On April 3, 2007, Accuracy in Media asked the question, “Can Talk Radio Defeat Illegal Alien Amnesty?” Specifically, we asked: Can a gathering of radio talk-show hosts from around the country and meeting in Washington, D.C. prevent an illegal-alien amnesty bill from being passed? We will soon have the answer.

The upcoming Hold Their Feet to the Fire rally April 22-25, 2007, sponsored by the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) and San Diego talk-show host Roger Hedgecock, can demonstrate the power of talk radio. It can mobilize the American people against an amnesty program for illegal immigrants and change the course of history, safeguarding our sovereignty and security.
( http://www.fairus.org/site/PageServer?pagename=feettothefire07 )

When Accuracy in Media first reported the upcoming rally, there were 33 radio talk-show hosts from around the country that were coming to D.C. to participate. However, these 33 radio talk-show hosts represented only 19 of 50 U.S. states, even though an amnesty plan for illegal aliens would impact Americans in every state. Since that time more talk-show hosts have agreed to participate. They are:

Dave Barger, WGMD, Rehoboth, DE

Roy Goshom, WGMD, Rehoboth, DE

Howie Carr, WRKO, Boston, MA

Joyce Kaufman, WFTL, Miami, FL

Steve Sommers, WLW, Cincinnati, OH

Adam McManus, KSLR, San Antonio, TX

Fred Flanagan, WKRS, Waukegan, WI

A few corrections also need to be made about hosts participating. Martha Zoller from WDUN is based out of Atlanta, not Gainesville, Georgia. Denys Schaefer and James Allman will be participating from KFTK, St. Louis. Phil Valentine can be heard on his home station WWTN in Nashville and is syndicated around the country, and Steve Gill’s home station is WLAC in Nashville, also syndicated around the country. For a full and up-to-date list of those hosts participating, visit the FAIR website here.

The additions of Howie Carr and Fred Flanagan represent stations in two new states previously not participating: Massachusetts and Wisconsin. But this still means that talk-show hosts in a majority of states around the country are not going to show up. No stations are represented from Washington, D.C. or Virginia, and big-name hosts like Sean Hannity, Laura Ingraham, Michael Savage, Bill O’Reilly, Glenn Beck, Michael Reagan, and Rush Limbaugh have not indicated they will be attending.

It is troubling that no talk-radio stations from Virginia, so close to the nation’s capital, are participating in this event. Even if they can’t send a host, why not a reporter, producer or even the news director from the station? The following are all news/talk stations in Virginia alone that carry the Rush Limbaugh program:

WFNR, 710 AM, Blacksburg

WCHV, 1260 AM, Charlottesville (author’s note: I worked for this station)

WBTM, 1330 AM, Danville

WFVA, 1230 AM, Fredericksburg

WKCY, 1300 AM, Harrisonburg

WREL, 1450 AM, Lexington

WNIS, 790 AM, Norfolk

WESR, 1330 AM, Onley

WRVA, 1140 AM, Richmond

WFIR, 960 AM, Roanoke

WTZE, 1470 AM, Tazewell

WKCI, 970 AM, Waynesboro

WNDJ, 104.9 FM, White Stone

WINC, 1400 AM, Winchester

Even Bill O’Reilly, who has been on a campaign of late against Virginia Beach, Virginia, a “sanctuary city” for illegals,―after two teenage girls were killed by 22-year-old Alfredo Ramos, an illegal alien from Mexico―is on nine stations in Virginia, none of which has any plans to cover the rally. They are:

WFHG, 980 AM, Abingdon

WFHG, 92.7 FM, Abingdon

WINA, 1070 AM, Charlottesville (Author’s note: I worked for this station in college)

WTAR, 850 AM, Norfolk

WBRG, 1050 AM, Roanoke

WRIS, 1410 AM, Roanoke

WREL, 1450 AM, Roanoke/Lexington

WFNR, 100.7 FM, Roanoke, Lynchburg

WHEE, 1370 AM, Roanoke/Martinsville

Most stations listed include links to the station webpage. O’Reilly’s campaign against illegal immigration, including his identification of Virginia Beach as a “sanctuary city,” can be read in one of his blog entries from April 12, 2007 called “Immigration Anarchy.”

It is an affront to the public’s right to know that no radio stations in Virginia are participating in any way in this historic and critical event.

For a list of stations that carry the Rush Limbaugh program, click here. For a list of stations that carry Bill O’Reilly’s radio program, click here.  Those stations in Virginia that have websites are already included.

Call your local station and ask that they cover this historic rally for safe and secure borders.

Andy Selepak, a writer at Accuracy in Media, is the author of the study, New Evidence of Liberal Media Bias, published as an AIM Report.

http://www.aim.org/media_monitor/5393_0_2_0_C/