Dear Friends,
For years, Bradshaw (yeah, he just goes by one name) helped bring some balance to central Iowa’s airwaves. Bradshaw had his own daily talk show. He also played a key role in helping the Fallon Forum get started.
After being kicked-off the air last year, people wondered what ever would become of Mr. Bradshaw. Maybe he’d move to the big city, try to find a talk-radio niche there. Maybe he’d wash dishes or wait tables at Zombie Burger. And in the fantasy minds of cold-hearted right-wingers, maybe he’d leap to a turbulent, watery death off the Scott Street Bridge.
But no. Our hero waited, watched, collected unemployment, and when the opportunity arose he recreated himself as . . . Bradshaw!
Ok, that’s way too much drama. But seriously. Good news: Starting today, May 14th, Bradshaw’s program is back from 1:00-3:00, Monday-Friday, viewable live on the Fallon Forum website.
And really, while Bradshaw may be wrong on some of the issues (wrong means “disagrees with me”), the guy’s got a great head for policy, a solid grasp of politics, and a wit that moves faster than a lizard’s tongue. Frankly, I’ve been exceedingly impressed with Bradshaw. He has a whole lot to offer Iowa’s (and America’s) political and news dialogue, and whether or not you like what he has to say, I hope you’ll agree it’s important to include his voice in the conversation.
Meanwhile, on the Fallon Forum, 12:00-1:00 pm also on this website . . . Monday, Steve Falck with the Environment Law Policy Center discusses tax credits for solar energy and geothermal. We also dig into passenger rail, something Governor Branstad needs to step-up to the plate on.
Tuesday, David Osterberg tackles the question of how to measure America’s 99% vs 1%. We talk about the Earned Income Tax Credit, tax increment financing, and the insanity of giving Wal-mart and McDonald’s a tax break.
Wednesday, Jeff Weiss and I talk about Afghanistan, the corporate media, and who knows what else.
Thursday, Jonathan Wilson, a Des Moines attorney, is my guest.
Friday, local anarchist Adam Senecaut and I debate anarchy, and also the pros and cons of the recent action involving black-clad marchers sporting masks and an upside-down, torn American flag painted with the words “F- Your System.” Wanna guess whether I’m on the pro or con side of this debate?
So, join the conversation, Monday-Friday, online from 12:00-1:00 pm on the Fallon Forum website. Call in at 244-0077, or toll free (855) 244-0077. Video and audio podcasts are available, too. And please tune-in to Bradshaw, Monday-Friday from 1:00-3:00, also on the Fallon Forum website. Thanks! – Ed
Dear Friends,
Candor alert: Whether it’s TV, radio or print, the media are controlled by a handful of really rich white guys. I know it, you know it, and Wall Street knows it. Some outlets are a little more “fair and balanced” than others, but being part and parcel of Wall Street, the media’s overriding priority is to slobber big wet kisses on the profits-first agenda of Corporate America.
And they’re doing a bang-up job. In the case of radio, extreme-right voices now outnumber liberal and moderate voices 12 to 1! The disparity between nationally syndicated shows and local programs is just as pronounced.
I need your help as we continue to work to change this!
The past 2 1/2 years have seen great progress. When the Fallon Forum first aired in September of 2009, 98.3 FM’s 7:00-8:00 pm time slot had 1,500 listeners. By offering diverse topics with engaging guests, and by striving to treat all perspectives with civility and fairness, the audience grew to 6,000 listeners per show.
Switching to an online format has been challenging. Yet it also presents new opportunities, and during our first month the show’s audience reached over 20,000 – comparable to where we started in 2009.
My goal is to expand the program’s ability to further impact Iowa politics and public policy – through online broadcasts, community-owned radio stations, and a growing social media network. I want to help jump-start other promising local talk-show hosts, too. And wherever you fall on the political spectrum, I’ll continue to give YOU a chance to be heard (and please, send me YOUR on issues we should talk about, too).
