The Great Microphone Hunt: Click Pause

By Al Giordano

I mentioned yesterday, in this space, that I had expressed an interest in a certain national talk radio microphone that had become suddenly vacated, and asked Field Hands "for your ideas on how to organize to make that happen."

And, wow, was I heartened, impressed and humbled by how fast so many here took the initiative and jumped into action. Yesterday, Field Hand Tamsin Kemos started a Facebook page - "Put Al Giordano on Nova M Radio" - toward that end and it already has 171 206 228 242 members overnight.

But according to wildly conflicting reports across the Internets, the corporation to which you were appealing may no longer exist, or may have filed for C hapter 11 bankruptcy, in this same time period. Or maybe none of that is true. We just don't know yet.

There is a reported lawsuit in the mix and one of the lawyers is making the most incendiary of the statements (meaning, take them with a huge grain of salt). So, the only thing that's clear is that we don't know what is going on at Nova M radio or its reported replacement On Second Thought LLC (an Arizona based radio company which shares at least one principal officer with Nova M).

Given all the confusion, I'd like to ask y'all for the following indulgences:

1. Temporarily suspend the sending of any emails to Nova M or other radio officials to promote an audition or a radio show for me.

2. That this message be sent to all the members of that great new Facebook group, and:

3. But, please do keep joining that Facebook group - and inviting your friends to join - so that if at the point when the dust settles and a real opportunity becomes clear all can receive an alert as to the steps to take if the iron heats up again.

Thank you again for such a fast and active organizing response toward the apparent availability of a microphone. I know you impressed many observers and colleagues throughout the media as many contacted me last night and today to say so. And you put an idea in the minds of some folks who might be in a position, sooner or later, to make it happen.

But since all good organizing must always be based on accurate information and the terrain is quite foggy right now, more information gathering is needed before taking any further action. Click pause. Research. And hold your fire. And when appropriate, we'll click "play" again.

Finally, warm wishes to Sheldon Drobny for a speedy recovery and to his partner Anita, their family, friends and colleagues, of which I consider myself one. They've done a heroic job liberating the airwaves in recent years under not always ideal circumstances, and may well be doing that still and in the future. We'll stay tuned and listening to find out.