Brian Bannon

bsky.app/profile/sobs...

Food delivery robot named Kennedy.

I read somewhere these delivery bots cause autism.

there were likely several other candidate forums within the district and most of the candidates using conservative media. That echoes Greene's argument that public media is no longer relevant. And yet almost all candidates, including MAGA firebrands like Colton Moore, agreed to appear.

There were no empty podiums in the debate to replace Greene held at Georgia Public Broadcasting. With a field of 18 candidates spread over 2 groups it was more of a forum than head-to-head matchups. I don't think the APC debates which only appeared online, were a major factor in the campaign...

GPB Atlanta Press Club candidate forum with 9 candidates and no empty podium.

Forum with 8 more candidates and no empty podium.

2025 City of Atlanta Mayor debate with a candidate asking a question to Andre Dickens' empty podium

The Press Club debates often include an empty podium for invited candidates who don't appear, this has made for dramatic visuals such as Jon Ossoff's debate with Sen. David Perdue in 2020, and comedic ones such as the 2025 Atlanta mayor's debate where frontrunner Andre Dickens declined to appear.

Congressional District 14 Special Election Forum Part 1 YouTube video by Atlanta Press Club

Today is the Special Election to replace Marjorie Taylor Greene in Congress. Greene's split from Trump was a favorite story for political reporters towards the end of 2025. But most downplayed her role in defunding the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
#gapol

www.youtube.com/playlist?lis...

Cumulus Media Announces Agreement to Eliminate Substantially All Remaining Debt and Significantly Strengthen Financial Position › Cumulus Media Debt Reduction to be Executed Through a Streamlined Prepackaged Chapter 11 Process

Commercial radio not doing so well either.

radioink.com/2026/03/05/c...

Note how their press release puts Chapter 11 in the sub headline.

www.cumulusmedia.com/2026/03/05/c...

Hoping for a new candidate. "The right Collins for Maine!"

Fuck Sob Graffiti

Nearer My God To Thee Sheet Music.

Music stand and music in the Krog Tunnel

My Melancholy Baby sheet music cover

SobSax is one of social media handles. It's from when I played period songs on sax with Bill Taft on cornet for the tunnel's centennial. We called ourselves Sob Songs for the Guilded Age. We just wanted to give Atlanta a good cry.

Guess the tunnel wants some time away from me. :(

Ironically, or fittingly, Billy Corgan's National Wrestling Alliance filmed matches at Georgia Public Broadcasting.

GPB also rents to Fox News and Divorce Court.

It's all about the Kayfabe.

www.issuewire.com/national-wre...

I don't blame the CIA but do know #gapol's political and media elite hijacked Album88 to create a 2nd NPR station that they could talk horse race politics on and run ads for MBA programs.

And NPR eagerly swallowed college radio stations like it was iHeart or Cumulus. (Or Cox!)
#atl

I think some of the layoffs weren't immediate with state government reporters still on through the legislative session.

Bluesky is more prone to pushback and criticism from the left, but they're still on X.

Elected officials can hear hours of public comment but seem unable or unwilling to challenge local Big Philanthropy on when and how “public” goods get built.

We got to vote on "More MARTA" but have yet to see much more MARTA. We didn't get to vote on "Cop City" and it's already built.

editorialized in its favor, the Cox Foundation was a major funder and Cox CEO Alex Taylor lead corporate fundraiser.

Loss of trust in Atlanta city government goes hand in hand loss of trust in the Atlanta Way and a sense that corporations and billionaires pull the strings.

AJC Bill Torpy Opinion column on city clerk contract.

"I might note that it would be a good thing for City Hall to read the AJC. Just call me. I can hook you up with a subscription."

Email showing AJC publisher Andrew Morse setting up an interview with Mayor Andre Dickens: From: Morse, Andrew (AJC-Atlanta) < Andrew.Morse@ajc.com> Sent: Saturday, March 18, 2023 9:44:23 AM To: Thomas, Bryan <brthomas@ AtlantaGa.Gov> Subject: [EXTERNAL] Idea- police training center Hi Bryan, Hope you're well. Over the last few weeks, I've started hearing from friends outside ATL about the police training center issue- both from people in national media and "civilians." It's clearly getting more national attention but people outside of ATL really kill don't get the issues at play. At all. I think we can help inform people... What if we had the Mayor do an extensive sit-down interview with Greg Bluestein? We'd shoot it as if it were a network interview and post on AJC.com, distribute on social, and push it out to national outlets. (They'll all run key sound bytes.) And we'd write up a story as wel This would give the Mayor a chance to explain the situation and the issues at play with a reporter and an outlet who understand all angles of the story. Let me know what you think- happy to jump on a call to discuss this weekend or next week. Thanks

"it would be a good thing for City Hall to read the AJC. Just call me. I can hook you up with a subscription."

