There is an FCC regulation requiring equal time on the radio for all candidates in a race - even when being a radio host is one's job! Even advertisements aired using Via's voice count for equal time. So far, none of the other mayoral candidates have taken the radio station up on its requirement of air-time; the time expires after 7 days, so it's ever-revolving.
Via had regular co-hosts on his show, so it's only natural that we co-hosts continue our gigs while contributing to the new Morning Drive program, hosted by Dave Laing, the program director and sound engineer.
This morning, Laing received an email from a listener suggesting that WNDB scrap the morning show while Via is on hiatus and replace it with a liberal talk show host to "balance" the station. (WNDB airs Neal Boortz, Rush Limbaugh, local host Marc Bernier, Sean Hannity and Jim Bohannon) While it's an interesting idea, wouldn't WNDB have pursued it if it thought that the liberal show would make the station any money?!
We discussed the email on-air and invited the altering views to please CALL-IN! The phone lines are always open and we want lively debate! That's what makes good radio. Of course, we didn't hear from the guy except for the email.
Not long after that, Laing received an email from a female listener asking who I was... obviously, we hadn't said my name enough. We'll have to correct that! She accused me of being a one-sided conservative. She reiterated the suggestion of buying a syndicated liberal talk show for the morning - after all, we're supposed to be "fair & balanced".
Somehow, this woman thought that I worked for Fox News, which has the tag line "fair & balanced", and that I was reporting the news.
This is where things are really messed up in America. People take talking-heads' and comedians opinions as their final news source! Since when are opinions fact? Yes, I'm opinionated and yes, when it comes to fiscal and individual responsibility, I'm conservative. (Ask me about gay rights, legalization of marijuana or abortion and you may think differently of me.) Combined with the radio outlet to spew my opinionated thoughts, my goal is to get people riled up enough to call and debate! We again asked the woman behind the email to call and help "balance" out the show. You guessed it, she didn't call.
Some of the best radio I've been a part of has been wild debate. It's boring to have everyone agree and different viewpoints foster creative thinking. We're not supposed to agree with anyone 100% of the time. One beauty of living in a free society is the ability to think freely and express our opinions without recourse from our government. I love America.
Incidentally, the topic of the morning was a recent Gallup poll of Americans showing that 42% consider themselves conservative, 35% moderate and 20% liberal. My question to the audience and the County Council Candidates who called-in was: Does Vousia County follow the national trend? From the listener response, it sounds like we do. The candidates also said that's what they're seeing in the trenches.
If the liberals think the county doesn't follow the national trend, stop hiding behind your computer and pick up the phone!! Your input is invaluable and yet diluted when not voiced.
Live stream every Tuesday morning from 6-8:30am on www.WNDB.am or listen in greater Daytona Beach at am1150. Call in to 386-239-0033 or *1150 on your AT&T wireless phone.
Talk to you next week!
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