I think this is a bigger issue than just having Colin on the air. Heck, if Mr. McEnroe wants to be on the air next week, I can likely get him a slot on WRTC (89.3, the Trinity College station). (Of course, we can't pay him, but...) WTIC used to be a true giant among broadcasters on the east coast--and not just because of its 50,000 watts and Red Sox baseball. I grew up listening to Bob Steel and his contemporaries—classy, smart, witty folks who cared about what radio could and should be. They were local folks, and their only agenda was to be the best broadcasters they could be, and provide necessary information and entertainment for their audience. I don’t have to tell anyone that this era has now, completely and totally, vanished from the airwaves at 1080 am.
So, sure, let’s get Colin a show somewhere. Many folks (including the man himself) have suggested WNPR, Connecticut public radio. Frankly, they are their own little evil empire--they'd love to swallow up WRTC and make it some sort of snobbish jazz-only station for the cultural elite. Hey, Colin will find a home, somewhere.
But let’s also let the powers that be at WTIC (CBS Radio in Hartford [sic]!) know how truly slimy they are. Hit them in the pocket book—let their sponsors know you will not support a business that supports WTIC! If money is all that matters, let’s speak the language they understand. Some of my earliest memories are of waking up to WTIC. This is personal. The last decent talent on the station has been removed. I don’t even agree with Colin on all matters, but I despise the decision to remove his show from the air. He speaks the truth as he understands it (whether I agree or not). To my mind, that’s the duty of anyone who turns on a microphone (or spins a record, disc, or plays a file) and broadcasts their ideas across the public airwaves-- Colin was the last of his kind on Hartford radio. (I’ll spare you a rant on Vicevich, Davis, and even Dunaway…)
I’ve contacted WTIC directly for a sponsor list—it may be FCC regulation that they supply it. I’m also compiling a list via air check. Too bad a once worthy organization is now driven by only greed and hate.
