How you can be the media in NH (update)

[Dave Ridley]

How *you* can be the media in New Hampshire

This is basically a glorified contact list of places you can do Letters-to-Editor, calls to talk radio, etc. in New Hampshire

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Authoritarian bias affects the press just about everywhere, even here.   Fortunately, there is a lot you can do about it on an individual basis.  I'm going to focus on three easy ways you as a New Hampshire resident can liberate a few square inches or minutes of the local media each week.  Then I'll give you the contact information you need to get started.

The easiest ways an average person can briefly "become the media" are:

1) Calls/e-mails to NH talk radio
2) Letters to NH papers
3) Participation in NH-centric Web forums

I've been doing all three of these for the last few months; here's what I've learned about where to go and what to do.

CALLS/E-MAILS TO NH TALK RADIO

This is fast becoming my favorite method of "being the media." 

Advantages: It's easy and quick. Usually it doesn't take long to get on the air because of our low population and decent number of local talk shows. On average it's around 15 minutes from the time I pick up the phone to the time I get on, though occasionally I have to dial a few times.  There's no mystery as to whether you "got published," no need to track a website or newspaper to determine whether you're being ignored. You're "done in one."

Talk radio types are also more friendly to us than print folks, because they love to bounce provocative ideas around. I call at least two shows which are hosted by liberals (Arnie Arneson and Dan Mitchell). You can usually hear shock in their voice when you present a liberty-friendly idea, but they still love the give and take. There's also more anonymity than LTE's offer.

DISADVANTAGES

Virtually all NH talk radio shows are on in the morning or afternoon; not much after 6PM.  So nighttime participation is not really an option. Depending on where you are in the state you may need to listen via Internet; a lot of the shows are short range. Others will not even be accessible to you over the Net.  But there are ways around these problems; see the "tips" section below.   Sometimes the host will challenge you, which can be a disadvantage if you're not prepared.  A lot of local NH talk radio is actually liberal if you can believe that!  But at least you will not just be preaching to the converted. See show notes for details on each host's bias.

TIPS

It's usually better to react to a show than call with some brand new topic, but some shows encourage serendipity and are cool with callers who can't hear the show (see list below). I don't usually try to identify myself as a Free Stater when I call, but I do try to make sure they know where I live in NH. I usually just listen until someone says something that I think might benefit from a freedom-friendly perspective. Then I call 'em and lay it out. If possible I talk up one of the state's liberty-oriented politicians or causes, especially the New Hampshire Liberty Alliance. I like to give out their URL, nhliberty.org and let folks know about their ratings for NH state politicians.  If they have or mention a state politican on the show, I'll look up her rating and call to thank or chastise her for it.  Usually I prefer to talk up a solution rather than attack a problem.

If you're referring to or conversing with a state politician in your LTE, you could check nhliberty.org/research.htm to see what her liberty ranking is.  That way you can thank or rebuke her based on her rating.  I believe anyone above 60% should be congratulated. 

Though Boston talk radio does reach southern NH, I've found it's not a very efficient medium for reaching NH residents.  It takes too long to get through.  So, with a couple exceptions,  I'm not listing Boston shows.

LIST OF NH TALK RADIO SHOWS YOU CAN PARTICIPATE IN

Station: WKXL 1450 AM (Concord and Central NH)
http://www.wkxl1450.com/

Shows on this station (listed chronologically):

6:00 AM - 9:00 AM: New Hampshire Weekdays; call 603.224.1450
Live streaming? Yes
Reads e-mails on the air? Unknown
Instant Message option? Unknown
OK to call in if you can't hear the show?  Unknown
OK to bring up brand new topics?  Unknown
Show notes: I am not familiar with this show.
Screener? Unknown

WNTK (Northern/North-Central NH) 1020 AM and 99.7 FM
http://www.wntk.com/

Shows on this station (listed chronologically):

6AM - 10AM weekdays: Morning Liftoff - George, Hilary & Pete: 603-526-9464
Live streaming? Yes
Reads e-mails on the air? Unknown
Instant Message option? Unknown
Plays voice mails on the air? Unknown
Screener? I don't think so
OK to call if you can't hear the show?  Unknown
OK to bring up brand new topics?  Unknown
Show notes: Don't know much, and my info above is from Nov. 2004.  The one time I listened they had a state senator on. I looked up his ranking at www.nhliberty.org/research.htm and found out he only has a 20% pro-liberty rating. So called to ask who his opponent was so I could support that guy instead!

