The protests may have cooled a bit, but they haven't abated. Activists affiliated with the Save Steiner movement have set up camp on the station's steps six days a week since the firing, and an online "Bring Back Steiner" petition crossed the 900 signature mark this week.
Last evening, nearly 30 Steiner supporters, the largest turnout in recent weeks, lined the 2200 block of N. Charles St. Some waved to passing motorists, urging them to honk in support. One man beat on a 5-gallon bucket, two others blew whistles and another beat stainless-steel pot lids on a light pole.
"I called today to tell [fundraising] volunteers that I wouldn't be contributing my normal amount of $365 to the fund drive," said Maria Allwine, one of the protesters. "Surprisingly, the volunteer told me that I wasn't the only one to call and express my decision to withhold contributions."
However, WYPR President Anthony A. Brandon said yesterday that the protests weren't hurting the pledge drive, which runs for a week.
"Through noon today, we have seen no influence from outside sources on our pledge drive," Brandon said. "We're very pleased with where it is and encourage people to support the great work we're doing here at WYPR."
Several protesters said they called the pledge line to say they would not be giving money in light of Steiner's firing.
"I called and told them there's no way I'm giving them any money," said Anita Lingan, who used to be a dollar-a-day WYPR member. "I want them to feel this."
Lingan called Steiner's Peabody "more evidence of what a ridiculous decision this has been to take someone off the air of this caliber."
Allwine, who's been protesting WYPR since Steiner's dismissal, said if nothing else, the Peabody should show the station's management what they lost.
"What irony that he wins this six weeks after he's sacked," she said. "If they were astute business people, they would swallow their pride and bring Marc back."
Since his firing, Steiner has been blogging and working on projects with his production company, Center for Emerging Media. He said he would return to WYPR if he could.
"If the station wants us back from noon to 2, we'll be back from noon to 2," he said. "It's really up to them. I didn't exactly resign."jill.rosen@baltsun.com
Sun staff writer Brad Schleicher contributed to this article.
