Sunday, November 25, 2012

Nichols Wants Sly Back

Hehe.

These days, there is too little progressive radio, and even less progressive radio in the Evjue tradition. But the loyal listeners to John “Sly” Sylvester’s WTDY morning show heard an echo of Evjue. No, there was nothing of the publisher’s stiff Norwegian style in Sly’s rollicking one. But Sly drew from the same well of progressive idealism (and anger) as Evjue. Sly railed against Scott Walker from Day One of the Wisconsin uprising, sided unapologetically with organized labor and declared: “I don’t want a tax break. I want to pay my taxes and I want those taxes to pay for great public schools and great public services.”

Evjue would have appreciated that last line, just as thousands of Sly’s listeners did as he uttered variations on that theme over 15 years.

Sure, Sly often extended his remarks from “comforting the afflicted and afflicting the comfortable” to flat-out condemning crony capitalists and crooked candidates. Everyone who listened to Sly took offense at one time or another.

Every guest (including this writer) disagreed with him sometimes. But Wisconsinites recognized that Sly’s anger was motivated by a rage at injustice and dishonesty. And they loved him for that, giving his show solid ratings and a loyal listenership that advertisers craved.

When those listeners tuned in the morning after Thanksgiving, however, they did not hear Sly raging against Walmart and demanding that Wisconsinites “buy local on Black Friday.” Station management pulled the plug on Sly and the news department. In so doing, they created a serious information void.

Hopefully this void will be filled by the reappearance of Sly’s morning show on another, more wisely managed station. The Wisconsin progressive populist tradition remains vibrant and popular, as the Nov. 6 election results remind us. It should continue to have a bold radio voice shouting “Hello Wisconsin” every morning.

Hey Mike… if you want to listen to Sly’s bigoted drivel, then pay for it. Evidently, not enough people are listening to pay for your hobby shock jock.

(7) Comments
Posted by Owen at 1613 hrs
Politics + Politics - Wisconsin

  1. If Nichols wants Sly back, why doesn’t he get the Journal/Sentinel to hire the profane, anti-women, liberal?

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on November 25, 2012 at 2153 hrs


  2. Actually, Kevin, Nichols writes for the leftist Capitol Times, the fishwrap “newspaper”.
    I just wonder how much Nichols will take out of his pocket to pay for Sly to be on the radio?
    What the idiot Nichols doesn’t realize that those evil sponsors, usually big, rich and white companies and CEO’s, have to buy advertising to sponsor shows like Sly’s.  The same companies tha Sly and Nichols despise.

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on November 25, 2012 at 2230 hrs


  3. Who is mike?

    I will gladly lose one progressive DJ for a progressive POTUS.

    Sly is the other end of the wing nut facton of talk radio. His side doesn’t pay, Owens side makes Glen Beck rich.

    Both sides are delusional.

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on November 26, 2012 at 0954 hrs


  4. But at least this firing brought some November joy to our dear Kevin.

    So that’s a good thing.

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on November 26, 2012 at 0956 hrs


  5. Mark,

    This move is very positive for women, however, the support of this firing is very faint from the left.

    Why is that?

     

     

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on November 26, 2012 at 1612 hrs


  6. This shows that liberal talk radio does not work.

    Air America
    Greenstone Media

    Now WTDY in liberal Madison.

    Where are all the liberal business owners who could be placing ads on the station?  If they weren’t doing so, why not?

    http://www.wigderson.com/sly-sylvester-fired/—look at the ratings chart; WTDY was consistently at or near the bottom. 

    This was a business decision by Mid-West Family Broadcasting, plain and simple.

    Posted by hsgbdmama on November 27, 2012 at 0807 hrs


  7. Don’t know the guy. Sounds like a small time talent.

    I’m a Rachel Maddow “air America ”  talk show type of Progressive.
    Hard to call her anti woman.

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on November 27, 2012 at 1700 hrs


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