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KevinTheOmnivore KevinTheOmnivore is offline
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Old Feb 17th, 2003, 03:34 PM        Liberal Radio Is Planned by Rich Group of Democrats
I wonder if these "Liberal Democrats" will allow someone from the LEFT who is critical of even them to have air time, such as Ralph Nader or Michael Moore...?


http://www.nytimes.com/2003/02/17/bu...dia/17DEM.html

Liberal Radio Is Planned by Rich Group of Democrats

By JIM RUTENBERG


A group of wealthy Democratic donors is planning to start a liberal radio network to counterbalance the conservative tenor of radio programs like "The Rush Limbaugh Show."

The group, led by Sheldon and Anita Drobny, venture capitalists from Chicago who have been major campaign donors for Bill Clinton and Al Gore, is in talks with Al Franken, the comedian and author of "Rush Limbaugh Is a Big Fat Idiot." It hopes to enlist other well-known entertainers with a liberal point of view for a 14-hour, daily slate of commercial programs that would heavily rely on comedy and political satire.

The plan faces several business and content challenges, from finding a network of radio stations to buy the program to overcoming the poor track record of liberal radio shows. But it is the most ambitious undertaking yet to come from liberal Democrats who believe they are overshadowed in the political propaganda wars by conservative radio and television personalities.

The concern has been around for years: Hillary Rodham Clinton first mentioned a "vast, right-wing conspiracy" in 1998. But the sentiment has taken on new urgency with the rise to the top of the cable news ratings of the Fox News Channel, considered by many to have a conservative slant, and the Republicans' gaining control of the Senate in November. Such events have spurred many wealthy Democrats to explore investments in possible, liberal-skewing media ventures. New campaign finance rules that restrict giving opportunities also gave them further incentive.

The new liberal radio network is initially being financed by the Paradigm Group, of which the Drobnys are the principal partners. Ms. Drobny is the chairwoman of the venture, which is being called AnShell Media L.L.C. Jon Sinton, a longtime, Atlanta-based radio executive, will be its chief executive. He helped start the nationally syndicated radio program of Jim Hightower, the former Texas agriculture commissioner. Liberals had hoped that would be their answer to Mr. Limbaugh, but it was canceled shortly after its start in the mid-1990's.

The failure of Mr. Hightower's show supported the notion of many in radio that liberal hosts do not have what it takes to become successful and entertaining hosts: the fire-and-brimstone manner and a ready-made audience alienated by the mainstream news media it perceives to be full of liberal bias.

Mr. Sinton said the new venture would seek to disprove not only those who doubt liberal hosts can make it in radio, but also those who believe that success in radio depends on an alliance with one of the handful of major distributors or station groups.

The group said it was prepared to go it alone, selling its programming to the individual radio stations rather than go through a middleman. It has an initial investment of $10 million, which radio analysts said was enough to start up. Ms. Drobny said the cash would be placed in a fund that she hopes to grow to at least $200 million within the next year, which she hopes to use to finance other media ventures like the acquisition of radio stations and television production.

"The object of the programming is to be progressive and make a statement that counters this din from the right," Mr. Sinton said. "But we have a solid business plan that shows a hole in the market."

Many conservatives who assert the news media in general is infused with liberal bias say the premise of a liberal radio network is silly to begin with. But liberal Democrats say even if a liberal bias does exist, the mainstream news media strives for balance and fair play. They say their concern is that there are far fewer successful, outright partisan voices on the left than there are on the right.

"I feel like there's a monologue out there," Ms. Drobny said. "I just had this tremendous feeling with great passion that we had to make sure we're heard and make sure having a dialogue in this country of ours."

The list of successful conservative radio hosts is, in fact, fairly long Rush Limbaugh; Sean Hannity; Michael Savage; Michael Reagan. And there is no equivalent list of liberals. Past attempts, such as the programs of Mr. Hightower and Mario Cuomo, have failed.

