Sacramento Group Protests KCTC Flip

Liberal talk radio supporters in Sacramento, who have formed a group called "Save Air America in Sacramento" are taking direct action to protest Entercom’s decision to flip KCTC from lib talk to ESPN sports.

This is the fourth lib talk station to switch to ESPN Sports -- the 19th overall in the past year.

The switch is scheduled to occur on Monday, February 26. The group, which has started a petition drive and launched a website, has already held a demonstration at the Entercom station in Sacramento on February 16 and is holding another one today as I write this aricle.

Entercom, gm John Geary, has been mostly unavailable for comment, since telling the Sacramento Bee, last week that KCTC would be switching from lib talk to sports. The station’s programming is mostly provided by AAR, but they also had two local hosts – veteran talker Enid Goldstein and Scott & Sims. Both shows were abruptly cancelled last week after rumors started to circulate that a format change was in the works.

The protests created by the announced lib talk flip is hardly the biggest problem for Entercom in Sacramento. The company generated national news last month when a Sacramento mother, Jennifer Le Strange, died of water intoxication after participating in contest called "hold your wee for a Wii" on KTND-FM. Entercom has fired about a dozen stations employees since this tragic event and is bracing itself for massive legal action.

There is another lib talk station in Sacramento. KSAC-AM which calls itself "Talk City," KSAC features non-AAR hosts Ed Schultz, Stephanie Miller, Bill Press, Mike Malloy, and Bev Smith. They also have a local talker –veteran northern California TV and radio journalist, Christine Craft. However, the problem with KSAC is not content, but signal strength. It broadcasts at a meager 1,000 watts (KCTC is 5,000 watts) and barely covers the city limits of Sacramento.

For more information about "Save AAR in Sacramento" contact the groups president, Margie Metzler or Aldous Tyler at Non Stop Radio. Also, check the "Impact of Flips on Lib Talk Radio Coverage" feature below for updated information on lib talk markets at risk.