So, while the Fallon Forum takes a week off from live broadcasts, I ask you in the strongest possible terms to go to our website and pledge your financial support. Please consider $25 per month, using either Pay Pal or Dwolla. And if you own a business, run a non-profit, or are organizing an event, respond to this message and let’s talk about collaborating on promotion.
Thanks! – Ed
Dear Friends,
It’s been one month since we switched to a strictly online program, and things are going well. (Note: The Fallon Forum airs live at www.fallonforum.com or WRLD.TV from 12:00-1:00, Monday-Friday. Podcasts available, too.) The show saw over 20,000 viewings in April! That’s a fantastic start, and as my coworkers and I (ok, mostly my coworkers) hammer out the technical glitches, we hope to make it easier for more of you to participate.
For me, the biggest adjustment is having to sit in front of a camera and not look like a dork. Radio is so much kinder to us dorks. (Bradshaw, you’re a dork, too, in case there was any doubt.) No more ratty t-shirts. No more cryptic hand signals with the producer. The time-honored habit of excessive nose scratching has gone the way of hitchhiking and soda fountains.
Yet my inner-Luddite soldiers on in this brave new technical world that, truly, holds so much promise. With the “public” airwaves increasingly dominated by the twin dark lords – Clear Channel and Cumulus – online broadcasting remains one of the few alternatives to traditional radio.
The video component of this program is exciting for two reasons: (1) so the audience can better visualize an issue, and (2) as a new way for me to embarrass myself, e.g. . . .
Monday, I’ll share a brief photo collage of my recent “shopping” excursion to Jordan Creek Mall. Then Dr. Charles Goldman and I discuss Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan’s new bromance, which has blossomed over their agreement on how to turn Medicare into a voucher program. But health-care expert Senator Ron Wyden (D-Oregon) is also on board with Romney and Ryan, forming a disturbing bipartisan menage a trois. Charles and I examine what Medicare would look like under this plan, and we discuss the upcoming Supreme Court decision on the individual mandate in the Affordable Care Act.
Tuesday, Stu Anderson of the Iowa Department of Transportation talks about the future of transportation planning. Americans are driving less while biking, busing and walking more. And with fuel-efficient vehicles becoming increasingly common, how will policy-makers respond to the accompanying decline in fuel-tax collections? My 1985 Schwinn Varsity also joins us for this conversation.
Wednesday, we’re all over the board:
(1) Computer ergonomics. Seriously, with millions of hands suffering due to conventional computer usage, we’ve got a lot to learn about this subject. There’s plenty of money to be made, too. Doubt me? Explain the “Dragon Speak” billboard behind home plate at Fenway Park, arguably one of the most prime pieces of advertising real estate in the country.
(2) Burger King goes cage free. Talk about huge! I’ll bet millions of chickens clucked for joy when they read that story. And what does Agribusiness (aka, Farm Bureau) have to say about it?
(3) Bill Hamilton talks about fluoride. Hey, my teeth are virtually cavity-free because of it (thanks, Mom). But it seems there’s a nefarious side to fluoride, too. Mom, this segment of the program’s for you.
Thursday, State Rep Dan Kelley (D-Newton) joins us. Dan looks into his crystal ball to tell us whether the legislative session will end in May, June, July, next fall or after Jesus returns.
Friday, it’s more variety:
(1) Wal-Mart recently found itself in all sorts of trouble for allegedly bribing Mexican officials.
(2) It’s not just us Occupy types who want to break up big banks. In Des Moines last week, FDIC director Thomas Hoenig “renewed his call for the government to intervene and destroy the hegemony of the nation’s five largest banks,” according to a Des Moines Register article. Wow! Give that guy a “We Are the 99%” t-shirt!
(3) The battle over raw milk is, well, heating up. Prediction 1: I drink a glass of raw milk during today’s program. Prediction 2: I do not thus die a horrible death.
