Impact

December 23, 2011

Crossposted from MediaActionCenter.net

December 12, 2011, Occupy Sacramento joined the Media Action Center and Sacramento Media Group in an action we called "Occupy Clear Channel." Activists in eight cities joined in the action. 
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We held a press conference in front of KFBK, the Clear Channel station which launched Rush Limbaugh, protesting its secret middle of the night decision to put Right Wing talk radio on a third giant frequency in Sacramento, while offering zero opportunity for alternate political speech.   We asked that Clear Channel hold a public forum for the public to air its grievances.

We then marched past Sacramento Sheriffs to enter the radio station to perform inspections of the Public Files.  (Because radio airwaves are public property, stations must allow the public into their stations during normal business hours so they may see and report to the FCC whether the station is operating in the public interest.)  

Teams of three went in for hours, going through files and finding surprising lapses.
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On the same day, teams in the following cities did simultaneous inspections: 
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Sacramento, CA (adopted home of Rush  Limbaugh)

West Palm Beach, FL (newly adopted home of Rush  Limbaugh)

Sarasota, FL
Jacksonville, FL
Washington, DC
Madison, WI
Milwaukee, WI 

San Francisco, CA 
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Ten days later, the action appears to have had an impact.  
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Timeline: 
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December 12:  We occupy Clear Channel stations from coast to coast.   
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December 14:   Clear Channel management in Sacramento agrees to a meeting (but not yet the public meeting we requested.)
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December 15: a Milwaukee Media Action Center team leader who has been unsuccessfully writing letters to Clear Channel asking for Progressive talk in his community, receives a personal response from management that Clear Channel has rethought its position and will offer the community a progressive station, (albeit on obscure HD radio.)   Press reports follow.
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December 16: Clear Channel announces it is rethinking plans to convert San Francisco's 960 AM to yet another conservative talk station.  
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December 21: It is now confirmed that Clear Channel will keep most of 960 AM in a progressive format. 
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We are encouraged, and will continue to engage with Clear Channel stations throughout the nation to improve the political balance we hear on our radio airwaves.

Full Disclosure:  I have recently founded Media Action Center as a boots on the ground national media reform group.  This site is for informational purposes only.  ~Sue Wilson