I think Hickenblooper probably does care about the media, I have talked to him a few times at retirements & other social events. He is a really nice guy, but now I bet he is having a hard time keeping eveyone happy.
(IMHO it is impossible anyway, especially with all the shark politicians & bureaucrats)
There was an understanding that the media would get new radios to do ESK, so a detailed accounting was done to determine what was out there. ( Maybe that was just a ruse to document all of the EDACS radios in posession of the media, I don't know)
Anyway, for whatever reason, that hasn't happened. Rest assured they will turn it on whenever they want--