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With the death of President Ford, has anybody had an emergency fill-in host?
With the death of President Ford, has anybody had an emergency fill-in host?
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How many news/talk stations...
- Thread starter radiogeek07
- Start date
R
Radio_Realist
Guest
I don't know about entire stations, but some of the programs I listen to had been planned in advance for "best of" programming this week long before former President Ford died.
Since most news/talk stations are mostly just plugging into syndicated shows, I doubt if many such decisions were even made at the station level. If the syndicators send "best of" shows down the pipeline, then that's what goes out the transmitter.
Since most news/talk stations are mostly just plugging into syndicated shows, I doubt if many such decisions were even made at the station level. If the syndicators send "best of" shows down the pipeline, then that's what goes out the transmitter.
T
TalkRadioGeek
Guest
If it had been Clinton, then maybe. But it's Ford.
R
Radio_Realist
Guest
If it had been Clinton, then maybe. But it's Ford.
It still wouldn't have made any difference. When a station does nothing but flips the switch for satelite feeds of syndicated shows, then the station doesn't decide whether to do "best of" programs or live shows. When all a station does is passes along what the syndicator sends them, they lose almost all control over what they put over the air.
However, if it had been Clinton, I think many of the syndicated hosts who were planning to take time off for vacation and fill in with "best of" shows would change their minds and go live.
It still wouldn't have made any difference. When a station does nothing but flips the switch for satelite feeds of syndicated shows, then the station doesn't decide whether to do "best of" programs or live shows. When all a station does is passes along what the syndicator sends them, they lose almost all control over what they put over the air.
However, if it had been Clinton, I think many of the syndicated hosts who were planning to take time off for vacation and fill in with "best of" shows would change their minds and go live.
If Clinton were to die in the near future vs 20-30 years from now, I can imagine that his departing would be a difficult topic for Limbaugh, Hannity, etc to comment on as usually you try to find good things to say about the deceased and as they've made a career of bashing the former Democrat President anything positive they'd offer up would probably sound phony and insincere. It sure would be inappropriate for them to do their usual bashing during the national time of mourning, so I could easily imagine them doing best of shows that didn't have Clinton as topics or having guest hosts.
F
fred flintstone
Guest
MikefromDelaware said:If Clinton were to die in the near future vs 20-30 years from now, I can imagine that his departing would be a difficult topic for Limbaugh, Hannity, etc to comment on as usually you try to find good things to say about the deceased and as they've made a career of bashing the former Democrat President anything positive they'd offer up would probably sound phony and insincere. It sure would be inappropriate for them to do their usual bashing during the national time of mourning, so I could easily imagine them doing best of shows that didn't have Clinton as topics or having guest hosts.
Talk radio is not concerned with being "appropriate."
Unfortunately, liberal talkers were also on hiatus this week. Next week we can hear about how Tricky Dick appointed his "secret friend" Jerry Ford as vice president, either just in case or having a good idea what was coming. And Jerry Ford, always a party hack, performed like a trained seal to keep his "good friend" from the "stigma" of going to jail. Nobody bought it then - including the talk show hosts active at the time. But back then, talk show hosts were not party or administration flacks. They took shots at politicians - all politicians - with impunity and fine impartiality and gave to to Jerry with both barrels. Nobody bought that "good of the country" BS on talk radio.
You bring up an interesting point that does show a major difference between "yesterdays" talk show hosts and many of today's talk show hosts. Those of yesteryear weren't political party megaphones as so many are today. Still, I'd sure like to hope, that in spite of the coarseness of political debate and the bashing of political opponents that has become the staple of what most talk radio has become, to my ear, that there would be some respect given to either a Clinton or a Gingrich when their time of passing occurred. If for no other reason out of respect for their grieving families and friends. It's a sad day when the "politicos" among us in talk radio can't beat their swords into plowshares for a week of mourning and respectful rememberance of a political opponent. I'd like to think the likes of Limbaugh, Hannity, Frankin, Rhodes, etc are better people than that, but that may just be wishful thinking on my part.
I heard Savage lambasting Ford and saying how he was an accidental president. Pretty ballsy for the guy.
He was not the only one....Michael Savage (who, in my opinion, could put Rush in the dirt)
had the same sentiments about the former President.
had the same sentiments about the former President.
R
Radio_Realist
Guest
I heard Savage lambasting Ford
That's hardly "ballsy". Savage has his "Howard Beal on crack" schtick down pat. Don't expect him to break character for anything. He created an image that works for him, and he's not going to let little things like the death of a former President change him.
