AM Radio Rant

[maxrandb]

I appologize for preaching to the choir, but I feel this is a huge issue that needs to be fixed in this country. Are there any movements afoot to reinstate the Fairness Doctrine? Has anyone tried to play the Repukes game and boycott right wing hate radio? If we do not get this changed, then we are (i think) doomed. Look, these folks over on the AM dial are doing nothing but Republican Right Wing propaganda 24/7. Don't believe me? then tell me where there is a market that AM radio is not completely filled with right wing hosts? Or do something else. Look at the corresponding rise in Repulican power in the House and Senate, and how it mirrors the rise in popularity of folks like Rush and Bortz.

This is, unfortunately, a near and dear issue to me. As someone who spends a great deal of time on the road and likes to listen to talk radio to keep me awake, I have no choice in this matter. NPR is good, but does not seem to be as powerful as some other stations. I love music, as you may know from my name above, but sometimes you need that talk to keep you awake. There are stretches of hundreds of miles accross this country where you can get nothing but Republican Propaganda.

Can we make an argument that folks that are stuck on the road have no option but right wing whackos and need that Fairness Doctrine. I would not mind listening to Rush for three hours if I knew that immediately following him would be three hours of rebuttal. That does not happen. What you get is 3 hours of Rush followed by 12 hours of people that agree with him.

[trotsky]

1. It's the biggest flaw with the "liberal media" argument.

The media's too liberal, you say? Then let's reinstate the fairness doctrine! What's that? We don't need that now? Oh, I see.

"3 hours of Rush followed by 12 hours of people that agree with him" - hehe, if there's a more accurate description of AM talk radio I've not found it.

[RobertSeattle]

2. The only solace I take

Is that the Right Wing Radio Talk Show audience isn't really that big (compared to prime time TV, music radio, etc) and their fervant listeners are already "the choir" so there really isn't much "conversioning" going on - it's just a 50,000 Watt Smug Echo Chamber.

I believe the "20 Million" listener Rush Limbaugh figure is the supposed # of people who listen to Rush for 1 minute or more per week (not per day) - so that could include repeat listeners and a fair number of station hoppers like yourself or myself.

(Edit for typos!)

[papau]

3. Reagan killed media Fairness Doctrine rules in 1987

Dems in House and Senate passed the renewal of the "Fairness Doctrine" for broadcasters,

and Reagan veto'd it.

I do not expect to see it again until a Dem is President - and then only if he is brave and willing to take on the media corporations - and can ignore the 24/7/365 talking heads that will say he kills pets, has sex with farm animals, and made an extra $20 dollars on a lawn sale by not disclosing that the furniture was used.

[eleny]

4. We have KNRC here in Colorado

http://www.knrcradio.com/hostsgoldstein.asp

They have some liberal talk show folks like Enid who is here in Denver. But it's the station that also carries Colmes and O'Reilly. So, it's not exactly what I'd like. I think it's the station that's considering giving Franken a program - IIRC.

Anyhow, I've been writing to all my local AM station managers and program directors insisting that liberal voices be hired and I make suggestions from among our favorites on internet radio like Randi and Malloy. I let them know my demographics (retired baby boomer) and our yearly income. That may not be anyone's business. But hubby and I are "fair to middling comfortable" and we do buy stuff. That's what the stations care about, so I give them a ballpark.

The only time I ever heard back from anyone was the program director at KIRO-AM, Seattle. I'd asked if they could bring back Webb's streaming audio. Evidently, they worked thigns out and he's back on the internet. Every little bit counts, even if it's just to get it back on the internet.

[spindoctor]

5. Hey! I like my AM time.

It is the best entertainment I can find.
Serious, I even miss Rushy-pushy. These shows are hillarious and they shorten my ride home significantly.

I still laugh out loud when I hear any of them complain about the media (obliviant to the fact that they are the media). I can't help but smile when they talk about the dirty tricks that Democrats (pronounced as something that you pull out of the shower drain) pull.
And all I can do is chuckle when they blindly defend each and every move the Administration makes.

C'mon, this is still America. Everybody will be served through the laws of free market enterprise. Without an audience, no show.
Want your own show? One that makes you feel comfortable by affirming your worldview on a daily basis? Write your radio station and have 1,000 people do the same. Find sponsors, donate cash. That's all it takes. That's all the stations want. Audience, sponsors and cash.

In the mean time, just sit back and smile about it. Enjoy the knowing that any idiot in this country can have his voice heard. That's a beautiful thing.

[NJCher]

6. it's also the values

Somewhere along the line our nation turned from a country of fairly decent people (who cared about what the world thought of them) into a crowd of SUV-driving, who-cares-about-you-or-tomorrow selfish pigs who don't even mind when their democracy is stolen right out from under their very eyes. I have to think AM radio has something to do with this shift in values.


Cher