Springer, Others Helping Establish Liberal Talk Radio Alternative

[Tsiyu]

By John Nolan Associated Press Writer
Published: Jan 26, 2005

CINCINNATI (AP) - Liberal talk radio shows are beginning to find a place in American broadcasting after years of dominance by Rush Limbaugh and his conservative cohorts.
Despite the fresh infusion of high-profile names into market - including Jerry Springer, whose program started last week on WCKY-AM - no liberal talk show host can yet claim the clout of Limbaugh, whose show is heard on nearly 600 stations and reaches an audience of about 20 million each week.

Taken together, however, talk radio is clearly on the rise.

There are 1,316 news-talk radio stations, compared with 1,197 a decade earlier and 360 at the end of 1990, according to Inside Radio. Only the country music format, on 2,019 stations, is more prevalent.

Because station formats change so frequently and some stations offer both liberal and conservative commentators, industry officials aren't sure how many all-conservative or all-liberal talk stations there are.

http://ap.tbo.com/ap/breaking/MGBOORA9F4E.html

[GetTheRightVote]

1. I am glad to hear it, I wish they were in NC though

:kick:

[nadinbrzezinski]

2. I am sure AAR will get there sooner or later

they aer up to 48 stations now

And Ed Shultz is also growing so they will get there

[MattNC]

15. they're on 3 stations

WPEK in Asheville and WCHL in Chapel Hill, plus one hour of Morning Sedition is on in Aberdeen.

[eleonora]

3. what we need is a liberal newschannel

I would gladly subscribe.

[bluestateguy]

4. We're still waiting in Texas

Air America could be a Radio Free Texas if they would put a station here.

2,832,704 Texans voted for John Kerry and they deserve to be represented too.

[itzamirakul]

5. Do you happen to know how I can check to see if

Springer's show is on in my area? The call letters WCKY-AM are not familiar to me. They must translate from region to region, state to state...so how do I find out? I swear, I cannot decipher that mess they list in the newspaper...

[mseltzer]

6. The station

is 1530 AM out of Cincinnati. It appears that Clear Channel, which owns the station, is offering the show for syndication, but haven't completed any deals yet.

[Gman]

7. I believe I read earlier this week that Clear Channel

was converting 44 stations to liberal talk.

[NashVegas]

14. More Like "Alternative to Renegades"

Would be my speculation, as far as Clear Channel and others getting in on it go.

Let's see, how many CC liberal hosts will we hear make an issue of the FCC / radio consolidation / Fairness Doctrine?

Is that a pin dropping, I hear?

[dbt]

8. Only "Country" music is more prevalent than Talk formats.

Permit me to point out that "Country" music is a subtler and more insidious form of brainwashing than Talk Radio. "Country" songs paint a picture of an America that does not exist and never has.

"Mr. Mom" and "My Front Porch Looking In" by Lonestar are a couple of prime examples. The former deals with a male who loses his job, whereupon the female goes right out into the workplace and Daddy stays home with the kids. In the latter case, Daddy revels in the joy of a stay-at-home wife and two adorable moppets.

Show me a multi-child family in this day and age where both spouses do not have to work.

Then, there are all the ass-kicking, flag-waving, Kill-The-Raghead songs from Charlie Daniels down to Toby Keith: long on patriotic style but seriously lacking in amputations and PTSD spousal killing sprees.

Nashville fell all over itself to help bu$h in his March To War because it knew there were megabucks to be made. Now, after 1400 American deaths and Goddess only knows how many Iraqi ones, we are treated to SheDaisy's plaintive and yearning "Come Home Soon." So Music City makes money off both the fervor of an illegal war and the pain of separation a wife feels for her much-deployed husband.

And all the while, "Country" fans support our pResident! Nashville has turned out more bu$hbots than Rush ever thought about!

:argh:
dbt

[GiovanniC]

9. And Then There Are Some of Us Country Fans

Who do not support Bush.

The Dixie Chicks and Willie Nelson are prime examples of country artists who have made it very clear whose side they are on, even if it has cost them in some cases. And while there are a few of the idiotic Toby Keith, Darrel Whorley, and Chely Wright songs ("Bumper of My SUV" -- blech) on country radio, most of today's country songs are simply the non-political blend of good music and good lyrics that fans like me appreciate.

