Posted on 08/10/2009 8:30:44 AM PDT by markomalley
Democrats still can't stomach conservative talk radio's clout. It really came to a head when Air America, the liberal talk radio network, had to file for bankruptcy, and its marquis performer, comedian Al Franken, decided to quit and take a job as Minnesota's Democratic Senator, since the pay and benefits are better.
Let's have a round of applause for the sound judgment of Minnesota's Democrats. It was quite a journey from "Saturday Night Live" to the Senate for Franken, but logical, since a skill set as a comedian is patently transferable to Washington politics.
On Aug. 30, 2007, Hernando Today published a piece I wrote about talk radio, quoting a Democratic legislator who observed that "right-ruled radio" is a "grave threat to American freedoms." They're still using the same pitch.
Liberal politicians, such as Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid and Chuck Schumer are eager to muzzle conservative talk radio and have expressed support for resurrecting the Fairness Doctrine. President Barack Obama says he opposes such an obvious attack on free speech, but supports greater "broadcast regulation."
Uh-Oh. Watch out. His choice to head the Federal Communications Committee, Julius Genachowski, another Harvard Law wunderkind who graduated with Obama, said he does not favor censorship of the broadcast airways. But Michael Copps, an FCC commissioner has expressed concern over "opinion journalism" and called for a "public interest standard ... that has been badly neglected ... deregulation of media ownership was undermining democracy ..." with "less minority and female ownership ..."
Let's be realistic. Democrats will now dominate the FCC — as they do the Congress — with a 3-2 majority. And their boss, Obama, favors broadcast regulation.
The truth came out when the Senate recently passed legislation (S. Amnd. 573 sponsored by Sen. Dick Durbin, that other Democratic senator from Illinois) "encouraging and promoting diversity in communication media ownership." Here we go again. It will be called "Broadcast Localism," and makes an end run around the Fairness Doctrine by legislation. The new rules will require local stations to create a permanent "advisory board" to "advise them of local needs and seek comments on the matter. Moreover, to ensure these discussions include representatives of all community elements, these boards would be made up of various segments of the community, including under-served groups." The FCC also expects these groups to be involved in the license renewal process for local radio stations.
This is so activist left-wing. It's what they know and do well — "community organizing." Protests. Think of the Doobie Brothers and "Taking it to the Streets" and the opening line, "You don't know me, but I'm your brother." Obama's ACORN and every other left-wing affiliate will be your brother and will be agitating for membership on the advisory board. They will redistribute speech by demanding liberal programming. They will flood the media with negative comments about conservative talk radio. They will ignore the ultimate advisory board — listener ratings. The first order of business for any "fascist" is to control the dissemination of information — the goal being to bend public opinion. (Think: Hugo Chavez, Ayatollah Khamanei and shutting down independent radio stations.)
The radical liberal left is an antagonist who never sleeps. Agitation is a technique of the Obama "ACORN" agenda. The unfolding legislation bears striking similarity to the left-wing regulations that resulted from Jimmie Carter's 1977 Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) which put Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac into sub-prime communities. The rules were extensively rewritten by Bill Clinton's administration giving banks quotas and measurements by ZIP code to demonstrate the level of diversity in their loan portfolios. Banks were terrified by CRA bank examiners who rated them based on their loans to low-income neighborhoods. The CRA evaluation process allowed advocacy groups to be involved, which influenced banks to parcel out money to low-income borrowers. In fact, attorney Obama represented ACORN and was on the pleadings of a class-action suit in 1994 in Illinois, seeking punitive damages, alleging "redlining" by a bank. The case was settled.
"Broadcast localism" will ultimately feature left-leaning advisory boards, such as ACORN affiliates, which will likewise terrify radio local station owners — only this time it will be about programming and license renewals, not sub-prime loans — with various rating schemes that will be devised as they publicize an avalanche of well planned negative talking points by local agitators. While they will ostensibly be community advisory boards, they will ultimately be controlled by the commissioner of the FCC in the same manner that bank examiners report to the Office of the Controller of the Currency, who is appointed by the president also. (And is, coincidentally director of the Neighborhood Reinvestment Corporation.)
In my 2007 column I wrote about Rep. Mike Pence who introduced the "Broadcaster Freedom Act" that went nowhere with Democrats in control, so Pence reintroduced it in 2009. (Just what is that definition of an insane person?) I don't want to say I told you so, but let me quote from myself in 2007: "When the Democrats take back control of the presidency and the Congress, you can bet the first appointment to the FCC will be a left leaning chairman ... which would give liberals a one vote majority ...That should effectively muzzle talk radio."
After all, we voted for "change." Right?
Is Air America still around? Did they ever emerge from bankruptcy?
I remember how they went on the air in 2004 with the expressed goal of defeating Bush and Republicans.
What can anybody say if people don’t want to listen to liberal talk? Not everybody is as conservative as Rush, Hannity, etc. but those guys get good ratings becasue people are listening.
I was really surprised that liberal talk failed in big liberal cities. Their natural listening audience didn’t care to listen.
The few times I heard Randi Rhodes I couldn’t wait to turn her off. She chanted mantras such as Bush being the “WORST.........PRESIDENT...........EVER”, and such simplistic slogans were her main points of discussion. No discussion of WHY she felt Bush was so terrible, just the mantra that he was the WORST.
Maybe even liberals don’t want to other liberals rant and rave. Rush and other conservative talkers allow and discuss other points of view. Maybe that’s the secret to their success.
So will the monopolies of Viacommie-SeeBS-MTV-Nick-Logo-Spike-ComedyCentral, Time-Lies-Warner-Turner, NBC-RCA-GE, and ABC-Disney-ESPN be broken up to introduce more diversity of view to the media? Or is this strictly about talk radio?
Why bemoan the “loss” of local radio?
Local TV and local newspaper reporting are a thing of the past. Hello AP wireservices.
At least some talk radio programming has local hosts talking about local issues.
Apart from the police blotter/fire/accidents/bar shootings report, daily weather report, and sport scores, in a program called “local news coverage” there is little to no local programming (not even campy horror movie hosts or kiddie cartoon clowns). Unless you want to talk about the “community affairs” programs that run in the wee hours on Sunday morning.
Yeah...this is EXACTLY what will happen...then they will go after Fox.
Also...don’t rule out a Limbaugh or Beck suddenly being killed in a private plane crash.
These people are playing for trillions of dollars.
If a lefty can’t make it on liberal talk radio they always have a career as a democrat politician waiting at the bottom of the barrel as a safety net.
If that happens, then the conservatives and libertarians will band together. They’ll be martyrs, symbols, and Zero will be impeached after an investigation. There will be one too, conducted by the citizenry.
btt
My theory about why liberal talk radio never works is this:
Liberal ideology, when verbalized instead of just being vaporous “feelings”....sounds like the ravings of lunatics. It makes absolutely no sense.
It also doesn’t work in urban areas, because...well...you can’t dance to it. LOL
If this comes to pass ‘Pirate Radio’ will be back on the air stronger than ever.
A mediocre comedian turned mediocre senator? Of all the hilarious SNL alumni, Franken is nowhere near the top.
I think you’re correct. Think of the Nixon - Kennedy debate, and the differing reactions between radio listeners and television viewers. Liberal ideas, without the visual sturm und drnag, sound quite stupid and generally destructive.
Cincy talk show host Mike McConnell has a simple explanation. Liberals simply don't pay attention. To anything. Which makes a lot of sense. I'd bet more conservatives know more about Air American than libs do.
mark
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