php?data=43.169|89.261|3.7|125|60|0|221|0|1)]
Feeling that ratings could be better, Clear Channel
Clear Channel Communications
Clear Channel Communications, Inc. is an American media conglomerate company headquartered in San Antonio, Texas. It was founded in 1972 by Lowry Mays and Red McCombs, and was taken private by Bain Capital LLC and Thomas H. Lee Partners LP in a leveraged buyout in 2008...
dropped WMAD's alternative rock format on October 28, 2002, becoming "Mix 92.1" and airing a modern rock-based Hot AC format. Listener outcry over this switch was so strong that on December 31, 2003 Clear Channel turned their struggling smooth jazz
Smooth jazz
Smooth jazz is a genre of music that grew out of jazz fusion and is influenced by R&B, funk, rock, and pop music styles ....
station at 96.3 FM into the new "Mad Radio", adding the WMAD call letters and an alternative rock
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
format, while 92.1 adopted the WXXM call letters. (The new "Mad Radio" at 96.3 would be replaced by country music
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
on December 23, 2005, though it would resurface again in 2007 on WIBA-FM's
WIBA-FM
WIBA-FM is a radio station in Madison, Wisconsin. The station is owned by Clear Channel Communications and broadcasts a classic rock music format. WIBA-FM began broadcasting Bob & Tom in the Spring of 1999, and was one of the first affiliates of the highly successful Alice Cooper show heard...
HD Radio
HD Radio
HD Radio, which originally stood for "Hybrid Digital", is the trademark for iBiquity's in-band on-channel digital radio technology used by AM and FM radio stations to transmit audio and data via a digital signal in conjunction with their analog signals...
subchannel.)
"Mix 92.1" was a failure, as they could not compete with similarly-formatted stations in the market and its ratings were lower than that of the previous alternative format. During the week before Labor Day 2004, WXXM went jockless with announcements on the end of Mix 92.1 and the launch of the progressive talk format, directing current "Mix" listeners to sister CHR WZEE ("Z104")
WZEE
WZEE is "Z104," a radio station owned by Clear Channel Communications in Madison, Wisconsin. Z104 broadcasts a Top 40/CHR music format, and has been airing the format since 1974. WZEE airs a Hip-Hop/Urban Contemporary format on its HD Radio subchannel...
.
"The Mic 92.1"
At Midnight on September 7, 2004 (when Len'sLen (band)
Len is a Canadian alternative rock group from Toronto, Ontario. They are best known as a one-hit wonder for their song "Steal My Sunshine" in 1999. The band consists of siblings Marc Costanzo and Sharon Costanzo .-Studio albums:...
"Steal My Sunshine
Steal My Sunshine
"Steal My Sunshine" is a song written by Marc Costanzo for Len's third album You Can't Stop the Bum Rush. The backdrop is based on a sample of a short instrumental portion of Andrea True Connection's 1976 disco single "More, More, More"...
" finished playing), "Mix 92.1" was no more. After several hours of stunting with left-wing comedy bits, "The Mic 92.1" launched at 11:00 that morning with a CNN Radio hourly news update and Air America's
Air America Radio
Air America was an American radio network specializing in progressive talk programming...
"The Al Franken
Al Franken
Alan Stuart "Al" Franken is the junior United States Senator from Minnesota. He is a member of the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party, which affiliates with the national Democratic Party....
Show." Clear Channel had been experiencing success in other markets with progressive talk, and local management figured that the format would be ideal for the strongly liberal
Liberalism
Liberalism is the belief in the importance of liberty and equal rights. Liberals espouse a wide array of views depending on their understanding of these principles, but generally, liberals support ideas such as constitutionalism, liberal democracy, free and fair elections, human rights,...
Madison market. Hence, "The Mic 92.1" was born.
"The Mic 92.1" would rely heavily on Air America Radio
Air America Radio
Air America was an American radio network specializing in progressive talk programming...
programming during its early months, though schedule adjustments would eventually be made, including acquisitions of programs from non-AAR distributors, such as shows hosted by Ed Schultz
Ed Schultz
Edward Andrew "Ed" Schultz Is an American television and radio host and a liberal political commentator . He is the host of The Ed Show, a daily news talk program on MSNBC, and The Ed Schultz Show, a talk radio show, nationally syndicated by Dial Global, promising "straight talk."-Early...
, Stephanie Miller
Stephanie Miller
Stephanie Catherine Miller is an American comedienne and host of The Stephanie Miller Show, a progressive talk radio program produced in Los Angeles and syndicated nationally by Dial Global. Talkers magazine ranked her as the 24th most important radio talk show host in America for 2010.-Early...
