Do Talk Show Hosts Have Freedom of Speech?

[johnbasalla]

I was talking to a friend about a "hot-button" issue. My friend offered his opinion, and I thought, in the back of my mind, that if he was the host of a talk show, he might get suspended or fined. In these days it seems that more and more non-P.C. opinions become a finable offense, an offense that leads to a suspension, or even getting fired. I wonder how often opinion-based talk show hosts don't feel free, or maybe know they are not free, to say what they actually believe vis-à-vis "hot button" issues, so they play it safe and come up with something that won't offend "the suits", at least too much. Here are three questions for you.

1. What's your view?
2. Which talk show hosts do you think are genuine, and definitely free to speak their minds?
3. Does this indicate that freedom of speech is in some trouble?

As to #2, Rush Limbaugh would be one, as he is his own boss, I think. Also, to a slightly lesser degree, the hosts on Salem Radio Network stations because the parent company hires hosts who generally believe as they do.

 

[FredLeonard]

Sort of a naive question. It was said, long before radio, that freedom of the press only applies to those who own one. Same applies to freedom of speech and radio plus they have to have the money to keep going without advertisers or revenue. They also can't be a publicly held corporation where stockholders may expect profits.

Talk show hosts are entertainers. Do you care if the singer really likes the song. If the actor really likes the script. Do you care if Rush really puts his own money into gold, buys the insurance he endorses or has a Sleep Comfort bed?

It's all an act. Rush started out play to Republican insurgents, then the party establishment and most recently the tea party (different insurgents). He's a ho. The secret of being a good ho is the john thinks you mean it.

People get fired in radio for any reason or no reason at all. If you want freedom of speech, go into academia and get tenure.

 

[johnbasalla]

You're right about tenure in academia. I do not agree that all talk show hosts are only entertainers. They certainly are not entertainers like actors in a TV show. There is no doubt in my mind that Dennis Prager believes every word he says. As for Rush Limbaugh, he's not a "ho". His is an act in order to be entertaining, but it's one he believes in. At ESPN political correctness seems to be a growing order of the day. I am quite sure there are opinions held by their commentators about the latest off-field football issues that aren't being shared due to the P.C. culture.

 

[TheBigA]

I always find it interesting when you watch hosts of TV shows, like Craig Ferguson or Jimmy Fallon, and compare them to the radio hosts. There are lots of ways to talk about current events and politics without attacking people. It's a difference in approach. The TV guys are mainly trying to be entertaining. I don't know what the radio guys are doing, but it's not entertaining.

But you ask an interesting question: Does this indicate that freedom of speech is in some trouble?

I think most people don't understand what freedom of speech means. They think it means they have the right to tell some overweight person: "Gee you're a fat pig. Ever think about eating less?" That's not exactly what the founding fathers had in mind. The meaning of freedom of speech is that the GOVERNMENT can't prevent you from saying the government sucks. Based on what I hear on the radio, everyone is saying the government sucks, regardless of the facts, and the government isn't doing anything about it. So based on that, it's not in trouble. What's in trouble is talk radio has become boring, predictable, and stale. Rather than the government shutting it down, the public is simply turning it off. Does that mean freedom of speech is in trouble? No.

 

[Ravens]

There's "freedom of speech" and there's the "First Amendment". The 1A only protects speech from being infringed by government entities. All of these groups trying to shut down talk radio are absolutely infringing on speech, but there's no statutory protection against that.

If you want to worry about the First Amendment, pay more attention to the attempts (one last week) to repeal parts of it instead of worrying about what Rush Limbaugh is saying. Nothing he ever says will ever get him fired. So stop tying to get him fired.

 

[johnbasalla]

I think every one here has made good points. One thing I thought about was that, at least on ESPN, there may be some commentators who personally support corporal punishment but won't say so these days. They might not think it's worth the trouble of supporting it, and having to go through an explanation about Adrian Peterson taking it too far.

 

[FredLeonard]

You're right about talk show hosts being different from actors. I've known a fair number of both. Most actors (as opposed to movie stars) work at their craft and are decent human beings. Neither is true of talk show hosts.

But they are entertainers. Their job, like any other entertainer, is to draw a crowd, put butts in the seats or - in the case of radio - to collect ears. The first rule of entertainment is don't p*** off the audience. They have to like you. Even if you play the bad guy. One reason for the current diminished state of right-wing talk is Rush et al have managed to alienate much of what used to be the audience for talk radio.

Too many people get alienated, you get axed. Ask the I-man.

And Howard Stern got forced off terrestrial radio because of repeated FCC actions and the threat of even more. That sounds like a 1st amendment issue.

 

[TheBigA]

One thing I thought about was that, at least on ESPN, there may be some commentators who personally support corporal punishment but won't say so these days.

Why do you think a commentator on ESPN should express his personal views about corporal punishment on a sports show?

 

[Ravens]

And Howard Stern got forced off terrestrial radio because of repeated FCC actions and the threat of even more. That sounds like a 1st amendment issue.

