A Democracy Now! Xmas Carol
Media Collective, 10.12.2004 20:56
Aaah, the Holidays-a time for friends and family, eggnog by a roaring fire, cherub-cheeked toddlers grasping for sparkling gewgaws in storefront windows, and of course who could forget a crowd of boisterous carolers pressuring Jefferson Public Radio to air Democracy Now! at the annual wine and cheese fundraiser. In a scene straight out of Charles Dickens, some thirty Jefferson State residents gathered outside the Ashland Springs hotel to announce in song the rebirth of a campaign that has been going on since 1997.
JPR Supporters get an earful of holiday Democracy Now! at their posh holiday fundraising bash -D9'04
Video produced by Rogue Indymedia volunteers. Check out a video clip or click on a photo for a larger view
QuickTime video clip - Chris interview 1.8M -
QuickTime video clip - Democracy Now Carolers 9+M -
* * santa caps and song * *
* * * * * * julie * * * * * *
* * * * * * chris * * * * * *
* handout with candycane *
jpr guest looks at handout
* * reindeer-antlered girl * *
Democracy Now Campaign
Carolers greeted JPR staff, administrators, donors and listeners who paid $25 to attend the annual fundraiser with rewritten carols and candy canes attached to postcards describing Democracy Now! and Free Speech TV. The city of Ashland recently added Free Speech TV to Ashland Fiber Network's channel 81 after four years of lobbying by local residents. The fight to get JPR to run the program has run up against a stone wall of bureaucratic smoke and mirrors. Station manager Ron Kramer failed to respond to multiple voicemail messages requesting comment on the protest Friday.
A few grinches shrugged off the five-year-old, reindeer-antlered girl who cheerfully attempted to share her candy canes, but most of the partygoers responded positively, stopping to listen to the non-violent demonstration. Video of the event shows patrons discussing the informational outreach materials inside the swank, black-tie-or-not affair. Videographers in fact rushed off to edit the raw footage down to be FedExed to the Democracy Now! studios in New York for possible airtime over the holiday season. We will find out after Monday if the attention of 70 million +/- worldwide viewers is enough to get Ron Kramer and Jefferson Public Radio to have a conversation instead of hogging the microphone all the time.
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"The Committee For Democracy Now" will have a webpage soon, but in the meantime...Check out "Democracy Now on Vermont Public Radio" (DN on VPR) and see how citizens there were successful with this very same campaign: 
http://www.DNonVPR.org/
The 4.5 minute video produced by Rogue IMC will be broadcast on RVTV
Channel 31 - Jackson County
Channel 15 - Josephine County
Wed. 12/22/04
Fri. 12/24/04
Fri. 12/31/04
ALL @ 6 PM
If you like fighting exploitation with media, submit your story to the Soapbox, now going to print for Jan. 1 2005!
e-mail:: mediacollective@students.sou.edu
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DEMOCRACY NOW! CHRISTMAS CAROL LYRICS 11.12.2004 - 21:35 GOD REST YE MERRY GENTLEMEN Welcome ye merry wine tasters Hear what we have to say, Before you enter this grand hotel To join JPR's soire We don't believe uncensored news Is heard on JPR So we want to hear "Democracy Now" "Democracy Now" So we want to hear "Democracy Now" If you believe our cause is just And want to join the band Of your brothers and sisters Determined to make a stand Then add your name, phone and e-mail To the growing list of Persons who want "Democracy Now" "Democracy Now" Of persons who want "Democracy Now" SILENT NIGHT, HOLY NIGHT NPR news Is unwilling to fight To bring us the truth Morning, noon or night 'Cause it's fearful of losing Its government grant Scared that Congress will Squash it like an ant So we need "Democracy Now" We need "Democracy Now" JPR patrons Here tonight Please join our cause Be willing to fight To bring "Democracy Now" to the station To let us hear news Without obligation Don't live in ignorant bliss The truth's too important to miss COME ALL YE FAITHFUL Come all ye faithful Patrons of JPR To join our campaign to air "Democracy Now" Please urge the station To carry this truthful information Oh please bring us democracy Oh please bring us democracy Oh please bring us democracy "Democracy Now" WE WISH YOU A MERRY CHRISTMAS We wish we had democracy Wish we had democracy Wish we had democracy "Democracy Now" We wish we had democracy Wish we had democracy Wish we had democracy "Democracy Now" tiny tim> |