Earlier this week, Save WRKO's Bryan Maloney wrote an impassioned piece lamenting the decline of Bay State talk radio voices critical of the goings-on at the State House, and the replacement of such voices with figures sympathetic to the Democrat majority (such as pro-Patrick 'RKO morning host Tom Finneran). Maloney's piece certainly reflects the anger and frustration that many fans of WRKO now feel, as that station in particular has seemingly abandoned its traditional audience just when that audience needed it the most.
WRKO was one of the few media outlets in Massachusetts where Bay Staters who opposed the Democrat Party's agenda could have their voices heard. It's hard for those who dismiss talk radio as mere entertainment to grasp the importance of the station to Bay State non-Democrats from 1981 to 2006. Conservative and libertarian views were routinely dismissed as bigoted, reactionary, excessively hawkish, and intolerant on the editorial pages of the Boston Globe and Boston Phoenix. On WRKO, however, conservative and libertarian arguments were treated with respect.
It's tough to accept WRKO's transition from "red-state radio in blue-state Massachusetts" to a station featuring a morning host who openly proclaims his unyielding support for a dyed-in-the-wool Democrat such as Patrick. For conservatives and libertarians, WRKO's changes represent lost ground.
For longtime fans of "Boston's Talk Station," it's impossible to prevent a certain amount of nostalgia from creeping in. One can't help wondering how Jerry Williams would have responded to some of Patrick's actions. Considering the way he went after Michael Dukakis, it's easy to imagine how adroitly he would pan Mr. "No Ordinary Leader/Together We Can."
Reality, however, is setting in. For various reasons, 'RKO is no longer interested in casting a skeptical eye upon Beacon Hill. While Howie Carr still maintains a seat of power, he is surrounded by figures who are either half-hearted in their criticisms of Patrick or outright admirers of the governor. We'll always wonder how the "old" 'RKO would have dealt with Deval. Unfortunately, the only thing we can do is wonder.
UPDATE: More from Jon Keller and the Phoenix.
SECOND UPDATE: More from the Herald and the Boston Globe.
THIRD UPDATE: More from Jon Keller, the Globe, the AP and Howie Carr.