So, please tune-in and join the conversation, Monday-Friday, 12:00 noon – 1:00 pm online at www.fallonforum.com. The podcast feature should be fully operational this week, and you can always view or listen to the show on your cell phone or mobile device through WRLD.TV. And if you’re part of our live audience, we love to get calls (except from Frank) at (309) 281-7254. Thanks! – Ed
Dear Friends,
I’m fresh back from speaking at the Restoring Freedoms Conference in Wilkes-Barre, organized by the Libertarian Party of Pennsylvania. One of the event’s goals was to build a broader consensus for change. I’m not sure that happened. I was the lone voice representing the Occupy movement, and possibly the only person who’d ever been a registered Democrat, or elected to state office.
Of course, there were plenty of folks who had run for state or federal office, some multiple times, usually snagging between one and five percent of the vote.
There was a speaker who assured us that, and I quote, “Government is telling you how to raise your children.”
There was the gal representing “Smart Girl Politics,” who insisted that drilling for oil will lower gas prices. When she derisively asked how many in the audience supported the EPA, I was the only person who raised my hand . . . and I kept it up for a good ten seconds.
There was the guy who wrote a book focused on eliminating Social Security, Medicaid and Medicare. Now that’s a real consensus builder!
There was a veritable sea of pro-gun t-shirts. My favorite read “Taxation is Theft,” and it showed a guy dressed like a law enforcement official holding a gun to a kneeling taxpayer’s head. That’s the kind of message we need to unite America!
And there were, frankly, some things said that were quite sensible . . . and by “sensible” I mean, of course, “agreeable to my way of thinking.” Hey, just being honest.
Monday, I’ll talk about the Restoring Freedoms Conference – the good, the bad, and the downright crazy. I’ll share all sorts of interesting mail I’ve received on the subject, and invite your calls on this question: “Is it even possible to build a viable political coalition embracing disgruntled Democrats, third party activists, and disenfranchised independents?” Join the show live online from 12:00 noon-1:00 pm on my website. Call in at 244-0077 or toll free at (855) 244-0077.
Tuesday, on a related theme, I’ll share my joyful experience as a customer of TSA while flying this past weekend. We’ll hear from Jim Babbs, an activist who has helped lead the charge for a more sane approach to airport security. To prime yourself for the conversation, I recommend this hilarious Reason TV video.
Wednesday, former Polk County Attorney Dan Johnston joins me to talk about challenges facing Iowa’s criminal justice system. Dan represented the plaintiffs in the famous Tinker vs Des Moines Public School black armband case, and we’ll get his take on what those historic trials mean for civil liberties today.
Thursday, I couldn’t find a decent guest, so it’s . . . Bradshaw! Ok, just teasing, my friend. We’ll talk about whether it makes more sense to fix or replace the Democratic Party. And once we accomplish that: three easy steps to achieving world peace.
Friday, State Rep. Ralph Watts (R-Adel) joins me. Ralph and I served together, and if we ever voted on the same side of a bill, it didn’t happen often. We’ll discuss the controversy over ALEC, and well, if it’s ok with you Ralph, we can put any and all legislative or political topics on the table.
We’ll do a couple give-aways this week: (1) a free air conditioner check with Leonard Tinker Heating and Cooling, and (2) a $25 gift certificate to Tally’s Restaurant, Bar and Catering.
So, join the conversation, Monday-Friday, online from 12:00 noon-1:00 pm on my website, and call in at 244-0077, or toll free (855) 244-0077. Video and audio podcasts are available, too, although we’re still trouble-shooting some snags in the system, so please bear with me on that.
Thanks! — Ed
Before we got dumped by the Very Big Media Conglomerate, Bradshaw and I – the Iowa talkers on the left – got paid minimally (Bradshaw) or actually shelled out big bucks to be on the air (me – yeah, I really am dumber than I look).
