Posted on 03/03/2004 10:38:47 AM PST by PJ-Comix
Can you imagine the Today show running a promotional segment about Rush Limbaugh in 1988, months after he launched his national show, but when it was only carried by a few stations? That never happened, but on Tuesday, Today dedicated a 7:30am half hour segment to a glowing look at liberal talk show host Ed Schultz, whom Katie Couric claimed is “shaking up the industry,” though he began a national show, which is not carried by any significant station nor in any major city, barely two months ago. Couric touted him as “the man being called the liberals' answer to Rush Limbaugh."
Jamie Gangel trumpeted: “Up until now successful talk radio has pretty much been dominated by conservative hosts. But there's a new guy in town and people across the country are tuning in.”
Several conservative hosts are carried by many more stations than Schultz, such as Laura Ingraham, Sean Hannity, Michael Reagan, Neal Boortz and G. Gordon Liddy -- and they all must earn advertiser dollars while Schultz’s show, based in the tiny market of Fargo, North Dakota, is funded by a left-wing outfit, Democracy Radio, which raised money to fund the program. And some local liberal talk show hosts, such as Bernie Ward on KGO in San Francisco, have a larger audience than Schultz, as do numerous liberal talk shows distributed nationally by NPR and other public radio groups.
Gangel highlighted how “in his market he trounces Rush Limbaugh in the ratings," but she failed to note that in Fargo they do not go head-to-head. They are on the same station, KFGO (AM 790) at different times.
MRC analyst Geoff Dickens took down how Couric teased the upcoming segment on the March 2 Today:
-- At the top of the show: "Plus who in the heck is Ed Schultz? We're gonna profile the man being called the liberals' answer to Rush Limbaugh."
-- "Coming up in our next half-hour a radio host who had a change of heart and is now taking his liberal views nationwide."
-- "And then there's a different sound coming from your radio days these days. It's a liberal talk show host. Some say it's the left wing's answer to Rush Limbaugh. And you might be surprised to hear that this liberal host originates form the conservative heartland. We're gonna meet him in this half-hour."
-- Matt Lauer got into the act too: "And he calls himself a gun-totin', red meat eatin' liberal. Meet Ed Schultz, the radio talk show host raising tempers and ratings."
Couric set up the eventual segment: "Don't touch that dial. A radio talk show host based in North Dakota is shaking up the industry, daring to tread where few liberals have gone before. Ed Schultz is being called the liberal Rush Limbaugh. Our national correspondent Jamie Gangel traveled to Fargo to meet him. Hi, Jamie, good morning."
Gangel: "Good morning, Katie. He certainly is shaking things up. Up until now successful talk radio has pretty much been dominated by conservative hosts. But there's a new guy in town and people across the country are tuning in. Fargo, North Dakota, home of farmers, mythical winters, the conservative heartland. But these days when they turn on the radio this is the man they're listening to. 50-year-old Ed Schultz, the voice of liberal talk radio."
Ed Schultz on his show: "This unlike anything else you've heard on the radio dial, I realize that."
Gangel: "Yes, that's right. Once a dyed-in-the-wool conservative Ed Schultz is now a defender of the left-"
Schultz: "And don't blame the quote, liberal media, for this at all folks-"
Gangel: "A champion of the Democratic Party."
Schultz: "-it was the Clinton economic plan that turned that sucker around is what it took."
Gangel: "And a card-carrying Bush-basher."
Schultz: "-just ask the President one question. Were you AWOL? Yes or no?...We've never had a President who has stretched the military as thin as this guy has!"
Gangel: "A talk show veteran of 20 years Schultz's sound and style are often compared to Rush Limbaugh."
Schultz: "This program is 100 percent right all the time."
Gangel: "They even share a local billboard in town but Schultz says that's where the similarity ends. You're being called the liberal Rush Limbaugh. How do you feel about that?"
Schultz: "Well I, I mean they can call me anything they want, I've been called worse...I know that I can do this. And I know that I have the experience, the moxie and everything it takes to be a good talk show host. I don't care if you're in Fond du Lac or Flint or Fargo, talent's talent."
Gangel: "And with listeners Schultz doesn't pull his punches."
Schultz on his show: "Don't, don't twist what Senator Kerry is saying...Hold on a second!...Let me tell you something sir, somebody's gotta pay it...This administration's done nothing to make your world better."
Gangel: "But even those who disagree with him are fans."
Tim Skauge, Ed Schultz fan: "I don't know. Either you love him or you hate him but you still listen to him."
Schultz: "They're running baseball the same way they're running Iraq!"
Rob Lynch, Ed Schultz fan: "Occasionally I yell at the radio and at the speakers. But for the most part I really enjoy his show."
