Milwaukee Magazine - Secrets of Talk Radio

[bigtalkradiofan]

My Preface Note - I guess I really didn't see all that much earth-breaking "info" in the behind-the-scenes expose on Milwaukee talk radio. Nor do I find it to be much different than how other forms of talk radio - like LibTalk or SportsTalk - whip up listener interest when they talk about "hot button" issues. LibTalk do the same thing in bashing Bush, Cheney & McCain all day long - and making their listeners out to be victims. Sports Talk does it when it brings up certain "controversial" figures - like Colin Cowherd does in bringing up Michael Vick or Kobe Bryant or Brett Favre - to increase ratings and listener feedback. What do other people think?


Pasted below are links to several recent articles on the debate.

http://www.milwaukeemagazine.com/currentIssue/full_feature_story.asp?newMessageID=24046

Secrets of Talk Radio

WTMJ's former news director reveals how talk show hosts like Charlie Sykes work to get us angry.

By Dan Shelley
Monday 11/24/2008
Milwaukee Magazine

I worked for three years as news director, and then, in 1998, gained the additional title of assistant program director, a role I held until leaving the station in July 2006. From that position, I worked closely with our talk show hosts and became intimately familiar with how they appeal to listeners and shape their vision of the world. Let me tell you some of the lessons I learned. ...

[Click link above for the complete newspaper article.]

http://www.620wtmj.com/shows/charliesykes/34454224.html?blog=y

THE (NOT SO) SECRETS OF TALK RADIO
By Charlie Sykes

Story Created: Nov 14, 2008
Story Updated: Nov 20, 2008

So today I have become the poster child for all that is wrong with evil conservative talk radio -- and Exhibit A in the Left's case for the return of the fairness Doctrine. An article in the new Milwaukee Magazine focuses on Jeff Wagner and me… but mostly me and their his genuine excitement among the netroots. The article, which purports to be an "insiders" view is written by Dan Shelley, a former news director here.

[Click here for the complete article.]

http://www.milwaukeemagazine.com/murphyslaw/default.asp?NewMessageID=24171

Why We Went After Talk Radio

And: Sykes Misfires

by Bruce Murphy | Tuesday 11/18/2008
Milwaukee Magazine

MURPHY'S LAW LETTERS

Whew. Beginning Thursday, Milwaukee Magazine was deluged with e-mail from readers across the country, alternately praising and trashing our feature story, “Secrets of Talk Radio” by Dan Shelley, the former news director of WTMJ radio. Many of the naysayers demanded to know how we could run such a story, and were reinforced in their views by TMJ talk show host Charlie Sykes, who spent two hours bashing the article on his Friday morning show.

[Click link above for the complete newspaper article.]

http://www.madison.com/tct/opinion/column/zweifel/316559

Dave Zweifel's Plain Talk: What's wrong with right-wing radio

Dave Zweifel — 12/01/2008 5:40 am
The Capital Times

Milwaukee's right-wing talk radio clique, personified by WTMJ/AM's Charlie Sykes and Jeff Wagner, is still smarting over the tell-all piece that the radio station's former news director authored for the most recent issue of Milwaukee Magazine.

[Click link above for the complete newspaper article.]