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Rating the radio talk show hosts

Posted on 03/03/2005 1:31:07 PM PST by EveningStar

Since I retired several months ago, I've had plenty of time to listen to talk radio and I've been able to come up with my own factors for rating some of the hosts.

It is this: Who provides depth and insight and who doesn't?

To me, those who provide depth and insight include: Rush Limbaugh Dennis Prager Michael Medved Larry Elder

Those who fall into the "No **** Sherlock / Captain Obvious to the Rescue" category include: Laura Ingraham Sean Hannity

That's my opinion. What's yours?


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Culture/Society; Philosophy; Your Opinion/Questions
KEYWORDS: besttalkshowhost; gr8american; hewittnumberone; inmybook; savage; talkradio; talkshowhosts
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To: dwilli

Local hosts I listen to are: Rick Barber (KOA - He's been doing the Art Bell schtick before Art Bell made it famous), Gunny Bob (KOA - And a FReeper too boot), Tom Sullivan (KFBK), and a local-local, Dave Berg (Northern News Network - was responsible for getting Micheal Reagan on nationally).


81 posted on 03/03/2005 2:03:03 PM PST by BigSkyFreeper (Liberalism is a theory based on conspiracies)
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To: Ramonan

And lesbian. She's a liberal's nightmare. Kinda like Al Rantel. Both conservative and homosexual.


82 posted on 03/03/2005 2:03:57 PM PST by hoppity
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To: ladtx

Who or what is Randi Rhodes?


83 posted on 03/03/2005 2:04:15 PM PST by EveningStar
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To: doug from upland

Perfect, I didn't even read who wrote this before thinking this was the perfect explanation, then I saw it was YOU. LOL
Makes sense a radio vet like yourself would have posted this. Pretty much spot on Doug.

I do think Hannity hurt himself among a number here though when he lashed out so globaly. I "was" a "big" defender of his and found his broad strokes regarding people at FR to be rather insulting. People here for the most part are nice and considerate.
His radio and TV show has been off for me since his disappointing statements. He doesn't think before his mouth goes off enough IMO.


84 posted on 03/03/2005 2:04:45 PM PST by A CA Guy (God Bless America, God bless and keep safe our fighting men and women.)
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To: EveningStar

Rush Limbaugh...Hands down!!!


85 posted on 03/03/2005 2:06:19 PM PST by cubreporter (I trust and admire Rush. He has done more for this country than he will ever know. God bless him.)
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To: tai-pan

Yep. I know who he is, I'm a fan of Babble-On Five.


86 posted on 03/03/2005 2:07:14 PM PST by BigSkyFreeper (Liberalism is a theory based on conspiracies)
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To: doug from upland

Icon - Limbaugh
Pumping up the base - Hannity
Political insight - Hewitt
History - Medved
Force for good - Prager
In the leftists' faces - Ingraham
Logic in shutting down the enemy - Rantel
Skewing their arguments - Elder

Excellent. But where is Mark Levin's name and title.


87 posted on 03/03/2005 2:07:39 PM PST by sarasotarepublican (Politicians are like diapers. They both need changing regularly and for the same reason.)
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To: Justanobody
try finding Laura Ingraham here and Bill Bennett here.
88 posted on 03/03/2005 2:07:59 PM PST by tai-pan (this is your brain...)
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To: EveningStar

I don't mind a bit that Rush takes very few calls. I tune in to hear what HE has to say, not what "Frank from Weasel Bluff, IN" has to say.

(Apologies to all the Franks from Weasel Bluff, IN.)


89 posted on 03/03/2005 2:09:05 PM PST by nodumbblonde
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To: ladtx

I wish they were - ala A Telltale Heart!


90 posted on 03/03/2005 2:09:20 PM PST by anniegetyourgun
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To: EveningStar

A potty-mouthed flaming lib ugly moronic guttersnipe.


91 posted on 03/03/2005 2:10:30 PM PST by anniegetyourgun
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To: EveningStar
I don’t really listen to the national/syndicated guys much anymore. I’ll listen to Rush on occasion. Can’t really stand Hannity.

In the San Francisco Bay Area (before I moved) I listened a lot to KSFO. That’s where I got burned out on Hannity because for a while they were nearly all Hannity all the time.

I like Lee Rodgers. He’s crabby and can carry a show. And has a ton of good/interesting stories. I listen to him via the web sometimes.

Geoff Metcalf always had informative (if slightly dry) shows. I think he occasionally writes for WND now or something.

Brian Wilson (“just sliding down the razor blade of life”) was witty and interesting. Sort of had a David Lee Roth motormouth-rap quality about him.

Mike Reagan can stuff more information into a single segment than anyone around, but I’ll be darned if I can stomach more than about 15 minutes of it.

At one time they had a good host named Jim Eason (Easton?). He retired or something.

KSFOs sister-station, KGO, had a guy named Ronn Owens that would occasionally have an interesting guest. Otherwise he was unlistenable. As was the rest of their line-up, IMO.

I’ve never been able to stand Savage. Well, except for his Dr. Un-Savage bit (whatever he called it) he’d do from time to time.

But for years and years I worked nights – and the night was OWNED(!!) by Art Bell. Not the goofy “Dreamland” weekend shows, but Coast to Coast. That was the best show that ever ran, IMO. Can’t stomach it with the new guy(s) or sit-in guests. I understand he still does it on occasion, but have stopped listening long ago.

