Posted on 06/03/2004 1:38:54 PM PDT by Jean S
Remember David Brock?
Sure you do. Hes the former self-described right-wing hit man who famously transformed himself into a left-wing hit man, although he would probably rather call himself an advocate for progressive causes.
His latest cause is a campaign to drive Rush Limbaugh from the lineup of the American Forces Radio and Television Service, formerly known as Armed Service Radio.
Last week, Brock wrote a letter to Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld citing comments from Limbaugh suggesting that the abuse of Iraqi prisoners at the Abu Ghraib prison was not as big a deal as some commentators have made it out to be. (Brock did not cite Limbaughs comments condemning the abuse itself.)
Brock told Rumsfeld that by including the Limbaugh program on American Forces Radio, the Pentagon was making the American taxpayer pay to broadcast pro-torture propaganda to U.S. troops.
Brock is also worried that Limbaughs rhetoric divides rather than unites Americans.
Therefore, Limbaugh should be removed. (In his new book, Brock expresses the hope that such voices will someday be eradicated.)
Brock made the complaint on behalf of a new organization he heads called Media Matters for America. He says the groups mission is to fight conservative misinformation in the media.
To do so, Brock has raised more than $2 million, much of it from the donor pool that is supporting the anti-Bush 527 groups that are working on behalf of the Kerry campaign.
Brock used $100,000 of his $2 million stash to produce and air ads denouncing Limbaugh, and there is no doubt that when this new campaign against American Forces Radio runs its course, Media Matters will find some new reason to attack the popular talk show host.
Its all part of a broad election-year effort to bring down the most important media voice of conservatism.
But it has also brought into question the values of American Forces Radio.
Brock and others the anti-Bush webmag Salon, for example have suggested that the radio service leans to the right politically.
But American Forces Radio officials explain and they have a lot of evidence to back it up that the network tries hard not to tilt in one direction or another but to give American soldiers abroad a chance to listen to the programming that they would hear if they were home.
In addition to Limbaugh American Forces carries one hour of his three-hour program each day there is lots of National Public Radio, including politically oriented hosts such as Diane Rehm and Tavis Smiley. There are also commentaries from people such as Jim Hightower and Dan Rather.
And theres the Tom Joyner show and things such as Car Talk, Dr. Demento and the like. And lots and lots of music of all varieties.
In all, American Forces Radio makes 1,200 programs available to military stations around the globe, which pick and choose programming from the menu, depending on audience preferences.
According to some listeners, theres plenty of stuff on American Forces Radio to
balance out one hour of Limbaugh.
I listened to American Forces radio every day for hours, writes one woman whose husband recently finished more than four years at Ramstein Air Base in Germany.
NPR never seemed to have anything good to say about Israel, [or] the way things were going in Iraq. ... Heaven knows, after the 2000 elections, we thought Gore might win if the rest of the people in the States felt as those did on NPR.
Another correspondent, who worked for American Forces Radio in Japan, said, If anything, AFRTS is balanced a bit to the left ... but it offers viewers and listeners ample opportunity to hear whatever they want.
By the way, do you remember the dust-up last year when a member of the Dixie Chicks went on an anti-Bush rant? Some radio programmers in the United States stopped playing the groups music. But not American Forces Radio.
We havent put any restrictions on the Dixie Chicks, one American Forces official told the Oregonian newspaper in April. We leave it up to the discretion of our affiliates; they can mix or match.
Thats not exactly the voice of right-wing radio.
Finally, some of the critics of American Forces Radio have questioned why, if the programming menu is based on popularity at home, the service does not include Howard Sterns daily radio program.
The answer is that its a question of taste. Sterns shock-jock act has been hit many times by the Federal Communications Commission for indecent programming, and his syndicators have been forced to pay millions in fines. So it doesnt make much sense that American Forces Radio would distribute his program.
The bottom line is that American Forces Radio includes a little of everything.
Thats the way it should be, regardless of what David Brock or anyone else, for that matter says.
York is a White House correspondent for National Review. His column appears in The Hill each week. E-mail: byork@thehill.com
I have a feeling that the gay Brock has violated far, far more men than had their so-called rights violated at the prison.
It is far more likely that the rhetoric of David and his gay extremist ilk divides rather than unites Americans.
