Franken Signs Deal With Liberal Radio Venture [Oh Boy, Wonder Who Will Listen..]

TBO.COM ^

[Sub-Driver]

Franken Signs Deal With Liberal Radio Venture By Seth Sutel The Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) - They haven't got a name or a launch date yet, but the entrepreneurs who dream of launching a liberal radio network have just landed themselves a lead man: Comedian and best-selling author Al Franken. Progress Media planned to announce Tuesday that it has reached an agreement with Franken to host a live, three-hour daily broadcast that would form the anchor of the programming schedule, according to people familiar with the matter.

In an interview, Franken said the format of the show was still evolving, but he said he was certain that it wouldn't be akin to that used by his rival Rush Limbaugh, which Franken described as "non-guested confrontation."

"He has no one on the show but it's confrontation," Franken said. "His show is just him railing for three hours."

Franken said he planned to use a mix of interviews, calls from listeners and scripted comedy. He said he planned to have a co-host with long experience in radio, but he said that role had not been finalized.

Franken had long been rumored to be interested in a deal with Progress Media, the startup company that is assembling radio stations and talent for a radio network to challenge conservative talk show powerhouses like Limbaugh.

But Franken had been holding off in recent months, partly to promote his hot-selling book, "Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them: A Fair and Balanced Look at the Right," and partly because he had reservations about the previous owners of the venture.

"Things got more serious in terms of putting together stations and money to make this possible" with the change in ownership, Franken said.

Last November the company was bought by an investment group led by Mark Walsh, a former America Online executive and adviser to the Democratic National Committee, from the venture capitalists Sheldon and Anita Drobny.

Walsh, who serves as CEO of Progress Media, also said the new network had reached its first major distribution agreement, with the Chicago AM station WNTD. He said he expects to announce at least three other distribution deals in the coming weeks.

Walsh acknowledged that much work remains to be done on the network before it becomes a viable business, including lining up technical arrangements and setting up offices and studios.

He said that about 65 percent of the network's programming has been decided, but he declined to elaborate beyond disclosing another new show to be co-hosted by the environmental activist Robert F. Kennedy Jr. called "Champions of Justice."

The network also has yet to decide on a name. Last month the company indicated it would call the radio network Central Air, but Walsh said Tuesday the company was no longer certain it would be using that name.

Putting Franken in the midday time slot of noon to 3 p.m. Eastern time is a direct challenge to Limbaugh, whose hugely successful show occupies the same time slot.

Franken, whose earlier book was called "Rush Limbaugh Is a Big Fat Idiot," said he plans to call up his nemesis for advice on his own show since Limbaugh has often said he wonders why new radio hosts don't seek out his counsel.

"I'll ask him advice: how he approaches a show, how he frames an issue. If it doesn't happen it will be - very understandably - because he won't take my call," Franken said.

Franken said his contract with Progress Media would last just one year, after which time both sides would reassess how things were going. He also said he very much wanted to do the show during a presidential election year.

"I'm interested in doing what I can to affect this election," Franken said. "I've been thinking about what's the best use of my energies - I hope this is it."

AP-ES-01-13-04 1845EST

This story can be found at: http://ap.tbo.com/ap/breaking/MGAS9H7MEPD.html

[Joe_October]

... I find Al Franken, Dennis Miller, Hillary Clinton, and William Bennett all equally condescending and dismissive.

If a rat spoke as well as Bennett or Miller, I would consider listening. But, I haven't heard any.

Clinton (either one) or Franken are terrible speakers. Franken is tolerable when you see his physical gestures but just tolerable.

[HighWheeler]

Nomination for Quote of the Day by mercy:

Liberals don't listen to talk radio. They listen to music or shock-jock carnival programs.

Can't believe these morons trying to start liberal talk radio have not figured out this basic fact.

There is no mystery about the rise and huge popularity of conservative talk radio. It has little to do with Rush. You could take Rush out of it tomorrow and put Rodger Hedgecock in and things would go right along as usual.

Smart people eventually move towards conservatism. Deluded low-brows who want to believe in fairy-tales are the foot soldiers of liberalism being driven by manipulating Leftist charlatans.

[HHFi]

I've worked in radio for 30 years, much of it for major syndicated program producers, and currently write an internationally-syndicated show prep service, so I know a bit about this business, and this is the screwiest business model I've ever seen. The backers can't possibly expect this to return a profit. It has to be a loss leader so they can promote their politics without having to obey campaign finance laws. People who have a viable, quality product in syndicated radio (like Rush, Hannity, or, ahem - me), do not have to buy stations to get it on the air, or pay stations to air it. They actually pay us. What a concept!

I've also heard from several of my client talk show hosts who've had Franken on, and they expect him to be awful as a host because they say he's awful as a guest. One of them told me he cut a Franken interview short because it was just tanking. Franken's style is to speak...very...slowly...with a heavy dollop of sarcastic condescension, as if telegraphing the idea that he knows he's talking to morons. That can get laughs in small doses on TV, but with radio, you have to have a personality that people want to invite into their lives for three hours a day, five days a week.

This is something liberals miss because they're trying to copy Rush Limbaugh without actually listening to them. If they listened to him, they'd discover that for the most part, he's upbeat, polite, welcomes liberals who want to argue with him, and keeps a sense of humor. But the liberal image of Limbaugh is based not on listening firsthand, but on reading what other liberals who haven't really heard him say about him. So they assume he's an angry, racist firebreather ranting to Cro-Magnons. They figure, "How hard can it be to beat that?" Well, they're about to find out.

