Move Over, Right Wing Radio: the Liberals Are Coming

Liberal broadcasters
What is your radio listening experience? Mine used to be limited to a news radio station, which I listened to while driving to and from work in California. Now, in New Mexico, my radio choice is a classical music station, which I listen to while driving. Other than that, I don't listen to radio.

Right wing conservative radio and TV broadcasters nearly all use a bombastic, arrogant, aggressively rude, take no prisoners communication style. I've often wondered why their audience are attracted to such bellicose rantings. Is there a connection between those avid talk radio listeners and their education, religion, politics, geographical area?

Can centrist and liberal broadcasters develop a following and remain popular by communicating in a civil manner? Will listener's attention span stay with intelligent presentation of facts, in context, instead of only sound bites?

Finally, do centrists and liberals tend to listen to talk radio, or do they have better things to do?

---bumblebeeboogie

C-SPAN
I guess my equivalent of talk radio is TV's C-SPAN on weekends when there are 24 hours of authors talking or being intelligently interviewed about their books, and panel discussions about books and their related industries. I really enjoy and appreciate what C-SPAN is doing for readers and the book industry. as well as history, journalism, and politics.
It's among the very best on TV.

---BumbleBeeBoogie

Moderator, please delete this duplicate post
BBB

For what it's worth...I hear an old member - anon - is now hosting a radio talk show in northern California. I don't receive it here in the northeast - so if anyone does, plase tell me how it is.

B^3

Also remember that most liberals don't need to be TOLD what to think as we can do that by ourselves.

As for radio, basically NPR for news, I'll sometimes patch my computer into WBAI or KPFA though.

My radio listening time is limited. I usually listen to Pacifica or old music. I just think that liberals and uncommitted folk do not spend that much time listening. The Conservatives find re-enforcement of their core beliefs through the ranting. If deprived of the aggression and name calling I think they would begin to feel isolated and powerless.
It is an almost insurmountable task to take that heroe's aura off of George Bush when everybody in the nation keeps waving flags and reciting mantras of patriotism. Liberals seem to think that if the truth is obvious people should buy it without coercion. In this they seem pretty naive. Unless we present an on-fire candidate with a message so contageous it can't be ignored, the Dem is likely to suffer the same fate as Bob Dole.
I don't know - Just a few thoughts I had -

I'm going to rant a bit about media consolidation and "YOUR" local TV news.

Normally, I don't watch the local news, because there's only so many hidden camera exposes of Al's Beef Emporium that I can take. Most people don't travel as peripatetically as I do, and so they think that local news is home-grown for their local market, by local editors and local reporters and local newscasters and so on.

But it's not really; most local news programs follow certain market-tested formulae and provide local news that, once you wander around the country a bit, you'll find looks exactly like the local news everywhere else. It's the classic rock band twist where the lead singer slurs a couple of local landmarks into his mumblings between songs, and the fans go ape ****.

Only instead of saying, "No town rocks like Springfield rocks!" the news goes something like this: Lead Story (fire, murder, national interest, etc.) - Local Story (more fire, murder, etc) - the 'Investigative' Piece - Weather - Sports - Human Interest/Funny Bit. Fill in a cast of local politicians, murderers, victims and locales, add water, bake 30 minutes or until crust is golden brown. Serves upwards of 600,000 homes each night in your market.

The reporting team consists of two-three white people, and one-two ethnic people, of which one or two are women. The men are older than the women; the women are blonder than the men.

Let me know if any of these taglines sound familiar:

Complete [your city here] News Coverage
Live, Local, Late-Breaking
News You Can Use
[your city]'s Number 1/Fastest-Growing News Source

Anyway, I've been trying to avoid this, but here's what's going on the world right now:

--The President is in the Middle East trying to solve a millennia-old conflict
--SARS and mad cow disease is still out there
--There is a new genocidal war starting up in Africa
--People in the US and the UK are just getting around to the idea that we have been duped on this whole WMD thing
--The authorities have found the mad abortion clinic/Olympic bombing suspect after 7 years
--Saddam's alive
--So is Osama
--Locally, Texas faces a huge budget crisis that legislalators attempted to solve by a) gutting every single social program and b) making the Powerball lottery available
--Enron fugitives continue to be 'brought to justice' at a glacial pace

and a million other tragedies large and small.

