Huffington Post, Steve Young, Liberal Talk Radio

MORE EXCUSES

To Explain Libtalk's Failure, 'Progressives' Blame Network






Coming this time from a Huffington Post contributor, a fresh batch of excuses for Air America Radio's failure to succeed has now emerged.

We've recently been following this emerging trend and expect to see a great deal more of it in coming weeks. That's because a lot is on the line for the left, since Air America was widely touted as the network that could success- fully take on conservative talk's biggest stars.

Of course, asserts Steve Young, it couldn't be that the public simply doesn't want liberal talk radio. Instead, Air America's management and air talent should share the blame, he says.

But that conveniently leaves out the significant number of lefties who have tried and failed at syndicated talk radio, years before Air America even came into being: Jerry Brown, Alan Dershowitz, Mario Cuomo, Bernie Ward and many others come to mind.

Young is an author and television writer who apparently hosted his own program on Air America's low- rated Los Angeles affiliate KTLK-AM at one point.


By simply parroting conservative radio's on- air tactics, he claims, so- called "progressive" listeners have found Air America's programming insulting, rather than entertaining.

One problem: can Young give us some idea of exactly where the network's hosts have copied the styles of Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity? To your Radio Equalizer, the programming resembles NPR far more than that of KFI or WABC.

And, in a real attempt to give his piece credibility, Young disarmingly starts off by "agreeing" with Bill O'Reilly:

If you listen to Bill O'Reilly, liberal talk radio, especially in the guise of Air America, is on the ropes. Has no idea what it's doing. An utter failure. Ready to go under.

If you've ever read anything I've written, even my children's novels, I don't believe I've ever agreed with anything O'Reilly has said or written...till now.

Bill may have a point.

No, liberal talk is not ready to go under, though if they don't reassess their approach soon, finding a signal strong enough to hear a broadcast past the stations's parking lot may soon be in the offing.

And in backing the erratic, Courtney Love-esque Randi Rhodes, Young quickly loses credibility:

The only successful one who doesn't do it with comedy is Air America's Randi Rhodes, but Rhodes is so well-read and radio-hardened, that her arguments far surpass the bloviator test. Simply, she doesn't bullshit her audience.

Steve, get real: Randi has a team of writers to keep her "well- read", yet she still can't seem to maintain her train of thought through an entire point. Franken's performance, however, does not seem to warrant the same praise, according to Young.

And after making many excuses for the network's weak performance, he does appear to hold out a slight bit of hope for Air America:

Let's hope that Air America changes will bring on those who know how to be smart and funny on the radio. There are those in waiting that might be ready to step in. I mean, besides me.

There's plenty of comedy talent out there, but satire isn't enough. A sense of how
you come across on radio is needed too. Funny can't be taught. Radio comes with experience. Air America, as well as local stations need to bring on the funny people and show them how radio can work for them. At the same time, programmers and station managers must be willing to learn all talk radio is not the same, least of all, liberal talk. It doesn't mean there is no room for serious discussion, or partisan cheerleading, but let's give the liberal audience some credit for being more than pablum munchers. If we don't they soon won't care what you're serving up. They won't be there to listen.

This is actually a common mistake in the radio industry: the perception that conservative talk radio succeeds because it makes its listeners laugh. Actually, it's more about an energetic and entertaining delivery, combined with a compelling sense of what matters to the listenership. Liberal hosts can't seem to put together these crucial elements.


Here, Young falls off the edge of a cliff. How could "progressives" have such a strange view of themselves?

Liberal listeners don't want an ideological hole drilled into their skulls. They just aren't angry enough to buy that. They're political weakness is they're willingness to be analytical. Being analytical necessitates taking both sides into account.

Right wing radio's success comes from angrily demonizing the other side as completely utterly uneffective. Liberal radio needs to be far more innovative to draw their audience.

Since so- called "progressives" aren't about to admit that their viewpoints are unpopular with the public, we'll watch to see how clever the excuses for libtalk's failure become in the weeks and months ahead.

ELSEWHERE: Ever wonder where Hitchcock got the idea for The Birds? Beyond a 1952 short story, the real incident occurred during August, 1961.

And at Hot Air, a big score: video of the outrageous Emmy / Conan / plane crash skit.

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The Fool: David A Lunde for the Radio Equalizer