I’ve been asked a few times lately what the story is with The Derry Brownfield Show and Learfield Communications but was waiting to write about it until I had more information. Here’s Derry enjoying a great party out at his cabin last weekend.
Probably most of you know that Derry Brownfield and Clyde Lear started Learfield Communications many moons ago. I joined the team as manager of the Brownfield Network after Clyde had bought Derry’s interest in the company. It was while I was there that we started Derry’s talk show. In fact, Cindy gets credit for the idea and I worked out the formatting and helped get the first list of affiliated radio stations. I’m planning to do an interview with Derry soon so we can reminisce about those good old days.
Apparently Learfield Communications will no longer be supporting the talk show and I really don’t know anything more than you can read online. You can read about it directly on Clyde’s company blog.
His last show will be in the middle of May. The “Common Sense Coalition” grinds to a halt on our system, but likely will continue with a new ownership group.
Today I was pointed to some more information you can find on a website I’m not familiar with called AgLine News. It was written by (AlterNet.com) Russell Mokhiber and was first posted on Corporate Crime Reporter.
I’m fairly certain that Brownfield Network clients know that Derry’s show has been independent of the farm radio network. However, the public perception has always been different. Derry has always been very outspoken and opinionated. In fact, he’s a self described mean spirited, politically incorrect, cantankerous old so and so. But he’s a good friend and one of my favorite people to hang out with. I love how it says in the “AgLine News” article that other people at Learfield were afraid to talk to him. I always found Derry open and easy to talk with.
Derry is an industry icon and one that has many more years of service to give. I’m looking forward to seeing what happens next and I’m betting you’ll be able to find out here soon.