Seriously, is there any real, compelling reason we should care what Brock thinks?
It's proven, he is both fruity and nuts
his face is filled with gloom
David Brock needs a visitor...come to his Quiet Room
He blames the right wing for driving him mad
Yes, we led to his doom
David Brock needs a visitor...come to his Quiet Room
He now loves Bill
he is his shill
Too many times his doctors have said
Bill looked down and patted his head
They're teaching him to clean up his own space and trusting him with a broom
David Brock needs a visitor...come to his Quiet Room
He now loves Bill
he is his shill
Too many times his doctors have said
Bill looked down and patted his head
It's proven, he is both fruity and nuts
his poor face is filled with gloom
David Brock leads a lonely life
It has become a sad, sad life
David Brock leads a lonely life
there in his Quiet Room
Doesn't David Brock have better things to do -- like performing like a pet monkey at San Francisco bath houses?
I listen to Armed Forces Radio all the time. The one hour of Rush per day is more than "balanced" by the 3 + hours of National People's Radio, the CBS hourly "news" updates, and the government produced "public interest" programs (most of which tend to take a Leftward slant).
One of Brock's minions -
http://www.oliverwillis.com/
The schedule is heavily skewed toward the very liberal NPR programming.
AFN's News/Talk Radio Programming in Europe
MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY SCHEDULE
0900 Power Talk A.M.
Mon. Perspective
Tue. Newsweek on Air
Wed. Car Talk
Thu. Sound Money
Fri. Parents Journal
1000 Sports Overnight America - Live
1200 NPR Morning Edition - Live
1600 AFN Evening Newswatch
1635 Sports Byline
1700 AFN Evening Newswatch
1800 Rush Limbaugh - Live
1900 Dr. Laura Schlessinger
1945 Paul Harvey News and Comment
2000 NPR Talk of the Nation - Live
2200 NPR All Things Considered
SATURDAY
0000 Pure Gold Oldies
0600 NPR All Things Considered
0800 Sports Overnight America
1100 Chef's Table-Cooking
1130 CNN Headline News
1200 Kim Kommando Computers
1300 American Country Countdown
1700 Country Hits
1800 NPR Weekend Edition
2000 Pure Gold Oldies or Live Sports
2300 Country Hits or Live Sports
SUNDAY
0000 Country Hits or Live Sports
0300 Pure Gold Oldies
or Live Sports
0700 Religious Programming
0800 Praise Patrol
1000 Sports Overnight America
1100 Car Talk
1200 Prairie Home Companion
1400 NPR Weekend Edition
1600 Justice Talking
1700 Fresh Air Weekend
1800 The Motley Fools Financial Advice
As Limbaugh (and increasingly, his competitors) will tell you, they can't balance out his 1 hour with even the other 23 hours. Rush says more in five seconds than most hosts say in their entire careers...
I would have withered on the vine in my final overseas tour without FR and my one hour of Rush .
What they don't mention is that Rush's one hour is not in prime listening time. In Germany it came on at approximately 8 pm. Rush is hardly a threat to anyone in that time slot.
Also, just an aside.....CAR TALK was a decent radio show. MOSTLY it was good car info and slap happy humor between the two hosts.
Tom Joyner was obscene. Anything PBS was presented in their own special brainwash format.
He's just jealous because they got it for free.
Brock is getting his 15 minutes of fame, which for the limited life expectancy of a homosexual would probably seem like more than that (like "doggie years" compared to human years).
Great response.
No need of ipecac syrup, if you have Tavis Smiley!
Brock was a mole, a long time friend of Hillary Clinton. He is reprehensible just like she is.
Rush on AFN ping
I found the petition on PakNews.com, a publication aimed at Pakistanis around the world. Can you imagine Brock's chutzpah--asked Pakistanis to decide what our servicemen can hear--this after they fought for years to get to hear Rush.?He gets 5 hours a week (provided by him free) to 24 hours a week of NPR ditherings.
So Brock's goal is that someday, voices that diagree with his opinions will be "eradicated"? As I always say, "God save me from liberals claiming they're trying to protect my Constitutional rights."
Hi. I didn't see this article; thanks. They wouldn't dare take Rush off AFN!
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