WXXM

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WXXM
City of license	Sun Prairie, Wisconsin
Broadcast area	Madison, Wisconsin
Branding	"The Mic 92.1"
Slogan	"Madison's Progressive Talk"
Frequency	(92.1 MHz)
Format	Progressive talk
ERP	3,700 watts
Class	A
Callsign meaning	"MIX" (Previous format)
Former callsigns	WMAD (1979-2003)
Owner	Clear Channel Communications
Website	themic921.com

WXXM (The Mic 92.1) is a radio station serving the Madison, Wisconsin metropolitan area. The station airs a progressive talk format and air mostly syndicated programming, particularly from the Air America Radio network. The station is regarded as one of Air America's most popular affiliates, and survived a planned 2007 format change to sports radio after an organized outpouring of support from its listeners.

Contents 1 Format History 1.1 Music as "Mad Radio" and "Mix" 1.2 "The Mic 92.1" 1.3 The Proposed Change to Sports 1.3.1 Reaction to the change 1.3.2 Reversal of Decision 1.3.3 Reprocussions from the reversal 2 Station Logo History 3 See also 4 External links

[edit] Format History

[edit] Music as "Mad Radio" and "Mix"

Throughout much of the 1990s, 92.1 was WMAD, which programmed alternative rock music. The station had decent ratings, though they were handicapped by a lower-powered signal that did not saturate the market like many of the other local FM stations.

Feeling that ratings could be better, Clear Channel dropped WMAD's alternative rock format on October 28, 2002, becoming "Mix 92.1" and airing a modern rock-based Hot AC format. Listener outcry over this switch was so strong that on December 31, 2003 Clear Channel turned their struggling smooth jazz station at 96.3 into the new "Mad Radio", adding the WMAD call letters and an alternative rock format, while 92.1 adopted the WXXM call letters. (The new "Mad Radio" would last until December 23, 2005, when WMAD dropped alternative rock altogether and switched to country music.)

"Mix 92.1" was a failure, as they could not compete with other similar stations in the market, and ratings were lower than the previous format. During the week before Labor Day 2004, WXXM went jockless with announcements on the end of Mix 92.1 and the launch of the progressive talk format, directing current listeners to sister CHR WZEE (Z104).[1]

[edit] "The Mic 92.1"

At Midnight on September 7, 2004, Mix 92.1 was no more. The last Mix 92.1 song was "Steal My Sunshine" by Len. After several hours of stunting with left-wing comedy bits,[2] "The Mic 92.1" launched at 11:00 that morning with a CNN Radio newsbreak and Air America Radio's "The Al Franken Show." Clear Channel was experiencing success in other markets with progressive talk, and local management figured that the format would be ideal for the strongly liberal Madison market. Hence, "The Mic 92.1" was born, featuring programming primarily from Air America Radio.

Since the launch of "The Mic," WXXM made a few adjustments to their schedule, eventually obtaining both the Ed Schultz and Stephanie Miller shows. They also replaced their original late evening host, Phil Hendrie, with Mike Malloy, due to many requests from listeners.

The Mic would also add a local on-air presence. Madison-based writer Stu Levitan briefly hosted a late afternoon show during The Mic's early months. Later local shows included "Forward Forum," a Saturday morning show hosted by John Quinlan; "The Pro Show," a weekday morning show hosted by Lee Rayburn and Jodie Shawback; and 2-minute commentaries from Matthew Rothschild, editor of the Madison-based magazine The Progressive. Additionally, both Al Franken and Stephanie Miller visited Madison on separate occasions to do their respective shows from Madison's Barrymore Theater.

[edit] The Proposed Change to Sports

Although The Mic's ratings have fluctuated during its history, the station has enjoyed a loyal following among listeners in mostly progressive Madison. (In the Summer 2006 Arbitron ratings for the Madison market, WXXM ranked 11th of 25 stations overall, and the 2nd highest rated talk-formatted station.) However, on November 10, 2006, Clear Channel Madison made an announcement that would prove controversial--that WXXM would change formats to all-sports on January 1, 2007. The station was to have taken the moniker "Fox Sports Radio 92.1 FM," featuring programming from that network as well as the Jim Rome Show and other local sports play-by-play and discussion that would move from sister station WTSO.

In its original announcement (see "External Links"), management cited audience research that showed a desire among listeners for more coverage of local high school and college sports, as well as more live broadcasts of other sports programming that would be tape-delayed on Clear Channel's other stations in the Madison market (including WIBA-AM and WTSO), along with coverage of the Madison Mallards baseball team. (Clear Channel had won the team's broadcast rights, and planned to air the games on WXXM.) Jeff Tyler, the market manager for Clear Channel Madison, later admitted that other reasons contributed to the format change, including the financial problems facing Air America Radio and problems attracting advertisers to the progressive talk format, which in turn leads to lower revenues generated by the station. In fact, WXXM was ranked last out of 14 Madison radio stations that reported earnings.

