Thursday, June 5, 2008

Dan Snyder Now Controls Your Radio

He finally did it. Dan Snyder has purchased the biggest sports talk radio station in DC, WTEM Sportstalk 980. Snyder purchased 3 low powered DC area radio stations in 2006 creating his own Redskins Radio network and he has used these stations to essentially become the Fox News Channel of Redskins news. Instead of spreading Republican propaganda, it spreads Redskins propaganda.

Broadcaster and Redskins play by play man Larry Michael has been the Bill O'Reilly of Redskins radio, always saying whatever the boss man upstairs tells him to and sticking to the company's agenda. Michael spends most of his time spreading nothing but unbelievably positive news from Redskins Park essentially turning himself into the Baghdad Bob of sports talk radio. A great quote about how bad Michael has become is from the Washington Post's Redskin beat reporter Jason LaCanfora:
There's "The Voice of the Redskins" Larry Michael, who would spew the company line about anything, anytime. I'm not even sure he has to be asked anymore. I'm thinking the mindwashing is complete by now and Michael is thoroughly reprogrammed.

Its only natural to assume that one can expect 980 to eventually become similar to the existing Redskins Radio stations because Snyder isn't overly fond of media criticism since he got burned so bad when he first took control of the team and has been pummeled in the media since (including by this blog). Sadly for 980, it was and currently is the only sports talk radio station in town that is always critical of all of the sports teams in the nations capital, including the Redskins, and now that freedom to be critical of everything without big brother's corporate oversight might be lost.

Its almost a certainty that 980 will switch from being a Fox Sports Radio station and back to an ESPN Radio station (which it was before Snyder got the contract in 2006 with the creation of the Redskins Radio Network) which almost certainly means no more Czaban in the morning and back to the horrid Mike & Mike. That alone will make me listen to less radio...or maybe i'll have to tune into the Junkies...ugh. Lets hope that that will be the only change that Snyder implements. Even Jesus doesn't approve of this...

1 comment:

The Fair Weather Fan said...

As a native Washingtonian, I agree on the Snyder front. The guy is ridiculous, but I must disagree about the Junkies. They blow away any other morning show out there. Wish I didn't live in New York now and could listen to them more.