12p-3p (approx) M-F,  Against the Grain with Gardner Goldsmith,
Live streaming? Yes but the slots fill up fast.
Accepts calls? Yes. 
Reads e-mails on the air?  I've never heard him do it.
Screener? Yes, currently a man named David Morgan does most of the screening.
OK to call if you can't hear the show?  Yes, but ask them to leave you on hold from 3 to 5 minutes so you can hear what's going on. Everything he talks about is freedom-related so you can jump right in on whatever he's talking about when he puts you on. He only gets about 2 spontaneous calls an hour I think so you're very likely to get on the air.
OK to bring up brand new topics? On Friday it's encouraged, I believe, otherwise it's sometimes ok sometimes not, depends on whether you have a bombshell piece of news for him.
Show notes:   This is a libertarian show based in Laconia, run by our good friend Gardner who you will see often at Free Stater events.    Gard is required currently to have about 6 different guests, one at a time, per show!   So he's always hungry for guests; if you have an issue you want to soapbox, call him up and ask to be a guest...he'll be thrilled!
Contact info to get on the air or talk to screener:  603 526 9464, 888 299 3151

NH Public Radio (Statewide, various frequencies)
89.1, Concord, WEVO
90.3, Nashua, WEVO
90.7, Keene, WEVN
91.3, Littleton, WEVO
91.3, Hanover, WEVH
99.5, Jackson, WEVJ
104.3, Dover, WEVO
107.1, Berlin, WEVC
http://nhpr.org   

Only one show you can call on this station:

9AM-10AM M-F: ____ ? The Exchange with Laura Knoy (say kuh-NOY). 800-892-6477 or 603-224-8989
http://nhpr.org/static/programs/exchange/exchange_about.php
Live streaming? I don't think so
Reads e-mails on the air? Unknown
Instant Message option? Unknown
Plays voice mails on the air? Probably not
Screener? Yes: they'll ask for your first name, location and comment summary.
OK to call if you can't hear the show?  Not sure.
OK to bring up brand new topics?  Probably not
Show notes:   This is the toughest show to get on the air with as a caller, mostly because Laura likes to ask a lot of softball questions herself.  Though they seem to lack streaming, her show The Exchange is archived. It's also rebroadcast nightly at 8PM EST. It gets a LOT of listeners compared to the other NH shows on this list, because of its statewide broadcast.  Call fairly early in the show to avoid having it end before you can get on the air.  Expect to be on hold half an hour.  Host is friendly and seems more of a moderator than an ideologue.

Station: WKBK 1290AM (Keene and Western NH)
http://www.wkbk1220.com  (1220 is a sister station that plays oldies, the one you want is 1290)
Live streaming? Not sure

Shows on this station (listed chronologically):
6AM-10AM M-F: Open Mic w/ Dan Mitchell: : 603-357-1290: dan@wkbk1220.com

Reads e-mails on the air? I think so
Screener? No
OK to call if you can't hear the show?  On fridays I think so
OK to bring up brand new topics?  On fridays I think so
Show notes: Dan is liberal but friendly. Doesn't seem to get a ton of calls or e-mails, so it's easy to get on and you'll be welcome. He will challenge you and debate you in a friendly way if you have a claim usually and will let the debate go on for 5 minutes or so sometimes.   Show is sometimes pre empted by boring chats with charities and a cooking show.

10AM - 11:30 AM  M-F Eric Scott
Reads e-mails on the air?  Not that I've heard.
Screener? No
OK to call if you can't hear the show?  Doesn't work well for me when I've tried it.
OK to bring up brand new topics?  I think no.
Show notes:  Eric describes himself as a libertarian but is maybe more like libertarian light.  Show gets pre-empted by other local programming sometimes.

9:00AM - 11:00AM SAT ONLY: Talk Back with Tim & Cynthia: Sat: 603-357-1290
Accepts calls? Yes
Reads e-mails on the air? Unknown
Screener?  No
OK to call if you can't hear the show?  Not really
OK to bring up brand new topics?  Not encouraged
Show notes:  Pro-authoritarin show but takes lots of calls.  Tim Roberts is a Democrat state rep in Keene, talks up income taxes and govt. schools.  Can get hostile toward libertarians.   Sponsored a marijiana decrim bill in 2004 or 2005 however.

5:00AM- 9:00AM Saturday, 5:00 AM-8:00 AM Sunday: Al Kulas: Morning News & Talk: Sat: 603-357-1290
Accepts calls? Yes
Reads e-mails on the air? Unknown
Screener? No.
OK to call if you can't hear the show...and bring up brand new topics?  YES, at least on Saturday...he calls it "Serindipitous Saturday" 
Show notes:  Al is a conservative and a veteran. Friendly, openminded, knows lots of Free Staters and supports the project overall.  You can be a guest on his show sometimes if you like.   

WLMW 90.7 FM in Amherst NH (South-central part of state)
6PM-8PM Thursdays - Taxpayer Radio: 603.672.0573, www.cnht.org, webmaster at cnht dot org
Live streaming? Yes: www.cnht.org
Accepts calls? Not exactly, you can call but can't really get on the air directly for technical reasons.
Reads e-mails on the air? Yes, virtually every email you send will get read
Instant Message option? Yes: CNHT RADIO on AOL, AIM, iCHAT, YIM
Screener? N/A
OK to call if you can't hear the show?  Yes but since they don't usually put calls on the air it's better to IM or email during the show
OK to bring up brand new topics?  Yes
Show notes: This is the show run by the Coalition of New Hampshire Taxpayers, which loves the FSP. Jane, AKA BedfordCSE from the FSP web forums, runs their e-mail and web setup. Ed Naile, speaker at the 2004 Liberty Dinner, is the primary host. They don't have that many listeners; but people do listen in other states who are Free Staters. 90.7 doesn't reach very far. So they need more participation.

Station: WGIR (Various NH locations) - 610AM Manchester, 930 AM   Rochester, 1540 AM  Exeter

URL:  http://www.wgiram.com/main.html -
Station notes:  I think this station simulcasts to other stations, is scratchy in southwestern NH.  However you can hear the Manchester 610 signal as far south as boston, and the simulcasts blanket the seacost on other frequencies. 

Jay Severin
http://www.969fmtalk.com/showdj.asp?DJID=5854 to media article
Live streaming?
Accepts calls? Yes
Reads e-mails on the air? Unknown
Screener? Unknown
OK to call if you can't hear the show?  Unknown
OK to bring up brand new topics?  Unknown 
Show notes:   This is a show that originates in Boston so traffic and listenership are heavier, but I hear it is not that tough to get on the air.  Other libertarians have recommended I add him to this list.   He is a former Pat Buchannan guy but more articulate, more libertarian, less angry. 

Below are some more NH talk stations about which I have little information, but at least now you know they exist:   Some of them may simulcast WGIR.

WEMJ      1490 AM   Laconia  News/Talk
WLTN      1400 AM  Littleton News/Talk
WOTW  900 AM  Nashua Talk -
WTPL      107.7 FM  Hillsboro  News/Talk     
WTSL     1400 AM  Hanover News/Talk     
WTSN     1270 AM  Dover     News/Talk
WSMN 1590 AM  - Nashua

[Dave Ridley]

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Fun to write and rewarding to see in print...LTE's give you a chance to liberate a few square inches of your local "happy paper," or even a paper on the other side of the state.

Advantages: LTE's directly remind local print journalists that the traditional New Hampshire philosophy of limited government is alive and fighting hard.  That probably weighs into their thinking a bit when they write future stories and op-eds. LTE's also reach out directly to voters if they get published. They can be written at leisure and fine tuned rather than presented on the fly.  And there are a lot of papers to pick from here.  Most papers can be read online, so you don't generally need a subscription to get involved.    You can surf around, copy and paste a few articles to your laptop or PDA then write up a response there during layovers, lunchbreaks, etc. when you don't have net access.

Disadvantages: You can't write LTE's to your local paper that often. Most papers limit you to one published letter every month (see list below for details). It can also be a pain to keep track of how well your bullets are hitting the target. Some of New Hampshire's papers either don't publish LTE's online or, if they do, will require a subscription to view them. So if you're writing a paper you don't subscribe to and read every day, it's hard to figure out which letters got used. There is also some indication that some of the papers are not eager to publish conservative or libertarian LTE's. My best guess is that about 2/3rds of mine have been published, but that's almost speculation since it's so hard to track.

Tips: Each paper has different rules and parameters regarding how long a letter can be, how many of yours they will publish each month, etc. Try to know these before you submit a letter; I've summarized below the rules I'm aware of for each paper. Some of the length requirements are pretty stringent...200 words is only about 8 lines of typewritten text!
If your letter is only going to one paper (as most of mine do), make clear to them in your preamble that you wrote it exclusively for them. Ideally you should be responding to something that they published rather than starting from scratch. Supporting something good is better than attacking something bad. Railing against authoritarian individuals or organizations is not necessarily a bad thing, but it gives them free publicity at your expense. Supporting a liberty-friendly cause or person does the same to your benefit.

If you're weighing in on a state issue you can write any paper in the state, but as a rule it's best not to weigh in on a local issue unless you're one of the locals. An exception would be if you're addressing the manner in which that local issue affects other parts of the state, or if you are expressing admiration of something in that town.  I don't know if it's required but I usually tack on a sentence before or after the LTE that informs the paper they have my permission to print it without contacting me.

Claire Wolfe suggests writing a "poem to editor." I like this idea and will probably start doing it.  One other tool you can use to make your letters more humorous is the liberty-oriented "Verbal Arsenal:" http://www.freestateproject.org/about/essay_archive/verbal-arsenal.php

Sometimes I give out short URL's of liberty-friendly organizations: nhliberty.org for instance. Or you can mention when and where our next monthly meeting is going to be...that info is at:

http://www.freestateproject.org/community/welcomewagon

Lastly, if you're referring to a state politician in your LTE, you could check nhliberty.org/research.htm to see what her liberty ranking is...that way you can congratulate or construcively criticize her based on her rating.  I believe anyone above 50% should be praised.   

To see some of the letters I've written or helped others write, click here: http://forum.freestateproject.org/index.php?board=44;action=display;threadid=8115.
 
List of New Hampshire papers that accept LTE's:

New Hampshire Union Leader (Formerly Union Leader):   www.theunionleader.com
Nature of online edition:  Appears the entire paper is published online as well as in print; except for the LTE's which appear only in print I believe.   No subscription is required to view stories and editorials.
Maximum allowed length of letter: 200 words
Maximum frequency of publication: One letter every 2 weeks per writer
How to submit: e-mail letters@theunionleader.com
Submission protocol: Include your name and address, both will be published. Submit telephone number for verification (that part will not be published). Don't send attachments; address the letter "Publisher" or "Editor."
General comments:   This paper appears to print virtually every letter it gets; it's printed all of mine that I sent.  Tends to be conservative and friendly to most liberty-oriented causes including the Free State Project itself.  Your audience will probably reflect this. It is the most statewide of our papers.   Be mindful:  200 words is very short!


add lebanon paper?

add hank@yankeebrew.com  to media article  - that is email for Yankee Brew News. 

Concord Monitor:  www.concordmonitor.com
Maximum allowed length of letter: Not sure, but it looks like they are favoring the very short submissions of around 150 words...the longest I've seen in October '04 is 300 words...so try keeping it down to 200.
Number of lettters you can submit per month: : Not sure, but most papers will only publish one letter per month from the same person.
How to submit: Use their e-mail form at http://concordmonitor.com/apps/pbcs.dll/misc?Url=/forms/opinion/letter_to_editor.pbs
Information they require: Not sure...but papers normally require your name, address and phone number.
General comments: Government town, liberal paper.  The idea of a government that limits itself to the defense of individuals from aggression and fraud....this idea is alien to the Monitor.
Its readers seem to mirror this bias a bit.  But so far I don't know of any reason not to send letters here.

Nashua Telegraph:  www.nashuatelegraph.com
Maximum allowed length of letter: No hard and fast policy; I've seen letters over 300 words here, but shorter is generally better.
Number of lettters you can submit per month:  They prefer to limit to once a month per person but I don't think it's a hard and fast policy.
How to submit letter: Use their e-mail form at http://www.nashuatelegraph.com/apps/pbcs.dll/section?category=opinion
Information they require:  From their site: "Although the paper does not publish phone numbers or street addresses (unless specifically requested), that information must be included with letters for verification purposes."
General comments: Their site also reads: "The Telegraph welcomes letters from its readers that are exclusive to this newspaper. To speed publication, writers should keep their letters brief. Nashua itself is fairly libertarian, if their state reps are any indication. So your audience will probably reflect that to some extent.  Telegraph has definitely printed some of my letters but not sure how many.


Portsmouth Herald:   www.seacoastonline.com
Number of lettters you can submit per month: unknown
Maximum frequency of publication: Unknown, but most papers seem to have a limit of once a month.
How to submit: email opinion@seacoastonline.com
Information they require:  Not sure...but papers normally require your name, address and phone number.
General comments and instructions: Liberal area, liberal paper.  The Herald is somehow associated with Exeter and Dover papers, I think; I'm not sure whether they will allow you to have an LTE published in all three during the same month.   Cannot think of any cases where my letters have not been printed, on the other hand I cannot think of any cases where they *have.*  I don't know what's been happening to the ones I send for lack of follow up.



Laconia Citizen www.citizen.com
Maximum allowed length of letter: Unknown, but this week one letter was almost 400 words.
Number of lettters you can submit per month:  Unknown; best to assume one a month
How to submit letter: e-mail news@citizen.com ; I assume you need to leave your snail mail addie & your phone number
Information they require:  Not sure...but papers normally require your name, address and phone number.
General comments and instructions: Northernmost of the major NH papers, I think.  I believe they've printed almost everything I've sent them. 

Foster's Daily Democrat (Dover, Rochester area): www.fosters.com
Maximum allowed length of letter: Unknown
Number of lettters you can submit per month: Unknown, but most papers accept one a month
How to submit letter:  Use their submission form at http://www.fosters.com/apps/pbcs.dll/section?category=SERVICES0113
Information they require:    Not sure...but papers normally require your name, address and phone number.
General comments and instructions:   


Keene Sentinel  http://www.keenesentinel.com/
Maximum allowed length of letter: Unknown, but I've seen letters up to 500 words there.
Number of lettters you can submit per month:  1
How to submit letter: Use their online submission page at http://keenesentinel.com/FormLayout.asp?formcall=lettertoeditor
Information they require:   Name, address and phone number.
General comments and instructions:  Sentinel seems to have printed every letter I've sent, but I live in Keene.  time, herald cannot think of any verified cases of callbacks or printings.  monitor has printed at least one i know of.   they say the daily democrat doesnt Online edition does not let you read much without a subscription.  Liberal paper, liberal city. Rural areas surrounding are conservative/libertarian. I've experienced delays of a week or two getting printed in Autumn 04, but usually they do print me. Independently owned paper.

Peterborough Transcript:
Maximum allowed length of letter: Unknown
Number of lettters you can submit per month:   Unknown, with most papers the max is 1
How to submit letter:
Information they require: Not sure...but papers normally require your name, address and phone number.
General comments and instructions: 

Bow Times
Maximum allowed length of letter: Unknown
Number of lettters you can submit per month:   Unknown, with most papers the max is 1
How to submit letter:  editor@bowtimes.com
Information they require: Not sure...but papers normally require your name, address and phone number.
General comments and instructions:   Bow is only about 3 miles from the state house in concord, so while it's a small paper I some plan to send them LTEs inviting folks to upcoming protests in Concord.

New Boston Bulletin
Maximum allowed length of letter: 400 Words
Number of lettters you can submit per month:   Unknown, with most papers the max is 1
How to submit letter:  nbbulletin@adelphia.net
Information they require: Not sure...but papers normally require your name, address and phone number.
General comments and instructions:  Small paper

Keene Free Press - Run by Free Staters!
www.KeeneFreePress.com
Maximum allowed length of letter:  Probably almost unlimited for the online version 
Number of lettters you can submit per month:  Probably no limit
How to submit letter: www.KeeneFreePress.com
Information they require: Not sure...but papers normally require your name, address and phone number.
General comments and instructions:  Colorful small online paper which as of 2/2005 is about to partner with a print paper in the Monadnock region I think.  They will probably print almost any LTE they get; also if you want to write an article give them a shout!

[Dave Ridley]

PARTICIPATION IN NH-CENTRIC WEB FORUMS

Just as Talk Radio helped conservatives "become the media" in the 90s, web forums and related internet tools can help us do the same in this decade, in this state.