In relation to the announcement, "The Pro Show" was discontinued the week of November 10, 2006, while "Forward Forum" was previously cancelled on October 28, 2006. After their dismissal from the station, "Pro Show" hosts Lee Rayburn and Jodie Shawback recorded a series of podcasts from the Escape Java Joint in Madison in November and December 2006[3], and would reunite for a few segments during Rayburn's guest host stint on Rachel Maddow's Air America Radio show during the last week of December 2006.

[edit] Reaction to the change

The announcement of WXXM's format flip met with great notice--and from fans of The Mic, great disdain. While some comments dismissed the flip as a case of progressive talk not being an attractive format for listeners or advertisers[4] (the latter of which had been cited specifically by management), fans of the station expressed disappointment [5] over the loss of a left-of-center viewpoint in Madison commercial talk radio. Words would turn into action as one fan of The Mic, Valerie Walasek, launched an online petition to persuade Clear Channel Madison to reverse its decision--a petition that would eventually surpass its original goal of 5,000 signatures. Events in relation to Walasek's petition included a rally for The Mic's listeners and advertisers (which attracted an overflow crowd to the High Noon Saloon on December 12, 2006), and a "funeral procession" to Clear Channel's Madison headquarters on December 20, 2006, at which the petition was delivered to station management.[6]

The Mic's proposed change reached national notice. Ed Schultz[7] was among those suggesting that the format flip resulted from a lack of effort among its management and salespeople to commit to the progressive talk format and to promote it to advertisers. Schultz even critized Tyler by name on his show.[8] Stephanie Miller featured Walasek on her program, while her show's resident impressionist, Jim Ward, performed a parody of what WXXM's sports format would sound like--an intentionally pedestrian play-by-play of girls' volleyball in a thick Wisconsin accent.

Walasek and other supporters of The Mic continued to pressure Clear Channel Madison to reverse their decision, suggesting that if their efforts for WXXM proved unsuccessful, they would promote continuing progressive talk programming on another station in Madison, including the possibility of pooling money and resources to purchase a station.

[edit] Reversal of Decision

While the outcry from The Mic's fans and advertisers heated up, Jeff Tyler insisted that Clear Channel Madison would not waiver from its plans to change WXXM to sports.[9], although the possibility of continuing progressive talk programming on its other stations--including moving the format to a HD Radio subchannel--was explored. Nevertheless, the outcry continued, culminating in the "funeral" and delivery of the "Save the Mic" petition on December 20, 2006.

However, late on December 21, 2006--one day after the "funeral"--Clear Channel Madison announced that WXXM would not change from progressive talk in 2007. Tyler confirmed the reversal in a message first played on air on December 22, 2006 (see "External Links"), indicating that management was "overwhelmed" by the support of fans, advertisers, and community leaders for The Mic. Tyler also confirmed that the station's agreement with Fox Sports Radio had to be ended in order for the reversal to take place.

[edit] Reprocussions from the reversal

WXXM's reversal left the schedules of three Madison stations scrambled:

• First and foremost, that of The Mic itself, which reverted to a non-local daily lineup after the November announcement. It is currently unclear if local programming will return to The Mic, or whether all or some Madison Mallards baseball broadcasts will air on the station.
• The "Heller & Murphy" show, which was to have moved to WXXM, remains on WTSO, which has also adopted an all-ESPN Radio lineup during the rest of the day.
• "The Jim Rome Show," another WTSO program that was also slated to move to WXXM, has now moved to Good Karma Broadcasting-owned WTLX, which also retains its Fox Sports Radio affiliation.

Emphasizing the support of area sponsors during the protests, 2007 has seen a noticable increase of on-air encouragement from The Mic for listeners to support their advertisers.

WXXM's reversal received national attention as it came at a time when progressive talk as a commercial radio format has had its struggles nationwide, highlighted by Air America's bankruptcy and the decrease or discontinuation of progressive talk programming on stations nationwide. Pertaining to the latter, the NonStop Radio project has been formed to help other markets who face losing their progressive talk stations. Fans of progressive talk in Boston and Columbus have launched "Save the Mic"-type campaigns after stations in those cities (WKXS and WTPG, respectively) dropped the format.

[edit] Station Logo History

Logo for WMAD Radio (92-1 MAD) circa 2000

Logo for "The Mic 92.1"

The provisional logo for "Fox Sports Radio 92.1 FM"

[edit] See also

• Air America Radio
• Progressive talk

[edit] External links

• Query the FCC's FM station database for WXXM
• WXXM's website
• Media musings: To air is liberal Google cache of "The Capital Times", September 7, 2004
• Statement from Clear Channel concerning WXXM's format change to sports
• Articles from Wisconsin State Journal and The Capital Times on WXXM's flip to sports
• Online petition and Yahoo! Group to preserve The Mic on WXXM
• Stories from The Capital Times and The Isthmus on the rally in support of The Mic.
• Statement from Clear Channel that The Mic will continue
• Articles from Wisconsin State Journal, Sharewatch, and Capital Times on the format reversal