Amy Goodman, host of the independent news show Democracy Now!, was honored last week as a keynote speaker for the 2009 Schuneman Symposium at the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism. She also broadcasted her program live from WOUB studios in the Radio-Television Communications building.
However, WOUB refuses to carry the program.
WOUB Chief Content Officer Mark Brewer said that WOUB believes the other news shows broadcast on the station are stronger than Democracy Now! Thus, they are unwilling to cut another program to run Goodman's program. Even Goodman's visit was not enough to make the station reconsider.
Bob Stewart, associate director of the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism, is also a member of Athens Free Press, an advocacy group that supports airing Democracy Now!
He made the notable point: Each evening, WOUB repeats an hour of All Things Considered, an NPR news show.
WOUB would not have to cut a news show to broadcast Democracy Now!, at least for timing reasons - it would only have to eliminate a rerun. It's hard to believe that WOUB listeners are all clamoring for that rerun, making the station fear for its revenue if it was to cut it. And are listeners really likely to be so offended by a perceived liberal bias that they would stop supporting the other programs WOUB airs? If Democracy Now! is as popular as it seems, it's even possible that airing the show would encourage more donations.
This makes us wonder about the real reason WOUB won't air the program. Did Amy Goodman kick its puppies? Do independent media make the people at WOUB squirm?
No one seems to know the answers. And the answers that WOUB gives for its obstinacy in refusing to run the show are unsatisfactory and unconvincing, to say the least.
Perhaps it's time for WOUB to allow its listeners to vote on what they want to hear. WOUB depends on its listeners for support - getting that input would allow the station to make a more informed decision and show that it supports democratic processes, if not Democracy Now!
Editorials represent the views ofThe Post's executive editors.
4 Opinion
WOUB refuses to air