Now, we innovate. We create new opportunities for other local voices. We work to bring balance to the conversation. We do an end-run around the corporate interests that want to silence the voices of dissent, Soviet-style. It’s a work in progress, but the first two weeks of online shows went very well, and I thank all of you who listened and called-in.
Monday, Bradshaw is on the Fallon Forum with me! Over the weekend, we were discussing content and were reminded about how many things we disagree on: nuclear power, the recent court ruling on political attack ads, how to “fix” the Democratic Party, Star Wars’ cultural value (or lack thereof). Bradshaw is wrong on all these issues, wrong meaning . . . he doesn’t see it my way. (Oops, sorry, I had a brief Mickelson/Conway/Deace moment there.) So call-in today and help me tell Bradshaw why he’s all kinds of misinformed.
Tuesday – Thursday, much of the week’s programming is in flex mode, subject to breaking developments at the Iowa Statehouse and elsewhere. Let me know if you’d like additional notification of program updates as they develop, which I announce in a brief daily e-mail called, appropriately, Fallon Forum Daily Notice.
Friday, I’m speaking at the Restoring Freedoms Conference in Scranton, Pennsylvania, so Dr. Charles Goldman and his brother Dr. Stephen Goldman fill-in. According to an FDA consultant, there are more than 200,000 injuries and 2,000 deaths related to the use of various medical devices. And those are only the ones reported to the FDA. The response of federal lawmakers on both sides of the aisle has been to make it even easier for the manufacturers to gain FDA approval of their often faulty devices. Stephen shares his perspective as a medical safety expert and former FDA Medwatch director.
So, join the conversation, Monday-Friday, online from 12:00 noon-1:00 pm on my website, and call in at 244-0077, or toll free (855) 244-0077. Video podcasts are available, too, and we’re working on getting the glitches out of the audio-only podcast option.
Thanks! — Ed
Dear Friends,
In sending out this weekly missive, I rarely ask for a favor, do I? No, I don’t. So when I do – like now – you should take it seriously, right? With that in mind, I have two small favors to ask:
(1) Tune-in to at least one broadcast this week, live from 12:00-1:00, Monday-Friday (simply click the “broadcast” tab on this website). While there are many advantages to broadcasting with the People’s Internet vs The Very Big Radio Corporation’s FM station, the drawback is we need to build an audience from scratch. Last week went incredibly well, with lots of favorable comments and plenty of phone calls from listeners. Help me keep that momentum going.
I cannot stress how important it is to build local, democratic alternatives to corporate media.
(2) Call-in to the show at least once this week. It’s pretty harmless. Me and my guests are mostly warm and fuzzy, like Teddy Bears, or Easter Bunnies . . . but not warm and fuzzy like the stuff you find in a petri dish. And with an Internet broadcast, you can say just about any hair-brained thing you want (I speak from experience) and the FCC won’t cut your tongue out, or apprehend you and strip search you. The number is 244-0077, or toll-free (855) 244-0077.
Monday, Charles Goldman and I discuss Stand Your Ground laws, the Trayvon Martin incident, and what’s happening with gun laws at the State Capitol. We might also discuss how much we’re looking forward to being strip-searched next time (1) Charles forgets to pay a parking ticket because he’s preoccupied with removing a cancerous mass from your liver, or (2) Ed refuses on principle to pay a speeding ticket incurred while biking through Windsor Heights.
Tuesday, restauranteur and all-around great guy Robert Sanda joins me to discuss various angles on the corporate media, chain bookstores, and crazy things that happen to restaurant owners when Big Government over reaches its bounds. Most of you know Robert as the dude who cooks-up some mighty fine dishes at Tally’s Restaurant Bar and Catering, but he’s got a whole ‘nuther realm of experience, too.
Also, Tuesday, it’s time for this week’s . . . Pink Slime Update!
