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Somewhere, over the airwaves ...

... there's a voice coming from an interview subject at one of dozens of radio outlets broadcasting from RiverCentre.

By Jeff Shelman, Star Tribune

Last update: September 3, 2008 - 7:27 PM

It's a pretty typical afternoon on "radio row" at the RNC. Microphones everywhere. Politicians, with handlers keeping them on schedule, moving from station to station. ¶ The first floor of RiverCentre -- the building connected to Xcel Energy Center -- is lined with table after table of radio broadcast equipment. More than 50 radio stations or networks are here from across the country, ranging from National Public Radio to AM 1100 The Flag in Fargo and from the conservative Christian Salem Radio Network out of Texas to Sirius Satellite Radio.

With so many radio outlets broadcasting in such a small area, Republicans can get their elected officials, insiders and supporters efficiently on station after station.

The radio stations get high-profile guests and the Republicans -- just as the Democrats did a week ago in Denver -- get to talk directly to voters during their drives home from work.

On both Tuesday and Wednesday, John Bolton, the former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations and Bush administration official, made the rounds. In a matter of minutes, Bolton went from being on the air in Portland, Ore., to speaking with afternoon drive host Jeff Katz on WBT-AM in Charlotte, N.C.

After Bolton left the Oregon station's booth, he was almost immediately replaced at the microphone by U.S. Rep. Mike Pence, who represents much of east central Indiana.

Less than 15 feet away, a former prisoner of war was being interviewed by KTBB-AM in Tyler, Texas.

And not much later, the radio version of musical chairs continued and the politicians were whisked away to their next interview.

Jeff Shelman • 612-673-7478

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