music and politics on radio

[Daniel Billings]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Donna Halper" <dlh@donnahalper.com>
To: "Daniel Billings" <billings@suscom-maine.net>
Cc: <boston-radio-interest@bostonradio.org>
Sent: Sunday, September 19, 2004 1:39 PM
Subject: Re: music and politics on radio


> A couple of things.  First, using one feature to judge an entire network 
> or station isn't the best measurement.

I was not doing that.  I was just commenting on the coverage of that one 
issue.  My point was that many of those who were outraged by the Chicks 
being banned would not be upset if Beanie Man was banned.

I find NPR generally fair.  Their story choices somewhat show a point of 
view but they usually take a balanced approach to those stories.

In Maine, Maine Public Radio does a great job.  Their state house reporter, 
Fred Bever, asks everyone tough questions.

> And finally, regarding "Sweet Home Alabama", I am not sure the song is 
> racist-- it's an answer song to Neil Young's "Southern Man" which accused 
> Alabamans of being bigoted yahoos who support lynching, and Skynyrd was 
> simply defending their state and trying to refute what Young had accused 
> them of.

I think I heard somewhere that the whole "southern man doesn't need him 
around anyhow" was meant to be tongue in cheek.

Funny that Neil Young had a pretty conservative point of view in his song 
"Let's Roll" after 911.