, and Mike Malloy
Mike Malloy
Michael Dennis Malloy is an American radio broadcaster from Atlanta, Georgia. Previously his show has been carried by WSB Atlanta, WLS Chicago, the I.E. America Radio Network, the Air America Radio network, Nova M Radio and the On Second Thought network. He is now self-syndicated...
(Malloy displaced original late evening hoste Phil Hendrie
Phil Hendrie
Philip Stephen Hendrie is an American radio personality. He is best known as the host of The Phil Hendrie Show, a comedy talk radio program that is syndicated throughout North America on Talk Radio Network...
due to many requests from listeners). "The Mic's" reliance on Air America Radio would dwindle over the years, with AAR programming being relegated to overnight and weekend hours by the time of AAR's Chapter 7 bankruptcy and shutdown in January 2010.
"The Mic" would also add a local on-air presence. Madison-based writer Stu Levitan briefly hosted a late afternoon show during "The Mic's" early months. Later local shows included "Forward Forum," a Saturday morning show hosted by John Quinlan
John Quinlan
Bishop John Quinlan was a Roman Catholic bishop and the second Bishop of Mobile....
; "The Pro Show," a weekday morning program hosted by Lee Rayburn (with Jim Dick and later Jodie Shawback alongside as a sidekick); and 2-minute commentaries from Matthew Rothschild, editor of the Madison-based magazine The Progressive
The Progressive
The Progressive is an American monthly magazine of politics, culture and progressivism with a pronounced liberal perspective on some issues. Known for its pacifism, it has strongly opposed military interventions, such as the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003. The magazine also devotes much coverage...
. Additionally, national hosts heard on "The Mic" would broadcast shows originating from Madison's Barrymore theater, including Al Franken
Al Franken
Alan Stuart "Al" Franken is the junior United States Senator from Minnesota. He is a member of the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party, which affiliates with the national Democratic Party....
(2005), Stephanie Miller
Stephanie Miller
Stephanie Catherine Miller is an American comedienne and host of The Stephanie Miller Show, a progressive talk radio program produced in Los Angeles and syndicated nationally by Dial Global. Talkers magazine ranked her as the 24th most important radio talk show host in America for 2010.-Early...
(2006), Ed Schultz
Ed Schultz
Edward Andrew "Ed" Schultz Is an American television and radio host and a liberal political commentator . He is the host of The Ed Show, a daily news talk program on MSNBC, and The Ed Schultz Show, a talk radio show, nationally syndicated by Dial Global, promising "straight talk."-Early...
, Laura Flanders
Laura Flanders
Laura Flanders is a British-American journalist who presents the current events show GRITtv, broadcast weekdays on Link and Free Speech TV....
, and Rachel Maddow
Rachel Maddow
Rachel Anne Maddow is an American television host and political commentator. Maddow hosts a nightly television show, The Rachel Maddow Show, on MSNBC. Her syndicated talk radio program, The Rachel Maddow Show, aired on Air America Radio...
(2007).
The Proposed Change to Sports
Although "The Mic's" ratings have fluctuated during its history, the station has enjoyed a loyal following among listeners in mostly progressive Madison. (In the Summer 2006 ArbitronArbitron
Arbitron is a consumer research company in the United States that collects listener data on radio audiences. It was founded as American Research Bureau by Jim Seiler in 1949 and became national by merging with L.A. based Coffin, Cooper and Clay in the early 1950s...
ratings for the Madison market, WXXM ranked 11th of 25 stations overall, and the 2nd highest rated talk-formatted station in that survey.) However, on November 10, 2006, Clear Channel Madison made an announcement that would prove controversial—WXXM would change formats to all-sports on January 1, 2007. The station was to have taken the moniker "Fox Sports Radio
Fox Sports Radio
Fox Sports Radio, abbreviated FSR, is an international radio network consisting of sports talk programming. The network is a service of Premiere Networks...
92.1 FM," featuring programming from that network as well as the Jim Rome
Jim Rome
Jim Rome is an American sports radio talk show host syndicated by Premiere Radio Networks, a subsidiary of Clear Channel Communications....
Show and other local sports play-by-play and discussion (including the local afternoon show "Heller & Murphy") that would move from sister station WTSO
WTSO
WTSO is a radio station in the Madison, Wisconsin area. The station is owned by Clear Channel Communications and airs a sports radio format...
