From the NYT:

While ongoing negotiations to buy the beleaguered radio network Air America have kept its future in a state of limbo, the company had one bit of good news last week.

WXXM-FM, a station in Madison, Wis., owned by Clear Channel Communications, rescinded a decision to drop the liberal network in favor of Fox Sports Radio. The station, known as “the Mic” 92.1, was preparing to switch to a local sports format on Jan. 1. But last Friday, in a surprise statement, the station manager, Jeff Tyler, announced that the station had decided to continue with the progressive talk format of Air America into 2007.

A news release made it clear that public outcry was very directly responsible for the reversal: "We are overwhelmed by the recent outpouring of support for our Progressive Talk format from the public, some of our community leaders and some dedicated local advertisers.”

Soon after the initial announcement to drop Air America was made on Nov. 7, a 28-year-old-student, Valerie Walasek, began an an online petition campaign that gathered more than 5,000 signatures and also organized a large rally. She said she was shocked at the outcome.

It's worth noting that Madison is one of the most liberal college towns in the United States (The Onion was planted there). If Air America couldn't make it there, could it make it anywhere? 

The NYT has a story on Google's new offices in Manhattan, where they're almost partying like it's 1999 -- er, without the live sex shows that some of the more licentious dot-coms hosted in those halcyon days.

In 2006, 55 journalists were killed in the line of duty around the world, a stunning 32 in Iraq alone. Democracy Now! talked to Frank Smyth of the Committee to Protect Journalists.

Democracy Now! unearthed an interview with James Brown and the Rev. Al Sharpton conducted in 1980, which were dark days career-wise for the Godfather of Soul. He tried to go independent and couldn't get played on radio, booked into decent halls, nothing.

The interview, conducted by Jon Alpert, was recorded just before things broke for Brown. Ultimately, the documentary for which the interview was conducted never got made. But the interview is still interesting:

From the Online Journalism Review blurb: All U.S. journalists, pro and amateur, need for better field reporting is a better cell phone. Fortunately, some are on the way.

This NY article looks at how former U.S. President Gerald Ford dealt with the almost weekly lampooning at the hands of physical comedy master Chevy Chase on Saturday Night Live.

I wasn't really intending on blogging much today, but I did a quick scan of the BBC News website not long after regaining consciousness, and this caught my eye:

Not to be too nerdy (OK, a bit late for that now), but if the Beeb was getting one-tenth of its normal traffic today, then that would be a drop of 90 per cent. I'm not totally awake yet, and I'm certainly not caffeinated, but I can't figure out how you get to 269 per cent below normal.

Actually, I also can't figure out why I care! :)

Later (still without caffeine)

If "normal" traffic to the Beeb is 100, and today the traffic was 37.174721, then a 269 per cent rise would bring the level back to 100.

However, going from 100 down to 37.174721 is a drop of about 63 per cent.

Improving the world's numeracy: Bill Doskoch's goal for 2007. :)

The NYT's Richard Siklos asked readers about their predictions for major developments in the world of media for 2007. He reports back.

From the AP story on CTV.ca:

The UN Security Council on Saturday condemned attacks on journalists during armed conflicts and urged combatants to stop singling out members of the media and respect their professional independence.

An LAT story on "citizen journalism" and why Reuters will buy photos but not stories. However, Gannett, the USA's largest newspaper company, is willing to let citizens hit the keyboard.

I posted the following at CTV.ca in the comments area of David Akin's post on the Great Journalists' Contract Hunt initiated by Conservative MP Scott Reid: