KGO, Center For American Progress 'Structural Imbalance Of Talk Radio' Report

LIKE A BORDER FENCE

Talk Radio Report Downplayed Actual 'Progressive' Content






*** See Main Page For Updates, Including John Gibson Interview At 6:20pm EDT ***

In cooking up their now- infamous report on talk radio's "imbalance", what exactly was the Center For American Progress trying to accomplish?

Though your Radio Equalizer has argued the study should be ignored, it's getting so much attention that its overt flaws need to be addressed.

After the near- total failure of libtalk across the country, do they really believe they can force stations to carry what programmers already know won't work?

Short of the legislative action Hillary and Boxer are apparently planning, it just isn't going to happen. Any manager crazy enough to propose a libtalk format for one of their stations would be laughed out of the building.

Interestingly, libtalk still exists, though with few land- based affiliates. But it can be found on both XM and Sirius Satellite Radio, in addition to Internet streaming. Why doesn't that count?


That's why the whining is incredible. While your Radio Equalizer and syndicated host Mark Levin (photo right) have already revealed the personal connection one of the report's authors has to liberal talk radio, a quick glance at the study reveals something else: they've greatly downplayed the amount of lefty talk actually airing.

In fact, the mistakes are so obvious, they shatter the study's credibility. According to the methodology cited on page seven, "hosts were categorized as conservative, progressive/ liberal, or indeterminate/ neither based on self- identification, show descriptions, and listings in Talkers Magazine. Only hosts with evident and near- indisputable leanings were categorized."

That's where the survey's clear bias is exposed: they clearly have a much easier time labelling a "conservative" host than a "progressive" one. The results are comical:


San Francisco's KGO is listed as featuring only three hours of daily liberal talk! If this refers to Bernie Ward, what about the four hours of hyper- lefty Ray Taliaferro (shown in top- left photo)? Or two hours of liberal- leaning Pete Wilson? Finally, why don't the 17 hours or more of "progressive" weekend programming count?


The report lists KABC / Los Angeles as featuring no liberal talk, but morning host Doug McIntyre's four- hour show fits the study's "progressive" criteria, having sat on the "left" side of the Talk Radio Rumble panel at the recent New York City convention organized by Talkers.


In New York City, why weren't WOR- AM afternoon hosts Hennican & White listed in the "progressive" column? Ellis Hennican is not shy when it comes to promoting a leftist viewpoint.


In Washington, why isn't urban talker WOL listed on the liberal side as well? Take a look at the schedule: is there anything unclear about Al Sharpton's leanings? The same goes for the stations with this format in Detroit, Philly, Chicago and elsewhere.


In addition:


Why was Salem's lineup listed in the report at all? Like Air America Radio on the left, Salem is a network designed to provide syndicated conservative talk. Should Air America add righty hosts?


In the corporate survey, why leave out other major operators such as Entercom, where Seattle's KIRO features a considerable amount of lefty programming? Why was ABC Radio omitted? Yes, it did just merge with Citadel, but its stations aren't listed there, either.


And that's just scratching the surface in a report that is so full of holes it looks like a fence along the Mexican border.


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