I am the Progressive Caucus Liaison for A.D. 74, in North San Diego County.  This past Tuesday night, the San Diego County Democratic Central Committee adopted a resolution on Media Diversity drafted by the Campaign for Progressive Radio-San Diego (CPR-SD), of which I am a member of the steering committee. Last night, the La Mesa Foothills Democratic Club (in San Diego’s East County) adopted this resolution.

The Board of Progressive Democrats of San Diego has also voted to endorse.  We plan to submit to the CA Democratic Party for consideration at the CDP Annual Convention in Sacramento April 24-26. 

Following is the text of the Resolution.  CPR-SD is an outgrowth of the Save KLSD movement, we have continued to stay loosely organized to provide whatever support we can for progressive radio in San Diego, and more broadly, progressive media. 

Since one of the Progressive Caucus’ interests is Media Reform, I ask for your help in accomplishing what could be a very meaningful action by California Democrats, particularly as right-wing dominated talk radio goes after President Obama tooth-and-nail.

THANK YOU for your consideration and please let me know if you have any questions.  If your organization does adopt this Resolution, please let me know so I can add it to our list of supporters.

Martha Sullivan

CDP Delegate, A.D. 74

marthasullivan@mac.com

Ed Schultz. . . Gone

Stephanie Miller. . . Gone

Michael Jackson. . . Gone

Alan Colmes. . . Gone

Nova M. . . Gone

Randi Rhodes. . . On hiatus

Sal Levine. . . Sold out (540AM now entirely NEOCON talk)

Lionel. . . Still on AM1700 AM, 5 AM-9 AM, 9-Midnight Mon-Fri

And if you can get KPFK out of Los Angeles, 90.7 FM, you can listen daily to Amy Goodman and her syndicated show, Democracy Now! from 6 AM-7AM, repeated at 9 AM.

Even local Neocon talk has been affected as a few conservative talkers, Mark Larson for one, have been dismissed.  Felonious ex-mayor Roger Hedgecock has moved to a nationally syndicated show, and most of the rest of the right wingers are syndicated.  The ever bombastic Rick Roberts can still be heard on one of the several talk stations spewing exclusively Right Wing talking points.  

So it would seem, despite many rumors of a new Progressive Station in the offing, that the percentage of conservative talk far surpasses the feeble local offerings of progressive radio.  Maybe we’ll get some relief from the new, Democratic-controlled FCC.  A push for diverse ownership is afoot in the Congress, and we’ll have to see what comes out of this new administration.  We have lost our locally-connected FCC Commissioner, Jonathan Adelstein, who looks like he’ll be taking another position in the Obama White House.

Savage Loses Advertisers Over Autism Remarks

In Wake of Protests, Advertisers Don’t Want to Support ‘Savage Nation’

By JACKIE HYLAND, RAINA SEITEL GITTLIN and EMILY YACUS

July 27, 2008

Michael Savage — one of the most popular talk show hosts in the nation — is used to controversy. It’s been one week since Savage made controversial remarks about autism, referring to those diagnosed with the condition as “brats, idiots, and morons.”

Several big advertisers have pulled their commercials from the syndicated “Savage Nation” radio show, and now, thousands of parents and protesters are urging Savage to step down, calling his words “hate speech.”

“I’ll tell you what autism is,” Savage told his audience on July 16. “In 99 percent of the cases, it’s a brat who hasn’t been told to cut the act out. That’s what autism is.” The talk show host also said, “Stop acting like a putz. Straighten up. Act like a man. Don’t sit there crying and screaming, idiot.”

The conservative shock jock’s comments sent shock waves through the autism community. Parents and autism activists staged rallies in protest in New York and San Francisco.

“We are here to call for the firing of Michael Savage. For his truly hurtful, outrageous and inaccurate statements,” said one protester.

And the backlash didn’t stop there. Sponsors of Savage’s radio show, such as AFLAC Insurance and Home Depot, have pulled their advertisements. Home Depot co-founder Bernie Marcus gave $25 million for the creation of Autism Speaks, in 2005, and sits on the group’s board of directors.

Savage’s syndicator, Talk Radio Network, issued a statement in his support: “The network is satisfied that he did not mean any disrespect to autistic children or their families, but was, instead, reiterating his longstanding concerns on public health issues.”

Savage continues to defend his position that the medical community over-diagnoses autism in children. But medical experts contend that autism is actually under-diagnosed, with about 1 in 150 children suffering from the disorder.

“Good Morning America” spoke with Evelyn Ain, president of Autism United, a group spearheading the boycott of Savage’s program. She is also the mother of an 8-year-old son who has autism.

When asked what she would say to Savage if she met him, Ain replied, “He should have apologized. I don’t think he understands how — what a big impact he’s had on families and children. Autism is one of the most vulnerable populations out there.

“50 percent of the children that have autism can’t speak. They can’t verbalize their needs. … We don’t need anybody, basically, you know, a bus matron, for example, taking advantage of our children and maybe trying to discipline the children on a bus, because thinking that what Michael Savage said, that’s what these kids need,” Ain said.

Autism United plans a Sunday protest outside Savage’s San Francisco KNEW studio. Ain just may get her chance to tell him what she think