Chicago - A message from the station manager

Can A Russian-Funded Cable Network Actually Promote Free Press In The U.S.?

By Sophia McClennen/The Conversation

With the recently announced shutdown of Al Jazeera America, the alternative cable news scene is in flux.
Launched as a corrective to the politicized and spectacle-heavy programming of Fox News, CNN and MSNBC, Al Jazeera America positioned itself as a fact-based, unbiased news source. Even though the network won awards for reporting, the Qatari government-funded channel suffered from the public perception that it had an anti-Western, pro-Islamic stance. Amid lowering gas prices and reports of other financial woes, the channel announced it would shut down its U.S. operations at the end of April.
As Al Jazeera America closes shop, it’s worth wondering how this change will affect the position of RT America – previously known as Russia Today America – in the U.S. market. Like Al Jazeera, RT America has fashioned itself as a serious alternative to the politicized media circus promoted by the top three cable news stations. Unlike Al Jazeera, it runs ad-free, which arguably gives it even more potential for influence-free programming.

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Posted on March 30, 2016

Hill Street Blu-Ooh-Ooh-Oohs

By Tim Willette

I noticed MeTV is re-airing Hill Street Blues episodes now, so tonight I wrote lyrics to accompany the theme song:
Hill Street Blues
Hill Street Blues
Hill Street Blu-ooh-ooh-oohs
Hill Street Blues
Hill Street Blu-ooh-ooh-oohs
Hill Street Blues

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Posted on March 29, 2016

24 Hours With BabyTV

Another Banner Year In The Bender Baby Household

5:30 a.m.: Developmental Programs for Baby.
6 a.m.: Developmental Programs for Baby.
6:30 a.m.: Harry & Rainbow.
6:45 a.m.: Tillie & Larry.
7 a.m.: Hide & Seek & Peek Aboo.
7:15 a.m.: The Notekins.
7:30 a.m.: Preschool Basics.

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Posted on March 24, 2016

The Trumpification Of The U.S. Media

By Stephen Cushion/The Conversation

Outside the United States, the prospect of Donald Trump being elected president is typically met with a mixture of amusement and alarm. After all, how can a billionaire reality TV star become the most powerful leader in the world when he proposes building a giant wall to prevent Mexican immigrants coming across the border and banning all Muslims from entering the country?
But having been a visiting scholar at the University of Texas at Austin for the last two weeks, I’ve spent far too much of my time watching television news coverage of the election campaign. Once you switch on it’s hard to avoid seeing or hearing Trump, listening to what other candidates think about Trump, or being exposed to policy issues that aren’t viewed through the prism of Trump’s politics. In fact, flicking between any one of the news channels there’s little on offer besides election coverage – with Trump as the lead protagonist.

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Posted on March 11, 2016