Rally for The Mic

Thanks to Valerie Walasek for sending us this press release:

Madison, WI December 12, 2006 - A rally and press conference is being held at the High Noon Saloon in Madison, Wisconsin on December 12th from 7-8 pm. The event is being organized by for businesses and citizens to show their support for the Mic 92.1 and their desire for Clear Channel Madison to keep the station on the air.

The Mic has been a valuable resource for Madison residents to voice their opinions and discuss important local issues. Jeff Tyler, Vice President of Marketing with Clear Channel Madison, has requested feedback from businesses who feel the Mic is a good advertising avenue. Madison businesses and organizations will be speaking briefly about why they support the Mic, including representatives from The Dardanelles, High Noon Saloon, Tap It/New Works Theater, Community Action Coalition, the Alliance for Animals, WI Democracy Campaign, and Amnesty International. Valerie Walasek has created a petition to keep the Mic on the air, and during the event will be releasing the final number of signatures for delivery to Clear Channel. The petition is online here.

The High Noon Saloon is located in Madison, WI at 701 E. Washington Ave, at the corner of Blount Street, or online at High-Noon.com

Valerie Walasek is a Mic listener and life-time Madison resident. "The Mic has been a forum where Madison residents and groups can discuss important issues such as animal rights, abortion, veteran issues, cleaning up government, etc. It is a part of what makes Madison unique and we cannot lose it to more 'coverage of local high school and collegiate sports.' Clear Channel needs to hear how much we love this station! They need to know that we appreciate the freedom the hosts have been given and that we value the chance we have to discuss issues we really care about even when the popular media is not covering them."

You can contact Valerie via email for more information and telephone number.

And The Capital Times published another article about WXXM recently, featuring listeners' reactions to the pending format flip of the station. Here are a few excerpts:

• I listen to Air America on 92.1 every weekday, religiously. Where else can we find real news, or real truth? It is by far my favorite station in the area, and has me listening to much more radio than I otherwise would. I would say that I listen to Air America three or more hours a day and often more.

Many more people listen to 92.1 than I think is reported in its ratings, as there really is no accurate way of determining how many listeners a show is truly generating, in my opinion. The thing I'll miss most is Stephanie Miller and Randi Rhodes' insights. (Christopher Brickman, Sauk City)

• Please save AAR in Madison! It is all I listen to. It would be a shame for Madison, of all places, to lose AAR to another sports channel. (John Glowacki, DeForest)

• I listen to public radio, but they do not have the edge that Air America has. I like Randi Rhodes and the local shows. Air America is needed here. (Karen Bechlem, Middleton)

• Losing progressive radio in Madison seems unthinkable. Stephanie Miller is my favorite and I like Thom Hartmann, but The Mic is on all day in my house and my car. It has replaced TV for me.

I am a senior citizen, which didn't stop me from being at the Barrymore at 6:30 a.m. to see Stephanie Miller. I buy the products advertised on The Mic. Lee Rayburn was especially good with local advertising. Madison doesn't need more sports coverage. We need progressive talk. (Marilyn Ryan, Madison)