Death of Radio or Not?

[Frankie's Market]

Re: Death of Radio or Not?

The face of reporting live news events have certainly change. More people today get the first inklings of breaking news from.... Twitter!

You ain't kiddin'. Anyone obsessed with keeping up-to-the-minute with news while they're on the go just won't get it with the radio anymore. News junkies have to get their fix with an iPhone or a Blackberry.

[craigwatanabe]

Re: Death of Radio or Not?

Ain't that the fact! Problem with Twitter is the validity of the feed. You simply don't know if that Tweet is legitimate or not even if it's from a legitimate person, who is tweeting their subjective slant.

[mel]

Re: Death of Radio or Not?

One thing that keeps me totally away from certain radio stations during the holiday season is non-stop playing of only Christmas music. Seems KSSK has started earlier than usual. I noticed Christmas music coming out of 92.3 / 590 as early as this past Sunday. None of the turkeys were cooked, but the Christmas music was already playing. What's up with that?

I don't mind Christmas music but on the radio I'd rather have a few Christmas songs mixed with whatever music format the station is playing.

[Kalalau]

Re: Death of Radio or Not?

I think the right wing takeover of radio poisoned the industry. If all you are going to hear is right wing delusional blather, why listen? As a Democrat and as a liberal Democrat reasonably enough I find it highly offensive to be blamed for every problem in the world whenever I turn on the radio. So I don't turn it on. It sure is an effective way of attracting that 30 % of the public thats right wing oriented but it leaves the other 70 % cold. I look at the bankruptcy of Citadel as a good thing and I hope Clear Channel follows them into oblivion. Several years ago I was driving through Eureka, Ca, and heard Limbaugh on 4 separate signals. Thats the only political orientation Americans are allowed to hear by the masters of the industry. So putting itself out of business is actually a good thing. The sooner, the better.

Sorry for repeating this but...radio sells itself by being able to influence people. It does not take much influence to throw an election one way or another, most elections are decided by 5 % or less, much more than that is usually considered a landslide. Radio can easily influence that amount of voters. So the radio industry is just as responsible as the supreme ct for installing the incompetent Mr. Bush as president in 2000, and if that had not happened there is no reason to believe that 9-11 would have happened, that the Afghanistan or Iraq wars would have happened, or that a runaway unregulated economy would have melted down like an out of control nuclear reactor. The guilt is clear.

[mel]

Re: Death of Radio or Not?

As a conservative Republican I enjoy talk radio. It is not our fault that conservative talk radio is way more popular than anything tried in the same arena by the liberal left. As history has shown, liberal left radio so far, has failed.

Conservative talk radio cultivates a core, loyal audience and advertisers apparently like them.

For those of you who hate conservative talk radio (Rush, Sean, Glenn Beck, etc.) you always have the option of not listening which most of you do. I think perhaps that liberals are spending their time listening to music radio instead of talk. Also there is public radio which seems to be a bastion of liberal talk and ideology. That seems to be very successful.

We've all discussed this talk radio thing in this thread and others before. So far I see no change happening to the conservative talk radio landscape in the foreseeable future.

Again to those who do not like it, don't tune in. There are many other listening options for you.

[Leo Lakio]

Re: Death of Radio or Not?

As history has shown, liberal left radio so far, has failed.
= = = = = = = = =
Also there is public radio which seems to be a bastion of liberal talk and ideology. That seems to be very successful.

Failure or success? Which is it, Mel?

But frankly, you are right in that attempts by the left to do the right-wing ranting style of radio are complete failures. I'm glad to see that; when liberals try to imitate conservative techniques like that, they are embarrassingly bad.

Fortunately, enough liberals are smart enough not to fall for the dumbed-down, follow-the-guy-who-yells-the-loudest path. We'll leave that to the conservative side, tyvm.

[mel]

Re: Death of Radio or Not?

Well failure of liberal radio has occurred mostly on the commercial side of the dial. The non-profit touchy feelie public radio liberalism is successful as long as people and organizations continue to listen and donate funds to keep the genre going.

[Frankie's Market]

Re: Death of Radio or Not?

Failure or success? Which is it, Mel?

Fortunately, enough liberals are smart enough not to fall for the dumbed-down, follow-the-guy-who-yells-the-loudest path. We'll leave that to the conservative side, tyvm.

Now, now. Out of fairness to Mel, he did differentiate between the success of the conservative talk show format on commercial radio and the prevalence of a liberal POV on public radio.

But truth be known, that scenario still conjures up less-than-flattering images of conservative listeners. In contrast to public radio supporters who will make donations to hear ad-free content and programming, it seems like conservative talk show fans need to be barraged with commercials in order to get them to part with their money. Like the 19th century health tonic huckster who came into town regaling the naive citizenry with song and stories about the outside world, the conservative radio hosts also entertains his audience with stuff that they want to hear,..... mixed in with:

a) Rush Limbaugh's hyping the fact that he lost 80 lbs. in 3 months.... but is unable to describe to his Dittoheads exactly what his diet consists of. No, you're gonna have to find out at the Quick Weight Loss Center.

b) G. Gordon Liddy and Glenn Beck telling you to buy gold, gold, and more gold. And for your convenience, they even provide commercial spots for Rosland Capital and Goldline International, respectively, so that you can quickly act upon their "savvy" investment advice. Awwww, how thoughtful of them!

c) Bill O'Reilly hawking "American Patriot" caps, mugs, doormats, tote bags. All the merchandise to proudly tell the world that you're not a PINHEAD!

[Kalalau]

Re: Death of Radio or Not?