The AJC’s reporting on the city’s “Cop City” spending is welcome but this from Bill Torpy is a bit rich given that the AJC was doing PR for the Mayor during “Cop City” protests,...
#atl

It also acknowledged the recent death of underwriting account manager Steve Olson.

The meeting named Andrew Chang as new board President and changes to its committees to include Earned Revenue with Marketing.

That seemed to dissolve abruptly. Anecdotally, some local Non-Profit journalists have complained that Foundations have been unwilling to support local journalism after Trump's election.

WABE thinks it can survive without any federal funding.

But can other newsrooms survive? Without NPR branding?

But I remain worried such collaborations downplay accountability reporting of media leaders and Atlanta foundations and Big Philanthropy. I'm reminded that a Georgia news collaborative effort began several years ago with plans to create a Georgia chapter of Press Forward.

Newsroom staff

Newsroom collaborations

Its Newsroom numbers look stable at 20.

By comparison that is still less than the number of journalists being laid off by the AJC.

It also highlighted newsroom collaborations. Decidedly, each are alternatives to the AJC.

Board meeting agenda

WABE held its first board meeting of 2026 this morning. The theme was that finances have stabilized after an outpouring of pledges and support. Plus the record bequest last year.

#atl
#gapol

(Letterman voice) Did they even watch my audition tape?

Screenshot of search results for Apollo Global and Epstein Files.

Search results for Mark Rowan and Board of Peace.

they of the Epstein Files and President Trump’s Board of Peace.

But any national scrutiny should question why the AJC is promoting Erickson’s career, he’s hardly voiceless in Atlanta, while laying off journalists. It might also have to look into Cox’s conflicting Business interests from Axios to Rivian to shared ownership of WSB radio with Apollo Global,

Erickson on X: "Layoffs are happening at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Notice how much of the chatter is, instead, about The Washington Post and that actually says a lot about both this site and the biases of the press corps" 11 am Feb. 4, 2026

Erickson X posts about Washington Post layoffs: "1.17 million people were laid off in 2025 in the United States. The attention today to The Washington Post layoffs has generated more coverage than any one of those 1.17 million lost jobs. The press only ever truly covers itself these days."

Erickson reveled in layoffs at The Wash Post. Layoffs at the AJC were announced the same day. Erickson pointed to their minimal national coverage as another sign of bias by the D.C.-focused press.

The Post is a national paper and its layoffs were more substantial but Erickson does have a point.

Cox radio host Erick Erickson regularly criticizes the press as un-American. The Cox-owned Atlanta Journal-Constitution added him as a paid Opinion contributor AFTER the collapse of First Liberty, the alleged Ponzi scheme Erickson was a pitchman for.

#atl
#gapol

"I’ve long argued Georgia Dems have been too dependent on legacy media for their own partisan good while Reps have built up an extensive conservative media ecosystem. I’d now argue Georgia’s Republican establishment needs Lawmakers, and the AJC, as counterweight to conspiratorial MAGA media outlets.

GPB Lobbies Lawmakers for State Funding, Avoids Mention of Federal Rescission “GPB Day at the Capitol” culminated in CEO Bert Wesley Huffman’s first appearance on Lawmakers.

"The erasure of last year’s federal defunding was glaring if strategic on GPB’s part. GA is a GOP-run state and the gutting of the CPB was entirely partisan." ...

"Several red states have pushed further cuts but there are risks to GA Reps in doing so.
#gapol

brianpbannon.medium.com/gpb-lobbies-...

Abrams was a guest on Colbert though after the primary if I remember correctly. She got lots of national coverage that helped go over the heads of Georgia local media where Erickson is a power broker.

Campaign contributions search for Kennedy: Duncan for Georgia Kennedy, James GA 10/27/2025 $8,400.00 Primary-2026 Campaign Committee Individual Itemized Contribution 2026 Jan 31 CCDR Brad for Governor, Inc. Kennedy, James GA 10/09/2025 $8,400.00 Primary-2026 Campaign Committee Individual Itemized Contribution 2026 Jan 31 CCDR Dolezal for Georgia Kennedy, James GA 10/28/2025 $8,400.00 Primary-2026 Campaign Committee Individual Itemized Contribution 2026 Jan 31 CCDR Burt Jones for Georgia Kennedy, Allen V. GA 10/31/2025 $5,400.00 Primary-2026 Campaign Committee Individual Itemized Contribution 2026 Jan 31 CCDR Duncan for Georgia Kennedy, Sarah GA 10/09/2025 $5,000.00 Primary-2026 Campaign Committee Individual Itemized Contribution

Searching #gapol contribs on the Georgia Ethics Commission website, looks like Cox Ents Chair Emeritus James Kennedy has donated to both Rep. Brad Raffensperger and Rep. turned Dem. Geoff Duncan's campaigns for Gov.
After leaving the Lt. Gov.'s office Duncan was a paid contributor to Cox's AJC.