As a talk radio listener my entire life and having worked in the industry, It seems to me that most of the shows are really getting bad. I don't know if the hosts are getting lazy but the quality of the content has gone way down hill in the Major market where I live. Even the national shows are becoming a snooze fest. Most of the TRN, Westwood and Premier products stink. Where is the creativity? Where is the believability? Where is the production value? Where are the great callers? I listen to satellite radio now and I can tell you that I hardly switch from Howard anymore. Its a shame.
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Talk Radio Is Going Down The Tubes.
- Thread starter Slant
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Couldn't agree with you more. Talkradio used to be far more interesting than it is today. If you've heard one, you've really heard them all. Sad.
These days, its "pick a side" no matter how stupid you may sound defending the indefensible. That's true for "both" sides.
Gone are the genuine people (hosts) who cared more about discussing interesting life situations/issues than about politics. Suddenly every host is a brilliant political analyst. Uh huh.
All you need to do to understand how bad it is, is ask of any host "have you uttered an original thought on the air lately"? If they answer yes, they're lying.
This all comes down to cheap managers and lazy programmers.
I listen to a lot less talkradio than I did 15 years ago. A lot less. It's all so mind-numbingly precitable and boring. I'm actually amazed it can hold an auience in it's current form. People must be brain dead.
These days, its "pick a side" no matter how stupid you may sound defending the indefensible. That's true for "both" sides.
Gone are the genuine people (hosts) who cared more about discussing interesting life situations/issues than about politics. Suddenly every host is a brilliant political analyst. Uh huh.
All you need to do to understand how bad it is, is ask of any host "have you uttered an original thought on the air lately"? If they answer yes, they're lying.
This all comes down to cheap managers and lazy programmers.
I listen to a lot less talkradio than I did 15 years ago. A lot less. It's all so mind-numbingly precitable and boring. I'm actually amazed it can hold an auience in it's current form. People must be brain dead.
my opinion only:
good radio is bottom up. it starts with good local radio and eventually builds up to the national level. it is not surprising to me that radio went into a severe decline when most of the local hosts were whacked and replaced with satellite feeds of people syndicated on hundreds of other stations across the country. i really don't believe its a right/left issue, its a good radio/bad radio issue. there were some conservative people on local radio who i knew were conservative but listened anyway because they did good radio, and this person didn't do any rush-type show either.
when radio is run by radio people instead of bean counters it will more than likely improve.
good radio is bottom up. it starts with good local radio and eventually builds up to the national level. it is not surprising to me that radio went into a severe decline when most of the local hosts were whacked and replaced with satellite feeds of people syndicated on hundreds of other stations across the country. i really don't believe its a right/left issue, its a good radio/bad radio issue. there were some conservative people on local radio who i knew were conservative but listened anyway because they did good radio, and this person didn't do any rush-type show either.
when radio is run by radio people instead of bean counters it will more than likely improve.
Interesting time for this topic to begin. Glen Beck is generating a LOT of conversation with his comments about what kinds of churches should be walked away from.
We have a hard time here on the R-I forums in discussing the pros and cons of talk radio because it usually degenerates into a rock-throwing event between conservatives and whatever we will call people who are NOT conservatives.
What remains to be seen now is whether we (and the public at large) can have a rational discussion about Mr. Beck's latest "verbal fireworks" and stay focused on the broadcasting issues. Since this latest effort on the part of Mr. Beck is somewhat isolated from the traditional political tug-of-war, maybe we can look for the ways this "leave your church" hike is like and how it is different than the "change your politics" hike we usually are offered by talk radio.
But regardless of what we (the R-I population) think about the Talkers, this new direction by Glen Beck gives the broadcasters either a new HEADACHE, or a new JUSTIFICATION for calling a time-out from the yelling and food-fight radio.
It may be hard for broadcasters to explain to their mama why they are catering a food-fight in the church.
We all question the background and credentials for a talk-host to discuss political issues... when we disagree with the host. I hope I get to be on the committee that gets to question the background and credentials of talk-show people who insist on slicing and dicing and then sorting good theology from bad theology. Since such a committee probably will never exist, I may have to content myself with challenging some broadcast licensees regarding their role as "the caterer". ;D
We have a hard time here on the R-I forums in discussing the pros and cons of talk radio because it usually degenerates into a rock-throwing event between conservatives and whatever we will call people who are NOT conservatives.
What remains to be seen now is whether we (and the public at large) can have a rational discussion about Mr. Beck's latest "verbal fireworks" and stay focused on the broadcasting issues. Since this latest effort on the part of Mr. Beck is somewhat isolated from the traditional political tug-of-war, maybe we can look for the ways this "leave your church" hike is like and how it is different than the "change your politics" hike we usually are offered by talk radio.
