Posted on 04/13/2007 6:19:53 PM PDT by Diana in Wisconsin
After being delayed by April snow during his trip here from Fargo, N.D., progressive radio host Ed Schultz gave his audience some of his Midwestern credentials.
In 1978, he almost signed with the Green Bay Packers instead of the Oakland Raiders. He owns several hunting guns, but has never fired a pistol. He says that Iowa Sen. Tom Harkin, who has called the vice president a coward, is the most honest man he knows.
And he praised Madison for being tough and not letting progressive radio disappear.>b?
The influential radio voice seemed to hold nothing back during his three-hour live national broadcast before more than 200 people Thursday morning at the Barrymore Theatre.
Schultz had strongly supported efforts by city residents last fall to stop Clear Channel Madison from changing the Mic's 92.1 FM progressive talk format to sports, and he lauded their success.
"This community, the city deserve a tremendous pat on the back," Schultz boomed to the audience. "We need more Madisons."
Schultz focused on the state of progressive radio and interviewed local Mic advocates Valerie Walasek of Friends of Progressive Talk and Aldous Tyler of NonStop Radio. Schultz also plugged local filmmaker Luciano's documentary, "Born Again Free Speech," which chronicles listeners' efforts and is available at Rainbow Bookstore.
Schultz emphasized that conservative talk radio built a base and got marketing power after several years on the air. It's unfair for progressive talk to have to prove its financial success in a much shorter amount of time, he said.
The show also touched on the recent White House announcement that staffers' e-mail messages on a Republican National Committee account, which Congress requested, were lost.
It was a "Rose Mary Woods moment," said guest John Nichols of The Capital Times and The Nation, referring to President Richard Nixon's secretary, who said she lost critical tape recordings. "We're getting into very interesting turf here."
Clutching cups of coffee or beer, audience members, some from as far away as Janesville and Blanchardville, popped in and out of the auditorium throughout the three-hour broadcast, which began at 11 a.m. While some people came during lunch breaks, others took the day off.
"We actually got here at 9 a.m.," said Dana Casey of Sun Prairie, who came with her husband, Kent. Both regularly commute to their jobs in Madison , but took the day off to attend the show.
"We're really excited," she said.
It was also a family day for Stoughton residents Bonnie Fons and her daughter Sarah, a sixth-grader. It's an "out of school education," Fons said. Schultz speaks up for what he believes in, which she tries to teach her daughter, she said.
Schultz was a sportscaster and conservative radio talk show host before "converting" to the progressive left.
"You evolve," he said. Several experiences -- speaking with a Vietnam veteran at a Salvation Army, having an aging mother, facing health care issues and attending a 2000 Rally for Rural America -- made him realize he was a Democrat.
"He's got a great progressive voice," said Maureen Beyer of Fitchburg, who plans to make up her missed hours at work. She started listening after Hurricane Katrina and appreciates Schultz's tempered perspective rather than extreme leftist opinion.
Jeff Tyler, vice president and marketing manager of Clear Channel Madison, said both the passion of Madison residents and assurances of better management from a financially embattled Air America contributed to keeping the Mic's progressive talk format. The original plan to switch to sports radio stemmed from low ratings outside of the city and the hesitancy of small local businesses to advertise on the Mic, Tyler said.
Although the ratings haven't significantly changed since last year, Schultz and the Mic's morning show, Stephanie Miller, consistently do well for the station, Tyler said. But Clear Channel Madison still needs to watch what Air America does, he said.
Schultz has done his national syndicated broadcast since 2004 with his "Team Fargo" radio staff, which includes his wife, Wendy. Schultz has more than 3 million listeners throughout the country, and Talkers magazine ranked him as the country's fifth most influential radio host in 2007.
Schultz’s career will be Titanic.
Maybe Al Sharpton will take over and make Air America mandatory. That is the only way it lasts once the progressive sucker money runs out.
Never heard of the guy.
And both audiences were the same size.
Another Fudd who will have no qualms about AWB2 since it doesn't affect his "hunting" rifles.
You know, I can completely understand someone finally “getting it” and going from being a ‘Rat to a Republican...about the time they have children, buy their first home and realize how much money is stolen from their paycheck each week so others can loaf around and watch MTV all day, LOL!
But for the LIFE of me, I cannot understand someone leaving the Conservative Fold and turning to the Democrats for solace! I can’t believe they trust this guy any further than they can throw him...but FACTS mean little to the Looney Left.
Dems really don't have any internal guiding principles, do they. It didn't take outside events to make me realize I was a conservative.
I’ve heard this guy, he makes my teeth hurt.
No, Rush Limbaugh is "influential." Sean Hannity is "influential." Don Imus -- besides being stupid -- is "influential."
In order for that adjective to apply, one must be heard by more than one's mother and a couple of drunk hippies.
I never heard of this bozo but he's made my "most gullible moron I know" list.
“In 1978, he almost signed with the Green Bay Packers instead of the Oakland Raiders.”
What was he,a member of the grounds crew ???
I went to go see this guy when he was broadcasting from a bookstore in Madison a few years ago.
I sat there for about 15 minutes and decided my time would be better spent reading a couple issues of The Onion outside on a bench, until my ride arrived an hour later.
I checked the Oakland Raider roster from 1977 thru 1980. Didn’t see his name anywhere.
Yikes!
I’ve heard about him shooting his own dog, is there hard evidence that this happened? Any links?
Is Ed back in Fargo now? Is Joel gone?
How is it posssible that anyone would delete an email?
(sarcasm)
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