Blue Oregon Wants FCC to Pull KPOJ's License

Station now broadcasts Trail Blazers games

By AARON MESH

Time has not healed all wounds from the killing of Portland progressive talk radio.

Even though local hosts Carl Wolfson and Thom Hartmann are slated to return to the local radio dial in January, the bloggers at Blue Oregon still want Clear Channel to pay for axing KPOJ-AM 620 last year.

Blue Oregon is launching a petition asking the Federal Communications Commission to deny Clear Channel's license renewal for the signal—now home to Fox Sports Radio.

"Clear Channel has an obligation to the city of Portland to operate their airwaves in the public interest," says Carla Axtman, who organized the petition. "We don't believe that a third sports station and no commercial progressive talk radio, in one of the most progressive cities in the union, fulfills that obligation."

What the petition doesn't mention: Clear Channel has turned KPOJ into its flagship station for broadcasts of Portland Trail Blazers games.

"No, I don't hate basketball," says Axtman. "That's not the point of this. We want to make Clear Channel do their due diligence for the community."

WWeek 2015

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