Some radio executives said they simply did not believe liberal radio could become good business. Among them was Kraig T. Kitchen, chief executive of Premiere Radio Networks, one of the nation's largest radio syndication arms with the programs of Mr. Limbaugh, Mr. Reagan and Dr. Laura Schlessinger, among others. Though Mr. Kitchin said he was a conservative, he also said he would have pursued liberal programs had he thought there was money in them. He ascribes to the popular view in the industry that liberal hosts present issues in too much complexity to be very entertaining — while addressing a diffuse audience that has varying views.

"Individuals who are liberal in their viewpoints can be all-encompassing," he said. "It's very hard to define liberalism, unlike how easy it is to define conservatism. So, as a result, it doesn't evoke the same kind of passion as conservative ideologies do."

Mr. Sinton said he thought past attempts failed because they were not properly executed. He said he believed a big problem for Mr. Hightower was that his program was sandwiched into a schedule crammed with conservatives. "It is very hard to succeed when you throw liberal programming between bookends of Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity," he said. "That violates expectations of the listener."

This is why he said he was proposing a full slate of liberally skewing programming with morning, afternoon and early evening shows featuring hosts with as many big names in entertainment as possible.

"This side has failed by going at Rush, and trying to be Rush — you're not going to beat him at his game," Mr. Sinton said. "What really makes this work is tapping into Hollywood and New York and having a huge entertainment component, where political sarcasm is every bit as effective as Rush Limbaugh is at bashing you over the head."

Mr. Sinton acknowledged that his biggest challenge was in getting national distribution for the network. He said he would seek to strike deals with underperforming radio stations in major markets.

Analysts said that while the plan might seem difficult to achieve, it is not impossible. "It is going to be trickier in the top-10 markets, easier in the middle markets, but it will be possible," said Jonathan Jacoby, a radio industry analyst for SunTrust Robinson Humphrey. "There is a case that if they have the right product, they will be able to find distribution."

Talent, of course, will be key, Mr. Sinton acknowledged. A deal with Mr. Franken, the comedian, would help greatly in luring other big names, as well as in gaining distribution. He said he envisioned a daily program featuring Mr. Franken perhaps in the early afternoons (around the same time as "The Rush Limbaugh Show").

A representative for Mr. Franken, Henry Reisch of the William Morris Agency, said Mr. Franken was seriously considering the offer, and was mostly focusing on whether he could handle the commitment of a daily radio program. Judging from his comments as a guest last month on Phil Donahue's program on MSNBC, Mr. Franken would probably take a far different approach from that of Mr. Limbaugh. "I think the audience isn't there for a liberal Rush," he said. "Because I think liberals don't want to hear that kind of demagoguery."
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Old Feb 17th, 2003, 03:40 PM       
Sorry about the double post.
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Old Feb 17th, 2003, 03:47 PM       
Nader, I'll give you, but if they give Moore a show, I'll call up everyday just to point out his lies and misinformation.

And some advice: Stay away from celebrities. Get people who are actually going to have insight and correct information. Not the same old party rhetoric (yes, every side is guilty of this). I know its good to have a big name people will know, but lets face it, the majority of the time, thy don't have much to add to a discussion.
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Old Feb 17th, 2003, 03:51 PM       
Moore is the same as Limbaugh, I find him to be provocative and inspiring at times, but I'd never cite him in a term paper, if you catch my drift.

I will protest any station that gives Barbara Streisand and outlet to speak.

However, one celebrity who would do a decent job is Tim Robins. He's funny and well spoken (unlike his "life partner." Bleh.)
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Old Feb 17th, 2003, 05:26 PM       
i thought this said liberal rodeo

*deletes double post* :o
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Old Feb 17th, 2003, 05:34 PM       
Quote:
Originally Posted by mew barios
i thought this said liberal rodeo
The thought of Al Franken in a cowboy hat gets me hot, too.