.
In its original announcement , management cited audience research that showed a desire among listeners for more coverage of local high school and college sports, as well as more live broadcasts of other sports programming that would be tape-delayed on Clear Channel's other stations in the Madison market (including WIBA
WIBA (AM)
WIBA is a radio station serving Madison, Wisconsin. Owned by Clear Channel Communications, the station airs a news and talk format, and features local talk as well as syndicated programming...
and WTSO
WTSO
WTSO is a radio station in the Madison, Wisconsin area. The station is owned by Clear Channel Communications and airs a sports radio format...
), along with coverage of the Madison Mallards
Madison Mallards
The Madison Mallards are a collegiate summer baseball team based in Madison, Wisconsin that plays in the Northwoods League. Warner Park on Madison’s North side is the team's home field. The 2010 season marks the Mallards' 10th anniversary season....
baseball team. (Clear Channel had won the team's broadcast rights, and planned to air the games on WXXM.) Jeff Tyler, the market manager for Clear Channel Madison, later admitted that other reasons contributed to the format change, including the financial problems facing Air America Radio
Air America Radio
Air America was an American radio network specializing in progressive talk programming...
and problems attracting advertisers to the progressive talk format, which in turn leads to lower revenues generated by the station. In fact, WXXM was ranked last out of 14 Madison radio stations that reported earnings.
In relation to the announcement, "The Pro Show" was discontinued the week of November 10, 2006 (replaced by Air America's
Air America Radio
Air America was an American radio network specializing in progressive talk programming...
"The Young Turks"). "Forward Forum" was previously cancelled on October 28, 2006, and would migrate to competing station WTDY
WTDY
WTDY is a talk-formatted AM radio station in Madison, Wisconsin, it is also the flagship station of Mid-West Family Broadcasting.-History:WTDY began operating in 1948 at the 1480 frequency under the call letters WISC, which were eventually changed to WISM...
.
Reaction to the change
The announcement of WXXM's format flip met with great notice—and from fans of "The Mic," great disdain. While some comments dismissed the flip as a case of progressive talk not being an attractive format for listeners or advertisers (the latter of which had been cited specifically by management), fans of the station expressed disappointment over the loss of a left-of-center viewpoint in Madison commercial talk radio. Words would turn into action as one fan of "The Mic," Valerie Walasek, launched an online petition to persuade Clear Channel Madison to reverse its decision—a petition that would eventually surpass its original goal of 5,000 signatures. Events in relation to Walasek's petition included a rally for "The Mic's" listeners and advertisers (which attracted an overflow crowd to the High Noon Saloon on December 12, 2006), and a "funeral procession" to Clear Channel's Madison headquarters on December 20, 2006, at which the petition was delivered to station management."The Mic's" proposed change reached national notice. Ed Schultz
Ed Schultz
Edward Andrew "Ed" Schultz Is an American television and radio host and a liberal political commentator . He is the host of The Ed Show, a daily news talk program on MSNBC, and The Ed Schultz Show, a talk radio show, nationally syndicated by Dial Global, promising "straight talk."-Early...
, a vocal proponent of the petition drive on his show, was among those suggesting that the format flip resulted from a lack of effort among management and salespeople at Clear Channel Madison to commit to the progressive talk format and to promote it to advertisers. Schultz even criticized Tyler by name on his show. Stephanie Miller
Stephanie Miller
Stephanie Catherine Miller is an American comedienne and host of The Stephanie Miller Show, a progressive talk radio program produced in Los Angeles and syndicated nationally by Dial Global. Talkers magazine ranked her as the 24th most important radio talk show host in America for 2010.-Early...
featured Walasek on her program, while her show's resident impressionist, Jim Ward, performed a parody of what WXXM's sports format would sound like—an intentionally pedestrian play-by-play of girls' volleyball in a thick Wisconsin accent.
Walasek and other supporters of "The Mic" continued to pressure Clear Channel Madison to reverse their decision, suggesting that if their efforts for WXXM proved unsuccessful, they would promote continuing progressive talk programming on another station in Madison, including the possibility of pooling money and resources to purchase a station.
Reversal of Decision
While the outcry from "The Mic's" fans and advertisers heated up, Jeff Tyler insisted that Clear Channel Madison would not waver from its plans to change WXXM to sports., although the possibility of continuing progressive talk programming on its other stations—including moving the format to a HD RadioHD Radio
HD Radio, which originally stood for "Hybrid Digital", is the trademark for iBiquity's in-band on-channel digital radio technology used by AM and FM radio stations to transmit audio and data via a digital signal in conjunction with their analog signals...
subchannel—was explored. Nevertheless, the outcry continued, culminating in the "funeral" and delivery of the "Save the Mic" petition on December 20, 2006.
