Radio talk show host quits non-conservative program

Star Tribune ^ | December 9, 2003 | Eric Black

[wallcrawlr]

An effort by a recent Democratic congressional candidate to introduce a non-conservative alternative to the local talk radio scene got off to a shaky start Thanksgiving week when the star of the show, veteran local comedian Jeff Gerbino, quit after two days.

He complained that the boss wouldn't let him be funny or provocative and was turning the show into a "shameless plug for the DFL."

Janet Robert of Stillwater, a wealthy attorney who ran unsuccessfully for the U.S. House last year, said that she wouldn't discuss Gerbino's departure and that it wasn't fair to judge the show on its first two days. Promotional materials for the show feature almost exclusively Democratic officeholders but Roberts said the goal was to be centrist and politically independent. "Jeff was the one that was trying to push us too far to the left," she said.

Nationally and locally, the talk radio scene is dominated by conservatives, but Democrats have been trying to create a liberal radio network.

A Democratic investment group is close to buying radio stations in five major cities and recently hired Lizz Winstead, another veteran of the Twin Cities comedy scene and one of the creators of the "The Daily Show," to oversee the entertainment programming. Minnesota native Al Franken has also been mentioned as a possible host on the network.

Gerbino was one of a group of stand-up comics who helped build the local comedy club scene in the late 1970s. Louis Lee of the Acme Comedy Company said he wasn't surprised to hear about Gerbino's short, unhappy tenure in his latest gig because he's known in the comedy business as "not the easiest-going guy in the industry." Gerbino also worked as a drive-time radio host for two local stations in the 1990s.

Politically, he's been a maverick with Democrat leanings. Gerbino said that in the past eight presidential elections he has voted for four Democrats, two Republicans and two independents (John Anderson and Ross Perot). He said he wrote humorous material used in speeches by Gov. Tim Pawlenty during last year's campaign.

Robert and Gerbino met weekly for months to work on the format and philosophy of the show. "High Ground" premiered Nov. 24 on WMNN, 1330-AM, an all-news station.

During the first two shows, Gerbino felt that Robert micromanaged the content, the guest list and him. In an e-mail to the Star Tribune, he complained about an hour of the second show that featured this lineup of guests:

Sen. Mark Dayton, U.S. Rep. Jim Oberstar, Attorney General Mike Hatch, a professor discussing the Democratic presidential field, state Rep. Tom Rukavina and Franken. All of the elected officials, plus Franken, are Democrats. Gerbino described the hour as a "donkey telethon" and said Robert criticized him for not "gushing" enough over Dayton and Oberstar. He also complained that Robert would not allow him to schedule any Republican guests and forbade him from mentioning his work for Pawlenty.

Turning the show into an "infomercial for the Democratic Party" would ring hollow for the audience and he couldn't be funny or provocative in such a format, Gerbino said.

Robert said she discouraged Gerbino from talking about his work for Pawlenty because the show was not supposed to be about Gerbino but about the issues. She said the show has no partisan leanings and has had Republicans as guests, although she could think of only one, State Auditor Pat Awada, who was on the show after Gerbino's departure.

She also said she is not the boss of the show, is only handling the public relations and hopes to be gone from the operation soon. Her goal is to line up enough affiliates that the show will be heard statewide within a year.

"High Ground," is continuing Monday-Friday from 1-3 p.m. with fill-in hosts who are auditioning to be the permanent replacement. Robert said a decision on permanent co-hosts will be made by Monday.

WMNN is owned by the parent company of Minnesota Public Radio but has a much smaller audience than MPR or any of the big local talk radio stations. John Rash, media buyer for Campbell Mithun advertising agency, said the flap over the show's creation and Gerbino's sudden departure had generated little talk at his end of the business because "High Ground" seems unlikely to be an attractive media buy with or without Gerbino. Gerbino, he said, isn't famous enough in comedy circles or political circles to get many people to sample a show on an unfamiliar station. If Franken launches a liberal talk show, it might different, he said, adding: "In advertising circles, what creates the most buzz is an audience."

[Drango]

I can't figure out how they are even allowed to own that station in the first place.

Let's ask if there is any intermingling of public funds for partisian efforts. Audit Please! www.cpb.org

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[Drango]

~sigh I just clicked on the form link above and it doesn't link. Here is a link you can cut & paste http://www.cpb.org/oig/complaintform.html