Quote:
*deletes double post* :o
Thanks!
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Old Feb 17th, 2003, 07:30 PM       
Wouldn't a liberal rodeo be kind of dull? They'd all be hugging the steer instead of roping them.
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Old Feb 18th, 2003, 09:51 AM       
I listened to Sean Hannity, and some guy named Bortz last night, can't think of his first name. It was hilarious. They both went on at length about this whole idea, and gave some great reasons why it wouldn't work. I like when people are afraid of competition.
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Old Feb 18th, 2003, 11:22 AM       
OH! YeAH!

Spad, you must have missed it a couple of weeks ago when Neil Boortz put DonaWHO to shame on MSNBC prime time. Boortz really made a fool of him.

.....and Sean Hannity simply can't be defeated in an argument.

All that aside, liberal talk radio has always failed and always will fail in the free market. The ONLY way it can stay afloat is if the government pays for it.....which they already do.
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Old Feb 18th, 2003, 11:23 AM       
I doubt they are afraid of that "lack of" competition.

I for one would like this to go through. Then we can see just how mean spirited ol Al and the extreme left can be.
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Old Feb 18th, 2003, 11:41 AM       
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ronnie Raygun
.....and Sean Hannity simply can't be defeated in an argument.
Ronnie, I'm so serious, if you cheat another day without taking your medication, I'm going to tell Doc Wilson.

I am a LONG time listener of Hannity, before he even became syndicated, because I obviously am from NY. He is a hack. He is NOT an intelligent person.

One of my favorite Hannity moments was this one time he had Congressman Bernie Sanders on his show. He couldn't handle ANY of the issues, Sanders had an answer for everything, and really, all Hannity was out to do was red-bait the man. See, Hannity has no argument, so if he can prove that Sanders is a "secret Socialist," well then that's it...there's no argument to be had (good news for Mr. Hannity). Meanwhile, Sanders is very open about his Socialist leanings, and in fact often brags about them on his website. He isn't a member of any of the American Socialist/Communist parties, so really, what could he say to this jerk...? :/

Not to go on a tangent about Sanders, but my point was that Hannity is a jackass.
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Old Feb 18th, 2003, 01:18 PM       
The only credit I will give Hannity is that he will at least have someone with an opposing viewpoint on his show. He won't allow them to get much of a word in at all, and tries to dodge real discussion, but at least he has dissidents on the show.

A couple of weeks ago, he had David Clennon (sp?) from the show The Agency. Clennon asserted that the Bush Aministration had created the equivalent moral climate of Nazi Germany. As he tried to state his case, Hannity brought up the fact that Clennon had had a drug and alcohol problem years in his past. It's a typical technique of conservative talk radio: If you're on the ropes, change the subject.

Hannity is a tool, and Boortz is the worst kind of rhetoric-spouting, fear-mongering, blind-patriotism-supporting takl show host I've yet heard.
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Old Feb 18th, 2003, 01:55 PM       
Quote:
Originally Posted by sspadowsky
As he tried to state his case, Hannity brought up the fact that Clennon had had a drug and alcohol problem years in his past. It's a typical technique of conservative talk radio: If you're on the ropes, change the subject.
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Old Feb 26th, 2003, 12:30 PM       
wrong thread, sorry.
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Old Feb 26th, 2003, 01:10 PM       
"Hannity is a tool, and Boortz is the worst kind of rhetoric-spouting, fear-mongering, blind-patriotism-supporting takl show host I've yet heard."

You are a tool. And Hannity stands on the right side of almost every issue and I've never seen or heard him defeated in a debate. I've been watching Hannity and Colmbs for 3 years and I used to listen to him when he started out in ATL on WSB...with Neil Boortz...

Speaking of Neil Boortz....the libertarian....Spad only hates him because he loves his country and Spad hates The U.S. and is constantly looking for reasons to talk us down. Boortz is a patriot, a self made man, highly respected and pretty much can't be beaten either....as seen on DonoWHO..lost his show.
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Old Feb 26th, 2003, 01:15 PM       
I'm going to alert Sean Hannity to watch out for an obsessed fan from Atlanta who calls himself Reagan.
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Old Feb 28th, 2003, 10:04 AM       
Obsessed?

