Posted on 04/29/2004 3:55:31 AM PDT by kattracks
If liberals have a radio network and nobody listens does it still make a sound?
This is the relevant question about the new "liberal" radio network Air America Radio, which debuted March 31. The network features a galaxy of left-wing stars.
Despite these stars Air America Radio is disappearing faster than a John Kerry campaign pledge. Air America could not pay its bills to its Chicago affiliate, so it was locked out of its office and its programs were cancelled. Now its CEO, Democratic Party operative Mark Walsh, has resigned.
After listening to a couple of the shows one can only conclude that Air America combines the worst elements of National Public Radio and Drive Time Radio – sophomoric humor and soporific conversation. The owners of Air America – Progressive Media, which is owned by Democratic Party operative Mark Walsh – assembled a group of "talent" such as late night TV comedians, Comedy Channel producers, former gangsta rappers, and liberal radio talk show hosts from NPR and the far-Left radio network Pacifica.
The 9 a.m. to 12 Noon show is called Unfiltered. The hosts are comedienne Lizz Winstead, Oxford grad Rachel Maddow, and Rapper Chuck D. Lizz Winstead and Rachel Maddow speak with the soft-spoken, quasi-intellectual tones that characterize NPR, and Chuck D, well, is Chuck D. Among their "jokes" is the suggestion that the CIA Iraqi Rewards program rewards frequent flier miles for "How many civilians you kill." Maybe they should interview the widows of our servicemen.
The major issue of the day was that terrifying threat to our civil liberties "hip-hop profiling." They interviewed Donna Lieberman of the New York ACLU about this important subject. It seems that there is unfair targeting by the NYPD and Miami PD of the hip-hop community.
One reason that "hip-hop profiling" may be important is that Air America caused the elimination of at least three minority radio stations and has thrown blacks and Hispanics out of work. Ten of twelve Air America hosts – or 83 percent - are white. Contrast that to Rush Limbaugh’s guest hosts, who are 67 percent white and tell me who is racist.
During their ruminations and articulations Chuck, Lizz, and Rachel, made the obligatory comments about cops being cruel and stupid, and the CIA is watching that each of them.
The only thing they did was ridicule: the CIA, the military, the cops, President Bush, you name it. This is Hate Radio.
Liberals believe that it is not their message that is unpopular, it is their lack of media. This is why Air America was created.
One New York Times’ article once stated that Carville, Begala, Bill Press and Phil Donahue are the only liberals in media. This is ludicrous. Clinton friend Rick Kaplan is president of MSNBC. NBC’s Tim Russert is the host of Meet the Press and used to work for Mario Cuomo. The host of ABC’s Sunday political show, George Stephanoupolos, was a high-level Clinton staffer. MSNBC features Chris Matthews, who was a former Tip O’Neil staffer, and Brian Williams who was a Carter staffer. Judy Woodruff of CNN, Margaret Carlson are registered Democrats. Bill Moyers of PBS is a vociferous critic of Republicans and a former Johnson administration official.
In 1985, the Los Angeles Times surveyed 3,000 journalists across the country at 621 newspapers. Their conclusion was that "Members of the press are predominantly liberal, considerably more liberal than the general public." A 1995 Roper Poll furnished similar results.
Comedian Jay Leno once referred to what would become Air America during one of his monologues last year. Leno remarked, "According to the New York Times, a group of liberal venture capitalists are in the process of developing their own liberal radio network to counter conservative shows like Rush Limbaugh. They feel the liberal viewpoint is not being heard -- except on TV, in the movies, in music, by comedians, magazines and newspapers. Other than that, it’s not getting out!"
Liberals and Democrats have a tendency to only talk to each other. According to their ratings, no one else is tuning in. The Democrats should heed the maxim, "Where all men think alike, no one thinks very much." And no one tunes in. The overwhelming popularity of Rush Limbaugh, Fox News and conservative websites such as FrontPage Magazine prove where America really stands. It does not stand with the Left, and it certainly does not stand with Air America.
Surely you jest.
A giant sucking one.
1) How many jobs will be lost because of this huge boondoggle?
2) So-called professional comedians - and they STILL can't compete with Rush? Doncha know that just frosts 'em...
For the same reason that SNL has been on the air all these years, because it's funny. I don't have to agree politically with these guys to have a laugh or two. And you're wrong, like his views or not, Franken is a very funny guy.
J
Yes, I'm kinda old fashioned.
J
Soon liberalese will only be spoken in hell.
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