Advantages: This is the quickest yet least time-sensitive way to be the media. When you participate in forums around the Net you can post a piece of news months after it's happened or respond to a post that is years old. You have immediacy and are usually guaranteed to get "published."  Unlike radio and print, the links you post do not require the reader to type anything, they just point and click and end up where you want them to be. Also unlike other media, it's easy to start a topic from scratch on web forums. You don't have to be responding to anything; you can set your own agenda.  You can usually track with relative ease the number of times your threads have been viewed, and you can have continuing give-and-take communication with your readers. You can keep coming back to the discussion and play sales rep for your idea.

Disadvantages: Usually not that many people will see your post; dozens on average.

Tips:  If you can, tack on a signature that links to your favorite NH freedom group. Mine usually says:

Is Your State Rep a Tax Nazi? Find out!
www.nhliberty.org/research.htm

It's important not to preach, not to alienate and not to be too negative.  Again, supporting a solution or a fellow freedom lover is better than attacking a problem or an authoritarian. There's a time for each but the former is more productive than the latter. It gives free publicity to good things rather than bad things.

Lastly, don't always be content to merely swap a few ideas. Use the opportunity to recruit members for your favorite liberty-friendly institution or activity in-state. Personally I like to try and get folks to come to our socials, by directing them to

http://www.freestateproject.org/community/welcomewagon

List of NH-oriented Web Forums:

I'm listing these in order of how active they are...the most active are listed first.   



New Hampshire Underground Forum
URL:  NHfree.com (home), forum.soulawakenings.com (direct link to forum)
Political leaning:  libertarian
Registration required? Yes, if you want to post
Number of registered users as of 6/05: ~170
Average number of posts per day as of 5/05:  ~90
General comments about this forum:    Action-oriented web forum for liberty lovers of all stripes in New Hampshire, founded in late 2004. 


Merrimack Forum
www.merrimackforum.org
Political leaning:  None officially
Registration required? Yes, if you want to post
Number of registered users as of 5/05:  ~400
Average number of posts per day since inception (as of 5/05):  ~70
General comments about this forum:   Forum is partly focused on Merrimack issues, but there is a good active section for discussing national and state politics.   Most recent messages within a thread end up on top, which can be confusing at first.


Free State Project Web Forum
www.forum.freestateproject.org
Political leaning:  libertarian
Registration required? Yes, if you want to post
Number of registered users as of 5/05:  ~3300
Average number of posts per day as of 10/04:  ~30
General comments about this forum:   Web forum for the group that aims to draw 20,000 liberty lovers to New Hampshire, reinforcing & enhancing the freedoms of the "Live Free or Die state."  Much of the traffic on this forum has migrated to NHfree.com, much of it also now originates from New Hampshire as some of the the most active participants have already moved.

Independent Media
http://www.nhindymedia.org/
Political leaning: Used to be just leftist but seems to be shifting libertarian
Registration required?  No
Number of registered users as of 10/04: Unknown
Average number of posts per day as of 10/04:  ~8 from New Hampshire
General comments about this forum:   This isn't precisely a a web forum, more of a place to post articles or pics you have written or seen.  People can comment on them and you can comment on theirs. It's a worldwide institution with a New Hampshire branch of some kind.  Be sure to checkmark "local interest" if you post there.


WMUR (Channel 9) Forums
http://forums.ibsys.com/viewmessages.cfm?sitekey=man&forum=427&topic=10413&startmsg=31
Political leaning: None officially, but the people posting generally seem to be slightly more authoritarian or leftist than your average NH resident.
Registration required? Yes, if you want to post.
Number of registered users as of 10/04:  Unknown
Average number of posts per day as of 10/04: ~8
General comments about this forum:  There is a fair amount of traffic here and apparently a lot of lurkers, also there is good diversity of opinion. You can't start your own topic; you have to join one of the threads started by the station.  Usually a third of these are somehow related to liberty in NH.  Also your message has to be approved by a moderator before appearing. As of 10/04 I think 14 of the 15 or so I have submitted were approved.
 
Salem Forum (with area for general NH discussion)
http://salemnhforum.org/index.php
Political leaning: None officially
Registration required? Yes, if you want to post
Number of registered users as of 10/04: 550
Average number of posts per day as of 10/04: ~6
General comments about this forum:  This forum is the most active of the successful neforums.org series.  Technically it's Salem-centric but it has a fairly active section for discussing NH state and national politics. I mostly stay out of the Salem section since I don't live there.
 
