Until and when there is a major cable network devoted to the message of the Democratic Party,

[keep_left]

16. I posted about this the other day. The key is that we need to *support* our own media...

...financially and otherwise. Air America was a good start, but there need to be a lot more, both large and small, when it comes to liberal and left media organizations. There are a few that have been soldiering on for decades (Democracy Now! is one good example), running on a shoestring budget, yet they punch far above their weight. Now it's true that your typical Fox News viewer has probably never heard of DN!, but imagine if there were dozens of variations on that show. That's what could make a difference next time.

https://democraticunderground.com/100219677391#post40

...And that really means more than the one network we tried (Air America), which was not the total failure that some have made of it--Air America launched the careers of a number of personalities, and many of them continue to this day either on other networks or as self-syndicated shows. But the most important thing is that these networks must be supported by both the listeners and the Democratic party. That needs to be seen as an ongoing investment for many years. How long did it take for Fox News to become profitable? And how long did Rush Limbaugh "suck wind in Sacramento", as Randi Rhodes put it? (Her answer: 15 years!)...

...We need to wise up and start creating our own media infrastructure which isn't dependent on MSNBC or other existing organizations. And yes, it needs to be multimodal--it probably is true that radio is a dying format, and podcasts and the internet are the future. However, radio isn't dead yet, and there are still good stations that soldier on (like KTNF in the Twin Cites), often producing their own local content as well. The Democrats need to support these stations, as do other organizations like labor unions and NGOs. Otherwise, I fear we'll continue to be rolled by Fox News and their imitators for years to come.