Hey Rush, remember the "Fairness Doctrine?"
Political opinions expressed on talk radio are approaching the level of uniformity that would normally be achieved only in a totalitarian society, where government commissars or party propaganda ministers enforce the acceptable view with threats of violence. There is nothing fair, balanced or democratic about it. Yet the almost complete right wing Republican domination of political talk radio in this country has been accomplished without guns or gulags.
Read this whole thing, everybody, it's so good: Commentary / Edward Monks: The end of fairness: Right-wing commentators have a virtual monopoly when it comes to talk radio programming - The Register-Guard, Eugene, Oregon, USA.
'splains a lot, if you ask me. In a very non-hysterical, lawyerly tone, Monks gives the reasons for the overwhelming number of reactionary talk-jocks, including the political rewards behemoth corporate broadcasters gain from anti-estate tax, anti-environmentalist, anti-social investment radio hosts. So much for "liberal bias" in the media.
originally posted by judlew
Comments
There aren't liberal radio hosts because they are boring. If one of them could muster up the strength to be half as engaging as blowhards like O'Reilly and Limbaugh - you would hear them on the dial. I would like to think there's some VWRConspiracy on the air - but there isn't. It's the profit motive.
Posted by: Oliver | July 8, 2002 11:28 PM
they're only boring to conservatives
Posted by: boywonder | July 9, 2002 4:12 PM
Naaah, they're boring to everybody. There's a real dearth of quality radical radio.
I'm hoping to set off a firestorm of people posting information on all the good radio I'm missing so I can stop missing it.
Is there a TiVO for radio?
Posted by: david | July 9, 2002 4:15 PM
Jeez, guys, try reading the guy's argument before you debunk it!
Robert Scheer has a show on the radio here in L.A. He's not boring.
Posted by: judlew | July 9, 2002 8:32 PM
besides, even conservative radio can be liberal. doesn't it depend on who is listening? don't you ever scream back at people on the radio?
Posted by: doug | July 9, 2002 8:49 PM
How can even conservative radio be liberal?
Posted by: nedlog | July 10, 2002 12:33 AM
dj: some say the impending arrival of terrestrial digital radio could allow for Tivo-like radio.
Posted by: nedlog | July 10, 2002 12:38 AM
I have hope for Donahue - even though its TV - he can give as good as O'Reilly and company.
Posted by: Oliver | July 10, 2002 10:05 PM
You guys are smoking crack. liberal radio rules. there just isn't enough of it. I do agree, however, that liberal radio is not as attractive to those looking for the gloom, doom, hellfire and brimstone of the conservative ilk. The drama seekers...
Posted by: boywonder | July 11, 2002 3:02 AM
I think the reason we don't have enough exciting left-wing commentators is because the left is, in general, less prone to demagoguery. By which I mean that the left couldn't really stomach some blowhard Green Party equivalent to Rush et. al.
Phil Donahue might be an exciting guy, but I kind of get the feeling he doesn't know what he's talking about. At the SuperRally in Madison Sq. Garden, he was the energetic emcee, getting people riled up about "corporate evil", but Ralph was the one who actually said things of substance, and--I hate to say this--he almost put me to sleep.
Posted by: ben fried | July 11, 2002 5:56 PM