The local radio in southern CA is pretty bad. I mostly tune across KFI, but John and Ken are shrill dopes, Bill Handel isn’t much to write home about. Rush follows him. The one person I enjoy occasionally is Phil Hendrie (however it’s spelled). The show itself isn’t particularly funny, but the dopes in the audience that think his scripted show is serious and call in complaining are classic fools.

Whatever. I guess I go more by enjoyable/entertaining/interesting rather than just straight info/insight.

92 posted on 03/03/2005 2:10:38 PM PST by Who dat?
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To: EveningStar
I love talk radio:

Rush Limbaugh - Still the Babe Ruth of talk radio. He still has some incredible insights into politics that no one else can match. The downside is that sometimes I find his show to be too much toe the line and think he’s full of it. Some of it even seems hypocritical or self-serving.

Sean Hannity – Overall one of the best shows out there. He has a good personality, but sometimes he seems more message than substance.

Laura Ingraham – Very consistent and sometimes very funny show. She is too nice to liberals when they come on.

Michael Savage – At times he can be the best radio personality bar none. Other times he seems whiny, redundant, inconsistent, and reactionary. His bad spells on radio can go one for up to 2 weeks and he can alienate some listeners. Is still my favorite to listen to, because when he’s hot, he the best.

Imus – A once good show continuing to go down the tubes since they endorsed Kerry because of the parade of MSM people on his show.

93 posted on 03/03/2005 2:11:01 PM PST by KC_Conspirator (This space outsourced to India)
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To: KevinDavis; miss marmelstein; latina4dubya; BradyLS; rahbert; tiggs; headsonpikes; ...

Michael Medved ping


94 posted on 03/03/2005 2:11:13 PM PST by beaversmom (Just keep swimming, swimming, swimming)
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To: Momaw Nadon

Yep, in years past Art Bell RULED late night radio...


95 posted on 03/03/2005 2:12:05 PM PST by Who dat?
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To: nodumbblonde
I don't mind a bit that Rush takes very few calls. I tune in to hear what HE has to say, not what "Frank from Weasel Bluff, IN" has to say.

Exactly. Best day to listen to Rush is Monday, when he's dissecting and ripping apart the Sunday morning TV talk shows.

96 posted on 03/03/2005 2:12:09 PM PST by BigSkyFreeper (Liberalism is a theory based on conspiracies)
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To: EveningStar

Rush has been a fairly dull cheerleader for the GOP status quo for years. It makes his program fairly difficult to listen to. He is at least quick witted and fairly intelligent & funny.

Same goes for Sean Hannity, though he isn't as quick witted as Rush. He is a good & sincere guy, though.

Probably the best conservative spokesman on the radio, in terms of intelligence, quick wit, precision of argument, and quality of contentious guests, is Mike Medved. He will also call the GOP to task when they deserve it and he is not a shill.

When it comes to unique combination of brains, savvy, cunning, street smarts, and life experience, G Gordon Liddy ranks highly, also. Again, not a GOP shill (see a pattern?)

Right behind Medved (and Liddy) in terms of natural brains, I rank Mike Savage and Laura Ingrahm.

Savage's weakness is that he clearly doesn't prep much, but gets by on natural great intelligence and quick wit. He undermines his credibility with his occasional explosions, but that's park of his marketing, I think. Savage's greatest strength is his ability to raise personal and historical anecdotes, and dovetail that day's news into the anecdotes and come to what are genuine flashes of brilliance. (I am an unusually tough critic and don't say 'brilliance' cavalierly or lightly).

If Savage did his homework, he would be an A+ radio guy. As it stands, he gets by on his natural brains and is at the B/B+ level (which I am simpatico with since that was my approach to studies until I hit law school!).

Laura is very good - she is bright and fairly quick witted. I enjoy her show and don't find her deficient in the braions or content department at all.

Savage and Ingrahm are not shills for the GOP either, I think.

Prager is awesome - the heart of the conservative radio. Excellent for micro-cultural analysis (while Medved is more into macro-cultural analysis). More people should listen to this guy.

My Wizard of Oz theme of the best hosts are:

Brains- Medved
Heart - Prager
Courage - Savage/Liddy

Ingrahm would be the Glenda, and probably tie with Tammy Bruce, who offers excellent insight from her background that includes being a leftist operative for years. She saw the light - she is on our side on many issues now and has a great show with a very valuable opinion. Very smart, very tough, very sincere - "The Tammy" is cool.


97 posted on 03/03/2005 2:12:32 PM PST by HitmanLV
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To: TexasCajun

You mean "The Cigar Store Indian"?


98 posted on 03/03/2005 2:13:47 PM PST by KC_Conspirator (This space outsourced to India)
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To: sarasotarepublican

Elder = skewering, not skewing


99 posted on 03/03/2005 2:14:12 PM PST by doug from upland (Ray Charles --- a great musician and safer driver than Ted Kennedy)
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To: joesbucks
The other thing I've began to notice is how he will switch gears and suddenly go to the phones and have someone ready to talk about that topic. Think about it guys. It's too hard to get through to find someone after a short riff on a topic that 's ready to go. Try it sometimes. These have to be staged calls.

Yep, I've wondered about that too. The only thing I can figure is that either they've been on hold ready to talk about that particular topic before Rush had gotten to it. Because there's just not enough time, like you said, to get through, to start the screening process, and instantly be on the line with Rush once he's done with his rant.

And NOBODY screens their show more than Rush Limbaugh.

100 posted on 03/03/2005 2:14:41 PM PST by Beemnseven
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