Fine, I alert Hannity that you're obsessed with killing him and his family.

**see how silly that is**
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Old Feb 28th, 2003, 03:28 PM       
There's a difference. Despite KNOWING that he is a fool, I would NEVER say something like "He is always, 100% wrong. I think he knows nothing, and never makes good points."

You on the other hand say things like "he always wins, I've NEVER heard him lose, etc."

That's just plain idolatry.
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Old Feb 28th, 2003, 05:45 PM       
Quote:
Speaking of Neil Boortz....the libertarian....Spad only hates him because he loves his country and Spad hates The U.S. and is constantly looking for reasons to talk us down. Boortz is a patriot, a self made man, highly respected and pretty much can't be beaten either....as seen on DonoWHO..lost his show.
Hahaha! Oh man, you can possibly be as fucking stupid as you appear to be.

"Right side"? According to whom? Listen here, sizzlechest, the world is not black and white, no matter how much you would like it to be. Hannity is just another schmoe, and so is Boortz, and Rush, and Michael Moore, for that matter. They're all just guys with opinions, they're going to appear to their listeners to win every debate because (A) blind followers like you will believe they won no matter what, and (B) they don't engage in true debate (or in Rush's case, not at all). If they get on the ropes, they engage in character assassination to try and weasel their way out of a tight spot, and I know Hannity does that, because I've fucking heard him do it.

More importantly, I love my country. I, unlike you, Raygun, understand that dissenting does not make me un-American. But something you need to understand is that our history is cluttered with some very dark and sordid shit, much of it done in the name of "Freedom" and "Liberty," which are nothing more than empty words to stir emotion in sheep like you. Our government does not do things out of the goodness of its heart.

You need to face the fact that not everything they do is right, or done with good intentions. In fact, some of the shit our government has perpetrated is so morally reprehensible that it almost makes me, at times, ashamed to be an American.

But, as I said, I do love my country, because I know the people running the show do not represent America as a whole. You need to see both sides, Raygun. You have to take the good with the bad. The US gov't is not a bunch of knights on white horses like you seem to think they are. You also need to remember that dissent and questioning and raising hell against the actions of our government are some major factors in how this country came to be so great. The real dangers are guys like Boortz and Hannity and anyone who believes that the blame rests entirely on the shoulders of one or two groups (i.e. "It's all the fault of those liberals; they just want to ruin America," and other such horseshit).

You don't think, Raygun. You think what conservative figureheads tell you to think.

I talk badly about our leadership because I think they deserve it, and I think we deserve better. I want this country to be better than it is, and I think a key to that is getting the current group of monkeys out of office before they fuck things up beyond repair.

I saw a great bumper sticker not long ago- "I don't have to like Bush to love America." That sums it up nicely.
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Old Mar 1st, 2003, 10:29 AM       
Quote:
More importantly, I love my country. I, unlike you, Raygun, understand that dissenting does not make me un-American. But something you need to understand is that our history is cluttered with some very dark and sordid shit, much of it done in the name of "Freedom" and "Liberty," which are nothing more than empty words to stir emotion in sheep like you. Our government does not do things out of the goodness of its heart.
Yeah, remember the American Revolution, or the Civil War. Don't forget WW1 and WW2.
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Old Mar 1st, 2003, 02:35 PM       
Yeah, don't. :/
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Old Mar 1st, 2003, 06:02 PM       
Bombs: It may surprise you to know that a number of other, far less savory events, have taken place in our country's history. Please refer to something other than the history book you saved from high school.
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Old Mar 1st, 2003, 06:18 PM       
Even the examples he gave us have their shades of respective gray, bt what do I know, I'm just a Carly Simon fan. :/
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Old Mar 1st, 2003, 10:29 PM       
It's a book from college, pal.

Kev, you're so vain.
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Old Mar 1st, 2003, 10:49 PM       
It's a little late in the thread to say this, but it goes along with the original subject.

What about the huge success of free speach radio news?

Also, I would like to add that I love Fox News so much. It's super entertaining.
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