As for your criticism of "Mr. Mom"... Don't know what to tell you there. I myself find the song to be hilarious, as a guy who remembers what it was like the first time he was left home alone all day with the baby.

And "My Front Porch Looking In"... your complaint about that song baffles me. I'm no Lonestar apologist, either... I find a lot of their songs formulaic and uninspired. But I actually enjoy that particular one. Could you point out which of the lyrics you find fault with? I couldn't figure it out.

Oh yeah
Yeah oh yeah

The only ground I ever owned was sticking to my shoes
Now I look at my front porch and this panoramic view
I can sit and watch the fields fill up
With rays of glowing sun
Or watch the moon lay on the fences
Like that's where it was hung
My blessings are in front of me
It's not about the land
I'll never beat the view
From my front porch looking in

There's a carrot top who can barely walk
With a sippy cup of milk
A little blue eyed blonde with shoes on wrong
'Cause she likes to dress herself
And the most beautiful girl holding both of them
And the view I love the most
Is my front porch looking in, yeah

I've traveled here and everywhere
Following my job
I've seen the paintings from the air
Brushed by the hand of God
The mountains and the canyons reach from sea to shining sea
But I can't wait to get back home
To the one he made for me
It's anywhere I'll ever go and everywhere I've been
Nothing takes my breath away
Like my front porch looking in

There's a carrot top who can barely walk
With a sippy cup of milk
A little blue eyed blonde with shoes on wrong
'Cause she likes to dress herself
And the most beautiful girl holding both of them
Yeah the view I love the most
Is my front porch looking in

I see what beautiful is about
When I'm looking in
Not when I'm looking out

There's a carrot top who can barely walk
With a sippy cup of milk
A little blue eyed blonde with shoes on wrong
'Cause she likes to dress herself
And the most beautiful girl holding both of them
Yeah the view I love the most

Oh, the view I love the most
Is my front porch looking in
Yeah
Oh, there's a carrot top who can barely walk
(From my front porch looking in)
A little blue eyed blonde with shoes on wrong, yeah
And the most beautiful girl
(Beautiful girl
From my front porch looking in)
Holding both of them
Oh, yeah

[BRLIB]

10. And there is this country jewel which was out before the election

Their site www.takinmycountryback.com appears to be down now.


'Honky Tonkers for Truth' Present a Song Against Bush

by Eric Jaffa

October 14, 2004

A new country song criticizes George W. Bush for his close relations with the Saudi royals, giving tax breaks to millionaires, losing jobs, going into Iraq without an exit strategy, and more.

The singer and songwriter are anonymous, except that the song is "Brought to you by Honky Tonkers for Truth."

Excerpt: WE HAD A BUNDLE IN THE TREASURY DRAWER
MORE THAN THERE HAD EVER BEEN BEFORE
BUT EVERY DAY WE'RE DROWNIN' DEEPER IN DEBT
MAYBE FOUR YEARS SHOULD BE ALL YOU GET
THEN YOU GAVE TAX BREAKS TO THE MILLIONAIRES
AND TRIED TO MAKE THE WORKIN’ MAN PAY
BUT YOU CAN’T TAX A MAN WHEN HIS JOBS NOT THERE
NOW LOOK AT WHERE WE ARE TODAY…HEY

The full lyrics are below.

TAKIN' MY COUNTRY BACK (complete lyrics)

COUNTRY MUSIC'S GOT MAMAS AND DADDYS
WE GOT BAR ROOMS AND OLD HEARTBREAK SONGS
BUT I 'M HERE TODAY TO STAND UP AND SAY
HOW I FEEL ABOUT MY HOME SWEET HOME
WHAT'S LEFT, WHAT'S RIGHT AND WHAT'S WRONG... AND

I’M TAKIN’ MY COUNTRY BACK
SON, YOU AIN'T BEEN DOIN’ HER RIGHT
OH I BEEN WATCHIN’ YOU AND I DON’T LIKE
HOW YOU'VE BEEN TREATIN’ MY STARS AND STRIPES
YOU TOOK OUR JOBS AND SENT ‘EM OVERSEAS
NOW WE OWE BILLIONS TO THE RED CHINESE
YOU BLEW THE BUDGET AND YOU BOTCHED IRAQ
SO I’M TAKIN’ MY COUNTRY BACK

