What killed the liberal radio star? - Corporate Censorship Of Course

[TomCADem]

The primary reason behind the rightward shift in our politics has been the rightward shift of our media as exemplified by the growth of Rupert Murdoch's media empire. The concept of a liberal media has always been a myth, but now the biggest lie is that the "mainstream media" is somehow neutral. False neutrality has replaced objectivity. A monopolistic media market relentlessly attacks or obscures Democratic and progressive viewpoints in order to pander to their right wing corporate advertisers.

Liberal talk radio is now largely dead because corporate advertisers have increasingly acted in concert to boycott it. Now, the only political talk radio available is from right wing blowhards. Bill Moyers once said "There is no more important struggle for American democracy than ensuring a diverse, independent and free media. Free Press is at the heart of that struggle." Sadly, we have already lost this struggle. The press is not free. It is for sale. And the only folks who can afford it are the Shelden Adelsons and Koch Brothers of the world.

http://www.nydailynews.com/opinion/killed-liberal-radio-star-article-1.1557670

In Los Angeles, the last remaining all-liberal talk station, KTLK, will do an about-face and start airing only conservative talkers on Jan. 1. Ditto for KNEW in San Francisco. Last November, progressive stations in Portland, Ore., and Seattle switched to all-sports formats.

The biggest pressures squeezing liberal talk radio are commercial ones. Deregulation of the airwaves allowed conglomerates like Clear Channel to borrow billions from Wall Street and begin buying up stations by the hundreds. Saddled with debt, Clear Channel has ruthlessly standardized its 840 stations and squeezed each for maximum profit. That meant eliminating progressive talk from its stations in Los Angeles, San Francisco and Portland.

Angry progressives claim such moves could also have a political motivation: Clear Channel is owned in part by Bain Capital, the private equity firm once run by Mitt Romney . That’s possible, but it wouldn’t explain the problems besetting stations like WWRL, which is owned by Access 1, a family-owned media company.

A more likely culprit is the hard economics of persuading businesses to advertise on local radio. “National advertisers have pulled away from progressive stations, and not just in New York,” says Mark Riley, a New York radio veteran who just ended a great stint as WWRL’s morning man. “Stations aren’t worth what the people who bought them thought they were worth,” he says.

[frazzled]

1. Because liberals don't listen to talk radio?

And never really have. What is this ... 2004? I didn't know they still even had talk radio. And there is no Clear Channel any more. I googled the Wikipedia. (It's "iHeartCommunications, Inc." (gag me with a spoon) ).

No, really, I'm being serious. Talk radio was always the province of conservatives: only they are paleolithic enough to listen to it.

I have one idea why it is not big among liberals. Many liberals live in the large cities and don't drive around in cars long enough to listen to talk radio. They take public transportation (or bicycles). Which don't have radio.

[yeoman6987]

2. We have filthy rich Democratic progressives in the party

For some reason, the don't want to purchase media ventures. We definitely have Bill Gates- riches man on Earth. Oprah who is one of us politically. Mark Zuckerberg who has a few dollars hanging around. We are out raising the Republicans this mid-term cycle. Something is adrift. The message? Something....

[AndyTiedye]

4. If Those are the Best Examples of Rich Progressives We Have

Bill Gates seems to be bent on corporatizing education, maybe Mark Zuckerberg has done something progressive and I missed it.
I doubt that Oprah is THAT wealthy. Tee Vee and radio stations are EXPENSIVE.

[yeoman6987]

5. Those were just off the top of my head

I am sure there are tons more. Oprah is that wealthy. She started her own network a few years ago, but nothing political.

[Kingofalldems]

17. Thanks again for all your concern.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

15. Most people use the radio to listen to music.

[MinM]

3. Yes .. and any idiot that can regurgitate GOP talking points ..

can have their own show.

Lansing Michigan, which is fairly liberal, has never had a liberal station or show. A few years ago the local npr station (WKAR) jumped on the conservative bandwagon and hired one of the radio guys from a commercial station. He got called out by some listeners for falling back on his old right wing radio roots with the derogatory use of "Democrat this or that" when the proper way to phrase it would be Democratic ______...

Instead of being disciplined or replaced he's now the host of their local flagship show 'Current State' .. Of course this seems to be a trend with npr at the national level too .. along with commercial/corporate radio as noted in the op.

[Ron Green]

6. Rational discourse doesn't make money. Shouting and name-calling do.

Screamers like Mike Malloy and Randi Rhodes have a bit of market, but most worthwhile journalists or pundits just can't gain ad revenue, because entertainment is what sells - and Bill Moyers just isn't very entertaining. As folksy and pithy as Jim Hightower is, he's a minor player because you know, he just makes too durn much sense.