For me, watching these liberals put together their "radio empire" makes me feel the way a professional plumber must feel watching the Three Stooges trying to fix a leaky pipe. My prediction is that almost all of Franken's callers will be conservatives wanting to argue with him (because that's mostly who listens to talk radio) and challenge him on the issues. They'll be better informed than he is, and with his inflated ego, he will handle this about as well as Howard Dean would and quickly resort to snide namecalling. The stations will mostly be dogs, the ratings will be miniscule, and Al will decide to "pursue other opportunities" within three to six months, perhaps opening a bed and breakfast with Mario Cuomo and Jim Hightower.

[freekitty]

I vote that his sidekick will be Michael Moore or the Klintoons.

[Pelham]

Three hours a day of Stuart Smalley. That's gonna work.

[Robson]

Thanks for the thoughtful reply, HHFi.

Like many here, I think this will fail.

Unlike many here, I don't think it will fail because it's a liberal venture. I think it will fail because these people don't seem to have any sense of how the talk-radio industry functions; indeed, they're ignoring the basic rules of a market-driven system. The moment they started using the words "liberal talk-radio network", I knew it was doomed, because they had no idea how even to frame such a project from a public relations standpoint. I mean, look at FOX -- is their tagline "Finally giving time to the conservative view"? Hell no! It's "Fair and balanced"!

Now, being a liberal, I'm not happy about this, but that's the way it is. I still think they should've looked to the Daily Show as their model for entertaining left-leaning news commentary. Oh well.

[Robson]

Liberals don't listen to talk radio. They listen to music or shock-jock carnival programs.

I'm a liberal, and I listen to talk radio :)

(But then, I also hang out on FreeRepublic, so I'm probably not the norm.)

[RUSure]

I think I WILL buy stock... think about it... who is home all day to listen? Welfare recipients and other's loafing on the taxpayer's dime. They'll probably be hugely popular.

[RUSure]

Is that why conservatives do it?

[RJayneJ]

Thanks for the nomination! };^D)

[Rocky]

Al Franken's a comedian? Who knew?

[Pukin Dog]

Conservatives came to talk radio, because their was no other outlet available for our point of view. Liberals owned Television and newspapers until the Wall Street Journal Editorial Page and Fox News came along. Conservatives dont need to cheat Campaign Finance laws, we beat the Democrats on individual contributions every election. It is the Dems who beg, borrow and steal to fund their campaigns.

[mercy]

Gee, thanks.

[DennisR]

Al who?

[Rockpile]

Another strike against Franken is his whining voice---it's not made for radio.

But still, if a gasbag like Hannity can make it maybe Weird Al has a smidgen of a chance.

[CyberAnt]

There better not be a "daily thread" about this bozo.

He does not deserve any attention!

[FrankR]

"There is only one reason for this Liberal Radio Network, and it is to skirt Campaign Finance Laws. After the election, they will quietly go away, but beforehand, they will run continuous negative adds against Bush ignoring the 90 day rule, because they wont be around to be prosecuted later."

This is EXACTLY it. That's what this charade is all about. They're putting that sissy Franken on there because no one else is fool enough to do it.

This venture will put Franken into the netherland of old celebrities who never return. Oh, he'll do the talk show TV circuit to announce his new show, i.e. Letterman, Tonight Show, Morning Show, News Shows...etc.. Most of those are liberal-based, but he'll probably get an audience of sorts from the initial promotion, but after listening, anyone other than the Hollywood ultra-left will be turning him off from sheer boredom.

He's big on Guests, so he'll probably have some of his SNL cronies on there, and idiots like Tim Robbins, George Clooney, etc. It will be the "Tonight Show", on radio. He will depend on sick humor, profanity, and skits to spread his message, but being the sissies they are, it will soon denegrate into fiction based humor for entertainments sake, and have little to do with any issues.

Personally, I'd rather listen to the test-tone of the Emergency Broadcast System for three hours.

Remember, if we can get the email address of the goons who are sponsoring him, we can Freep them daily.

[bjcintennessee]

I'm a liberal, and I listen to talk radio :)

(But then, I also hang out on FreeRepublic, so I'm probably not the norm.)

You have arroused my curiosity by claiming to be a liberal then sticking around for the almost certain flaming. Most newbies who are trolls, make some outrageous statement, then leave the site, disallowing any exchange of ideas.

I guess my first question would be, "Why do you consider yourself to be a liberal?"

Second question, "Are you here to scout out "the enemy?" I'm certain you are familiar with the old addage, "Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer."

If you're not here as a troll, then welcome to FReepers.

[raccoonradio]

>>They haven't got a name or a launch date yet

Hoping to get on by the time Bush takes the oath of
office for his second term :)

>>the startup company that is assembling radio stations and talent for a radio network to challenge conservative talk show powerhouses like Limbaugh.

They have to _buy their own stations_ to put this stuff on!
The conservative shows--the ones that HAVE listeners
and MAKE money-- don't need to do this.


>>But Franken had been holding off in recent months, partly to promote his hot-selling book

Yikes--he's a capitalist! Bad news, Comrade...

>>Walsh, who serves as CEO of Progress Media, also said the new network had reached its first major distribution agreement, with the Chicago AM station WNTD.

According to radio-locator.com, this station (AM 950) is currently broadcasting in espanol with 1,000 watts day, 5,000 watts (directional) night. Not exactly 50,000 watts.

>> another new show to be co-hosted by the environmental activist Robert F. Kennedy Jr. called "Champions of Justice."

Wow! That sounds exciting!!

>>Franken said his contract with Progress Media would last just one year

The network should last 4 or 5 months, though