WE HAD A BUNDLE IN THE TREASURY DRAWER
MORE THAN THERE HAD EVER BEEN BEFORE
BUT EVERY DAY WE'RE DROWNIN' DEEPER IN DEBT
MAYBE FOUR YEARS SHOULD BE ALL YOU GET
THEN YOU GAVE TAX BREAKS TO THE MILLIONAIRES
AND TRIED TO MAKE THE WORKIN’ MAN PAY
BUT YOU CAN’T TAX A MAN WHEN HIS JOBS NOT THERE
NOW LOOK AT WHERE WE ARE TODAY…HEY

I’M TAKIN’ MY COUNTRY BACK
SON, YOU AIN'T BEEN DOIN’ HER RIGHT
OH I BEEN WATCHIN’ YOU AND I DON’T LIKE
HOW YOU'VE BEEN TREATIN’ MY STARS AND STRIPES
YOU GOT TOO MANY FANCY FRIENDS FOR ME
THE SAUDIS TREAT YOU LIKE YOU'RE ROYALTY
YOU BLEW THE BUDGET AND YOU BOTCHED IRAQ

NOW I’M TAKIN’ MY COUNTRY BACK

NOW I CAN UNDERSTAND WHY YOU WERE HOT
'CAUSE BIN LADEN NEVER DID GET CAUGHT
SO YOU SAID WE HAD SADDAM TO BLAME
TRIED TO TELL US IT WAS ALL THE SAME
BUT NOW THE YEARS ROLL BY AND OUR KIDS KEEP DYIN'
YOU DON'T EVEN HAVE A PLAN TO BRING 'EM HOME
AND THOSE W.M.D. YOU PROMISED ON T.V.
HEY ADMIT IT, YOU FIGURED IT WRONG... SO I'M TAKIN' MY COUNTRY BACK

NOW YOU DON’T KNOW MY NAME, BUT YOU KNOW WHO I AM
I'M YOUR EVERYDAY WORK HARD, PLAY HARD
RAISE KIDS AND PRAY HARD COMMON MAN....
AND LORD KNOWS I LOVE THIS LAND...THAT'S WHY

I’M TAKIN’ MY COUNTRY BACK
SON, YOU AIN'T BEEN DOIN’ HER RIGHT
OH I BEEN WATCHIN’ YOU AND I DON’T LIKE
HOW YOU'VE BEEN TREATIN’ MY STARS AND STRIPES
YOU SAY "UNITE" BUT YOU DIVIDE US MORE
CUSSIN' EACH OTHER ON THE SENATE FLOOR
AIN'T WE SUPPOSED TO BE ABOVE ALL THAT ?
HEY I’M TAKIN’ MY COUNTRY BACK I GOT MY FAMILY AND MY CHURCH AND FLAG... NOW I'M TAKIN' MY COUNTRY BACK

Brought to you by Honky Tonkers for Truth

[Tsiyu]

11. No one worth a sh*t in TN listens to the mainstream crap

Nashville is regurgitating.

"Mr. MOM?" I never thought I'd see this day come.

No more Merle or Johnny or Tanya or Tammy.

There ARE country artists who loathe Bush.

[DinahMoeHum]

16. There's also "Music Row Democrats" based in Nashville

www.musicrowdemocrats.com

Worth checking out.

:kick:

[truthisfreedom]

12. an amazing thing happened this week...Minnesota Public Radio started a new

fm station at 89.3 on the dial. it's called the Current, and it features a wonderful playlist! this will absolutely drive the right-wing mad.

http://minnesota.publicradio.org/radio/services/thecurrent/

[PassingFair]

13. Just got AAR this weekend, and on a clear channel station...

I am thrilled! BUT...Jerry Springer? Couldn't they have scheduled someone else. He has marginalized himself with his reputation for exploitation. I'll give him a chance, because I have heard that he has always been a good dem, but he won't help us change any 'puke minds.