Liberals Whine that Radio Station Gives Pro-American Rallies Unfair Advantage

The Washington Times ^ | 4/5/03 | Dergie

[Dergie]

CLEARWATER, Fla. — It was the well-funded, well-attended war protests that inspired Rally for America, the nation's most formidable pro-military and pro-U.S. event organizer, which drew an estimated 15,000 marchers yesterday to a park here at the center of the city. Top Stories • Allies blast path • American soldiers surge into Baghdad • Military identifies recovered bodies • Muslim youths attack Jewish war protesters • Kurds gather to join liberation by coalition • All teed off

Those who disagree with Rally for America events call them pro-war rallies. Several liberal groups have charged that the promotion by Clear Channel Communications Inc., one of the nation's largest media groups, was hatched after input from the Bush administration. Several Clear Channel board members have Republican ties, but Clear Channel has denied charges of partisanship in its decision to have some of its stations promote the events. Instead, a Dallas talk show host, whose station is owned by Clear Channel, insists that Rally for America started in his home. It happened when his 21-year-old son wondered aloud why he was hearing so many reports of anti-American sentiment and such little news of support for the troops. Darrell Ankarlo's son, Adam, was watching a news report of a group of war protesters in Dallas, and he turned to his father and asked, "Why aren't there any rallies to support the troops who have to go over there?" "I didn't have an answer," said Mr. Ankarlo, who is host of an early-morning talk show on Dallas' KLIF-AM. Held in a large field in the suburbs on a rainy, cold March day, the event drew 3,500 people. "Everything is so sensational these days, and we saw all these antiwar protesters on the East and West coasts. I was surprised at the e-mails we got when I even suggested a rally to support the troops — 300 in a 40-minute period after I announced the idea," Mr. Ankarlo said. The rallies have been dismissed in some, mostly liberal, corners. The Chicago-based magazine "In These Times" called them "corporate-sponsored nationalism," while others say Clear Channel hopes to garner the favor of the administration to gain a favorable ruling from the Federal Communications Commission on monopolistic media holdings. As for the Bush administration's input, Mr. Ankarlo said, "Every single reporter who has tried to say this is a conspiracy or a well-greased pan hasn't been doing their homework." Although subsequent rallies have been sponsored by Clear Channel Communications, its face has become that of radio talk show host Glenn Beck, a 39-year-old who runs a nationally syndicated show and stood next to Florida Gov. Jeb Bush at yesterday's rally here. "I got the idea from Darrell, and I called him and asked if I could have my own rally," Mr. Beck said. The idea was simple, he said: Announce the event and let the people decide whether they support it. And leave the war cries at home. "I would cringe to hear anyone in the crowd shouting pro-war slogans, or "Kill Saddam,' " said the Philadelphia-based Mr. Beck. He also dismisses the notion of a conspiratorial connection among Rally for America, the Bush administration and Clear Channel. "I think people would like to find a darker side to anything," he said. "What has diminished their version of the story is that I air in 115 markets, and of those I think 90 are Clear Channel, and seven of them have done a Rally for America." Those include WTNT-AM in Washington, D.C. Clear Channel operates 1,225 radio and 39 TV stations in the United States and has equity interests in more than 240 radio stations internationally. As the domain of talk radio is conservative, critics call the rallies "Republican," which has brought partisanship to the efforts. Indeed, many Republican figureheads at rallies from Auburn, Ind., to Sacramento, Calif., have appeared. One antiwar activist here said that supporting the troops "is a way of supporting the war." "People are being sent over there to kill," Penny Hess of the Florida Alliance for Peace and Social Justice told the Tampa Tribune last week. "I feel we all have to take responsibility for that. We can't just follow orders blindly." She did not return repeated calls from The Washington Times

[Rabid Dog]

Big Babies!!

[Dergie]

Oh, yeah, but it's a violation of freedom of speech when the tables are turned.