Howard didn't get forced anywhere. Sirius gave him half a billion dollars. That's why he left.

 

[TheBigA]

Howard didn't get forced anywhere. Sirius gave him half a billion dollars. That's why he left.

Bingo. CBS would have gladly renewed his contract. And they were the ones who paid his fines, not him.

 

[johnbasalla]

Big A, the Adrian Peterson corporal punishment, and its aftermath along with the Ray Rice affair are the two most talked about things on the ESPN radio talk shows, and different sports commentators and former players are, supposedly, giving their opinion all the time about corporal punishment as they talk about the Peterson issue. The central, non-sports related, off the field, issues of domestic violence and corporal punishment become relevant on sports talk shows when they involve players on the sports and teams covered. I don't listen all the time, but when I am listening, almost everybody is saying some version of the same thing. That may be because they all generally agree, or it may be that some with a non-P.C. opinion know 'where their bread is buttered', and won't share because of that.

 

[FredLeonard]

Howard didn't get forced anywhere. Sirius gave him half a billion dollars. That's why he left.

Welcome to the board. You don't know what you're talking about. Sure, the money was nice. But what pushed him out were the FCC actions and all the limitations the suits were pushing on him as a result. He wanted freedom. He got freedom and more money, too. Baba Booey.

 

[johnbasalla]

Two talk show hosts who work hard not to "p****-off the audience are DENNIS PRAGER and MICHAEL MEDVED. That's one of the reasons I like them. Dennis Prager is a compelling deep-thinker and Michael relishes taking calls from people who disagree with him, and he does so without treating them poorly. Not all Conservative talk show hosts can be painted with the same broad brush.

 

[Ravens]

Welcome to the board. You don't know what you're talking about. Sure, the money was nice. But what pushed him out were the FCC actions and all the limitations the suits were pushing on him as a result. He wanted freedom. He got freedom and more money, too. Baba Booey.

The FCC excuse is a marketing gimmick used by Howie. So is the "freedom" gimmick. He wanted more money for working less. Sirius gave him that. He left. End of story.

 

[Ravens]

Two talk show hosts who work hard not to "p****-off the audience are DENNIS PRAGER and MICHAEL MEDVED. That's one of the reasons I like them. Dennis Prager is a compelling deep-thinker and Michael relishes taking calls from people who disagree with him, and he does so without treating them poorly. Not all Conservative talk show hosts can be painted with the same broad brush.

Say what you will about Hannity, but he's also good with opposing views from callers. He has plenty of regular callers that disagree. He's repetitive and boring, but he's also friendly to callers.

There's a place for guys like Medved that are softer spoken, and there's a place for guys who yell a lot like Levin. That's why we have thousands of radio stations. Trying to run any of them off the air is despicable.

 

[davideduardo]

Welcome to the board. You don't know what you're talking about. Sure, the money was nice. But what pushed him out were the FCC actions and all the limitations the suits were pushing on him as a result. He wanted freedom. He got freedom and more money, too. Baba Booey.

Both the former post and yours ignore the main motivator: Mel Karmazin. Howard moved to XM in no small part because he felt comfortable and protected by Mel. He had lost that quality when Mel left CBS.

 

[davideduardo]

And Howard Stern got forced off terrestrial radio because of repeated FCC actions and the threat of even more. That sounds like a 1st amendment issue.

Stern was not "forced" off terrestrial radio. He was "enticed" by Mel, with whom he had an oath of fealty and liege homage.

 

[FredLeonard]

The FCC excuse is a marketing gimmick used by Howie. So is the "freedom" gimmick. He wanted more money for working less. Sirius gave him that. He left. End of story.

Really? You and "Howie" are so close personally you have special insight into his motivations and you know what he really was thinking? Wow! And what's the real reason he and Allison split?

 

[FredLeonard]

Both the former post and yours ignore the main motivator: Mel Karmazin. Howard moved to XM in no small part because he felt comfortable and protected by Mel. He had lost that quality when Mel left CBS.

Since you are such a stickler for precise wording, I will point out that Howard moved to Sirius, not XM. Mel was at Sirius already, not XM

"Other of fealty and leige homage." C'mon! And what was Mel "protecting" Howard from? Right, the affects of all those complaints to the FCC and any actions they did or might take in response - including but not limiting to reactions from his affiliates or Infinity (not CBS then - remember, precise wording) management.

 

[TheBigA]

Big A, the Adrian Peterson corporal punishment, and its aftermath along with the Ray Rice affair are the two most talked about things on the ESPN radio talk shows,

Interesting how they babble about this stuff on the radio, but stick to straight reporting on TV.

That may be because they all generally agree, or it may be that some with a non-P.C. opinion know 'where their bread is buttered', and won't share because of that.

I don't think it matters, because it's all BS. It's just meters bouncing, filling dead air. Whether it's "PC" or "non-PC" is a function of who they perceive their audience is. If you want to know the "truth," talk radio is the wrong place to go. If you want "freedom of speech," you need to do it on your own time. Not your employer's.