Posted by chicagomedia.org on August 28, 2008 at 11:07:20:
Obama Campaign Organizes Protest Of WGN Over Guest
Sen. BARACK OBAMA's presidential campaign organized a protest of TRIBUNE Talk WGN-A/CHICAGO over the station hosting a guest critical of OBAMA on WEDNESDAY, reports the CHICAGO TRIBUNE.
The OBAMA campaign sent an e-mail to supporters urging them to call the station to complain about the station's "EXTENSION 720 WITH MILT ROSENBERG" having STANLEY KURTZ, who has written for the NATIONAL REVIEW about OBAMA's ties to WEATHER UNDERGROUND radical and UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS-CHICAGO professor BILL AYRES. "WGN radio is giving right-wing hatchet man STANLEY KURTZ a forum to air his baseless, fear-mongering terrorist smears," the e-mail charged. "He's currently scheduled to spend a solid two-hour block from 9:00 to 11:00 p.m. pushing lies, distortions, and manipulations" about OBAMA and AYRES, added the e-mail. "It is absolutely unacceptable that WGN would give a slimy character assassin like KURTZ time for his divisive, destructive ranting on our public airwaves. At the very least, they should offer sane, honest rebuttal to every one of KURTZ's lies."
The show's producer, ZACK CHRISTENSON, told the TRIBUNE that the station asked the OBAMA campaign to provide a representative to come on the air and was turned down. "I would say this is the biggest response we've ever got from a campaign or a candidate," he said. "This is really unprecedented with the show, the way that people are flooding the calls and our email boxes." CHRISTENSON said that the calls dropped off after the show's first hour.
(AA)