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Earlier this year, 620 WTMJ revamped its lineup to feature more news programming rather than conservative talk offerings. Steve Scaffidi is defending the Milwaukee news outlet.
The station has stated its mission is to produce more content to a younger audience with an investment into YouTube and digital content, as well as podcasts and focusing on age more than simply political leanings.
Detractors, however, have argued that the shift in demographics around the area — with Democratic voters in the region rising in numbers — is the real motive for the change of the heritage brand.
And Steve Scaffidi, who hosts the Political Power Hour from 9-10 AM on the Good Karma Brands station, thinks that would be a fool’s errand.
“If we were going to somehow magically try to realign ourselves with how the demographics are changing, how do we know they’re not going to shift the next election?” Scaffidi told Wisconsin Watch. “You’d be constantly changing, it wouldn’t make any sense.”
“I didn’t change. I didn’t come in saying, ‘Oh, man, I’m gonna be like Charlie Sykes,’” Scaffidi added, recalling one of the station’s former mainstays. “The show has always been about presenting both sides and looking at, ‘Ok, so this is the reality we live in. Here’s the politics of our country. What are both sides saying?’ Some of the other shows at other stations, they do a more one-sided conversation about politics. I’m not interested in that. It’s lazy to me. And frankly, I don’t know what you would glean from that.”
620 WTMJ replaced the retiring Jeff Wagner with five new, shorter shows throughout the day. Many are focused on presenting news and issues rather than traditional conservative talk.
