Rush Revere

[RD Representation]

Some posts in this thread have been moved to Take it Outside.

 

[wadio]

It also hasn't gotten past me that no one actually addressed my point that DESPITE WHAT YOU THINK ABOUT NPR (AND OTHER PUBLIC RADIO) BIAS, IT IS WHAT LIBERAL FOLK LISTEN TO.

Instead, the same old tired "NPR is neutral" talking point.

I don't care if NPR is neutral or not. It's irrelevant. It IS what liberals listen to.

Correct.

(S.F) Or are you going to gravitate to that one other place on the dial in town that's not constantly telling you about the evils of the
guy you voted for, which happens to be the NPR talk outlet?

But the fact is there ARE evils (or shall we say flaws) in the current administration and we DON'T hear much about them on NPR.

NPR's "Oh so nice, oh so friendly, oh so boring" delivery is masquerading for political neutrality. The old men of NPR who speak through their lower teeth with furrowed brows and in somber tones, sounding like a learned professor reading to a three year old, are able to inject a liberal bias in subtle ways. Even the music between stories says, "Calm down ... relax ... we're here to sooth you and tell you "the truth." No need to think for yourself and maybe get upset!"

It's largely a matter of style. Personally I can't stand Rush or Hannity and I don't listen to them -- I don't like being yelled at or lectured. Nor can I take the mind-numbing style of NPR. Fortunately there is still a middle ground on commercial radio. I listen a lot to Bloomberg Radio these days -- it's like NPR without the air of superiority and the liberal bent. I enjoy talk show hosts on commercial radio who manage to entertain without yelling and lecturing or putting me to sleep. Jerry Doyle, Jon Grayson, John & Ken, Clark Howard, Larry Kudlow, for example.

The US has been trending liberal for decades so it's not surprising that liberals gravitate toward radio that doesn't complain so much. Why get upset when things are going your way? So, in summary, I think style is a big factor that helps support Small Market Guy's observation.

 

[Small Market Guy]

There are only certain types of people who enjoy hearing their own opinion regurgitated back at them in various voices all day long.

They're called human beings. It's completely natural to want to hear your point of view validated. Nor is there anything wrong with that.

 

[Goat Rodeo Cowboy]

They're called human beings. It's completely natural to want to hear your point of view validated. Nor is there anything wrong with that.

Amen, Brother. That's the way I raised my children!!! Always tell them what they wanted to hear.

I assume you do the same? You never tell your child/children something they don't want to hear you say.

 

[flybynight]

They're called human beings. It's completely natural to want to hear your point of view validated. Nor is there anything wrong with that.

Before programmers decided to hire Rush Limbaughs wall-to-wall, the conservative crowd still listened, but they may have had to defend their positions with real facts once in a while---which made for great talkradio. These ideologues called hosts today let all kinds of garbage fly unchallenged, because as long as the caller agrees, all is well.

The way the format is carried out today, there aren't any more conservatives listening than would've been already, as they were always there. The only difference is that normal people are much more likely to be repelled by the format than before. That, combined with the lack of appeal of AM, and you have a perfect storm for accelerated irrelevancy. Well done. I used to love the format, but now I hardly ever listen to talkradio anymore. Why should I? I know what they're saying before I even turn it on.

 

[Small Market Guy]

Amen, Brother. That's the way I raised my children!!! Always tell them what they wanted to hear.

I assume you do the same? You never tell your child/children something they don't want to hear you say.

There's a difference between allowing no room for opposing views, which most radio hosts fall into the trap of, and people wanting to hear a host that says what they're thinking.

Some hosts allow dissenting views on their show. Like him or not, Hannity is good for that. He allows disagreeing callers on, and he has left leaning people on his show almost every day. I don't care for the way he resets every break, but he is good about at least allowing other views on the air. Most hosts of either political stripe don't do that.

All of that disagreement on the air is good, but in the end the vast majority of people just listen to hear their own views validated. Radio isn't rocket science. There's no need to think it's more important than what it is.