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.

[Libertarian444]

Shelley Lewis, a longtime network news producer who was most recently in charge of "American Morning" on CNN, will oversee news programming, Mr. Sinton said.

Going from CNN to news programming at a liberal talk-radio network.....what a shock!

[RogueIsland]

New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco

And this will accomplish what, to get those markets to vote for Democrats?

[Question_Assumptions]

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.

Maybe they should also spend a few million dollars on a print ad campaign in The Nation, Mother Jones, and Village Voice... just to be sure...

[Question_Assumptions]

I think that Pacifica has all of two or three stations (including WBAI in NYC) but you should support far left radio because they put the Democrats between a rock and a hard place. The far left demands that the Democrats be far left or they'll jump to the Greens. That means that the Democrats can either appeal to moderate voters and lose their far left base or they can appeal to their far left base and lose the moderates. That's win-win for conservatives.

[L.N. Smithee]

The San Francisco market is so durn crowded, I don't know where on the dial they would be where they could be heard. Here, the right side of the AM dial is a ghetto of foreign-language and religious stations.

Clear Channel's got a foothold in the Bay Area now with KNEW, having yanked Savage from KSFO. They're going after the KSFO audience, so they won't be participating in Radio Free Algore. CC's original weak-signaled talk station here -- which carried Don Imus, smutmeisters Don & Mike, and Tom Leykis -- has just changed format and is now known as "K-MOZART."

[michaelt]

My mistake. I listened to Rush on KFI for a few years, I should have remembered that.

[Maceman]

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

How can NPR go out of business? Through government largesse it is exempt from the law of supply and demand, and I don't see any indication that the Republican congressional majority wants to de-fund it.

[Phantom Lord]

Even after it was discovered that an NPR station was selling its donor list to the RATS the GOP congress didn't move to defund NPR.

[AmishDude]

It sounds like they want to buy out Pacifica Radio -- lock, stock and barrel.

[doug from upland]

Join me in song -- CLICK.

[whd23]

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.

Actually, I think this is an effort to skirt the new campaign finanace "reform" law. If you have liberal programming 24/7 that's not a "special interest ad."

[RightWhale]

The talk radio doctor, who apparently had the first successful syndicated talk radio show was talking about syndicated talk radio again recently. He had a chance to syndicate Rush when Rush was still in Sacramento and passed on the chance thinking that such a show would not be successful.

To think that just any kind of show would be successful is daydreaming. There are at least five highly successful liberal syndicated shows already. Dr Laura, Savage, Phil Hendrie, Coast, and Bohannon. Let's say that they are not Republican and note that a strong pro-military attitude is entirely consistent with the classical Democrat.

Take another look at the Conservative talk show Rush. Not entirely Conservative. The uprising against the Democrats in '94 was entirely due to their attempted destruction of the Bill of Rights, in particular the Second Amendment. Yet Rush is nearly silent on this issue and always has been.

It's not 2-sided on the radio, Liberal versus Conservative. If the supposed Liberals can get a wildly successful syndicated talk show going on top of what they already have, they'll first have to come up with a fresh trick.

[Constitutional Patriot]

"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. "

...which is the only reason the lefties are attempting to get into radio on such a broad scale right now. They know that "liberal" talk radio shows are not viable and will not last for long.

I think that they are trying to get this mess up and running in time to add another media outlet for their socialist of choice who will be running against W next year. How will this be financed? What they will certainly lack in commercial sponsors they will make up for with huge $$$ donations from elitists like Soros and the Hollywood crowd.

After the election they'll probably (quietly) pull the plug.

[<1/1,000,000th%]

More NPR.

[tractorman]

If all of NPR’s listeners and announcers jumped ship to AM Lib-Radio, Congress would have no choice but to de-fund it and squander the funds elsewhere: starting with pay raises.

[kaktuskid]

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

All probably at the low end of the AM dial, where the various ethnic stations are!

[Trident/Delta]

Well, the "untold story" is that these five stations currently have advertising billboards in key high gtraffic areas that read:

"For current airport/weather/traffic information tune your radio to......."

Semper Giggle

[69ConvertibleFirebird]

Liberal Radio Group Says It Is Close to Acquiring 5 Stations

Where does one bet that these companies go under? I want to hit it BIG when they crash and burn.

Maybe they will simply merge with PBS?

[Timesink]

Well, well, well...

Shelley Lewis, a longtime network news producer who was most recently in charge of "American Morning" on CNN, will oversee news programming, Mr. Sinton said.

Remind me why I want to be in this business? Was I seduced as a young innocent by the cheap insomniac jokes?

[Ann Archy]

It's like having to buy your own Country Club because none would let you join....almost pitiful.