Savage will lighten up his act the same day Teller speaks out loud onstage during a Penn & Teller act.
That's hardly "ballsy". Savage has his "Howard Beal on crack" schtick down pat. Don't expect him to break character for anything. He created an image that works for him, and he's not going to let little things like the death of a former President change him.
Savage will lighten up his act the same day Teller speaks out loud onstage during a Penn & Teller act.
F
fred flintstone
Guest
Less bathos, please...
I agree that political debate has become coarse, talk radio partisan and bashing of opponents gratuitous. I do not agree that the purpose of talk radio - or news radio, for that matter - should be to show "respect" to the families. Broadcasting is not part of the funeral process. Broadcasters do not perform the role associated with clergy or eulogists at a funeral. Broadcasters serve the public (and ideally serve truth), not the families of the departed. If journalism is "the first rough draft of history," then broadcasting's role should be to provide (pardon the expression) a "fair and balanced" summation of the individual departed and his actions. Not wholesale and partisan political attack. Not a coat of white-wash either, which seems to have become broadcasting's knee-jerk postmortem spin.
Broadcasting also seems somewhat selective in who receives unstinted praise in death. Presidents get a free pass, part of broadcasters constant glorification of the executive branch. As a result, presidents feel free to grab power and start wars while receiving deference from the media and the co-equal branches of government (who often abandon their duty to provide the checks and balances on executive authority the constitution requires). Further, by pardoning Nixon, Jerry Ford gave credence to the idea that presidents are sovereigns and above the law (as demonstrated in the current administration).
MikefromDelaware said:You bring up an interesting point that does show a major difference between "yesterdays" talk show hosts and many of today's talk show hosts. Those of yesteryear weren't political party megaphones as so many are today. Still, I'd sure like to hope, that in spite of the coarseness of political debate and the bashing of political opponents that has become the staple of what most talk radio has become, to my ear, that there would be some respect given to either a Clinton or a Gingrich when their time of passing occurred. If for no other reason out of respect for their grieving families and friends. It's a sad day when the "politicos" among us in talk radio can't beat their swords into plowshares for a week of mourning and respectful rememberance of a political opponent. I'd like to think the likes of Limbaugh, Hannity, Frankin, Rhodes, etc are better people than that, but that may just be wishful thinking on my part.
I agree that political debate has become coarse, talk radio partisan and bashing of opponents gratuitous. I do not agree that the purpose of talk radio - or news radio, for that matter - should be to show "respect" to the families. Broadcasting is not part of the funeral process. Broadcasters do not perform the role associated with clergy or eulogists at a funeral. Broadcasters serve the public (and ideally serve truth), not the families of the departed. If journalism is "the first rough draft of history," then broadcasting's role should be to provide (pardon the expression) a "fair and balanced" summation of the individual departed and his actions. Not wholesale and partisan political attack. Not a coat of white-wash either, which seems to have become broadcasting's knee-jerk postmortem spin.
Broadcasting also seems somewhat selective in who receives unstinted praise in death. Presidents get a free pass, part of broadcasters constant glorification of the executive branch. As a result, presidents feel free to grab power and start wars while receiving deference from the media and the co-equal branches of government (who often abandon their duty to provide the checks and balances on executive authority the constitution requires). Further, by pardoning Nixon, Jerry Ford gave credence to the idea that presidents are sovereigns and above the law (as demonstrated in the current administration).
F
fred flintstone
Guest
Re: Less bathos, please...
Let's face it, not much is going on. That's the only reason Jerry is getting all this attention.
He did little as president worth remembering (although he was an effective party leader in the House).
And most of the US population is not old enough to remember his - brief - time in office. This is one example of broadcasters programming for listeners/viewers too old for the "money demos."
Let's face it, not much is going on. That's the only reason Jerry is getting all this attention.
He did little as president worth remembering (although he was an effective party leader in the House).
And most of the US population is not old enough to remember his - brief - time in office. This is one example of broadcasters programming for listeners/viewers too old for the "money demos."
Media anchors have served as a form of "secular clergy" for nation
It seems from any state funeral I've listened to or watched on either radio or TV going back to the JFK funeral, the media did act as a sort of "secular clergy" and did hold their punches during a week of national mourning be it JFK, Bobby Kennedy, Martin Luther King, Nixon, Reagan, and even for Jesse Helms. I don't remember hearing any negative remarks being made about Helm's life or beliefs during that mourning time. If they did, I didn't hear them. I guess my point is, even though it may be considered to be "better journalism" to not white wash someone's life, during the mourning time, it seems, to my ear, that this is what happens. Can you imagine the outrage had Walter Cronkite or Chet Huntley and David Brinkley had bashed JFK during that time of national mourning? I'd think that there would be a similar outrage today if Katie Couric, and the other Network anchors starting bashing former President Ford during this national time of mourning.
