{{Short description|American nonprofit organization}} {{Use mdy dates|date=March 2025}} {{Use American English|date=February 2025}} '''Democracy Radio''' was an American nonprofit organization founded in 2002 by Tom Athans and Paul Fiddick, which aimed to address what its founders saw as political imbalance on American commercial radio. The concept was to develop and incubate progressive-oriented talk programming and enlist radio networks to market the programs to stations around the country. Democracy Radio developed and produced radio talk shows that launched the national careers of Ed Schultz and Stephanie Miller, among others.
==History== Tom Athans, a veteran of the United States Air Force and former staffer for U.S. Representative Dale Kildee, founded Democracy Radio in 2002.<ref>{{cite web|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20031206165903/http://www.freep.com/news/politics/tom30_20031130.htm|archivedate=December 6, 2003|title=The left side of the dial: Democracy Radio, run by Debbie Stabenow's husband, seeks live-wire liberal personalities to balance the conservative airwaves|last=Hinds|first=Julie|url=http://www.freep.com/news/politics/tom30_20031130.htm|work=Detroit Free Press|date=November 30, 2003|accessdate=July 4, 2022|url-status=dead}}</ref>
A 2003 ''New York Times'' story quoted Athans: "We're going to go out and identify talent and help them to create programming and actually connect them with local stations."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes.com/2003/01/01/politics/01DEMS.html|title=Outflanked Democrats Wonder How to Catch Up in Media Wars|last=Rutenberg|first=Jim|work=The New York Times|date=January 1, 2003|accessdate=July 4, 2022}}</ref> Late in January 2003, Democracy Radio gathered over 30 progressive talk show hosts to Capitol Hill to provide coverage of the 2003 State of the Union Address.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2003/scene/markets-festivals/dems-rush-to-make-up-talk-radio-ground-1117879691/|title= Dems rush to make up talk-radio ground |work=Variety|last=McClintock|first=Pamela|date=January 29, 2003|accessdate=July 4, 2022}}</ref>
In January 2004, Democracy Radio launched its first nationally syndicated show, ''The Ed Schultz Show'', hosted by Ed Schultz of KFGO in Fargo, North Dakota.<ref>{{cite web|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20050308071124/http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/connelly/210307_joel02.html|archivedate=March 8, 2005|title=In the Northwest: Liberal voices turning up the volume on the radio|last=Connelly|first=Joel|url=http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/connelly/210307_joel02.html|work=Seattle Post-Intelligencer|date=February 2, 2005|accessdate=July 3, 2022|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20050421034144/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A61992-2005Jan9.html|archivedate=April 21, 2005|url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A61992-2005Jan9.html|title=A Voice From Above, And to the Left|last=Kurtz|first=Howard|work=The Washington Post|date=January 10, 2005|page=C01|url-status=dead|accessdate=July 3, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20050427084018/http://gadflyer.com/flytrap/index.php?Week=200502#1371|archivedate=April 27, 2005|title=Ed-ifying Talk Radio|last=Posner|first=Sarah|work=The Gadflyer|date=January 11, 2005|url=http://gadflyer.com/flytrap/index.php?Week=200502#1371|url-status=dead|accessdate=July 3, 2022}}</ref> Democracy Radio retained Jones Radio Networks to handle affiliate relations and advertising sales. The show was commercially successful, and grew to over 100 stations and 8 of the top 10 markets.{{citation needed|date=July 2022}}
In September 2004, Democracy Radio debuted ''The Stephanie Miller Show'' in conjunction with Ron Hartenbaum's WYD Media.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.radioworld.com/news-and-business/miller-is-new-progressive-talk-host|title=Miller Is New Progressive Talk Host|work=Radio World|date=September 6, 2004|accessdate=July 3, 2022}}</ref>
On June 8, 2005, Democracy Radio sold its stake in ''The Ed Schultz Show'' to a new company headed by radio executive Randy Michaels, the former CEO of Clear Channel Radio.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rbr.com/epaper/issue113-05-dil.html|title=Randy Michaels and Stu Krane buy The Ed Schultz Show|work=Radio Business Report|volume=22|issue=113|date=June 9, 2005|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070502183056/https://www.rbr.com/epaper/issue113-05-dil.html|archivedate=May 2, 2007|url-status=live|accessdate=July 3, 2022}}</ref>
In November 2005, Democracy Radio closed after Athans joined the management team of Air America.<ref>{{cite web|last=Athans|first=Tom|url=http://www.democracyradio.org|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20051124184553/http://www.democracyradio.org/|archivedate=November 24, 2005|title=Dear Friends and Supporters|publisher=Democracy Radio|accessdate=July 3, 2022}}</ref> WYD Media, Democracy Radio's partner in ''The Stephanie Miller Show'', purchased Democracy Radio's shares and assumed sole ownership of the venture.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.allaccess.com/net-news/archive/story/3130/wyd-buys-full-interest-in-miller-show|title=WYD Buys Full Interest In Miller Show|work=All Access|date=November 18, 2005|accessdate=July 3, 2022}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== *[https://web.archive.org/web/20050604232741/http://www.democracyradio.org/ Official website (archived as of June 4, 2005)]
Category:Radio stations established in 2002 Category:Radio stations disestablished in 2005 Category:Air America (radio network) Category:Defunct radio networks in the United States Category:2002 establishments in the United States Category:2005 disestablishments in the United States Category:Defunct radio stations in the United States Category:Progressive talk radio