DFNH (aka the Nanny State Project)
Political leaning:  authoritarian left
Registration required? Yes, and I'm not sure new registrations are being accepted
Number of registered users as of 10/04: Unknown
Average number of posts per day as of 10/04: ~6
General comments about this forum:  These is a forum which I believe was originated for NH residents who were supporters of Howard Dean for pres.  I try not to spend too much time here or get too active since it's not a place where you can easily win people over.   

NH Liberty Alliance
www.nhliberty.org
Political leaning: libertarian
Registration required? Yes, you have to be an Alliance member and register on the site to post or even read most of the categories.
Number of registered users as of 10/04: 90
Average number of posts per day as of 8/04:  ~3
General comments about this forum:  It's not that active because most of the people who would otherwise post there are using the FSP site instead. Also the categories are kind of screwy and maintaining your access can be a pain. However the Alliance itself is shaping up well, local freedom activists say they've never seen anything like it!

NH Talks general forum 
http://www.nhtalks.com
Political leaning:  None
Registration required?  Yes
Estimated number of registered users:  ~25 as of 6/05
Average number of posts per day as of 10/04:  ~3
General comments about this forum:  This forum appears to be new and growing.


Politics Cafe NH thread
http://www.politicscafe.com/forum/index.php?board=7;action=display;threadid=261;start=200
Political leaning: None officially, but the participants seem to be more libertarian or conservative as of 10/04. 4+ Free Staters already active on this thread
Registration required? Yes, if you want to post
Number of registered users as of 10/04: N/A - it's just a thread
Average number of posts per day as of 10/04: ~1
General comments about this forum thread: It's been going for a long time and was I think started long before the Porcupines chose NH.  It's FSP-friendly though not universally so.  They've talked about the FSP a lot there and I would say somewhere around 5 Free Staters have posted there.

nh.politics - Usenet newsgroup
http://groups.google.com/groups?hl=en&lr=&group=nh.politics
Political leaning: None officially
Registration required? Sort of.. if you don't have any kind of newsgroup account you'll have to set up one and you can do so by heading to the link above...just try to post something and if you don'thave a Usenet account it will tell you how to start one through Google (it's really easy).
Estimated number of registered users:  Unknown
Average number of posts per day as of 10/04:  ~4, but most of these are Bush or Kerry spammers as of 10/04.
General comments about this newsgroup:   Try prefacing each NH-related post there with the letters "NH."  That will make your message stand out against the off-topic spam.   Bear in mind unlike forums you can't erase or edit messages you post to any newsgroup.

nh.general - Usenet newsgroup
http://groups.google.com/groups?hl=en&lr=&gfroup=nh.general
Political leaning: None
Registration required? Sort of.. if you don't have any kind of newsgroup account you'll have to set up one, and you can do so by heading to
https://www.google.com/accounts/NewAccount?continue=http%3A%2F%2Fposting.google.com%2Fpost%3Fgs%3D%252Fgroups%253Fhl%253Den%2526lr%253D%2526group%253Dmisc.activism.progressive%26cmd%3Dpost%26enc%3DISO-8859-1%26group%3Dmisc.activism.progressive&followup=http%3A%2F%2Fgroups.google.com%2F&service=groups
Estimated number of registered users: Unknown
Average number of posts per day as of 10/04:  ~4, but most of these are Bush or Kerry spammers as of 10/04.  On the other hand, Usenet groups like this are sort of guaranteed never to die out; if people start posting more NH stuff there the group will spring back to life. 
General comments about this newsgroup:    Try prefacing each NH-related post there with the letters "NH."  That will make your message stand out against the off-topic spam.   Bear in mind unlike forums you can't erase or edit messages you post to any newsgroup.

Bedford Blog
www.bedfordblog.com
Political leaning:  Unknown
Registration required? Unknown
Estimated number of registered users: Unknown
Average number of posts per day as of 10/04:  Unknown

Derry Forum
http://derrynhforum.org/ 
Political leaning: None officially
Registration required? Yes, to post
Estimated number of registered users: 130
Average number of posts per day as of 10/04: Less than 1
General comments about this forum: Second most active NH forum of the successful neforum.org series. 

Hooksett Town Web Forum
(Hooksett is a small town just north of Manchester)
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/hooksett_chat/
Political leaning:  Unknown
Registration required?  Yes
Estimated number of registered users:  Unknown
Average number of posts per day as of 10/04: Less than 1
General comments about this forum:  Looks like this was started a year or two ago...peaked out for a while then faded some but still in action.