However, late on December 21, 2006—one day after the "funeral"--Clear Channel Madison announced that WXXM would not change from progressive talk in 2007. Tyler confirmed the reversal in a message first played on air on December 22, 2006 (see "External Links"), indicating that management was "overwhelmed" by the support of fans, advertisers, and community leaders for The Mic. Tyler also confirmed that the station's agreement with Fox Sports Radio
Fox Sports Radio
Fox Sports Radio, abbreviated FSR, is an international radio network consisting of sports talk programming. The network is a service of Premiere Networks...
had to be ended in order for the reversal to take place.
On "The Mic"
Local weekday programming did not immediately return to "The Mic", which did leave some station supporters disappointed.. Mike Ferris, FM operations manager for Clear Channel Madison, countered that WXXM's schedule would be "kind of in a holding pattern” until Air America's
Air America Radio
Air America was an American radio network specializing in progressive talk programming...
financial situation cleared up. However, on May 21, 2007, Lee Rayburn would return to host "The Mic's" 6-8AM weekday time slot. Rayburn did keep busy during his 6 months away from the station, including joining former "Pro Show" co-host Jodie Shawback on a series of podcasts from the Escape Java Joint in Madison;http://mortymadcat.libsyn.com/ fill-in duties for Air America Radio
Air America Radio
Air America was an American radio network specializing in progressive talk programming...
hosts; and co-founding an online media company in Madison, Willy Street Media. Rayburn also worked a second evening show (Mondays thru Thursdays at 7PM) from September 2007 until early 2008.
Local programming did immediately return to "The Mic's" weekend lineup, featuring the returns of "Progressive Forum" with Matthew Rothchild and "Sunday Journal" with host Stu Levitan (which would be rechristened "Books and Beats" by 2009). Other local shows that previously aired on "The Mic" included "The Recovery Zone," a Sunday morning programming that featured frank discussions about recovery from addictions, and "La Original," an all-Spanish-language music program broadcast on Friday and Saturday nights in 2007 and early 2008.
Concurrent with supporters' claims during the "Save The Mic" drive, WXXM's advertiser base did see an increase after the reversal, albeit one featuring mainly smaller Madison-area businesses as opposed to advertisers with a national base and/or deeper pockets (which are usually more desirable to radio managers and salespeople). On-air encouragement from "The Mic" to patronize their sponsors increased noticeably since the beginning of 2007.
In January 2009, "The Mic" made a schedule change that was greeted with more controversy, replacing Thom Hartmann's
Thom Hartmann
Thom Hartmann is an American radio host, author, former psychotherapist and entrepreneur, and progressive political commentator. His nationally-syndicated radio show, The Thom Hartmann Program, airs in the United States and has 2.75 million listeners a week...
afternoon program with The Dave Ramsey Show
The Dave Ramsey Show
The Dave Ramsey Show refers to two programs:* The Dave Ramsey Show , a syndicated radio show on terrestrial and XM Satellite radio* The Dave Ramsey Show , a television program on the Fox Business Network...
, a program that is more known for financial advice and at times displays a conservative viewpoint. Though station management said the move was intended to broaden the station's listenership and not to make a wholesale change in political ideology, complaints from listeners and a few advertisers prompted WXXM to return Hartmann's show to the 2-5PM slot, while moving Ramsey's show to the 5-8AM slot in place of Lee Rayburn (Rayburn left the station by his own choosing earlier in the month, in part due to the direction he felt the station was taking by adding Ramsey's show). Ramsey's show, however, had a short stay on "The Mic," who replaced it one month later with the syndicated Bill Press Show
Bill Press
William "Bill" Press is a US talk radio host, political commentator and author.-Career:Press has a Bachelor of Arts in philosophy from Niagara University and Bachelor of Sacred Theology from the University of Fribourg. He started his broadcasting career in Los Angeles for TV stations KABC-TV and...
. After Lee Rayburn's 2nd departure from "The Mic," the station's weekday schedule would remain all-national until August 2011, when a schedule adjustment allowed for the 5-6PM hour to be filled by "Outloud" with local host Mary Carol.
