Re: Re:WRKO adds Colmes; moves VB's show

["Dan Billings" <billings@suscom-maine.net>]

----- Original Message -----
From: "Bob Nelson" <raccoonradio@yahoo.com>
To: "Dan Billings" <billings@suscom-maine.net>;
<boston-radio-interest@bostonradio.org>
Sent: Thursday, February 27, 2003 4:59 PM
Subject: Re: Re:WRKO adds Colmes; moves VB's show


 > True, but the show has yet to air. Maybe they're
> basing their complaints on what they hear on the radio
> show.

Right, but it is safe to assume that Savage will express the same views on
TV as he does on the radio.

> But what about the MSNBC viewers who, let's say,
> are in a market where they can't hear Savage's radio
> show. They pick up their paper and see "MSNBC
> Cancels Savage TV Show Before It Airs" and say to
> themselves, "Gee, I guess some people really didn't
> like the guy. But they denied me the chance to
> see for myself what the fuss is all about."

Is there anywhere left that he can't be heard on the radio?

As for denying people the chance to see him on TV: networks make programming
decisions  based on lots of factors all the time.

> If MSNBC gets boffo ratings for Savage and they
> don't have too many advertiser or viewer complaints,
> their experiment will be considered a success.
> If the ratings are in Phil Donahue-land (and/or
> the complaints force their hand), then they'll
> dump him.

Agreed.  If he gets on and has good ratings, he will survive any complaints.

> Remember Norman Rockwell's "Freedom of Speech"
> painting? A man stands up at a New England town
> meeting to speak his piece. Others around him
> listen; some don't necessarily agree with him
> but they feel, "Well, he at least has the right
> to say what he feels, even if I don't agree."
>
> Those who wish MSNBC cancels the show before it even
> airs would be like someone walking up to the man
> in that town hall before he speaks and saying,
> "I'm sorry, but we won't allow you to speak.
> We don't think we'll like what you have to say."
> Of course, the "town hall" is a public forum and
> MSNBC if a private corporation (GE, MicroSoft, NBC,
> etc.)

That is an important distinction.

> But cancelling something before it even airs? How are
> we to know that Savage won't get up there on TV and
> read from "The Fountainhead"; talk about why he
> thinks the Yankees will win; give a recipe for
> banana bread... :)

Savage is being hired because of his success in radio.  It reasonable to
expect him to bring the same act to TV.

I'm not a Savage fan but I couldn't care less whether MSNBC adds his show or
not.  My only point is that there is nothing wrong with people complaining
to a network about the network's choice of hosts.

-- Dan Billings, Bowdoinham, Maine