News: Visit our Townhall Meetup site: http://townhall.meetup.com/99/
 
Welcome, Guest. Please login or register.

Login with username, password and session length
May 22, 2012, 10:58:37 AM
*

Recent

Your Info

Welcome, Guest. Please login or register.
May 22, 2012, 10:58:37 AM

Login with username, password and session length

Statistics

Members
Stats
  • Total Posts: 40602
  • Total Topics: 5158
  • Online Today: 17
  • Online Ever: 252
  • (April 10, 2011, 07:49:21 AM)
Users Online
Users: 0
Guests: 16
Total: 16

Links

Pages: [1]
  Print  
Topic: Liberal talk radio?  (Read 1174 times)
0 Members and 2 Guests are viewing this topic.
« on: March 30, 2004, 01:19:07 PM »
TonyBlair Offline
Verified Member
CTH Professor

*****
Reputation: +54/-0
Posts: 3824




Ignore

By Jay Severin, 3/30/2004

AFTER YEARS of contemptuously dismissing talk radio as a vast, embarrassing wasteland of doltish, bigoted, old, angry, overweight, religious white men named Chuck, liberals suddenly want a piece of the action. Coming soon to a radio near you, the Liberal Talk Network.
   
Well, my "progressive" pals, prepare to confront a shocking fact: Talk radio is a business. As in must make a profit. Success requires capturing a vast audience, and more. As a business enterprise, it is virtually meaningless whether your listeners agree with you politically. Your audience must attract major advertising dollars. That's right -- we're not in NPR land anymore, Toto.

Al Franken, your latest great white hope, declared your mission: "We're going to put it to Bush." You're off by one crucial letter: To win this game, you don't have to beat Bush, you have to beat Rush. He and his cohort are far more formidable than you imagine.

Is there an audience for liberal talk? Sure. Just take a look at that notorious 2000 campaign map, a schizophrenic blotch of red and blue Americans. At any given moment, half the citizenry detests George Bush, an "illegitimate" president who "stole the election." The same people zealously hold Bush personally responsible for war, poverty, pestilence, famine, spotty cellphone reception, and the common cold. Here's your audience!

Yet liberals are, quite understandably, apprehensive that liberal talk will (again) flop because of a dreadfully glum message and deadly dull messengers. Recall Alan Dershowitz and Mario Cuomo -- two undeniable brainiacs -- who were Radio Death. But with a new cast of colorful, less erudite characters, the "talent problem" could be remedied (unless they are serious about Jeanine Garafolo).

But take another look at that map. The death knell you see lurking is audience demographics (i.e. it's the economy, stupid). Red (Bush) vs. Blue (Gore) is a distinction of ideology, but it is also, as frankly we know, essentially a division of social class, race, and income. The red audience is largely suburban, college educated, professional, middle class; the blue (potential) audience more urban, less well educated, lower income. And this difference will matter infinitely more in the radio booth than the voting booth.

You are planning to lure conservative talk listeners? Dream on. You ignore -- or are delusional about -- the gross mismatch between your product and your customers.

Your ethos, mantra, unshakeable article of faith, and every utterance will derive from the smug presumption that the values and views of nonliberals are the root of evil: "selfish" because we believe our taxes too high; "haters" because we disdain racial preferences and same-sex marriage; "cruel" because we believe in strong national defense, capital punishment, and actually oppose illegal immigration; and, of course, "stupid" because we reject your benighted viewpoint.

Yes, we know you believe with utmost sincerity that we are monstrous Neanderthals, but do you really believe your left-wing/pacifist/United Nations/French worldview will win a big middle-class audience? In America?

Understand: Your success depends on us embracing the utterly fantastic notion that we are what's wrong with America; that our national, cultural, and personal woes stem from taxes too low, affirmative action too meek, defense too strong, and illegal aliens too few. People who believe such twaddle are for the most part home watching Jerry Springer reruns. Numerous they are. A commercially viable national talk radio audience they are not.

Perhaps you will have some federal judge declare unconstitutional the radio ratings system? Or mandate an "earned audience credit" for the ratings impoverished? Which, of course, explains why this new liberal talk "network" is not a genuine business enterprise but rather a fully subsidized propaganda project, funded entirely by wealthy Democrat activists.