But regardless of what we (the R-I population) think about the Talkers, this new direction by Glen Beck gives the broadcasters either a new HEADACHE, or a new JUSTIFICATION for calling a time-out from the yelling and food-fight radio.
It may be hard for broadcasters to explain to their mama why they are catering a food-fight in the church.
We all question the background and credentials for a talk-host to discuss political issues... when we disagree with the host. I hope I get to be on the committee that gets to question the background and credentials of talk-show people who insist on slicing and dicing and then sorting good theology from bad theology. Since such a committee probably will never exist, I may have to content myself with challenging some broadcast licensees regarding their role as "the caterer". ;D
Goat Rodeo Cowboy said:
You've got it spot-on. You can't blame the talkers for ranting they way they do as long as media executives, whether station managers or network high-ups, not only tolerate this kind of thing but reward it. The sucking sound you hear is $$$ being sucked out of the salary pool that could reward genuine young and not-so-young talent, just to satisfy the $$$multimillion contracts of these rabble-rousing buffoons. These executives should apply the test of whether they would wish to be spoken to, or whether they would dream of talking to their neighbors, face-to-face in the same manner that their overpaid "stars" talk to their audience day-in, day-out. Better yet, they should talk to their mama, or at least take a good look at themselves in the mirror.
jerry367 said:
I tend to agree. Talk radio is cookie-cutter and lame. That's why a show like mine can effectively compete with the Rush-clones (both liberal and conservative) simply by opening the phones and taking a unique viewpoint. I don't consider myself talented much at all, but I'm a capable entrepreneur, and that's all it takes to out-compete many of the players in this business.
Back when I worked for a radio station, coming to realize that the part-owner and GM of the station was a drunken madman was an important realization that helped me understand just how easy it is to succeed in this business.
My program now has 68 radio affiliates after five years of syndication, and we're very dissimilar from the standard left-right talk radio shows. Free Talk Live is profitable and has zero debt.
It's not hopeless out there, but it certainly is pretty bad.
Dennis Prager is different and good. He talks a lot of politics, but that's not his only thing as he opens his shows with... "We talk about everything under the Sun". If you want to avoid politics, then listen to Dennis' "Ultimate Issues Hour", during his 3rd hour on Tuesdays. During his second hour on Wednesday he has "The Male-Female Hour", which is relationship programming, and Friday during his second hour, smile with "The Happiness Hour", which is based on his belief that 'being happy, or at least pretending to be when with most others is a moral obligation. Happy people make the whole world better, openly unhappy people bring everybody around them down, and make the world worse'. And when Dennis Prager does discuss politics, he doesn't do it with all of the hyper-ventilating you might hear from Glenn Beck.
A few years ago my talk radio favorite was Bill O'Reilly's Radio Factor show. Since he left nothing has really taken its place.
I'm finding that nowadays I'm more inclined to tune in for Dave Ramsey or Dr Joy Browne, rather than a more political-leaning "news" show just because they've become way too one-sided and cookie cutter.
I'm finding that nowadays I'm more inclined to tune in for Dave Ramsey or Dr Joy Browne, rather than a more political-leaning "news" show just because they've become way too one-sided and cookie cutter.
I hate politics. I hate political talk radio. I don't trust politicians and I sure the devil don't trust political talk show hosts.
There was only one political type show I like and it wasn't all about politics and I liked it because it focused on what was happening in my town and the surrounding communities (both politically and non politically). The station was sold and went Spanish so that was the end of that. This host even took one hour of his show every week to interview either in studio or on the phone the local politicos - people from the Planning and Zoning Commission, Members of the school board, town councilors, etc.
Talk radio I listen to:
Dr. Joy Browne (Radio Psyschologist) *I can never spell that stupid word*
Clark Howard (Consumer Advocate/Financial Guru)
Car Talk
Kim Komando's Computer Show (online since there's no Hartford-area affiliate)
Money Pit Radio (Home Repair. online since there's no Hartford-area affiliate).
Food Schmooze (A local show on Connecticut Public Radio that talks about food, dining out, etc).
There was only one political type show I like and it wasn't all about politics and I liked it because it focused on what was happening in my town and the surrounding communities (both politically and non politically). The station was sold and went Spanish so that was the end of that. This host even took one hour of his show every week to interview either in studio or on the phone the local politicos - people from the Planning and Zoning Commission, Members of the school board, town councilors, etc.
Talk radio I listen to:
Dr. Joy Browne (Radio Psyschologist) *I can never spell that stupid word*
Clark Howard (Consumer Advocate/Financial Guru)
Car Talk
Kim Komando's Computer Show (online since there's no Hartford-area affiliate)
Money Pit Radio (Home Repair. online since there's no Hartford-area affiliate).
Food Schmooze (A local show on Connecticut Public Radio that talks about food, dining out, etc).
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