Wednesday, Iowa’s Head Bee Guy, Andy Joseph, joins us to discuss two recent studies linking common pesticides with the decline of bees. Bees are way more important than most people think. Trust me, when we run out of fruit and vegetables because there’s no creature left to facilitate pollination, you’ll say, “Ed, we’re sorry, we should have listened to you on the bee thing.”
Also, Wednesday, Mike Smith joins us to talk about whether or not the taxpayers should pick up the tab for a private lake redevelopment. Mike’s the treasurer of Iowa Rivers Revival, worked with the Iowa attorney general’s office and was chair of the legal committee of Governor Culver’s Lake Delhi task force in 2010.
Thursday, it’s a high energy conversation: (1) Why is the Fort Calhoun nuclear power plant still shut-down after being taken off-line over a year ago?, (2) Why do some Republicans, including Mitt Romney, hate the GM Volt, a car that gets 61 miles to the gallon and was named the European car of the year?, and (3) Is wind energy as environmentally friendly as proponents claim? We look at some of the arguments on the other side. (Hey, I promised to be fair and balanced, yes?)
Friday, Steve Cowan, producer of “Priceless” (check out the trailer), a documentary discussing big money in politics, joins us to talk about his film, which is presently airing on Iowa Public Television. Check out the trailer. It’s pretty compelling stuff, with Congressfolk speaking more candidly than they probably meant to, and three Iowa farmers offering their perspective, too.
This week’s Fallon Forum Freebie is an air-conditioning check with Leonard Tinker Heating and Cooling. I want to thank our local business partners and especially the Iowa Chapter of Physicians for Social Responsibility for their support.
So, join the conversation online from 12:00 noon-1:00 pm, Monday-Friday. You can hear the show live on my website. I would love to have a veritable truckload of listeners call-in to join the conversation at 244-0077. And of course, there will be podcasts if you miss a show. Thanks! — Ed
Dear Friends,
News of the Fallon Forum being bumped from 98.3 inclined many of you to offer condolences. Your kindness is appreciated. But wait! Stash those condolences while I tell you how wonderful it feels not to cut a huge check to the Very Big Media Corporation every month.
In fact, it feels so wonderful that Bradshaw and I produced a little video on the topic. Bradshaw will be my first guest on the revamped, online Fallon Forum from 12:00 noon – 1:00 pm, Monday – Friday. You can hear the show live on my website. I would love to have a veritable truckload of listeners call-in to join the conversation this week at (855) 244-0077. And of course, there will be podcasts if you miss a show.
Monday, Bradshaw and I talk candidly about our love affair with Corporate Media. We’ll share things we could never discuss while in the belly of the beast. And for a little advance homework, there was an excellent piece published by Center for American Progress recently revealing how every hour of “liberal” talk radio is matched by ten hours of “conservative” talk. How’s that for fair and balanced?
Tuesday, we talk “pink slime,” aka “lean, finely textured beef.” Personally, I’m with Maine Congresswoman Chellie Pingree on this one. She’s introducing a bill to require labeling, and writes, “If a product contains connective tissue and beef scraps and has been treated with ammonia, you ought to be able to know that.” I hope to have her on my show, and we’ll invite the great defender of pink slime, Governor Terry Branstad, to join the conversation too.
Wednesday, since the bill isn’t dead yet, we’re going to continue to talk nuclear power. Mike Fasano, a Republican State Senator from Florida, wrote a piece entitled “Iowa should learn from Florida’s nuke mistake.” We’re working to get Mike or someone from his office on the show to tell us more.
Thursday, we talk about two new studies suggesting a link between certain common agricultural pesticides and the untimely demise of honeybees. One of the studies was done by French scientists, who actually glued tiny radio transmitters to bees. Wow! And you thought the Frenchman or Frenchwoman who designed the croissant was clever?