My guess is even if former President Clinton was being buried, the conservative Fox Newscasters would also take on that same mantle as the other network anchors and give a Clinton funeral and time of national mourning the same respect as the other Presidents would get.
Now whether or not our very politicized talk show hosts will follow that "tradition" may be doubtful based on what some have posted.
It seems from any state funeral I've listened to or watched on either radio or TV going back to the JFK funeral, the media did act as a sort of "secular clergy" and did hold their punches during a week of national mourning be it JFK, Bobby Kennedy, Martin Luther King, Nixon, Reagan, and even for Jesse Helms. I don't remember hearing any negative remarks being made about Helm's life or beliefs during that mourning time. If they did, I didn't hear them. I guess my point is, even though it may be considered to be "better journalism" to not white wash someone's life, during the mourning time, it seems, to my ear, that this is what happens. Can you imagine the outrage had Walter Cronkite or Chet Huntley and David Brinkley had bashed JFK during that time of national mourning? I'd think that there would be a similar outrage today if Katie Couric, and the other Network anchors starting bashing former President Ford during this national time of mourning.
My guess is even if former President Clinton was being buried, the conservative Fox Newscasters would also take on that same mantle as the other network anchors and give a Clinton funeral and time of national mourning the same respect as the other Presidents would get.
Now whether or not our very politicized talk show hosts will follow that "tradition" may be doubtful based on what some have posted.
F
fred flintstone
Guest
Re: Media anchors have served as a form of "secular clergy" for nation
Some media scholars have made the argument that broadcasting has replaced many of the social functions of the pulpit (notably George Gerbner of Penn's Annenberg School and more recently Temple). Kennedy (and his family) have benefited - and continue to benefit - from a good deal of white-washing. Whether this white-washing is politically motivated or a result of media gullibility and the Kennedy's skill at exploiting that is debatable.
I don't see "bashing" as the same as giving an honest appraisal. And I don't see white-washing or bashing as the only two alternatives.
The night Nixon resigned, CBS decided to adopt the speak-no-evil approach. Cronkite and Rather who had been aggressive in covering the Watergate story (even if they came late to the party) did a 180 and started talking about how Nixon brought a "touch of his class" to the resignation. I call that sheer hypocrisy. Apparently Roger Mudd did not get the memo (or refused to sell out) and pointed out that Nixon still refused to take responsibility for what had happened or take any responsibility for it and blamed everything on the media and a few craven senators who caved (and said they would vote to remove Nixon from office). However, most people in broadcasting are not concerned with what's right, only with what's appropriate. And much of broadcaster's reluctance to tell the truth sometimes is a result of timidity, rather than concern for anyone's feelings.
FTR: Jerry Ford did not start in his position on the 1932 and 1933 national champion Michigan teams. He did start in 1934 when Michigan won only one game. He was MVP on a poor 1934 team (because, team mates said, he never quit no matter how badly Michigan was losing) and he never made All America in any of his three playing years. In 1934, Michigan was scoreless in five games, including a 0-16 rout by arch-rival Michigan State. 1934 was supposed to have been his senior year and his final year of eligibility under Big 10 rules at the time but Ford graduated with the class of 1935 (wonder what he flunked?). Jerry had his number (48) retired at Michigan (apparently because of his career in politics) but has not been admitted to the school's football hall of fame.
MikefromDelaware said:It seems from any state funeral I've listened to or watched on either radio or TV going back to the JFK funeral, the media did act as a sort of "secular clergy" and did hold their punches during a week of national mourning be it JFK, Bobby Kennedy, Martin Luther King, Nixon, Reagan, and even for Jesse Helms. I don't remember hearing any negative remarks being made about Helm's life or beliefs during that mourning time. If they did, I didn't hear them. I guess my point is, even though it may be considered to be "better journalism" to not white wash someone's life, during the mourning time, it seems, to my ear, that this is what happens. Can you imagine the outrage had Walter Cronkite or Chet Huntley and David Brinkley had bashed JFK during that time of national mourning? I'd think that there would be a similar outrage today if Katie Couric, and the other Network anchors starting bashing former President Ford during this national time of mourning.
