Clear Channel Radio announced its decision to replace Air America's WXXM-FM (92.1) The Mic with a Fox Radio Sports channel, eliminating one of Madison's most influential liberal radio stations.
Effective Jan. 1, 2007, the decision, according to Clear Channel, is based on comprehensive research done within the local community.
However, its motives appear to be catered toward the interests of only a small portion of Madison citizens.
Considering two all-sports radio stations already exist in the city of Madison, the change stands to offer very little to citizens who depend on the station for insightful political debate.
Sports news, which is primarily consistent and unchanging from one station to the next, is not a viable replacement for a station that has fostered new ideas and discussion among liberal followers.
Removing The Mic from the air is detrimental to Madison's liberal voice because other local talk radio stations do not feature the nationally syndicated programs played by the Air America affiliate.
The programs, including Al Franken and Randi Rhodes, provided a wider scope of liberal news that will no longer be available through other Madison stations determined to focus on locally produced shows.
Though Air America's broadcasts draw millions of national listeners each week, it is quite apparent that Clear Channel is not concerned about its listening audience, but rather its profits.
Anticipating that Fox Sports will bring with it more profits, Clear Channel is demonstrating the same conservative values that previously drove them to ban hundreds of songs after Sept. 11, 2001. They now seek to inhibit political expression by a city that prides itself on a largely liberal political scene.
It is on this premise that Clear Channel cannot receive all the blame for the station's removal. The push to remove Air America from the Madison market came after the network filed for bankruptcy last month, proving Democrats aren't pulling their weight when it comes to supporting radio-based liberal expression.
Democratic parties should be particularly interested in helping the network through its financial difficulties, considering their recent success at the polls.
Stations like The Mic are highly responsible for providing positive information about Democratic candidates leading up to the election, and further convincing the public to vote in their favor.
As Clear Channel exerts its control over yet another radio station, its power-driven incentives will only continue to hinder the poor financial state of Air America.
Air America, which is currently heard through 92 affiliates, is obviously not trying to compete with Clear Channel which owns more than 1,200 AM, FM and shortwave radio stations, nine satellite radio channels, and more than 30 television stations, not to mention media outlets in other countries.
Air America's main mission is simply to inform and entertain audiences while stimulating liberal minds and encouraging the public to make more well-informed political decisions to improve the surrounding community.
The replacement of The Mic will cause citizens of Madison to be deprived access to information they need in order to play a responsible role in American politics.
While the new Fox Sports may be welcomed by some members of the community, Madison deserves to be educated about local and national politics before it is informed of the latest sports coverage.
