A Chicago group actively devoted to media issues.
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| Radio Efforts |
Chicago Media Action has been working to broaden efforts to improve radio programming in the Chicago
area. Members of Chicago Media Action were instrumental in bringing the internationally-recognized
news magazine Democracy Now! to Chicago's airwaves.
Chicagoans can listen to Democracy Now! on these stations:
Chicagoans can also watch the television simulcast of Democracy Now! on these channels:
Chicago Media Action is also campaigning to get Democracy Now! on the main NPR affiliate in Chicago, WBEZ. The station to date has yet to comply with the request, but the campaign continues.
How you can help: Call the WBEZ Listener Comment Line (312-948-4701) and ask that they begin airing Democracy Now!. Or if you know of a Chicago radio station which would be interested in Democracy Now! or in other such shows, contact CMA to help us widen the reach of quality radio programming
Chicago Media Action is also encouraging support of efforts to bring Low Power FM radio on a wide scale to the United States. More details here.
Additional Information:
Past CMA articles on this topic are listed below in reverse chronological order.
- Vote for Chicago's "This Is Hell" at Public Radio Quest (August 14, 2007)
- Comments on Eric Zorn's blog about the Fairness Doctrine (July 10, 2007)
- Callout for support - a Chicagoland Independent Radio Network (April 25, 2007)
- Public Hearings announced for Mayor's Advisory Council on Closing Digital Divide (August 23, 2006)
- Demand a democratic restucturing of Chicago Public Radio (July 13, 2006)
- E-Mail WBEZ and request Democracy Now! (July 1, 2006)
- Low-power AM Radio May Soon Emerge (January 6, 2006)
- Radio Arte WRTE 90.5 FM Recruiting for Radio Broadcasting Classes (December 18, 2005)
- Who will kill the radio star? -- Redesigning Chicago radio's landscape (October 10, 2005)
- Houston Astrodome Radio 95.3 Set To Launch at 12 Central Time (September 13, 2005)
- Clear Channel's Chicago Music Operations Change Name (August 10, 2005)
- List of suggested questions to ask about WBEZ operations (July 19, 2005)
- FCC Opens Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to Amend the Low Power FM Rules -- Send In Your Comments! (July 8, 2005)
- Details regarding Air America's return to Chicago (May 8, 2005)
- Low Power FM Radio Supporters Praise FCC LPFM Action (March 18, 2005)
- Air (most of) America (January 4, 2005)
- More Stations, Less Variety: Battling Media Giants for Control of Chicago (January 4, 2005)
- Isn't WBEZ Public Radio? (May 3, 2004)
- Great Radio Hope? (May 2, 2004)
- Liberal Radio Goes Dark (April 27, 2004)
- Help a January campaign to put Democracy Now! on WBEZ (January 27, 2004)
- Noam Chomsky on Tavis Smiley (November 19, 2003)
- Corporate consolidation of radio transcends party lines (February 20, 2003)
Past CMA announcements on this topic are listed below in reverse chronological order.
- Media activists played a key role in the forced exit of WBEZ CEO Torey Malatia (July 29, 2013)
- "Democracy Now!" finally on full power Chicago radio - but it's WCPT, not WBEZ. (January 1, 2013)
- Smiley & West w/Amy Goodman in Chicago 11/8: Poverty, Power and the Public Airwaves (November 3, 2012)
- An incomplete list of articles and posts stemming from Chicago Public Media's decision to drop "Smiley & West" (November 3, 2012)
- Pacifica Foundation Rejects Chicago's WBEZ-FM's Negative Characterization of "Advocacy Identity" in American Media (November 3, 2012)
- Thoughts on the Illinois radio license window and the future of media reform (November 1, 2012)
- My visit to inspect the public files at Chicago Public Media (October 16, 2012)
- WBEZ yanks Smiley and West for "advocacy" reasons, saying it was "becoming like Democracy Now" (October 11, 2012)
- The 2012 Status Report of Democracy Now! on Chicago's radio airwaves (September 24, 2012)
- DJ LOCKOUT AT WZRD-FM | EVANSTON COMMUNITY MEDIA CENTER CHANNEL DARK, EXEC DIR. RESIGNS | WBEZ BUYS NATIONAL MUSEUM OF MEXICAN ART LPFM (July 4, 2012)
- Rush Limbaugh, Radio Policy, and the 2012 Illinois Radio License Renewal Window (June 16, 2012)
- Local Community Radio Act Passage a Major Win for Community Control of Local Media (December 21, 2010)
- Low Power to the People: Chicago and National Updates (July 18, 2009)
- Better Late Than Never: Local Radio / Podcast Edition (October 26, 2008)
- Comments on the recent LPFM article in the Tribune... (March 3, 2008)
- More WLUW | LPFM legislation | Chicago Indie Radio Project fundraiser | New area full power educational FM licenses? (July 28, 2007)
- Community station WLUW-FM to go corporate? (July 17, 2007)
- This just in:
General Francisco FrancoThe Fairness Doctrine is still dead. (July 10, 2007) - Demand a Democratic Restructuring of Chicago Public Radio (July 13, 2006)
- Terkel verdict on Murdoch: "Neanderthal" (January 13, 2006)
- Offshore Radio / Murrow / WiZaRDs / Clandestine Radio (January 13, 2006)
- Help bring low-power AM radio to Chicago and communities nationally (November 18, 2005)
- The latest radio happenings (September 15, 2005)
- Update regarding Chicago's WZRD radio (September 1, 2005)
- Assorted radio announcements: LPFM and SDR (July 8, 2005)
- Radio news: Clear Channel and Air America (May 2, 2005)
- Air America's likely return to Chicago (February 25, 2005)
- WZRD is back on the air! (February 18, 2005)
- WZRD is offline, as is Democracy Now! (February 6, 2005)
- Welcome, Conscious Choice readers (January 7, 2005)
- Today's Mission: Call Senator Fitzgerald regarding Low Power FM (July 14, 2004)
- This Just In! (June 4, 2004)
- Increased Radio Activity (May 3, 2004)
- You Have To Go Read This Right Now (April 28, 2004)
- The end of Air America in Chicago? (April 26, 2004)
- (AM) Radio Activity (April 2, 2004)
- Preparations(?) for an LPFM Showdown (February 26, 2004)
- Campaign to get Democracy Now on WBEZ (January 28, 2004)
- npr notes (June 17, 2003)
- How could I forget this? (May 21, 2003)
- Community Radio Forum: May 5, 1:30pm, 33 E. Congress, Rm. 715 (April 28, 2003)