Lucky you. Back here on earth, those of us in radio must earn our way in the rough and tumble of -- imagine this -- competition. Just hope your liberal sugar daddies' munificence is boundless, because if they tire of losing money, you will be forced to produce real ratings and profits, too. The horror! (Don't worry: there's always taxpayer money and "NPR II," right?)

Here is a lesson from the early days of automobile rebates: Volvo alone eschewed the practice, instead adopting the motto: "When you build a good car, you don't have to pay people to buy it."

And thus it is Volvo (cruel irony!) who previews the liberal talk radio epitaph: Here lies an agenda we twice tried selling by radio -- once as sermon, once as comedy. But either way, paying customers just weren't buying.

Jay Severin is host of an afternoon talk radio program on 96.9 FM.

 
Logged
We could say [Democrats] spend money like drunken sailors, but that would be unfair to drunken sailors. It would be unfair, because the sailors are spending their own money.  --Ronald Reagan

Al Gore didn't invent the internet, he invented global warming

The welfare of humanity is always the alibi of tyrants - Camus

The person who advocates government planning of the economy always assumes that it is his plan that will be put into effect.  --Hayek
« Reply #1 on: March 31, 2004, 09:36:19 PM »
JohnO Offline
Verified Member
CTH Tutor

*****
Reputation: +0/-0
Posts: 259




Ignore

The key line is the reference to NPR2.  Nobody will willingly buy it, but they will seek government aid.  That way we get to contribute to our own demise.  How very thoughtful of the left.  Ultimately, in the wider kulture kampf, there is a ton of liberal radio -- from shock jocks to rap stations to a lot of relativeky mind rock to NPR.  And in its totality, it may outwiegh the conservative political voices and religious braodcasts.  What the left has not managed to do is produce a Rush like radio star.  Stern is the closest they have come, but the gulf between doing stupid stripper routines and doing an even basic analysis of public policy is wide.  Certainly Rush's persona is a large part of the bit -- G Gordon and Savage have had modest success, to offer buttwo examples, but the only other show that comes close is Dr Laura, which is not purely political.  There are, I think three main reasons:
1  Conservates are more fun.  Witness our after action get together following the Lane Road Library business.  We we laughing, telling jokes, and so on.  What were they doing?

2  For all the fame their candidates have as policy wonks, I think their ideas become progressively less tenable the more they are discussed.  So they run campaigns whose cut and thrust is Ron Reagan, or Dan Quale, or GW, is stupid.  Or Helms is evil.  Or Ashcroft.  

3  We are more willing to do the hard work.  Buddy, let me promise you one thing -- it is a lot easier to call for alternative fuels or greater fuel efficency than it is to come up with something that can beat gasoline as a fuel source, or squeeze an extra 2 or 3 mpg out of a car and keep it within a budget and keep the pssengers relatively safe.  So if ya ain't interested in working, whhy not turn on some of that rock and roll music and boogy yer buns off.
Logged
« Reply #2 on: March 31, 2004, 11:08:04 PM »
Old Major Offline
Verified Member
CTH Professor

WWW
*****
Reputation: +0/-0
Posts: 2275




Ignore

You guys are missing the most important point. Who do the liberals choose to present their arguements and positions to the American People? Commedians!!! I can't get over the irony. It would be funny if it weren't so sad.

Franken, Garofalo to host liberal radio

http://www.salon.com/ent/wire/2004/03/10/air_america/
Logged
You only live once, make a difference.
« Reply #3 on: March 31, 2004, 11:23:11 PM »
TonyBlair Offline
Verified Member
CTH Professor

*****
Reputation: +54/-0
Posts: 3824




Ignore

Another point is that almost their entire message is "anti" (with the exception of abortion).  Who wants to listen to 24 hours of how evil America is, why Bush is like Hitler, how our system of government should resemble some 3rd world European commune.  And don't forget the tinfoil hat conspiracies.  How long can you take something like that?  How many companies would be willing to invest in such screed?

Liberals can't wait for the economy to collapse, terrorists to strike again, the Iraq democracy to fail, etc.

