5 ways to rescue liberal talk radio (but it won’t be easy)

Politico ^ | November 28, 2013 | By MACKENZIE WEINGER

[Brad from Tennessee]

Just a few dozen stations now carry liberal talkers, as key affiliates in cities with active left-wing politics are falling like dominoes, going dark or switching formats. Detroit’s progressive outlet shut down in January, along with Seattle’s liberal talk station, which changed to sports. And after last year’s election, Portland’s progressive talk station ended its political programming.

With the political battlegrounds of 2014 and 2016 on the horizon, reducing the whopping imbalance between conservative radio, with its huge fan base, and the left has become more important than ever, according to those in the progressive media world.

POLITICO spoke with a dozen radio talkers, media observers and industry insiders to get their take on how the troubled medium of progressive political talk can be saved — but it’s not going to be easy.

1. Don’t be a shill for the Democratic Party

If progressive radio really wants to get on the map, its hosts would do well to remember that one of the reasons the liberal talk radio network Air America flopped was that they “forgot they were in the radio business, not in the get my candidate elected business,” said Al Peterson, publisher and editor of talk radio trade NTS MediaOnline Today. . .

[GeronL]

most listened to radio show?

I dunno about that

[okie01]

The highest rated, highest budgeted, biggest-staffed, most listened to radio show in the country by far is MORNING EDITION.

Highest budget, biggest staff? Could be.

Highest rated, most listened to radio show in the country? It's the only national show at that hour, when radio listenership is at its peak. So, maybe it gets to the top by being #22 in every market. But, still, I'd like to see the data that supports that claim...

[Entropy Squared]

Leftist radio shows cannot afford to allow reality and facts to become part of the mix by allowing non-lefty callers

Exactly so. Leftists must always deny their political roots and hide their actual agendas. Talk radio that allows normal people to speak and to question the leftists' dogma is toxic to the inherent deceits of leftism.

[GeronL]

They create a bubble of nonsense and allowing a caller to pop that with truth ruins their show

[exDemMom]

Envy and Hate Radio only works with HUGE subsidies, as we saw with both Air America, and now Pacifica.

Now Pacifica? Pacifica has been broadcasting its particular form of hate speech for decades, in a very limited market. Is it having trouble even in its small market?

[Farnsworth]

HA!!!!!!

The Blabber Games

The winner gets to broadcast on a 1w ham radio

[golux]

Look at the Arbitron radio rankings for subscribers (Arbitron clients) as well as non-subscriber stations in almost every top-200 radio market in the US for the 6a-9a daypart, persons 12+. NPR rules the roost.

[GeronL]

NPR should not be getting tax dollars, period. Let them pay taxes like everyone else too

[Drango]

About 26% of the public radio system’s revenues come form tax dollars.

[lentulusgracchus]

[Art.] 1. Don’t be a shill for the Democratic Party ...

AHHHH-BWAAAAhahahahaaaaaa <coff, choke> ha, ha, ha ..... <coff> ... These guys slay me.

[lentulusgracchus]

Pacifica has been broadcasting its particular form of hate speech for decades ..... Is it having trouble even in its small market?

The KGB was forced to reduce both their subventions, and their guidance. The latter was turned over to the New Left in the 90's.

But they were always KGB Active Measures property before that.

They feigned a balanced format until Vietnam began. Then the phony openness was cut off and the format became all-Soviet, all the time.

[raccoonradio]

And when that isn’t enough get George Soros..who paid millions of bucks to hire reporters for NPR.

In New England there are few “prog talk stations”:
1490 Brattleboro VT
1240/1600 Greenfield & Longmeadow MA
WZON 620 Bangor ME—horrors! Owned by Stephen King
And there’s an FM in Manchester/Concord NH area that runs some.
But fear not libs, there are powerful NPR stations like
WGBH and WBUR (the Car Talk folks) in Boston, etc. Shows like Communism Now!, er I mean Democracy Now, air on many stations, etc.

Then there are conservative stations and shows which actually have to live on advertising dollars, not government largesse or “donations from listeners like you”.

[Chode]

100%! i listen to the Communism Now/Debbie Downer show every now and again for a good laugh...