Reply #9: Progressive Radio Was More Than Protest Songs... [View All]

Those who remember KPPC in LA or WBAI in New York or WGLD in Chicago or KSAN in San Francisco heard a generation speaking to itself...Earth News and reports that weren't being reported in the Mainstream media (similar to America Now), coordination with underground news papers/free presses (ahhh...remember those great comix???) and an economy all its own...from head shops to army-navy outfitters to natural food stores to a ton of non-profit community organizations. The music just set the mood...those stations delivered the message.

It's difficult to air a lot of even the old protest songs today since so many are out of print...or burried deep in collections...not accessible to many. Also, the current skin-tight regulations of the FCC/Cheap Channel/NAB cabal prevents anything that is negative about this invasion or the regime from getting much airplay.

It's sad to hear the Alternative & Modern Rock stations that avoid this issue like an unspoken dirty word...still getting off on the anti-social/alienation themes...since it's their listeners that are going to be shipped off to fight this ugly mess.

I'm lucky...I work with a group that is developing new digital broadcast operations...one that features a lot of the 60's & 70's folk & protest music. It's powerful to hear...and some suggestions:

- The Balad of Penny Evans - Steve Goodman
- Sam Stone - John Prine
- Ruby, Don't Take Your Love To Town (makes my skin crawl) - Kenny Rogers & First Edition
- Yellow River - Christie
- Still In Saigon - Charlie Daniels Band (when he wasn't as big an asshole as he is now)

and many more...

Cheers...