Posted on 10/24/2006 11:49:43 AM PDT by wcdukenfield
Mark Levin, who listened to talk radio for 30 years before he became one of the medium's most successful hosts over the last three, says people who dismiss "political talk" as narrow and repetitive don't understand either politics or talk radio. "To me," says Levin, whose nationally syndicated show is heard daily on WABC (770 AM), 6-8 p.m., "politics is about the community. Politics affects everything. So a good 'political' show touches on everything we do."
So Levin hardly thinks "political talk radio" is apt to fade, and his own success tends to support that argument.
He got into daily radio only in 2003, when WABC program director Phil Boyce moved him from midday Sundays to his present slot.
Early this year, Boyce helped steer him into national syndication, as Boyce did in 2001 with Sean Hannity.
Levin is now heard in more than 50 cities, including 17 of the top 25. In the crowded field of aspiring conservative talk hosts, this lifts him above the crowd and also suggests talk audiences are not only interested in familiar voices like Hannity and Rush Limbaugh.
Levin follows them on WABC, which means a solid lead-in and a deep shadow.
"I'm privileged to count both Rush and Sean as friends," says Levin. "They're the titans of talk radio. But I also knew that I had to be different. If I only tried to copy them, I'd have been gone in six months."
Independence, he says, is essential.
"When you're syndicated, you suddenly have 50 bosses, all with different ideas," he says. "They want you to take more calls, they want you to take fewer calls. I do the show according to how I feel. Some days, I hardly take any calls. Other days, a lot. I have no formula."
He also says that while he often supports President Bush, he is no parrot for Republican talking points: "I don't take calls from the Republican National Committee. I don't read their position papers. I think I've been around long enough, and I'm smart enough, that I don't need some 23-year-old research assistant telling me what to think."
While he served as chief of staff to Ronald Reagan's Attorney General Edwin Meese, he notes he's voted against Republicans like Pennsylvania Sen. Arlen Specter if they're too liberal.
"I'm a conservative," he says. "For me, the rest comes from that" - a declaration that won't surprise anyone who has listened to his show for five minutes.
He throws out the words "liberal" and "lib" like other people throw out month-old garbage, and he admits relishing showdowns with liberal callers.
"But that's the way I am even off the air," he says. "I may not be as confrontational with my wife as I am with certain callers, but if we're discussing something at dinner and I disagree, I let you know."
That said, he also calls humor a "critical element" of the show, helping him lampoon not only liberals, but a few other radio hosts like Michael Savage, his early evening rival on WOR (710 AM).
"I'm not sure why anyone would want to hear someone have a nervous breakdown every night," Levin muses. "I'd think it would get tiring."
In contrast to talk radio itself.
"We're about to enter a golden age," he says. "The 2006 elections leading to 2008, with Hillary Clinton. We'll be bigger than ever, and I can't wait."
Great One break/ping.
Levin is great.
Mark Levin is truly The Great One! I'm loving life since 630WMAL in Washington started carrying his show.
1. Rush
2. Mark Levin
3. Laura Ingraham
4. Tammy Bruce
5. Matt Drudge
Sean is too light, and we don't get Hugh Hewitt here.....
Quick someone bring me Teddy. I WANT TEDDY!!!
That is the most accurate assessment of Dr Savage I have ever read!
As a new listener, I think Mark rocks!
Thanks for the *ping* Jeff. I'll reference this on tonight's thread and before that I'll ping the Levin list. It's at home and I'm at work! lol
And why not. They're the same thing.
Not a boss but I enjoy the show better the fewer calls he takes. The whacky libs are just for yuks and the election is in two weeks, stick with the issues for now and after we win take the lib calls. JMHO.
Medved is the brightest.
I liked Levin whenever I heard him on Sean's show, but on his own show, there is just TOO MUCH of him all at once! I get tired of his rants. Rant, rant, rant. Almost as bad as Savage. And they threw Laura Ingraham off our local station to make room for Levin. At least Laura was amusing (as well as making a lot of sense).
Levin is definitely the hottest right now - adding new stations every week, it seems.
And you know he's feeling it: he brags about "hitting cleanup" now.
He is very bright but his shows have been boring lately. Last week he even had the love dove on.
Ping!
Have you ever listened to Dennis Prager? He is very good at getting guests and callers past their talking points and circular arguments and debate the facts, which they usually don't have any of. You can listen to him online. Check this page that asks, "Are You A Liberal?" http://www.dennisprager.com/areyouliberal.html
Good stuff.
I wondered how long it would take before someone brought up Savage.
It did not take long.
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