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Progressive Talk Gets Reprieve In Madison
December 22, 2006 at 5:28 AM (PT)
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CLEAR CHANNEL RADIO says it will keep its liberal talk affiliate on the air in MADISON, WI after all. It was announced TODAY that WXXP (92.1 THE MIC)/MADISON will keep the format on the air rather than switch to a planned sports format on JANUARY 1.
The planned change to FOX SPORTS RADIO had sparked outrage in Madison. The company says the liberal talk station had struggled to attract advertisers despite its high ratings and a sports format would be more profitable. But thousands of people protested the end of the station through e-mails, phone calls and a petition drive. A rally last week drew 500 people and prominent politicians denounced the decision.
VP/Market Mgr. JEFF TYLER said, "I was very impressed with many of the people in the community who I spoke and emailed with, concerning their desire to keep the MIC 92.1 on the air in MADISON. Our team put the station on the air when no one else would. There is a need for advertiser support that this process has helped bring to the front page and that's also positive. We will be working with AIR AMERICA RADIO and a potential new ownership group as well as other syndicators of national programming to help us grow this station. We are also reviewing the steps we had in our plan from the beginning to grow more local programming on diverse topics, issues and ethnic programming. Our goal in 2004 was and still is today, to make The MIC 92.1 WXXM FM, a station that reflects what MADISON, WISCONSIN is all about."