But the geniuses who run the local news here led off with:

Sammy Sosa has a corked bat.

Talk amongst yourselves while I explode in splenetic rage.

[sounds of chairs being throw around, expensive electronics being smashed, frightened people running to and fro screaming at the top of their lungs, gunfire, punches into walls, a full-on spastic fit of violence]

Ahem. Just to be clear: I live in Houston.

Sammy Sosa plays baseball.

For the Cubs.

In Chicago.

Why is that the lead story on the local news? Is a corked bat really more important the historic meeting between the Prime Ministers of Palestine and Israel and the President? Was SARS contained when I wasn't looking? Did someone put an end to ethnic violence in Africa? Did we catch all those terrorists we've been looking for? Has the state budget crunch been fixed? Did everyone stop killing each other? Did peace, love and understanding break out while I was digging in my couch for the remote?

Anyway, I'm taking it as an omen of things to come with the new consolidation rules put forth by the FCC. Soon, there will be at most 4, and more likely 3 or 2, dominant media organizations that will control what you see and hear about the world. The local media, already the vanguard, will lead the way to the homogenization of news and information.

The rationale seems to be this: Since local news is a complete sham piped into our homes from some far away market research group, why not just make it official?

Bonus Question: If the media is so liberal, why aren't conservatives up in arms about consolidation? Answer: Because they know the media isn't liberal; it just makes a convenient straw man to punch whenever they need a boogie man.

edgar:

Alas those candidates are also the ones who wish to see the party as a party of the PEOPLE as opposed the contributors.

I also fear that the next "Great Leader" will not be a politician but a revolutionary:(

Diddie:

If that be the case then the 'Net may be the only hope.

KPFA, yeah, how I miss my old stomping grounds. Great music, too!

KPFA
sc, KPFA - Pacifica Radio. I did several broadcast interviews for them in the 1960s and 1970s. Their radio station in Berkeley was a mystery to me in how they managed to broadcast with the equipment they had. Their staff was amazing at getting by with little financial support compared to other broadcasters. It was community support that saved KPFA year after year.

BumbleBeeBoogie

sc:

Never listened to the music--maybe I should?

Definitely! In addition to all the good social/political talk shows, they have shows with every kind of music. It's all there for you; just pick what you like and leave the rest, as they say. I'm a sucker for topical folk and so I would listen to that as well as Celtic folk. However, they have all sorts for all sorts of us 'alienated hip' people :wink: .

BTW: love your avatar!

I heard the two magic words "Celtic Folk"!

I may have to start popping in for music.

It's weird during the Iraq Invasion I'd listen to "Wake-Up Call" on WBAI and then switch to the "Morning Show" on KPFA.

Have you heard Mary Black's "Song for Ireland"? Amazing!

sc:

I think I heard that on St. Patties Day!

BBB: oooh, just realized I was awestruck for a while but that I still should have commented on your contribution to KPFA. How cool! How cool to be in Berkeley in the 1960's and 1970's! :wink:

Sweetcomplications
Sweetcomplications, so many Berkeley stories, so little time. I just had to get used to Reagan's tear gas when grocery shopping at the Coop (where I was elected to the Board of Directors) or browsing in at the world's best book store, Cody's on Telegraph Avenue.

BumbleBeeBoogie

Yes, BumbleBeeBoogie, Cody's Books on Telegraph Avenue. Are you also acquainted with City Lights Bookstore in the City?

Board of Director of the Co-op, eh? KPFA broadcaster, eh? Why did you ever leave?

Now, what was the name of the small club, I believe it was also on Telegraph but much closer to Oakland, where the patrons (and this was in the 1980's!) balked at the $4 to see the wonderful folksingers? Was that the, oh, it's on the tip of my tongue . . .

Ah, yes, The People's Republic of Berkeley.

sw
sw, I didn't move away until I retired in September last year. To expensive to retire in the Bay Area. Asherman persuaded me to move to New Mexico.

Everybody that reads knows about City Lights book store in S.F., home of thee Beat Poets. Ask Asherman for his stories re that scene.

Were you thinking of the Rathskeller, with the pub's downstairs floor covered with sawdust?

One of my favorite places to hang out was at the International House at UC. Great all night conversations and debates with students from around the world---their youthful idealism.

BumbleBeeBoogie