Post by Walter on Feb 6, 2004 16:21:07 GMT -5
I bumped into this article and thought I'd share it here:
Why liberal talk radio will fail
by Thomas Lindaman
02/01/04
When I first heard Al Gore floating the idea of a liberal talk radio network, I had to laugh. (Then again, I always laugh when Gore starts thinking.) Apparently, ole Al thinks having ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN, CNBC, MSNBC, and just about every other multi-lettered network in the DNC’s back pocket just isn’t enough. The modern left needs to venture into talk radio for them to really get their message out to the people!
Well, for once, Al Gore might be able to claim credit for taking the initiative in something he actually created, or at least had a hand in creating. We may hear the dulcet tones of liberal commentators over our radio airwaves as soon as this year. The talent pool thusfar includes Al Franken, Janene Garafalo, and a CNN reporter or two. Franken’s gone so far as to take a swipe at Rush Limbaugh with the proposed title of his show, “The Drug Free Radio Show.” (Now, if we could forget his years on the Completely Drugged Out Of Our Minds TV Show that was “Saturday Night Live.”)
Personally, I hope the liberal talk radio network gets off the ground, and not just because of the unintentional comedic possibilities of the hosts articulating their positions. The media are the marketplace of ideas, and anything that creates another avenue for information is bound to be good for the electorate.
Ah, but there’s the rub. Creating the avenue is one thing, but maintaining interest in it beyond the first month or so of “gee whiz” listeners is another. I’m not a radio executive, nor do I claim to be, but I do know enough about the media to understand one thing: the environment is constantly changing. What is hot right now may not be hot a year from now unless the producers of shows and publishers of print media change with the times.
Take CNN, for example. For the longest time, they were the big dog in the yard because they were the only dog in the yard. News coverage from around the world at any hour of the day or night, public affairs programming that revolutionized the television medium and politics, easily identifiable and likable anchors, and the ability to break stories as they happened was Ted Turner’s recipe for success. Others like CNBC and MSNBC occasionally challenged CNN, but none toppled her.
Until Fox News Channel came along.
Fox News took a similar path to success as CNN did, but did something the other 24/7 news networks didn’t: paid attention to the audience. Before you knew it, Fox News overtook CNN and hasn’t looked back since. After CNN started losing viewers faster than the length of a Britney Spears wedding, they decided to try to copy Fox News. And, as one might expect, copying an innovator doesn’t always work.
This is the same philosophy behind the liberal talk radio network. They’re trying to copy people like Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Michael Savage, and others. In fact, the network was looking for “liberal versions” of these and other hosts! When you’re trying to find ideological doppelgangers for those you’ve bashed for years, you have one foot in the proverbial grave as it is.
But, the real kicker is that the liberal talk radio network will be geared towards, get this, the poor, oppressed, and downtrodden in this country. Now there’s a market for ya! People with no money and no self-esteem! These are people who need hope more than a radio host! And let’s face facts, modern liberalism just isn’t that entertaining. Who wants to hear someone complaining for three hours at a time, five days a week? That’s more than I could handle, but then again I’ve never been married.
With the glut of talk radio shows out there right now, you need to have a hook to draw in listeners. A liberal talk radio network may be interesting for a little while, but eventually the shine will come off and you either have to come up with a reason for listeners to stay or you get cancelled. (Just ask Mario Cuomo.) History doesn’t bode well, either, considering there have been attempts to bring liberalism to talk radio before and they’ve mostly met with failure. You can point to Alan Colmes or Jim Hightower, but they’re exceptions to the rule. The fact remains that talk radio is dominated by conservatives and will stay that way at least for the immediate future.
But don’t feel bad. You guys still have the alphabet soup of networks at your disposal to talk about how the media are conservatively biased and won't let you talk about what you want.
And that's the Bottom Line.
Why liberal talk radio will fail
by Thomas Lindaman
02/01/04
When I first heard Al Gore floating the idea of a liberal talk radio network, I had to laugh. (Then again, I always laugh when Gore starts thinking.) Apparently, ole Al thinks having ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN, CNBC, MSNBC, and just about every other multi-lettered network in the DNC’s back pocket just isn’t enough. The modern left needs to venture into talk radio for them to really get their message out to the people!
Well, for once, Al Gore might be able to claim credit for taking the initiative in something he actually created, or at least had a hand in creating. We may hear the dulcet tones of liberal commentators over our radio airwaves as soon as this year. The talent pool thusfar includes Al Franken, Janene Garafalo, and a CNN reporter or two. Franken’s gone so far as to take a swipe at Rush Limbaugh with the proposed title of his show, “The Drug Free Radio Show.” (Now, if we could forget his years on the Completely Drugged Out Of Our Minds TV Show that was “Saturday Night Live.”)
Personally, I hope the liberal talk radio network gets off the ground, and not just because of the unintentional comedic possibilities of the hosts articulating their positions. The media are the marketplace of ideas, and anything that creates another avenue for information is bound to be good for the electorate.
Ah, but there’s the rub. Creating the avenue is one thing, but maintaining interest in it beyond the first month or so of “gee whiz” listeners is another. I’m not a radio executive, nor do I claim to be, but I do know enough about the media to understand one thing: the environment is constantly changing. What is hot right now may not be hot a year from now unless the producers of shows and publishers of print media change with the times.
Take CNN, for example. For the longest time, they were the big dog in the yard because they were the only dog in the yard. News coverage from around the world at any hour of the day or night, public affairs programming that revolutionized the television medium and politics, easily identifiable and likable anchors, and the ability to break stories as they happened was Ted Turner’s recipe for success. Others like CNBC and MSNBC occasionally challenged CNN, but none toppled her.
Until Fox News Channel came along.
Fox News took a similar path to success as CNN did, but did something the other 24/7 news networks didn’t: paid attention to the audience. Before you knew it, Fox News overtook CNN and hasn’t looked back since. After CNN started losing viewers faster than the length of a Britney Spears wedding, they decided to try to copy Fox News. And, as one might expect, copying an innovator doesn’t always work.
This is the same philosophy behind the liberal talk radio network. They’re trying to copy people like Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Michael Savage, and others. In fact, the network was looking for “liberal versions” of these and other hosts! When you’re trying to find ideological doppelgangers for those you’ve bashed for years, you have one foot in the proverbial grave as it is.
But, the real kicker is that the liberal talk radio network will be geared towards, get this, the poor, oppressed, and downtrodden in this country. Now there’s a market for ya! People with no money and no self-esteem! These are people who need hope more than a radio host! And let’s face facts, modern liberalism just isn’t that entertaining. Who wants to hear someone complaining for three hours at a time, five days a week? That’s more than I could handle, but then again I’ve never been married.
With the glut of talk radio shows out there right now, you need to have a hook to draw in listeners. A liberal talk radio network may be interesting for a little while, but eventually the shine will come off and you either have to come up with a reason for listeners to stay or you get cancelled. (Just ask Mario Cuomo.) History doesn’t bode well, either, considering there have been attempts to bring liberalism to talk radio before and they’ve mostly met with failure. You can point to Alan Colmes or Jim Hightower, but they’re exceptions to the rule. The fact remains that talk radio is dominated by conservatives and will stay that way at least for the immediate future.
But don’t feel bad. You guys still have the alphabet soup of networks at your disposal to talk about how the media are conservatively biased and won't let you talk about what you want.
And that's the Bottom Line.