In a response originally intended for a comment JibGuy made I decided to open an entirely new thread regarding the lack of CORPORATE support for a viable Progressive talk format, and how the Boston market can be the home base of that format.
All due respect to Bob Bittner, who has done an amazing job with 740 AM and is a hero to radio fans for his accomplishments (and work ethic), WBUR is proof that people want to hear Progressive talk radio on a 50,000 watt station. It is the power of the "right" to get protection from Big Business which has enabled them to keep that desired format away from people who vote Democrat. WBUR WBUR WBUR is the fact that I will pound. And the Bush regime's attempt at infiltrating NPR to shift the conversation is absolute proof that they fear Progressives having ANY voice. Because Progressives DO respond.
I disagree strongly in regards to the "liberal talk" tag and that it won't fly on 50,000 watt radio. Thirty years ago you would have heard the same thing about "Conservative Talk". You have to give the Republicans credit in that they zeroed in on radio and the Democrats did not, but I would hardly call Howard Stern "Conservative".
A solid talk show host - a radio Bill Maher - is going to generate the numbers. Problem is that companies like Entercom, Clear Channel and others know where their bread is buttered, and it is from big business. Watch what happens if Big Business flocks to Nancy Pelosi & Co. in the next two years, four years, eight years.
Just watch. It isn't the "will of the people" as reflected by Arbitron. It is niche marketing - big business buying up all the independent voices. Best example: if Bob Bittner was programming progressive talk he would certainly not be playing the awful PSAs and commercials AM 1430 has added to help drive listeners away.
Bob would probably play environmentally sound PSAs that are also appealing to his audience.
The failure of WRKO to make a dent in the recent election - despite the white noise - is a good case in point.
The Arbitrends show they got a little bounce - but that generally happens during an election cycle.
Air America and Jones Radio Network - as much as I agree with what they are saying - are not saying it in the most effective way. Which is, of course, the problem with having let the Republicans creep into the infrastructure (best example: Keith Olbermann grabs a hot topic - the Ohio vote in 2004 - and NBC - which is receiving profits from the war - sending him on vacation at a critical time in the story).
When Big Business shuts down momentum it is hardly the "will of the people." Indeed, every revolution takes cooperation and the cash cow Rove & Company made of radio is what allowed the illusion to continue.
IF Republican Talk was so effective there is no way that the Democrats could have taken both Houses of Congress. In a perfect world we could discuss this in a mature fashion. What happens when putting these ideas on the table makes it almost impossible to discuss - Raccoon will chip in about how he loves Howie Carr,
and he will give skewed facts and figures (even this line will come under assault) not based in reality, and the entire debate goes out the window.
But Bob Bittner mentioning "liberal talk" not desired by 50,000 watt stations proves my point. No one is handing 500 million to Rush Limbaugh right now and his own satellite situation, and despite Keith Olbermann having experience and gaining an audience (on a cable channel that is truly the equivalent of AM 1430 as far as TV goes), well, imagine if Olbermann or Bill Maher were both on NBC or CBS, and had a radio foundation the way Hannity and O'Reilly can drive viewers to their tv show and vice versa.
If Al Franken believed in the cause he would've taken less money and gotten more input. His venue is not talk radio - and that should be left to the Olbermann/Stern/Maher talents who are quicker, wittier and know about delivery for the radio waves.
Howard Stern is not Conservative. His show might not be "Progressive" in a format sense, but he's certainly progressive and his audience responds positively to his political point of view. Maher and Olbermann are definitely progressive and - given a radio platform - would do very well. WBUR is more evidence. Put a Progressive format together drawing from those four examples - WBUR with the sizzle a Maher/Olbermann/Stern bring to the equation, and you have the winning formula. All it needs is the blessing of Big Business, which currently is sold on a tired, worn out format. A drug addled Rush Limbaugh, an abusive Mike Savage, Jay Severin who would be a Progressive the minute the money's there (note his utter failure on the Tucker Carlson experiment; not only did Tucker Carlson fail miserably, Severin didn't last at all), we all know Ed Schultz once leaned to the right; he is impressive because he plays to the middle and sounds so much like Limbaugh voice wise. He's also making a bundle of money. Randi Rhodes is also doing well, without a major platform and major support. The elements are there. Put Randi Rhodes on 9 am to noon or RKO and watch the fur fly. They just refuse to give the format any radio space and would rather have a John DePetro push Kerry Healey to fill airtime during a key election cycle. That bounce could have been MUCH bigger if they were talking to the people who voted for Deval Patrick. It was a "thumpin" and RKO failed to pick up on that thumpin' because they have an agenda. In the long run that would hurt them except that they have the Red Sox in the future so c'est la vie.