My guess is even if former President Clinton was being buried, the conservative Fox Newscasters would also take on that same mantle as the other network anchors and give a Clinton funeral and time of national mourning the same respect as the other Presidents would get.
Now whether or not our very politicized talk show hosts will follow that "tradition" may be doubtful based on what some have posted.
Some media scholars have made the argument that broadcasting has replaced many of the social functions of the pulpit (notably George Gerbner of Penn's Annenberg School and more recently Temple). Kennedy (and his family) have benefited - and continue to benefit - from a good deal of white-washing. Whether this white-washing is politically motivated or a result of media gullibility and the Kennedy's skill at exploiting that is debatable.
I don't see "bashing" as the same as giving an honest appraisal. And I don't see white-washing or bashing as the only two alternatives.
The night Nixon resigned, CBS decided to adopt the speak-no-evil approach. Cronkite and Rather who had been aggressive in covering the Watergate story (even if they came late to the party) did a 180 and started talking about how Nixon brought a "touch of his class" to the resignation. I call that sheer hypocrisy. Apparently Roger Mudd did not get the memo (or refused to sell out) and pointed out that Nixon still refused to take responsibility for what had happened or take any responsibility for it and blamed everything on the media and a few craven senators who caved (and said they would vote to remove Nixon from office). However, most people in broadcasting are not concerned with what's right, only with what's appropriate. And much of broadcaster's reluctance to tell the truth sometimes is a result of timidity, rather than concern for anyone's feelings.
FTR: Jerry Ford did not start in his position on the 1932 and 1933 national champion Michigan teams. He did start in 1934 when Michigan won only one game. He was MVP on a poor 1934 team (because, team mates said, he never quit no matter how badly Michigan was losing) and he never made All America in any of his three playing years. In 1934, Michigan was scoreless in five games, including a 0-16 rout by arch-rival Michigan State. 1934 was supposed to have been his senior year and his final year of eligibility under Big 10 rules at the time but Ford graduated with the class of 1935 (wonder what he flunked?). Jerry had his number (48) retired at Michigan (apparently because of his career in politics) but has not been admitted to the school's football hall of fame.
F
fred flintstone
Guest
Tonight, 60 Minutes (simulcast on both the CBS RADIO and television networks) is doing a "best of" and re-running their recent (six weeks ago) eulogy to Ed Bradley. Nothing about Jerry Ford. This seems a bit too self-referential - even for broadcasters, who seem to think everybody is as fascinated with them as they are fascinated with themselves. Then again, they probably scheduled this repeat and everybody went away for the holidays before Ford died.
fred flintstone said:Tonight, 60 Minutes (simulcast on both the CBS RADIO and television networks) is doing a "best of" and re-running their recent (six weeks ago) eulogy to Ed Bradley. Nothing about Jerry Ford. This seems a bit too self-referential - even for broadcasters, who seem to think everybody is as fascinated with them as they are fascinated with themselves. Then again, they probably scheduled this repeat and everybody went away for the holidays before Ford died.
I realize that you constantly see the glass as half-empty, but Ed Bradley meant a lot to many people. All in all, he was arguably the best reporter on the best news show on television, and has quite a history in TV journalism to back it up. Same with Mike Wallace, who had an entire episode devoted to him when he retired.
Besides, with the last week of regular season in the NFL dominating the TV schedule as it did today, and the fact that this is New Year's Eve, CBS was wise to just reair an episode of "60 Minutes", and a popular one at that. This was the first weekend ever that the NFL allowed both CBS and FOX to air double-headers of games. NBC also aired a big rivalry game, and quite a few games today had playoff implications.
F
fred flintstone
Guest
FightingIrish said:I realize that you constantly see the glass as half-empty, but Ed Bradley meant a lot to many people. All in all, he was arguably the best reporter on the best news show on television, and has quite a history in TV journalism to back it up. Same with Mike Wallace, who had an entire episode devoted to him when he retired.
Besides, with the last week of regular season in the NFL dominating the TV schedule as it did today, and the fact that this is New Year's Eve, CBS was wise to just reair an episode of "60 Minutes", and a popular one at that. This was the first weekend ever that the NFL allowed both CBS and FOX to air double-headers of games. NBC also aired a big rivalry game, and quite a few games today had playoff implications.
As far as broadcasting is concerned, usually the glass is empty. They just want you to believe it's full.
No double double headers around here. CBS ran only one game (and then joined the end of a game that ran past 7 pm).