I don't find that Randi Rhodes or Tom Hartman rant or lie or doctor the truth like Limbaugh and his ilk, they present well supported facts. If Limbaugh is so popular why did Citadel, which aired his show in New York, go bankrupt? Why is Clear Channel teetering on the brink? Liberal radio was not helped by being blacklisted by big business advertisers--quite a feather in their cap, I think. If I were a company that polluted the environment and canned American workers to open sweat shops in the 3rd world, that devoured the workers pensions like United Airlines did, why, I wouldn't like anybody who called me on it, either, and I wouldn't advertise with anybody who did. Radio has such a checkered history, anyway--the Kansas goat gland doctor Brinkley peddling fake cancer cures, Father Coughlin, dozens, maybe hundreds of fake faith healing radio evangelists, whatever. Just give the people a friendly sounding voice and enough of them will believe anything. What is Glenn Beck's expertise in debunking global warming? Even as the polar ice sheet melts. Why does he get any more credibility or airplay than a sloshed drunk ranting on a bar stool? Its a very expensive hobby, indulging conservative talk radio. Very few of us came through the banking and real estate collapse in better shape than we went in. Elections have consequences, like deregulating the economy, and elections are influenced by garbage put out over the PUBLIC airwaves for profit by custodians entrusted to operate their stations in the public interest. So even though I have been a radio fan all my life, I do think it for the best that the masters of the industry have adopted practices that are putting the industry out of business. Every station that switches to streamed Spanish gospel is a victory for sanity.

[Kalalau]

Re: Death of Radio or Not?

Mr. Limbaugh has been hospitalized in Hawai'i, apparently in serious condition. Only 58 and soooo fat. Thats a real shame.

[Kalihiboy]

Re: Death of Radio or Not?

What is Glenn Beck's expertise in debunking global warming? Even as the polar ice sheet melts. Why does he get any more credibility or airplay than a sloshed drunk ranting on a bar stool?

What you wrote was hysterical. But Mel is right, we have the option to listen or not. For whatever reason talk radio does well on the AM stations with conservatives, put them on tv and they don't do as well, Michael Savage's program was yanked off by MSNBC, Limbaugh lasted what a year or so in syndication and shortly after Clinton was elected it went off the air. Beck, O'Reilley and Hannity do well, but only on Faux News. Air America hasnt succeeded as well, but Al Franken was elected to the US Senate and his time with them helped seperate his years in show business as a comedian, so the exposure worked for him. Obama was mentioning Rush's name way too much earlier this year which shows that the Dem's do pay attention to what he and others say. I can't stand Rush, but don't wish any ill will towards him, I know he had lost a ton of weight but appears he gained it back. I do hope he recovers, right wingers do need a voice who for them that shouts from the mountaintops, now whether it helps them or not that is a different story altogether. I remember watching Morton Downey, Jr. in high school and was shocked at some of his antics on tv, I think he was one of the first to coin "liberals" as a dirty word. His routine blew me away at times because I hadnt seen anything else like him before. And I think you have to say Beck, Savage, Rush, etc. are all unique in their own special way.

[Frankie's Market]

Re: Death of Radio or Not?

I can't stand Rush, but don't wish any ill will towards him, I know he had lost a ton of weight but appears he gained it back. I do hope he recovers, right wingers do need a voice who for them that shouts from the mountaintops, now whether it helps them or not that is a different story altogether.

I don't harbor any ill will towards Rush either. But then again, I'm not going to condemn those who will heap vitriol on the man, even now. Let's not forget that Rush wasn't exactly the epitome of compassion when it came to Michael J. Fox and his battle with Parkinson's disease.

Now, I have no problem with Rush being opposed to stem cell research. I have no problem with Rush disagreeing with Fox. But was it necessary to take the added step of mocking the actor's Parkinson's symptoms for the amusement of the Ditto Cam audience? Was it necessary for Rush to wonder out loud if Fox was exaggerating the symptoms for the pro-stem cell research commercial in a cheap play for sympathy?

This is just one example of where Rush goes way beyond espousing a right-wing position, crosses over the line of decency, and lands smack dab in the nastiness zone. It may win him admiration from like-minded conservatives. It may even generate headlines in the mainstream press as outspoken liberals can't help but express outrage at the man. But in the end, everyone (rich or poor, famous or obscure) ends up reaping what they sow. Rush is no exception to this.

[Kalalau]

Re: Death of Radio or Not?

Thank you for reminding me of Rush's incredible cruelty in mocking Michael J. Fox. Conservative talk radio has appealed to the worst human instincts for over 20 years now. Greed. Prejudice. Intolerance. Bullying. All marketed as virtues, reasonable, patriotic, even Christian.. How could it not have an effect on American life? How about picturing Max Cleland, who lost 3 limbs in Vietnam, as unpatriotic? How about digging up a bunch of washed up bar flies to spit on Senator Kerry's Vietnam War wounds? That this insane cruelty worked makes a miserable statement about the people it appeals to. Anyway, Happy New Year, Happy New Decade.

[mel]

Re: Death of Radio or Not?

You folks seem to know so much about conservative talk radio (down to the sponsors, etc.) that you must be at least listening to it some of the time if not all of the time.

[Leo Lakio]

Re: Death of Radio or Not?

Now, now. Out of fairness to Mel, he did differentiate between the success of the conservative talk show format on commercial radio and the prevalence of a liberal POV on public radio.

In his message, from which I quoted, the word "commercial" does not appear. You are claiming your own interpretation as fact.

And I believe I am quite fair to Mel. He knows I don't subscribe to his political viewpoint - but at many times in past postings, I have spoken of the immense value of having both a strong conservative and liberal perspective in this country, to balance each other out.

I also think we give short political shrift to all of the points-of-view that fall outside those two camps.