Liberal Radio Group Says It Is Close to Acquiring 5 Stations

NYTIMES ^ | 12/01/03 | JIM RUTENBERG

[Pikamax]

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December 1, 2003 Liberal Radio Group Says It Is Close to Acquiring 5 Stations By JIM RUTENBERG

Democratic investment group planning to start a liberal radio network to counterbalance conservative radio hosts like Rush Limbaugh says it is close to buying radio stations in five major cities.

The acquisitions would represent a major move toward making the network real. After its conception was announced in February, many radio analysts and even some Democratic activists predicted that the network would face too many challenges to get off the ground, including finding stations to run its programming and bucking a historical record replete with failed liberal radio attempts.

But executives with the newly formed company, Progress Media, said late last week that if all went as planned they would have the network running by early spring, in time to be part of the public dialogue during the presidential campaign season.

The executives said the stations they were acquiring reached all radios in 5 of the 10 largest media markets: New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Philadelphia and Boston. They said they would buy stations in other markets in the near future.

[ken5050]

Have you seen a list of the stations anywheres?

[Kieri]

If Lib-Hate radio gets any following at all, it will put NPR out of business

The best thing would be for libidiots to sink all their greenbacks into this losing venture, NPR is put out of our misery by Congress and defunded (we can dream, can't we?), then Socialist Radio tanks.

[joesnuffy]

Liberals just hate "Freedom of Choice"...unless of course its applied to those who
want to kill babies..

[Axenolith]

It's always a pleasure to see 'Rats blowing money...

[UnbelievingScumOnTheOtherSide]

I don't think they will or can buy the stations that Rush is on in those cities. They are too big.

They can either see Rush and the big audience move to another station, or pay Rush big bucks not to be on the air for the remainder of the contract (assuming that is even allowed in Rush's contracts, which I would doubt.)

[CzarNicky]

I foresee five bankruptcies in the future.

[jackbill]

It's pretty sad when the only way a liberal can get a talk show on radio is to buy the damned station!

[OXENinFLA]

No, I haven't looked yet.

You around JAX?

[AD from SpringBay]

This is the equivalent of radical NPR trying to survive in the real market. Them libbies don't understand that a business needs to be profitable in order to survive. Good money after bad.

[jimbo123]

They will not be able to buy any of the top stations in any of the markets. They will only be able to afford 3rd tier stations that will give them "coverage", but not much else. This is going to be a smoke and mirrors deal.

[kylaka]

Wait till they find out they'll have to run conservative programming to make any money. This is a giant rat hole for the liberals, and I encourage them to proceed at full speed ahead.

[CedarDave]

Is Tony going to up against Rush's time slot? O'Reilly didn't have much success -- he's not heard around here on the independents. Rush on all followed by Dr. Laura or Sean. I can drive all across the SW and tune in 500 to 50,000 watt stations carrying Rush.

[CedarDave]

Fox and Friends commented on this. The news director on this new network is a lady coming from CNN (American Morning, maybe?). The friends had a good time, remarking that she was moving into her own element now. (Sorry, didn't catch her name.) Steve ended by saying Fox would remain fair and balanced. It was a fun listen.

[Tacis]

ALWAYS keep in mind the neocommunists' use of diversion to shift the attention of normal people from the true purpose of their actions. There must be more to this that having radio with a liberal voice.

Could they be laundering Chinese cash, Mexican drug money, or something else? Assume some normal perosn tried to buy a radio station in each of thsee five markets, why would he be criticsed about by the ultra-left wing?

You communication techies, think this through for us. What do the neocommunists deviously accomplish as they divert our attention from it and simply whine that they are trying to build a response to the popular radio that most normal Americans like to listen to? There has to be something!

[RedWhiteBlue]

Bingo. Every bit they pour into this (millions of $$ and effort) will be money and effort that goes down the drain that they won't have available anymore to spend elsewhere.

[DeepDish]

Why would I tune into this network? I can get the same slant from ABC/CBS/NBC at 5:30 with the news. Later I can watch almost any network programming and get the same slant and bias and hatred that will be spewed by this "new" network. If I fancy myself as an intellectual I can listen to the BBC and impress the great unwashed of America with my false British accent. If I want to know what really goes on in the White House I don't need a new network, I am better informed by Martin Sheen during the latest episode of the West Wing. I can get everything I need to know about Crime and Punishment from the latest episode of Law and Order. If I want to hear what Al Franken has to say About Bush I can catch that venomous toad on Jay Leno from time to time. At least as much as I care to hear from him anyway. Your needs are surely different than mine. Why would I want to listen to James Carville when I can see Old Serpent Head featured on the Tim Russert Show on Sunday morning.

Are you picking up on a thread here? The market for this kind of drivel is, as they say on Wall Street, oversold. They are opening their pop-stand on a street crammed with similar stands. And, the traffic count is not going up. They are building the same tofu burger in a neighborhood where the market is saturated, and the buying public at large is asking "wheres the beef".

This "new" network is a textbook case of how not to start a business. It could very well lose the investors money faster than Enron if such a thing is possible. It violates the business principle of selling a product that the customer wants.

[playball0]

Buying media for political reasons is as old as the country. Biases were obvious. What's interesting here is the coordination with the Dem party. If the stations are perseived as stooges of the Dems, they haven't got a prayer in the realm of ideas.

It could be entertaining. It's sometimes fun to listen to a sour-puss. But it won't effect anyone's voting pattern, which is obviously the point. This is an indirect contribution to the Dems and should be struck down so Hillary can't use the machinery for darker motives.

[NathanR]

KFI 640 is Clear Channel and is where Rush is located in L.A.

The thing is, there is another "network" called Pacifica Radio which is to the left of NPR. (they are also affiliated with NPR as well)

[Phantom Lord]

If Lib-Hate radio gets any following at all, it will put NPR out of business.

NPR will stay in business, if you can call them a business. Tax dollars and giant grants from various foundations keep them going along with donations from listeners.

If they actually had to operate like a business they would have gone out of business many many years ago.

[Hidgy]

Yea! I can only wonder if Texas Jim Hightower will apply for a "host" position. He was great....not. Perhaps the libs and dems will dig up some Texas or Florida voters to listen to the liberal drivel.