Gangel: "In fact, Schultz himself admits he is a recent convert to liberal causes. In many ways you're pretty conservative. You voted for one Democrat in your life."
Schultz: "He won too."
Gangel: "You're a hunter."
Schultz: "Yeah."
Gangel: "You are against abortions. So is it for real or is it for ratings?"
Schultz: "No it's very real. I, I have a story to tell and I'm for the little guy."
Gangel: "Schultz credits his transformation to his wife Wendy, a psychiatric nurse who now works as his producer."
Wendy Schultz: "And we're still waiting to hear from Kerry. It looks pretty good for today."
Gangel: "When they met she was working at a homeless shelter and invited him to lunch. A bologna sandwich, which he says, changed his life."
Ed Schultz: "It was a real bologna sandwich and there wasn't anything on it. And that might have been a first. I think my wife was telling me, 'you're pretty lucky and this is how the other side of the fence lives and maybe you ought to see it.'”
Gangel: "So they decided to take his show on the road. This is the famous Winnebago."
Schultz: "This is the Big Eddie Cruiser."
Gangel: "And Schultz says the people he met had a profound impact."
Schultz: "I saw what was happening in the heartland. I mean I saw families that couldn't afford health care. I saw families that were losing their farms. I've been to farm auctions. I've seen tears come down the, the face of good Americans. It swells me up to talk about it, it does. America can do better than this."
Gangel: "Schultz's new politics matched up with Democratic sponsors who are helping to syndicate his show."
Schultz: "I think tomorrow we're gonna try to have Hillary Clinton on the program."
Gangel: "Thus far it appears to be working. Schultz is number one in local ratings, has been picked up by more than a dozen stations across the country and Democrats are lining up to be on his show."
Schultz, interviewing John Kerry: "Some right wing operatives have come out and called you a cad, a kept man, a gigolo. Is John Kerry gonna stand up and give it right back to them?"
John Kerry: "Absolutely, when it's appropriate."
Gangel: "It is no secret that you are on the air for the next two years because Democratic donors have put up $2 million to launch this. Can you really say what you think?"
Schultz: "Well I had it written in our agreement that I'm not beholden to anybody."
Gangel: "You can say what you want to say?"
Schultz: "Absolutely. I said Howard Dean had the willies."
Schultz, during his show: "I told you a long time ago that the Al Gore endorsement was gonna do nothing for Howard Dean. That the, the Bradley endorsement was going to do nothing for Howard Dean."
Gangel: "And in the end Schultz says he knows success will come down to one thing."
Schultz: "There's no magic to this stuff. The name of the game is to get ratings and if you don't get ratings you're out. And that's why they say, 'Ed you're in.'"
Gangel, back in studio with Couric: "For the record Ed will not forgive me, Katie, if I don't mention that in his market he trounces Rush Limbaugh in the ratings, Katie."
Couric: "Jamie, what about nationwide? How's he doing?"
Gangel: "You know, reality check. Rush Limbaugh is on 600 stations but they hope to get Ed up to 40 by the end of the year which would be huge in, in radio stations and, and they think he's really catching on."
Couric: "Alright, Jamie Gangel. Jamie, thanks so much."
The MRC’s Tim Graham referred me to a press release pushing the show’s supposed success: “After making its debut on January 5, The Ed Schultz Show Syndicated by Jones Radio Networks in association with Democracy Radio, the national show airs Mondays through Fridays from 3 to 6 p.m. EST, and can be heard on a variety of talk radio stations throughout the country, as well as worldwide via streaming audio at www.WeGotEd.com.” See: biz.yahoo.com
Schultz’s Web page, www.WeGotEd.com, suspiciously does not list stations which carry his show. Maybe that’s because, as a Minneapolis Star Tribune article revealed, they are nothing to crow about: “Democracy Radio committed to producing 'The Ed Schultz Show’ for two years over the Jones Radio Networks, a national syndicating company based in Washington, D.C. In addition to airing on stations in North Dakota, Montana and California ('Rebel Radio’ in Needles), the show is broadcast from 2 to 5 p.m. weekdays on XM satellite radio and on the Internet at www.bigeddieradio.com.” For this story about Schultz in full: www.startribune.com
That’s right, his sole California city is Needles, hardly a major market.
For his KFGO page: www.kfgo.com
BTW, the fact that Randi Rhodes is going national is actually GOOD NEWS for conservatives. When you hear her show, you'll know why. Randi is so wacky that even the Democrats will be embarrassed by her.
Which is why Randi will be GOOD for conservatives. She is so WACKY that Randi will do much to further discredit the Left. However, in contrast to that Broadcast Ho', Blowhard Ed, Randi is a True Believer.
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