August 6, 2018

"At approximately 3 AM Sunday morning, a man wearing a mask and hood entered the WORT station and opened fire on three DJs in the broadcast studio."

"Witnesses say five shots were fired, injuring one DJ in the buttocks and shattering the glass between studios. The injured DJ was sent to the hospital and quickly discharged. There were no major injuries or fatalities. After the shooting, police secured the area and did not allow DJs entry to the premises. Due to the investigation, the station experienced radio silence Sunday morning before resuming normal programming at 9:38 AM. A motive is still unknown and it is unclear how the assailant entered the building. Police say there is no sign of forced entry. Police do not have a suspect in custody."

From the WORT Facebook page.

WORT is Madison's "listener sponsored community radio station" (Wikipedia). Here's its own presentation of its history:
In the early 1970s W-O-R-T is just a gleam in the eyes of five of us. In fact it isn’t WORT we’re dreaming about. It’s WOMB ! W-O-M-B, those are the first call letters we wanted (rejected at an early open meeting), then W-A-R-T which we request from the Federal Communications Commission. But the FCC turned us down because WART had just been reserved by another station....

The foundation’s name, “Back Porch Radio,” expresses Mike’s philosophy of an easy going, unpretentious, down-home, approach to broadcasting.... Within a few weeks there are many locally produced programs on the air, including: “IN AMERICA THEY CALL US DYKES”; “WHAT IS TO BE WILL BE, WHAT AIN’T TO BE, JUST MIGHT HAPPEN”; “THE MADISON REVIEW OF BOOKS”; and Bob Lynn with his “THURSDAY NIGHT FREE UNIVERSITY.” Some that started in the first weeks are still going strong, including Bonnie Kalmbach’s “TWO FOR THE BLUES” and Rockin’ John McDonald’s “I LIKE IT LIKE THAT.”...

35 comments:

Ralph L said...

It sounds like he intended to miss but didn't.

Mark said...

Rockin' John is awesome, i learned a ton about early rock and roll from his show and have heard artists that WOLx corporate oldies have forgotten.

Seems like a weird one off attack, hope WORT remains. I might not love their politics, but for many styles of music they play stuff you cannot find anywhere else.

(Bill Malone doing old country Weds AM, the Friday blues shows are also so good)

Humperdink said...

I see comments on WART's FB page have already blamed Trump.

Ralph L said...

One of Trollope's very early short stories ended with a duel in Ireland. The scaredy cat antagonist turned to the side to reduce his vulnerability and had his butt scored by the hero.

But this is scary, not comic.

Bad Lieutenant said...

turned to the side to reduce his vulnerability

My understanding is that this was a usual tactic in dueling, as the weapon was traditionally held one-handed., and this may have provided a steadier aim. I do not recall that the code duello envisioned, let alone permitted, the isosceles or modified Weaver stance.

Bad Lieutenant said...

We're all being nice about this, right? Long may it remain so, without forgetting the treatment to be expected were the shoe on the other foot.

rehajm said...

Truly independent news and music programming unconstrained by the interests of commerce.

What the Hell kind of restraints does 'commerce' place on the music and news a station plays? Loosen the band on your tin foil hat a notch or two, buddy...

Humperdink said...

".... turned to the side to reduce his vulnerability."

Apparently that strategy is not operative in Obama's hometown. Sixty-three (63) shot, 10 dead since Friday in Chi-town. I blame 3D printing.

http://abc7chicago.com/63-shot-10-dead-in-chicago-since-friday/3886976/

Danno said...

The shooting was at 3:12 am after a hip-hop show called Universal Soul Explosion had ended, per Isthmus.

Sounds like some dissed mofo shooting other mofo types as is so common in the mofo community. The suspect will be found in Meadowood, is my hunch.

Danno said...

Humperdink, the kill ratio is really bad in Chicago. Check the stats out at heyjackass.com.

Ralph L said...

Go book him, Danno.

Ralph L said...

I tried to find the story, but I may have the wrong author.

Danno said...

Humperdink, Saturday was also the first-ever Barack Obama Day in Chicago, celebrating his 57th birthday.

Coincidence?

ga6 said...

33 years policing in that city, have some great stories but can't tell them because RACIST. If you want to keep up with O city's crime I suggest usiong ther following links:

http://secondcitycop.blogspot.com/

https://heyjackass.com/

http://www.cwbchicago.com/

gilbar said...

