[BC] liberal versus conservative radio

[RadioPower.org]

That was beautiful...

Shelby  

> Date: Sat, 15 Oct 2005 13:08:12 -0400
> From: Donna Halper <dlh at donnahalper.com>
> Subject: [BC] liberal versus conservative radio
> To: Broadcast Radio Mailing List <broadcast at radiolists.net>
> Message-ID:
> <5.1.0.14.2.20051015124718.02e421c8 at pop.registeredsite.com>
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> 
> So here is what I don't understand.  I have spent over 25 years as a radio
> consultant and my clients have carried right wing shows for years-- if they
> are popular, that's the reason to carry them, and I never interfere with
> meeting the needs of a market.  And over the past year or so, I am now
> absolutely seeing certain markets where progressive and left wing shows are
> doing very well; again, if they are popular, that's the reason to carry
> them, and I advise GMs and PDs to put their own ideologies aside and make
> sure the audience feels that *their* needs are being met.   But what
> mystifies me is that some people on this list (and while I love them and
> have talked with several of them off-list, I can't understand their point
> of view about this subject) seem to only see whining and complaining and
> bad radio when it comes from the left.  If the right spends endless hours
> bashing liberals and calling them godless, unpatriotric or worse, that is
> okay.  If Rush Limbaugh insults feminists, if Michael Savage insults gay
> people, if Bill O'Reilly accuses the left of not wanting to keep America
> safe, my friends on the right thing that's just splendid-- it's not
> negative or nasty or rude, it's just the truth.  But if a liberal host
> bashes the policies of the president, or accuses right wing hosts of
> stretching the truth (or even, gasp, of lying to make a political point),
> suddenly liberal radio is a failure, it's not entertaining, and ooo it's
> bad radio.
> 
> How come my friends on the right can only see the truth of their position
> and defend their own talk show hosts, while offering only contemptuous
> dismissal of the other side?  I have yet to read an objective critique of
> today's talk radio-- partisans on both sides spin their points of view, and
> in the torrent of accusations, not much exchange of ideas occurs.  I wish I
> knew how progressive talk is REALLY doing-- and I wish I knew whether
> people are just getting fatigued by so much negativity from both sides,
> because as a programmer, I want my audience to feel they are getting both
> entertainment and information.  These days, I just don't know, and when I
> try to find out, I run into a ton of spin.  The right absolutely wants left
> wing talkers to fail.  The left absolutely dislikes the tactics of the
> right.  And on and on we go.
> 
> So, in my personal view, Rush Limbaugh is often pompous and dishonest.  So
> is O'Reilly.   But their audience loves them, and since survey after survey
> states that the majority of talk radio fans identify as conservative and
> Republican, I expect they will continue to say what they need to say in
> order to please their base.  My question is-- when liberal and progressive
> hosts try to create a base and make it happy, why is that so terrible and
> why do some of our listmembers rise up in horror?  I find it quite
> horrifying the way the right wing talk shows portray liberals and
> progressives-- I see myself as a moderate, but according to some of the
> right wing shows, I am a godless commie pinko who hates America just
> because I don't support many of the president's policies and because I
> believe strongly that the separation of church and state is a good thing.
> Still, even when these shows misrepresent my views, I don't think we should
> ban right wing talk shows.  I do however wish there were more opportunities
> for listeners to get both sides of today's issues, and right wing talkers
> still dominate the playing field.  So, whether you like Al Franken or Ed
> Schultz or Stephanie Miller or Alan Colmes, that's not the real issue.  I
> still believe a few successful left or progressive shows are just what
> America needs.  But of course, I could be wrong, and I fully expect to be
> taken to task by some of the folks on this list.  Go ahead:  bring it on!