George Bush is right...anger is not an agenda for the future of America.
Logged
We could say [Democrats] spend money like drunken sailors, but that would be unfair to drunken sailors. It would be unfair, because the sailors are spending their own money.  --Ronald Reagan

Al Gore didn't invent the internet, he invented global warming

The welfare of humanity is always the alibi of tyrants - Camus

The person who advocates government planning of the economy always assumes that it is his plan that will be put into effect.  --Hayek
« Reply #4 on: April 01, 2004, 09:05:27 AM »
TonyBlair Offline
Verified Member
CTH Professor

*****
Reputation: +54/-0
Posts: 3824




Ignore

From the Washington Times:

Trust in Murdoch
    Comedian and professional Bush-basher Al Franken yesterday helped launch Air America — a four-station "progressive" radio network, not the old CIA-run airline. But two conservatives say Rupert Murdoch remains the best hope for liberal radio listeners.
    "It doesn't look good for Air America," Richard A. Viguerie and David Franke wrote yesterday in the Los Angeles Times.
    "But if Air America fails, liberals shouldn't despair. Rupert Murdoch may come to their rescue," said the writers, whose book "America's Right Turn: How Conservatives Used New and Alternative Media to Take Power" will be published in July.
    "You read that right. Murdoch is a capitalist, after all, not an ideologue. He will go where the money is, and a recent venture is the Fox News Radio Service. One of its first stars is Alan Colmes, the liberal foil to Sean Hannity on Fox News' 'Hannity & Colmes.'
    "Colmes is already carried by 34 stations, which seems to make Fox and Colmes the most successful liberal talk-radio effort in the nation. Now, isn't that a hoot!"
 
Logged
We could say [Democrats] spend money like drunken sailors, but that would be unfair to drunken sailors. It would be unfair, because the sailors are spending their own money.  --Ronald Reagan

Al Gore didn't invent the internet, he invented global warming

The welfare of humanity is always the alibi of tyrants - Camus

The person who advocates government planning of the economy always assumes that it is his plan that will be put into effect.  --Hayek
« Reply #5 on: January 21, 2010, 07:24:47 PM »
TonyBlair Offline
Verified Member
CTH Professor

*****
Reputation: +54/-0
Posts: 3824




Ignore

Air America?  Has anyone here heard of Air America?


Air America to Cease Broadcasting Immediately
http://mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/01/21/air-america-to-cease-broadcasting-immediately/
Logged
We could say [Democrats] spend money like drunken sailors, but that would be unfair to drunken sailors. It would be unfair, because the sailors are spending their own money.  --Ronald Reagan

Al Gore didn't invent the internet, he invented global warming

The welfare of humanity is always the alibi of tyrants - Camus

The person who advocates government planning of the economy always assumes that it is his plan that will be put into effect.  --Hayek
« Reply #6 on: January 21, 2010, 08:39:14 PM »
Credo Offline
Verified Member
CTH Associate Professor

*****
Reputation: +4/-1
Posts: 1092




Ignore

All those jokes about a tree falling in a forest come to mind.
Logged
« Reply #7 on: January 22, 2010, 11:35:00 AM »
Vocal Observer Offline
Verified Member
CTH Associate Professor

*****
Reputation: +18/-0
Posts: 1971




Ignore

Don't worry, The ONE will bring them back to life.
Logged
The Principle of Subsidiarity
Repeal the 17th Amendment

"peace, commerce, and honest friendship with all nations, entangling alliances with none." - Th. Jefferson

Oh yea... Run Paul Run!
« Reply #8 on: January 22, 2010, 11:46:14 AM »
Peter Offline
Administrator
CTH Associate Professor

*****
Reputation: +13/-0
Posts: 1008




Oh I thought this topic area was closed and archived away a couple years ago?
Logged
It's the spending, stupid!
« Reply #9 on: April 01, 2010, 03:51:29 AM »
Vince the Fox Offline
Trusted Allies
CTH Tutor

*
Reputation: +2/-0
Posts: 342




Ignore

I was "BANNED" last week from the Randi Rhodes show.. Guess the lying Skank could not handle a clear "recent" example of left -wing extremism..  Ed Shultz is in my sites!
Logged
 
Pages: [1]
  Print  
 
Jump to:  

TinyPortal v1.0 beta 4 © Bloc
Powered by SMF 1.1.16 | SMF © 2011, Simple Machines