Ed Bradley was "the best reporter" and "same with Mike Wallace?" Sorry, only one can be "best reporter." Fact is none of these "faces" are reporters. They front for producers who do the real work. That is the nature of broadcasting, no matter how things were portrayed on Murphy Brown. Morley Safer once did some real reporting but that was a long time ago before broadcast news completely sold out and became a pretentious branch of show business. Mike Wallace was the host of a rigged quiz show and a cigarette pitchman before he "got religion" and started "investigating" the sins of others (including his former tobacco company benefactors). Wallace's influence has mostly destroyed the art of interviewing with two generations of broadcasters coming off a bush league Perry Masons. 60 Minutes was interesting in the days of Harry Reasoner (when Andy Rooney was still a writer-producer) but it has turned into what Mad Magazine calls the usual gang of idiots.
60 Minutes and Don Hewitt deserve much of the credit for the dumbing down of broadcast news, for making it about personality "reporters" and about telling the "story" of the little people - more accurately, one little person. Hewitt decided reporting news and doing the kind of serious issue-oriented documentaries Murrow and Friendly did just wasn't interesting enough. Hewitt came to CBS News from movie newsreels and his influence shows in all the fluff, hype and show biz tricks that have taken the place of real news and real reporting. The glass isn't just empty - it's cracked.
There was a time when journalists kept themselves out of the story. Now they think they are the story. Don Hewitt became responsible for that, starting in 1952 when he decided to make CBS' convention coverage about Cronkite at the convention - not about the convention.
I see that CBS is not going to replace Bradley (at least for now). His producer and production unit will keep doing stories with other 60 Minutes talent brought in for packaging. That's a clear indication of how cosmetic Bradley's role was. Too bad the "tribute" to Bradley did not acknowledge the people who really did the work and really put together those pieces (without acknowledgment and for maybe five per cent of the salary).
fred flintstone said:FightingIrish said:I realize that you constantly see the glass as half-empty, but Ed Bradley meant a lot to many people. All in all, he was arguably the best reporter on the best news show on television, and has quite a history in TV journalism to back it up. Same with Mike Wallace, who had an entire episode devoted to him when he retired.
Besides, with the last week of regular season in the NFL dominating the TV schedule as it did today, and the fact that this is New Year's Eve, CBS was wise to just reair an episode of "60 Minutes", and a popular one at that. This was the first weekend ever that the NFL allowed both CBS and FOX to air double-headers of games. NBC also aired a big rivalry game, and quite a few games today had playoff implications.
As far as broadcasting is concerned, usually the glass is empty. They just want you to believe it's full.
No double double headers around here. CBS ran only one game (and then joined the end of a game that ran past 7 pm).
The NFL authorized double headers in most markets, depending on where the home team was playing. Take it up with them.
And CBS repeated the Ed Bradley show just to piss you off.
F
fred flintstone
Guest
FightingIrish said:The NFL authorized double headers in most markets, depending on where the home team was playing. Take it up with them.
And CBS repeated the Ed Bradley show just to piss you off.
MOST markets. Not all.
How has CBS pissed me off? Let me count the ways.
- They allow football games to screw up the Sunday schedules (and my TiVo scheduled recordings) every fall. They insist on setting the schedule on the assumption that all games will have ended by 7 pm, which they never - ever - do. Then the entire schedule is pushed back x minutes and completely out of whack. Fox, to its credit, sets the schedule on the assumption that games end by 7:30, which they mostly do.
- They pushed Cronkite out the door so they could bring in that sleazy journalistic oil slick Dan Rather.
- They passed over Roger Mudd for Rather.
- They pushed out Scheiffer so they could bring in Katie Kewpie doll.
- They constantly mismanaged and destroyed a legendary news-talk station, WCAU, through out-of-control management ego; the station that was the inspiration for the Columbia Broadcasting System in the first place.
- They mishandled Howard Stern until he left broadcast radio for satellite radio.
- They canceled Captain Kangaroo for a morning show train wreck nobody has ever wanted or watched (again corporate ego). They snatched defeat from the jaws of victory when stations were allowed briefly to program their own morning shows with network support in the post-seven am period - and then forced stations to give back the time for another morning show train wreck.
- The have dumbed-down the top of the hour radio newscasts.
- They divorced news radio from the CBS News Division, making it a second-string operation.
Bottom line: CBS Radio is the second most ineptly managed organization in broadcasting. (THE most ineptly managed if you don't count operations currently in bankruptcy.)
Happy New Year, LT. My compliments for your excellent coverage of progressive talk radio during the past year. To anyone who has not checked out the Liberal Talk Radio website, I recommend it highly. For your blog, not only is the glass full. It has a head on it.
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