Posted on 01/23/2010 7:26:00 PM PST by Free ThinkerNY
The conservative wing of the Supreme Court has brazenly revealed its corporatist agenda; President Obama may have found a populist voice with which to hector Wall Street; having given away Ted Kennedy’s old Senate seat to a former Cosmo centerfold, Democrats are preparing to roll over on health insurance reform; and without doubt, Rush Limbaugh is making a complete ass of himself. Yet, for the first time in over a year, I won’t be able to talk about any of this on the radio. Air America, the long-suffering progressive talk radio network that carried my show, is no more.
They pulled the plug Thursday afternoon, but the patient was a perennial intensive-care case. From its inception, the network faced an uphill fight. While right-wing talk radio enjoys enormous corporate support, lefty chat has always been a harder sell. Charlie Kirecker, the chairman of Air America Media, did his best to move mountains over the last few weeks, but it’s tough shoveling with a teaspoon. At times it looked as if investors might be found who could accept losses over the midterm in hopes that the company would eventually turn around and show a profit. In the end, though, what Charlie somewhat euphemistically called “a very difficult economic climate” combined with the tenuous prospects of talk radio in general and AA’s admittedly checkered history gave even the most promising suitors pause.
So, just when the left could use it most, a platform for progressive thought and opinion disappears.
These are strange days for the nation, the Democratic Party and progressives in particular. Having elected a fresh, dynamic, forward-thinking young president with a mandate for real systemic change, we’re seeing way too much of the same old same old.
(Excerpt) Read more at salon.com ...
People seem to forget that most of the first talk show hosts as we know them were hosted by people who were actually considered a bit left-of-center, such as Alan Burke, Joe Pyne, Barry Gray, etc. Anybody here grew up in NYC back in the 60’s? Remember WMCA, first with the hits, Fabulous 57, home of the Good Guys? For about a half hr every night Barry Gray, would do editorials, mostly with a decidedly liberal slant and answer a few phone calls. In Sept of 1970 WMCA ended their top-40 format and went all news/talk. It was then when Bob Grant started broadcasting in NYC. Mr. Grant was a pioneer in CONSERVATIVE talk radio, surprising all the critics by not only surviving but thriving in the NY market. And the rest, as they say, is history. In fact, el Rushbo, in his first book credits Mr. Grant’s groundbreaking work as one reason for his success.
Is anyone really listening to this fairy?
“While right-wing talk radio enjoys enormous corporate support, lefty chat has always been a harder sell.”
Note to Ron: The reason “lefty chat” is hard to sell is because it is hate-filled drivel. Who wants to listen to that garbage? Your show, especially. Lefty talks comes from a bunch of people who talk and reason as though they got stuck in junior high.
Young Ron has a moronic understanding of radio advertising. Rush, Sean, Laura, and locally in DC Chris and Andy/Grandy keep an audience. Corporations pay for that. They don't pay for the content. Radio/Television content is a means to an end. It could be Fibber Magee and Molly, Gunsmoke, The CBS Eveninhg News, M.A.S.H, or the Jerry Doyle Show. The advertiser doesn't care. He wants eyes or ears paying attention to the program.
Conservative talk radio advertising works because we are there with our ears and we buy many of the products and services advertised. To name two the jimfgree family has a Sleep Number Bed and we backup our computers using Carbonite. With a little bit more study I could name MANY others. If a media channel works in developing and maintaining an audience it has commercial value. Air America was not limited to 7th grade insults and jokes but it developed that reputation early on and maintained it through its programming decisions. And most important it never captured an audience. How better to lose advertisers and become a commercial joke?
When did AAR go on the air? Wasn’t it before the 2004 elections? If tht was when it went on air just how long did Ron Jr think investors should take a loss until it gained viewers? Usually a buisness is expect to turn a profit within a few years?GEEZ Dems couldn’t run a profitable lemonaid stand why do people think they could run a large buisness like the US government?
Failed ballerinas sure are wise!
Guess the queer will just have to go back to ballet dancing!
Hey, someone call 911! Non Reagan needs a WAAAAHmbulance! :)
Seems like this acorn fell quite far from the tree.
This guy is a disgrace.
Air America: Where Hope was a Business Plan.
“having given away Ted Kennedy’s old Senate seat to a former Cosmo centerfold”
isn’t this from the same guy that danced on SNL in his underwear?
Ingraham calls him “Ron Reagan Not A Jr.” and “Non-Reagan”
Non-Reagan. LOL! I like that one.
I listened to AA last night (all recordings now) for some laughs and sheudenfraude. The host interviewed a guy who runs treehugger.com. I laughed so hard. You can’t make this stuff up!
Oh, wait a mo - two dollars, fifty-six cents, I think I'd even have enough to buy a small cuppa joe to drink on my way back home after I bought those so-called "assets."
Joe Pyne considered a bit left-of-center?!...
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