All due respect to Bob Bittner, who has done an amazing job with 740 AM and is a hero to radio fans for his accomplishments (and work ethic), WBUR is proof that people want to hear Progressive talk radio on a 50,000 watt station. It is the power of the "right" to get protection from Big Business which has enabled them to keep that desired format away from people who vote Democrat. WBUR WBUR WBUR is the fact that I will pound. And the Bush regime's attempt at infiltrating NPR to shift the conversation is absolute proof that they fear Progressives having ANY voice. Because Progressives DO respond.
I disagree strongly in regards to the "liberal talk" tag and that it won't fly on 50,000 watt radio. Thirty years ago you would have heard the same thing about "Conservative Talk". You have to give the Republicans credit in that they zeroed in on radio and the Democrats did not, but I would hardly call Howard Stern "Conservative".
A solid talk show host - a radio Bill Maher - is going to generate the numbers. Problem is that companies like Entercom, Clear Channel and others know where their bread is buttered, and it is from big business. Watch what happens if Big Business flocks to Nancy Pelosi & Co. in the next two years, four years, eight years.
Just watch. It isn't the "will of the people" as reflected by Arbitron. It is niche marketing - big business buying up all the independent voices. Best example: if Bob Bittner was programming progressive talk he would certainly not be playing the awful PSAs and commercials AM 1430 has added to help drive listeners away.
Bob would probably play environmentally sound PSAs that are also appealing to his audience.
The failure of WRKO to make a dent in the recent election - despite the white noise - is a good case in point.
The Arbitrends show they got a little bounce - but that generally happens during an election cycle.
Air America and Jones Radio Network - as much as I agree with what they are saying - are not saying it in the most effective way. Which is, of course, the problem with having let the Republicans creep into the infrastructure (best example: Keith Olbermann grabs a hot topic - the Ohio vote in 2004 - and NBC - which is receiving profits from the war - sending him on vacation at a critical time in the story).
When Big Business shuts down momentum it is hardly the "will of the people." Indeed, every revolution takes cooperation and the cash cow Rove & Company made of radio is what allowed the illusion to continue.
IF Republican Talk was so effective there is no way that the Democrats could have taken both Houses of Congress. In a perfect world we could discuss this in a mature fashion. What happens when putting these ideas on the table makes it almost impossible to discuss - Raccoon will chip in about how he loves Howie Carr,
and he will give skewed facts and figures (even this line will come under assault) not based in reality, and the entire debate goes out the window.
But Bob Bittner mentioning "liberal talk" not desired by 50,000 watt stations proves my point. No one is handing 500 million to Rush Limbaugh right now and his own satellite situation, and despite Keith Olbermann having experience and gaining an audience (on a cable channel that is truly the equivalent of AM 1430 as far as TV goes), well, imagine if Olbermann or Bill Maher were both on NBC or CBS, and had a radio foundation the way Hannity and O'Reilly can drive viewers to their tv show and vice versa.
If Al Franken believed in the cause he would've taken less money and gotten more input. His venue is not talk radio - and that should be left to the Olbermann/Stern/Maher talents who are quicker, wittier and know about delivery for the radio waves.
Howard Stern is not Conservative. His show might not be "Progressive" in a format sense, but he's certainly progressive and his audience responds positively to his political point of view. Maher and Olbermann are definitely progressive and - given a radio platform - would do very well. WBUR is more evidence. Put a Progressive format together drawing from those four examples - WBUR with the sizzle a Maher/Olbermann/Stern bring to the equation, and you have the winning formula. All it needs is the blessing of Big Business, which currently is sold on a tired, worn out format. A drug addled Rush Limbaugh, an abusive Mike Savage, Jay Severin who would be a Progressive the minute the money's there (note his utter failure on the Tucker Carlson experiment; not only did Tucker Carlson fail miserably, Severin didn't last at all), we all know Ed Schultz once leaned to the right; he is impressive because he plays to the middle and sounds so much like Limbaugh voice wise. He's also making a bundle of money. Randi Rhodes is also doing well, without a major platform and major support. The elements are there. Put Randi Rhodes on 9 am to noon or RKO and watch the fur fly. They just refuse to give the format any radio space and would rather have a John DePetro push Kerry Healey to fill airtime during a key election cycle. That bounce could have been MUCH bigger if they were talking to the people who voted for Deval Patrick. It was a "thumpin" and RKO failed to pick up on that thumpin' because they have an agenda. In the long run that would hurt them except that they have the Red Sox in the future so c'est la vie.