Friday, State Rep Dan Kelley joins us for a look at this week at the Statehouse. We’ll also talk about a range of state political ethics concerns, including (1) how lobbyists have created a legislator-schmooze gap big enough to drive their lexi through, (2) Governor Branstad’s doling out of huge bonuses to key staffers, and (3) the broad question about why it’s so tough to cut the fat out of government, with a look at the F-16 fighter jet controversy as an example.
So, join the conversation Monday – Friday from 12:00 noon – 1:00 pm online. Call-in toll free at (855) 244-0077. You can download the Fallon Forum as a podcast, too. Thanks! — Ed
Hi Folks –
It took a major effort to nail it down, but the Fallon Forum will continue its daily broadcast starting Monday, April 2nd. The show will air over the lunch hour, from 12:00-1:00, available via livestream on my website and also as a podcast. It’ll be powered by WebCastOneLive and callers are welcome. I’ll start off with a smaller audience, but since I won’t have to shell out an arm and a leg to a huge corporation with no social conscience, it’s well worth the trade.
The topic of conversation Monday is . . . wait for it . . . “Who Really Owns Your Airwaves?” Ok, no surprise there. But the great thing about Monday’s show is that my guest will be . . . ok, wait for it again . . . Bradshaw! Yes, the original hero of local, progressive talk radio is back. So, join the conversation as Bradshaw and I tell all about the inner workings of the corporate beast that now controls what we used to quaintly refer to as “the public airwaves.”
Thanks — Ed
In the wake of Rush Limbaugh calling Sandra Fluke a “slut” and “prostitute,” dozens of sponsors pulled their ads from Limbaugh’s program. Let’s hope it sticks. This is not an isolated outburst from Limbaugh, who has made a career of pushing the limits of what is acceptable in the field of public discourse.
The flip side locally of this lesson in Limbaughian linguistics is that if you support my efforts to bring balance and civility to the airwaves, please please please, support the Fallon Forum’s business sponsors. These are local businesses whose owners believe in what I’m doing. But given their tight budgets in these challenging times, they’re more likely to continue to support the next incarnation of the Fallon Forum if you patronize them.
Visit the sponsor page of my website for a complete listing of current and recent business clients. And if you want to see this program continue, support them!
I do want to make a specific plug for three local business. If you’re looking to buy or sell a home in the Des Moines metro, please consider contacting Joe Henry. Joe and I go back to the 1980s, where we worked on campaigns together. He’s told me flat-out that if my listeners come to him he’ll do more promotion with the Fallon Forum.
It’s tax time, and if you haven’t lined up someone to prepare your taxes, consider giving Ying Sa of Community CPA a call. Ying’s been a great supporter of this radio program, and spearheads the annual Immigrant Entrepreneur Summit.
And if you’ve listened to Monday’s program over the past month, you’ve heard Sylvia DeWitt with IABusinessesforSale.com. If you want help starting, selling, buying or promoting your business, contact Sylvia.
Well, this is the last week of Fallon Forum broadcasts on WOW 98.3 FM. I am still working on exactly how this Phoenix rises from the ashes. I hope to announce that later this week.
Monday and Tuesday, as the U.S. Supreme Court begins to hear challenges to the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act, I broadcast from Washington DC, interviewing members of Congress and key national health care leaders. I want to thank Dr. David Drake, Des Moines family psychiatrist/relationship consultant in private practice, for sponsoring Monday’s program and Dsr. Bill Barry and Lisa Banitt of Ames for sponsoring Tuesday’s program.
Wednesday, we talk criminal justice, taking a closer look at community-based corrections. I’m still lining up guests, but want to thank Bill and Jean Basinger of Justice Reform Consortium for helping to sponsor the program.
Thursday, being the final broadcast of the Fallon Forum on WOW 98.3, it’s your show, folks. Any and all callers welcome on any and all topics.
So, join the conversation Monday – Thursday from 7:00-8:00 pm at 98.3 FM and online. Call-in at (515) 312-0983 or toll-free at (866) 908-TALK. You can download the Fallon Forum as a podcast, too. Thanks! — Ed
