The Zero Hour broadcast is in trouble.

Richard (RJ) Eskow
Nov 8 · 4 min read

There’s no other way to say this: I’m lousy at fundraising. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be in the position of telling you now that The Zero Hour is on the brink of shutting down if something doesn’t change soon. That something is money.

What’s The Zero Hour? It’s a progressive television and radio program available on Free Speech TV, on syndicated radio in several major cities, and in multiple online formats. (You can subscribe to the podcast feed here and can find the YouTube channel here.)

Please consider becoming a Patreon subscriber or making a one-time contribution to our journalism.

I created it after working as the lead writer for the Bernie Sanders 2016 campaign. It soon became clear to me that we need a media revolution if we’re going to have a political revolution.

I’m not just bad at fundraising, by the way. I also hate all those hysterical emails — you know the ones I mean, with subject lines like “Disaster!” or “Trump Re-Elected!” I wouldn’t tell you we’re on borrowed time if it weren’t true.

I named the show “The Zero Hour” because we’re in a moment where decisive action is needed — on our planet, on soaring inequality, and so much more. But it’s zero hour now for the show itself, and we need your help.

If we don’t get some new funding now, the show will shut down within a few weeks.

This is the ask: Please become a member at our Patreon page and pledge a monthly amount, at any level. If you do, I promise we’ll provide you with a steady stream of exclusive videos and other content. And you’ll be helping to keep the Zero Hour alive.

Why help The Zero Hour? What’s different about us?

First, we have a very broad reach, especially for such a highly progressive message. Our television program is broadcast into 39.7 million homes on Free Speech TV. Our syndicated radio show is on the air in a number of major cities, including Chicago, Minneapolis/St. Paul, New Orleans, and the East Bay of San Francisco. Our podcast is available on iTunes, Spotify, and other distribution channels. And our videos are available on YouTube (which is the smallest in terms of audience reach, but still reaches tens of thousands of people each week.)

All in all, the business people tell me we reach a million people a week. Cut that in half — hey, cut it by 1/4th, if you want — and that’s still a lot of people getting and information and ideas they won’t get anywhere else.

Second, we have extraordinary guests: elected officials (like my former boss Bernie, along with other elected leaders), street activists from the US and around the world, authors, scientists, economists … you name it.

We don’t have “interviews” on The Zero Hour — you know, those 3- to 8-minute question-and-answer sessions where nothing really gets said. We have conversations, in the style of my personal heroes — people like Bill Moyers and Studs Terkel. That’s why so many of our distinguished guests come back again and again.

Again, please consider becoming a Patreon subscriber or making a one-time contribution to our journalism.

I’m especially proud of the fact that we have also been the first to identify and speak with some of the new leaders of the young left, people whose first media appearance was on The Zero Hour.

Our style of activist journalism is dedicated to two core principles: First, that the truth itself is sacred. We will not spin information for any reason: not for a political party, not even for our own key causes. It may be a cliché that “the truth will set you free,” but anything less than that — even to promote something we all believe in — will undermine us in the end.

It’s amazing how many people don’t believe that.

That’s the journalism part. The activist part is this: Whenever we tell you something, our goal is to tell you what you can do about it. We don’t always succeed, but our mantra goes like this: We want to information into knowledge, turn knowledge into understanding, and turn understanding into action.

Hope you like that, because I just made it up.

Here’s something else: We will always push you, and ourselves, to think and re-think our long-held assumptions about the world. That’s how people, movements, and societies grow and evolve.

Please help. Click here.

Thank you.

Written by

Writer; host, The Zero Hour (radio, television, digital); former lead writer, Bernie 2016; Senior Advisor, Social Security Works. www.patreon.com/thezerohour.

Welcome to a place where words matter. On Medium, smart voices and original ideas take center stage - with no ads in sight. Watch
Follow all the topics you care about, and we’ll deliver the best stories for you to your homepage and inbox. Explore
Get unlimited access to the best stories on Medium — and support writers while you’re at it. Just $5/month. Upgrade