. I do not recall that the code duello envisioned, let alone permitted, the isosceles or modified Weaver stance.
It seems like there'd be very little reason to use a Weaver stance; even if they let you, you'd NEVER be able to walk in society again (Oh, MY GOD! here comes that FREAK that is such a WIMP that he has to use Two hands to hold a gun!!!!).

It seems unlikely that the seconds would permit it anyway.

gilbar said...

Sixty-three (63) shot, 10 dead since Friday !
And the Media screams Oh My GOD! THIS is THE Worst mass shooting Ever! Something MUST BE DONE!

What's that? They were Darkies?
And the Media yawns and turns the page. For the Media, ONLY White Lives Matter

Marcus said...

Obama's Library city
Mayor Rahm Emanuel
MSM is Ignoring
Nine dead in Chi-cag-OH

Might as well admit it
Gangs are cutting them down
Should have been stopped long ago
If it were white men
It'd be on the news every night
How can they sleep when they know?

Nine dead in Chicago
Nine dead in Chicago
Nine dead in Chicago
Nine dead in Chicago

Ralph L said...

For the Media, ONLY White Lives Matter

The MILK must remain WHOLE.

Tommy Duncan said...

@dda6ga dda6ga

The websites you suggested are amazing. They do the work journalists won't touch. The arrest and conviction stats are amazingly low.

I guess black lives don't matter in Democrat strongholds.

Phil 314 said...

Not the skin virus but the first step towards beer. Very Wisconsin.

Humperdink said...

"I guess black lives don't matter in Democrat strongholds."

Exactly right. Living or dead, they remain eligible voters.

Roger Sweeny said...

The foundation’s name, “Back Porch Radio,” expresses Mike’s philosophy of an easy going, unpretentious, down-home, approach to broadcasting.... Within a few weeks there are many locally produced programs on the air, including: “IN AMERICA THEY CALL US DYKES”

That sure sounds easy going.

gilbar said...

Hey Ralph L, you Leave Delicious WHOLE MILK out of this!
Delicious WHOLE MILK is completely the antithesis of Racist thought
Delicious WHOLE MILK loves EVERYBODY! Just like EVERYBODY loves Delicious WHOLE MILK!
(except for Those People that are lactose intolerant)

And we are ALL opposed to intolerance! Increased Toleration (of Lactose) Should be Our Main Concern

Old Camera Guy said...

Jesus Christ, that's terrifying.

A lifetime ago, I worked the midnight-to-6 shift in a radio station, in an office building otherwise occupied by law offices. The 5th floor contained AM and FM sister stations. I worked the FM, playing easy-listening 'soft rock', while the AM DJs played the top-40 stuff. It was always young guys just starting out in radio who worked the graveyard. We always kept two sets of doors locked, and locked off the elevator for the fifth floor. Why? Because very strange people called the station at those hours, expecting us to be their friend, therapist or even late-night lovers. If you didn't "deliver" (whether it be a particular song, dedication, or whatever else) they would sometimes get angry or threatening. "Play Misty For Me" was fiction, but just barely.

robother said...

63 shot on Obama's 57th birthday weekend celebration. While the police take a knee on the sidelines. Is that gunsmoke, or Obama's legacy I'm smelling? Perhaps a little exuberance spilled over into Madison.

Old Camera Guy said...

Oh, and one AM DJ got fired for meeting his drug dealer at the station one time too many. Dealer had the best hash in town (or so I heard).

Ralph L said...

In the late 40's, my mother was WPTF's "Girl on the Street," interviewing people in and about Raleigh NC. No, not that kind of girl on the street.

The worst thing that happened was the engineers pulled down the pants of the announcer while he was on the air.

Dave Begley said...

Maybe the attackers didn't like the music.

Char Char Binks, Esq. said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Char Char Binks, Esq. said...

Mofo-Americans worked up by minstrel-show monkey music.

Wince said...

Did they think we were kidding all those years when we used to shout “play some Skynyrd”?

walter said...

rehajm said..."Truly independent news and music programming unconstrained by the interests of commerce."
What the Hell kind of restraints does 'commerce' place on the music and news a station plays?
--
Kidding, I hope.

When WORT staff is mentioned, ya gotta mention Harry Rag, because fun to say.

Churchy LaFemme: said...

Or The Record Of Your Choice..

RMc said...

Because very strange people called the station at those hours, expecting us to be their friend, therapist or even late-night lovers.

Been there, done that. I always enjoyed doing the midnight shift and talking to the callers, but back then (1990s) I was a lot younger and the world was less crazy.

Char Char Binks, Esq. said...

Can you play "Misty" for me?