[msongs]

7. not enough listeners yielding little support for sponsors. hate sells more merch nt

[Sen. Walter Sobchak]

8. I listened to Air America two days in a row and never again,

We're talking about a service that nobody wants.

Liberals, by our very nature don't go seeking voices of authority or outside confirmation of our beliefs . While conservatives can't function without one.

A liberal thinks to themselves "I believe… " and goes about their day to day life. A conservative typically subscribes to a pretty rigid set of beliefs and seeks out confirmation that they're valid from an authoritative voice. They need this to function because they're constantly bombarded with evidence that contradicts their deeply held convictions and talk radio provides simplistic explanations in small words that lets them shake off those doubts for the time being.

[ohnoyoudidnt]

9. +1

[Spitfire of ATJ]

14. True. I often watch MSNBC to see if they are covering something though.

[tanyev]

19. Yep. I made it longer than that, but I went back to music.

I find any kind of talk radio too distracting when I'm driving. And my car is the only place I ever listen to a radio anymore.

[JDPriestly]

10. Clinton signed the death blow: the Telecommunications Act which emboldened TV and radio

to become propaganda machines for the far right, the friends of the Chamber of Commerce and ALEC.

I would like to mention that Pacifica Radio and independent radio on the internet give a voice to liberals.

[DAMANgoldberg]

11. There are a few stations around...

My city doesn't have one, but 2 hrs west of here, they do.

Asheville's Progressive Talk

There is the Indiana Talks online network and of course, Stephanie Miller.

It may be harder to find, but it's still there. Air America did produce a US Senator and brought us Rachel Maddow, so it wasn't all bad.

[ANOIS]

12. And Al Franken!

He had a show on AA for two-three years. I never missed it.

Tho he did have another career before that.

[DAMANgoldberg]

16. Welome to DU

...and a successful career at that as a writer for SNL among other attributes.

[ANOIS]

24. Thank you DAMANgoldberg.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

13. Example: Wolf Blitzer let's Right Wingers spout away their crap but interupts Liberals.

[Oktober]

18. No one listened...

It is unrealistic to expect sponsors to flush their money

[Snarkoleptic]

20. There is plenty of liberal radio out there, but it's mostly non-terrestrial.

When I'm traveling away from a major metro, I use the free TuneIn Radio smart-phone app to listen to the Progressive Voices channel.

When sitting at a PC, I'll often listen online to-
http://chicagosprogressivetalk.com/

I listen to Bill Press, Stephanie Miller, Thom Hartmann (who is a DUer and frequently mentions DU posts), Jeff Santos (who's a bit hard to listen to, IMHO), Norman Goldman, Amy Goodman's Democracy Now is a great listen, and Alan Colmes toys with conservative callers on his show as well.

Lot's of great content, but Thom Hartmann is my runaway favorite!

[MerryBlooms]

22. WCPT is great!

[Snarkoleptic]

27. I first heard about this station via massive billboard on 294 near O'Hare and been hooked since.

Also enjoy the youtube lefty programming...
David Pakman
The Young Turks
Ring of Fire Radio
etc.

[Mr Dixon]

21. IMO

IMO this is a generational issue. Mostly the older generations listen to talk radio which is the same as the fox News core demographic talk radio is on its way out kicking a screaming, just like the 8-track and land lines.

[Zorra]

23. I use to listen every day, until

some of them started spewing neoiberal effluent. Thom Hartmann and Mike Malloy get a pass, and so does the dude from the young Turks.

[Jenoch]

25. The worst thing to ever happen to radio

broadcasting was the Telecommunications Act of 1996. Radio stations used to be locally owned. There were some corporate ownership groups, but they were limitee to 12 AM and 12 FM licenses.

The reason liberal talk radio has little to do with corporations anti-Democratic policies. It has to do with audience. If there was a large enough audience, advertisers would would line up to buy radio spots.

[kimbutgar]

26. I love my liberal talk radio And still enjoy it

I brought a car that had Sirrus satellite and listen to progressive talk channel all the time. With my subscription I can also hear it on my iPad and computer. Plus I can listen to Howard Stern Uncensored. And I can download a liberal show to hear later. Free Speech TV has Bill Press, Stephanie Miller and Thom Hartmann. So there is liberal talk you just have to find it.

I was so pissed when they took off liberal talkers in San Francisco and put on right wing blowhards. Now I never use Terrestrial radio in my car unless my son wants to listen to his FM music stations.