On Sports Stations
"The Mic's" reversal back to progressive talk left Madison's two all-sports stations scrambling their lineups:
- As preveiously planned, sister station WTSOWTSOWTSO is a radio station in the Madison, Wisconsin area. The station is owned by Clear Channel Communications and airs a sports radio format...
adopted an all-ESPN RadioESPN RadioESPN Radio is an American sports radio network. It was launched on January 1, 1992 under the original banner of "SportsRadio ESPN." ESPN Radio is located at ESPN headquarters in Bristol, Connecticut...
lineup (though keeping the local "Heller & Murphy" show on its afternoon drive time). - "The Jim RomeJim RomeJim Rome is an American sports radio talk show host syndicated by Premiere Radio Networks, a subsidiary of Clear Channel Communications....
Show," which was slated to move from WTSO to WXXM, instead moved to Good Karma Broadcasting-owned WTLXWTLXWTLX is a radio station serving the Madison, Wisconsin area. The station is owned by Good Karma Broadcasting, LLC, and runs a Sports Talk format....
at the beginning of 2007. WTLX aired Rome's show (and retained its Fox Sports RadioFox Sports RadioFox Sports Radio, abbreviated FSR, is an international radio network consisting of sports talk programming. The network is a service of Premiere Networks...
affiliation) until 2009, when both moved to WTSO while WTLX took over ESPN RadioESPN RadioESPN Radio is an American sports radio network. It was launched on January 1, 1992 under the original banner of "SportsRadio ESPN." ESPN Radio is located at ESPN headquarters in Bristol, Connecticut...
affiliation in the Madison market. WTLXWTLXWTLX is a radio station serving the Madison, Wisconsin area. The station is owned by Good Karma Broadcasting, LLC, and runs a Sports Talk format....
also retained broadcasts of Madison MallardsMadison MallardsThe Madison Mallards are a collegiate summer baseball team based in Madison, Wisconsin that plays in the Northwoods League. Warner Park on Madison’s North side is the team's home field. The 2010 season marks the Mallards' 10th anniversary season....
baseball. - WXXM has served as a "second shadow station" for sports programming that conflicts with the schedules on WTSOWTSOWTSO is a radio station in the Madison, Wisconsin area. The station is owned by Clear Channel Communications and airs a sports radio format...
and WIBA (AM)WIBA (AM)WIBA is a radio station serving Madison, Wisconsin. Owned by Clear Channel Communications, the station airs a news and talk format, and features local talk as well as syndicated programming...
, mainly Wisconsin BadgersWisconsin BadgersThe Wisconsin Badgers are the collegiate athletic teams from the University of Wisconsin–Madison. This NCAA Division I athletic program has teams in football, basketball, ice hockey, volleyball, soccer, cross country, tennis, swimming, wrestling, track and field, rowing, golf, and softball...
broadcasts. "The Mic" has served has regular radio home to Badgers'Wisconsin BadgersThe Wisconsin Badgers are the collegiate athletic teams from the University of Wisconsin–Madison. This NCAA Division I athletic program has teams in football, basketball, ice hockey, volleyball, soccer, cross country, tennis, swimming, wrestling, track and field, rowing, golf, and softball...
women's volleyball since Fall 2008 and to Madison MustangsMadison MustangsThe Madison Mustangs are a Madison, Wisconsin-based semi-professional football team playing in the Ironman Football League. They were founded in 1998 and play their games at Middleton High School. They won the Iron Bowl in 2008 and 2009....
semi-pro football since Summer 2011. Any talk programming displaced by sports broadcasts continue unabated on the station's internet stream.
For progressive talk in general
WXXM's reversal received national attention as it occurred at a time when progressive talk struggled to gain general acceptance on the commercial airwaves, as evidenced by stations dropping the format or reducing progressive content and the financial struggles of Air America Radio
Air America Radio
Air America was an American radio network specializing in progressive talk programming...
. The "Save The Mic" campaign and its success inspired similar campaigns in markets where the format was dropped, in danger, or never had a regular presence.
"The Mic" and its format plight received further attention in the form of Born Again Free Speech: Victory of The Mic 92.1, a 2007 documentary produced by Madison-based Brazen Video Productions.
In regard to the station
- WXXM official website
- Media musings: To air is liberal Google cache of "The Capital Times", September 7, 2004
In regard to the format controversy
- Articles from Wisconsin State Journal and The Capital Times on WXXM's flip to sports
- Stories from The Capital Times and The Isthmus on the rally in support of The Mic
- Statement from Clear Channel that The Mic will continue
- Articles from Wisconsin State Journal, Sharewatch, and Capital Times on the format reversal