Monday, January 26, 2009

Dissecting a listener's complaints, Hydro maps downtown, remembering a retailer


Last Friday, I read on the air a typed letter Rick the Boss got expressing "disappointment with the decision to extend" the show - which was in September. It was unsigned and typical of some of the pressure put upon the station to silence TGCTS and your opportunity to ask questions, get answers, and share information the mainstream media often will either mis-state, distorts, or ignore.

I want to respond to some of the issues raised by the letter.

Dear "disgruntled KICK listener",

I appreciate it took a lot of time to compile the ad-hominum attacks used, like " conspiracy theorist, right wing ideagogue" ( an idea-gogue? I sure am); "toxic rhetoric", and suggesting my "conduct is borderline slanderous".

However it is apparent *someone* does not actually listen to the show.

"maligning public officials without allowing time to rebut or refute any of his salacious allegations."

This is utterly false. The lack of response (emails or calls) from defenders of public officials is telling. I have never screened out any calls that take issue with any of the stories or analysis we broadcast (however rare they may be).

" I checked his allegations with one of the politicians I happened to bump into socially and he assured me that the spin couldn't be further from the truth..."

Last Friday, Spirited Kenny invited you to forward the name of that politician to us to allow for them to express that position and defend it to our listeners, the voters of Manitoba.

As I expected, we have gotten the usual response we get whenever we offer this opportunity to those we hold to account:

Silence.

Here is but a sample of the "many politicians from all parties, from all levels of government, who are trying to improve our quality of life here in Manitoba." who have not even acknowledged, let alone accepted, our requests for interviews.

MP Pat Martin

MP Jim Malloway (granted that was when he was a city councillor)

Premier Gary Doer

Family Services Minister Gord MacIntosh

Healthy Living Minister Kerri Irvin-Ross
Councillor Dan Vandal

Councillor Harry Lazarenko

Councillor Mike O'Shaunessy

The lack of response from government or government-funded agencies includes:

- the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority about the superbug that killed a woman at Seven Oaks General Hospital;

- the various agencies that won't divulge any costs estimates for the long-delayed 511/CanAlert public warning system;

- Winnipeg Harvest about how they track food such as, say, frozen minced pork;

to name but 3.

Next time you bump into one of your political acquaintances, if they are on the list, tell them the door is open.
Hell, tell ANY politician you bump into that our door is open. I'm sure the audience would appreciate your efforts to convince them to provide "more accurate information and a more balanced view of our political landscape", that you claim is lacking.

Don't you ask yourself, what is the real reason they ignore invitations from this program, rather than come on the air and explain how they are being "unfairly" criticized?
You also advocate for "an additional program to be developed that allows for alternate views than that of Mr. Gold."

As Kenny explained last week, there already are such programs. It's called the main stream media.
We are alternative media.
That is the point.
We're the alternative.

And that is why more and more people with questions and who want answers, listeners who are lawyers, doctors, small businesses, service organizations, restaurant and bar workers, professional drivers, police, parents, students, bloggers, and MSM newsrooms, academics, are not only tuning in, but are participating via calls, emails and even typewritten letters like yours.

Thanks for listening.

Marty


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With all the discussion last week about the aborted Manitoba Hydro plan to expand their substation by eviscerating three heritage buildings on McDermot in the Exchange District, it might be helpful to allow concerned Winnipeggers to have a visual on the area in question to better assess the spin from Hydro officials.

CBC, Thursday Jan 22: (Hydro spokesman Glenn) Schneider said the solution is not as easy as simply choosing another location for the substation because the existing substation in need of an upgrade is adjacent to the three McDermot Avenue buildings.

"We can't just take a spot two blocks away, which is a parking lot or that's vacant land right now because all of the underground feeders feed into that, the local feeders feed into that spot on King Street."

Two blocks away huh. Well courtesy of the Skyscraper forum, lookie here:

http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showpost.php?s=fc36c380bf3060dc99c90038a2791d37&p=4042575&postcount=980

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A loyal listener has started his own blog, so here's the plug:


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Lastly an email, about the unexpected closure of legendary local audio/video store Krazy Krazy, fifteen-oh-nine St. Matthews Av-e-nue:

In 1984 I bought a 28 inch RCA TV there. It was the biggest TV I had ever seen. It cost almost 1000 (l984) dollars. (I was young, single and employed, then.) It had a beautiful picture; everyone who saw it commented on how sharp it was. Everyone. It lasted me 21 years.

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Enjoy Super Bowl 43, on Monday we'll find out if Frank the Italian Barber hit it big on the Cardinals roll he's been on since game 8 !!
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