[GiveEmDubya]

When liberals crap in the streets and block traffic its freedom of speech, but when we go by the book and have a successful, good-natured rally we're being unfair.

In other words, it's only free speech when the liberals are speaking it.

[UCFRoadWarrior]

I was at this Rally yesterday...real big turnout.

Glenn mentioned this a few times during the event....that critics have said "its Clear Channel trying to curry favor w the government", and the other excuses.

The Rallies have been sponsored by Bill's Khaki's, not Clear Channel.

Also, ClearChannel owns a lot of stations run by liberals and most of their talent are liberal. In Orlando, we have the liberal talk-radio RealRadio 104.1..which I dont listen to...and its owned by ClearChannel

[Radix]

Equal treatment for anti-american rallies!

[goldstategop]

Awwwww... a lil patriotic turnout too much for their tender eyes to bear the sight of?? Bwahahahaha!!!

[Scoop]

As long as they give me More Rock and Less Talk on Two-Fer-Tuesdays, I don't care about the rest.

[Mark17]

Awwwww... a lil patriotic turnout too much for their tender eyes to bear the sight of?? Bwahahahaha!!!

I am almost overcome with sympathy for these leftists. NOT

[I_Love_My_Husband]

Pacifica Radio, NPR, as well as all the college radio station supported and promoted the Answer rallies.

Guess that doesn't count to liberals as those radio stations get their funding from the government.

[cardinal4]

The libs are mad because puking for peace didnt work....

[ricpic]

That's tellin' em Rad!

[umgud]

And it's OK for ANSWER, a communist organization, to support and organize protests? B.S.!

[halfdome]

I've seen many of the same complaints here about the anti-war rallies -- that they are well-funded and seem to be professionally organized, and that they get more coverage than the pro-war rallies. So why are you calling them whiners?

[Anamensis]

I love the sound of liberals crying in the morning!

[lawdude]

"In other words, it's only free speech when the liberals are speaking it."

I presume you only comment on that which you have known for years. Dems are inherently two-faced and liars. When was the last time you heard a major dem speak the truth?

[Drango]

Pacifica Radio, NPR, as well as all the college radio station supported and promoted the Answer rallies.

Indeed they do. Pacifica is the mobilization voice for the far left. They received $1.3 million in TAX dollars last year.

[GiveEmDubya]

"I presume you only comment on that which you have known for years."

Why yes.

"Dems are inherently two-faced and liars."

Why yes.

"When was the last time you heard a major dem speak the truth?"

Never in my life.

[Myrddin]

We had a pro-America rally in Pocatello today at 1 PM. A thundering sound of Harley-Davidson motorcycles lead the parade from south Pocatello to the Bannock County Fairgrounds. Many of the bikes were sporting large flags. There were hundreds of Harleys in the parade. Likely drawn from the greater southeast Idaho area. The rally was scheduled for 1 PM to 2 PM and was well attended.

Another similar rally is scheduled for Saturday, April 12th. It will be held at Stuart Part in Chubbuck.

Our rallies are supported and publicized by Neal Larson on KWIK 1240 (9:05 AM to 9:48 AM, M-F) and the afternoon Trish and Halli show (4:05 PM to 6 PM, M-F). KWIK is owned by ClearChannel.

[UCFRoadWarrior]

I've seen many of the same complaints here about the anti-war rallies -- that they are well-funded and seem to be professionally organized, and that they get more coverage than the pro-war rallies. So why are you calling them whiners?

---

1. Anti-War rallies....though claiming to be "promoting peace", usually entail some violence

2. ANSWER, and some of the other groups, are fronts for the Communists. They support the overthrow of our present political system

3. The anti-war rallies support Saddam...and attack Bush

4. The anti-war rallies end up costing communities more money than pro-America rallies. Amazing that some many of the 15-20K in Clearwater yesterday picked up their own trash.....Coachman Park was relatively trash-free after the event