WNPR News Director John Dankosky wishes former Governor John Rowland well in his new role as afternoon radio host on WTIC-am, but is concerned about the venerable AM station seeming content to “park itself on the Right, taking on a predicable position in a loud, pointless culture war”:
But this decision to put Rowland on the radio seems to have fully taken our state’s “50,000 watt flamethrower” and completely turned it into a vehicle for partisan political speech. At least, when Colin and Diane Smith were let go more than a year ago, the station preserved an afternoon drive time slot for daily Connecticut news. ”Total News” with Bill Pearse and Aaron Kupec was an aggressive attempt to bring a big chunk of daily news content back to the air, in a classic WCBS style. Now, that news is gone, too, replaced by a steady diet of Ray Dunaway’s kind and gentle conservatism, Jim Vicevich’s country music tea party on the air, Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity and now a disgraced former Republican Governor who’s been (not too subtly) looking everywhere for work and attention since being released from a Pennsylvania prison.
John is spot on with his analysis. The conversation is predictable and banal. There is no counterpoint or balance. All that’s missing is the Tea Party flag flying over the station in Farmington.