Auburn Town Web Forum
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/auburn/
Political leaning:  Unknown
Registration required?  Yes
Estimated number of registered users:  Unknown
Average number of posts per day as of 10/04:  Less than 1
General comments about this forum:  Looks like this was started a year or two ago...peaked out for a while then faded some but still in action.   The neforum.org folks are already promoting it some.

Hampstead Town Web Forum
http://hampsteadnhforum.org/
Political leaning:  Unknown
Registration required?  Yes
Estimated number of registered users as of 10/04:   Less than 50
Average number of posts per day as of 10/04:  0
General comments about this forum:   This forum is part of the successful neforums.org series, but hasn't really become active yet.   It's a blank slate for you to write on and promote if you're near Hampstead.   The neforum.org folks are already promoting it some

Manchester Town Web Forum
http://manchesternhforum.org/ 
Political leaning:  None
Registration required?  Yes, to post
Estimated number of registered users: 
Average number of posts per day as of 10/04:  0
General comments about this forum:  This forum is part of the successful neforums.org series, but hasn't become active yet.   It's a blank slate for you to write on and promote if you're in Manchester.  The neforum.org folks are already promoting it some

http://peterboroughnh.neforum.org/
Political leaning:
Registration required?
Estimated number of registered users:
Average number of posts per day as of 10/04:
General comments about this forum:  This forum is part of the successful neforums.org series, but hasn't become active yet.  It's a blank slate for you to write on and promote if you're in or near Peterborough.  The neforum.org folks are already promoting it some

Now off with you and Godspeed!

[Dave Ridley]

bump.  would appreciate any corrections or updates to the posts above.   Additions are also welcome.

[FTL_Ian]

WNTK 8p-10p Sat,  "Free Talk Live" - Hosted by Free Staters
Live streaming? Yes, Broadband AND Dialup.
Accepts calls? Yes. 
Reads e-mails on the air?  Yes, but calls are preferred.
Screener? Yes but screening is minimal: Name, Where, How Listening, What.
OK to call if you can't hear the show?  Yes, but may result in longer wait as we process calls that are on-topic.
OK to bring up brand new topics? Always.
Show notes:   Though we are on Sats 8-10p, we COULD be on M-Sat 7-10p.  You want live pro-Liberty talk at night?  Free Talk Live is it!  Learn how to call your local talk station and request FTL at http://local.freetalklive.com

[Dave Ridley]

FTL is good placd to call any night even tho they are only heard in NH on saturdays
Note that they are on 7p-10p now.

[FTL_Ian]

<<We are?  Bob Vinikoor did not inform me that he was picking up the first hour.   Are you sure?  I thought we were still 8-10p.>>

i meant you are on 7-10 overall, not that you are on 7-10 at WNTK

[Russell Kanning]

When you write the Keene Free Press, we can publish as little or much private info as you wish.

Another way to be the media in NH is to start another local paper in your area like ours.

[president]

We are?  Bob Vinikoor did not inform me that he was picking up the first hour.   Are you sure?  I thought we were still 8-10p.

You usually aren't on. It is mostly sports...UNH hockey this time of year.

[FTL_Ian]

You usually aren't on. It is mostly sports...UNH hockey this time of year.

Dratted sports.  Someday we'll move off nights and defeat Hannity or Limbaugh.  When would you prefer to listen?  Middays or Afternoon Drive?  Mornings are out of the question.

[FTL_Ian]

Hmm.. I'm thinking Gardner Goldsmith's ATG 12-3p followed by FTL 3-6p.  The "WNTK Liberty Knockout!".

I think big things will be coming in the future of WNTK, especially if (when?) they expand us to 6 nights a week... 

[Dave Ridley]

whoop sorry ian, i accidentaly modified your post instead of replying to it!

[CNHT]

NH Talks general forum 
http://www.nhtalks.com

This forum is full of ads and doesn't seem to be going anywhere.

Bedford Blog
www.bedfordblog.com

The above forum was set up by the schoolie crowd. Tax and Spenders for sure.

We also have a list of forums on cnht.org/links.php

Also, the Derry and a number of other forums were hacked...since the owner did not upgrade from 2.08 which had a bug in it...tsk.
The latest is phpBB 2.1.9 and they should update.