How Do We Counter Conservative Bashing of Liberal Talk Radio?

[pdmike]

One of the standard, conservative talking points for bashing liberal talk radio is, that (as the talking point goes), conservative radio dominates because it is what the public wants. Using the "free marketplace of ideas" arguments, the cons contend that liberal talk radio never gets anywhere because no one wants to listen to it and, as such, the radio stations are not willing to take on a program that will not make them (the stations) any money.

What are your thoughts on the best way to counter this talking point?

[EFerrari]

1. We mock them relentlessly.

Olbermann does a good job on this one. :evilgrin:

[John Barrett]

18. Agreed

Humor especially can be very effective at marginalizing.

[Warpy]

2. Be grateful for the publicity

because all that screeching and gnashing of teeth will only make the dittoheads out there curious about liberal talk radio.

Let 'em scream. Every time they do, it's free advertising.

[Nostradammit]

3. Ignore it.

In fact - ignore everything those whack jobs say. Cut your cable, smash your TV and volunteer in your local community.

Those are my thoughts.

[napi21]

4. Well, I'd say check Thom Hartman, Ed Schultz, Lynn Cullen,

Bernie Ward, Karel....and those are just the ones I listen to.

[Jackpine Radical]

5. Acknowledge that it's true, that conservatism is right

and nobody wants to hear liberal ideas.

After all, isn't that how come Bush won two smashing landslide electoral victories? Isn't that how come he's at 90% in the polls and rising?

[Vincardog]

6. How many RW radio stations Are there 'x'? How big is their audience"Y"?

How many Liberal radio stations are there 1? How big is their audience 'z".

Do you want a small fraction of a market Y/X.
Or do you want all of a market to your self? Z/1

[IndyOp]

7. It is good that we are having to counter them: Ghandi's Stage 3...

First they ignore you.
Then they ridicule you.
Then they fight you.
Then you win.

I am feeling as if we are headed right out of stage 2 (ridicule) and into stage 3 (fight)! We are *way* past ignore.

:toast:

[creeksneakers2]

8. I ask them if the mainstream media is liberal

Then I ask them how many viewers CNN, MSNBC, CBS, NBC, and ABC News get compared to Faux.

*ON EDIT* I also like to ask them how many times they predicted AAR was about to go out of business.

[BeatleBoot]

9. Baltimore Dropped Limbaugh

Check out Ed Schultz. He's got a lot of hard data on how we're kicking ass.

Nothing like numbers and facts to throw at people who don't believe in reality.

[hundred6]

23. not quite....

he moved to another station in baltimore.

[pdmike]

10. Another thought

I think it is a fact (like it or not) that a helluva lot more conservatives lisen to talk radio than liberals to liberal talk radio.

Why is that? I think it is because conservatives need validation much more than liberals do and conservative talk radio provides just that for them. Liberals, on the other hand, don't strike me as being the type that wants or needs talk radio anywhere near as much as the cons do.

Why do you think that is?

[DJ MEW]

16. Its all about thinking for our selves.

Liberals like doing that, we like to excersize our right to critical thought while conservatives are much happier to be told what they should be thinking and how they should feel in order to "fit in".

[melody]

17. We have logical, reasoned arguments behind our beliefs

All these people have is blind faith in an ideology that makes them feel emotionally secure and superior. They
must be indoctrinated at regular intervals. That's why.

[NanceGreggs]

11. The rules of the game have changed.

The success or failure of talk radio (along with TV news) used to be based on numbers only.

Nowadays, the political leanings and/or financial interests of the station owners outweigh all else.

Corporations own radio-TV networks, and have done very well financially by this Administration - especially by way of defence contracts.

If YOU were a corporation who owned a radio station, and any
'liberal' talk shows would jeopardize the millions you're raking-in via government contracts, what would YOU choose to do?

Obviously, playing footsie with this Administration is much more lucrative, in the long run, than the revenues generated by commercial time purchased on any program.

Money talks - and when it comes to choosing between big government bucks and generally LOWER revenues generated by selling commercial air-time, it's not only going to talk - it's going to SCREAM.

Corporations own the media, and corporations are answerable to their stockholders. Stockholders want to see MONEY in their pockets, rather than truly fair-and-balanced programming.

[pdmike]

12. Excellent response

Excellent response - thanks much!

[NanceGreggs]

13. You are more than welcome.

It's always about the MONEY.

What a sad state of affairs for we, as an audience, and for America as a nation.

[kentuck]

14. Take it as a compliment...

Every time they criticize you, say "Thank you!"

[bluestateguy]

15. The Right will always be the majority on the airwaves

Air America will not change that, nor does it seek to. There is a difference between being a majority on the airwaves and having a monopoly, which is more dangerous. The purpose of Air America is to at least put one lonely voice on the radio that is countering the many right wing talk radio shows on the air. It's about getting a seat at the table, not taking over the whole enterprise.

Many liberals that I know have barely heard of Air America and rarely if ever listen. In many liberal communities, the idea of listening to talk radio is still thought of as Neanderthal behavior, the kind of thing that only conservatives would do. Furthermore, to the extent that they do listen to political radio, it's bound to be NPR.

So it will take a long time to unravel these habits and overcome stereotypes of talk radio as a "conservative thing". Fox News lost 200 million dollars its first 2 years on the air, and was widely considered to be out of the mainstream of the news media until about 2000. These things will take time, and there will be setbacks, but the overall trajectory of Air America is positive.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

19. Show them the ratings

I hear Ed Schulz and Al Franken talking about this all the time. They say (I don't have the facts to verify, but I think a google search could get it) that in some markets they have taken share away from conservatives like O'Liely and Limpaws. And Franken has said that they are gaining stations for AAR overall-St. Louis was just added this last week. Schulz talked about the Phoneix station that was dead last in the ratings, took on a progressive talk format, and zoomed to #3-and was bought by a Christian network namely to stifle progressive talk.

No, the facts are out there; progressive talk radio is hot, and getting hotter. It is so hot that conservatives are doing all they can to suppress them buy buying up the stations.

[DBoon]

20. If no one is listening

then why do they make such a big deal out of it?

[EFerrari]

21. Ba Da Bing!

They're shaking in their boots.

We are the majority, we always will be.

The 30%ers don't like that very much. Poor, poor things. :evilgrin:

[Nitrogenica]

22. The biggest joke on them is the competence of the man they

are behind 100% of the time. It is fun to see them all desparately defend this man and promote crazy ideas, like the war of Christmas for example. Desparation = Insanity.

We have allowed ourselves to be painted with broad brushes, but they have become able to be painted with a HUGE broad brush: They are fools!


now serving

[TayTay]

24. Ask them why the Rethugs and their Prezdent is doing so poorly

in the polls. If RW hate radio is so popular, why is Bush tanking with the majority of Americans? Is RW radio relevent any more of have the American people moved on?

[freethought]

25. Easy ! Listen in and support those stations that play it.

Ratings and longevity will speak louder than words.

[guidod]

26. Easy,

Turn your conservative radio to a liberal station. Why do you listen to that shit?