The Rise and Fall of Talk Radio [View all]

[Garion_55]

Specifically right wing talk.

I truly believe we are nearing the end of any kind of legitimacy for AM talk.

I remember tuning in to Rush during the impeachment. It was tough to get real time news. The internet was still in its infancy no cable news yet really that i remember. I got all my information from newspapers, local/network news and the radio. Listening to Rushs callers call in bad mouthing clinton pissed me off. But it was really the only place one could go for real time political talk.

Thats probably why Rush and then later hosts grew so large, so popular, so influential, where else were right wingers supposed to go and bitch about the dems? Rush spent time at the bush white house if i remember right, got to ride in air force one. right wing hosts got interviews with bush and his cronies, invites to the white house. They were real players because bush needed them to get his agenda out.

Along comes obama and the white house visits end. The interviews with the president and his cronies end. The access to the white house ends. All they have left is to sit on the radio and bitch and piss and moan. The the FLUKE is a SLUT episode and rush proceeds to lose thousands of sponsors. Hannity was booted off the local right wing station here in DC and got stuck on an ex liberal station with little coverage. Laura ingraham not only got booted off the local station but the whole station went hispanic. talk about a slap in the face.

Half of hannitys radio show now is him doing live commercials hacking for anyone willing to send him money. Three years ago he never did live commericials now he cant shut up about LIFELOCK or whatever. He is reaching for every single dime he can get now because I think he sees the writing on the wall.

Right wing politicians have been WAY TOO cozy with talk show hosts for no reason. There is no reason an elected official should get on the radio and get berated and yelled at by mark levin or whoever for not supporting a certain policy. WHO THE FUCK IS MARK LEVIN? what has he EVER done to deserve politicians having to call into his show and kiss his ass? same with hannity. same with Rush. IF these blowhards want influence over policy, RUN FOR OFFICE! get elected, be part of the people writing the laws. OTherwise stfu.


So yeah from what I am seeing locally here in DC, right wing radio seems to be taking a huge dump. It certainly doesnt have the juice it did 10 years ago. Hopefully the end comes soon!