This Just In ...
Kevin Fischer is a veteran broadcaster, the recipient of over 150 major journalism awards from the Milwaukee Press Club, the Wisconsin Associated Press, the Northwest Broadcast News Association, the Wisconsin Bar Association, and others. He has been seen and heard on Milwaukee TV and radio stations for over three decades. A longtime aide to state Senate Republicans in the Wisconsin Legislature, Kevin can be seen offering his views on the news on the public affairs program, "InterCHANGE," on Milwaukee Public Television Channel 10, and heard filling in on Newstalk 1130 WISN. He lives with his wife, Jennifer, and their lovely baby daughter, Kyla Audrey, in Franklin.
Thomas Sowell wasn't good enough for The Milwaukee Journal
Back in the mid-90’s, one of my many hats at WTMJ-AM was to write and produce a daily two-minute commentary to run twice during the morning drive period. We cleverly called it, “Kevin’s radio column,” because it was a radio version of a newspaper column.
One morning, I lamented the Milwaukee Journal’s decision to no longer run Thomas Sowell’s column in the daily paper’s editorial section. I did more than lament. I blasted.
At that time, the paper had as many regular conservative columnists as it has today: few, if any. It certainly had no local conservative columnist, and Sowell, a black writer to the right was a refreshing voice on those lefty pages. Then the paper dumped his contributions, and I criticized the move on the newspaper’s sister AM station.
Later that day, I got a call from Ken Roesslein, the paper’s Editorial Page Editor. He was basically a nice fellow, a guy I got to know as we were both members of the Milwaukee Press Club.
Roesslein was incensed that I would dare question such an editorial decision on his part and then go and talk about it on the most listened to drive period on Wisconsin radio. Sowell’s work didn’t belong anymore, I was lectured, because he was dull and boring and not a very good writer. Yes, that’s exactly what Roesslein, now retired, told me.
I thought it odd that I was being chastised for having an opinion by the editor of an opinion page.
Today, Thomas Sowell remains one of the best and brightest and most read columnists in America. But he wasn’t good enough for the Milwaukee Journal.
I read Sowell’s latest offering earlier today and felt it was too good to wait for my Saturday round-up, “Recommended reading.”
Here it is, The Rookie President.
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