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One of the most discussed topics in the DCRTV mailbag this week was the demise of WAGE-AM 1200 in Loudoun County, Virginia, The station was one the last outposts for community based broadcasting in the area.
When the owners sold out to a broadcasting chain a few years ago, local content was essentially gutted. High school football, local news and public affairs gradually disappeared from the airwaves, replaced by satellite business feeds. Can local AM broadcasting still be supported? Some elected officials say no, citing the many community blogs, news and social networking sites on the internet. I believe that the fact that those sites exist supports an interest in localism and that radio can once again be a part of it.
A template of sorts for AM's comeback exists on Long Island in New York at WLNG. The station has entertaining hosts, a strong news department, and a history of community service. Click in and listen for awhile and see what you think. Their success on an FM can be duplicated on a smaller scale for AM. It will take committed local ownership, combined with an immersion in their surrounding communities for AM to come back. The conglomerates have just about decimated the AM dial with their attempts at cost cutting and homogenization, maybe it's time for local ownership to take back the public airwaves.
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