by: jason

Tue, 22 Jul 2008 18:48:38 +0000

whats all the fuss for talk radio is DEAD
i dont know where rush and co get ratings from but just ask yourself how many of his fans you know ..i know of only one (one guy)out of dozens of friends and hundreds of coworkers in fact i know more
npr fans…i know its not a scientific method but they claim to have this huge nationwide audience so ive been taking my own poll…now i wonder whos really writing
the paychecks for the hatemongers ——–it sure isnt listeners

by: superfan

Tue, 15 Jul 2008 04:03:55 +0000

speaking of “shock jocks” is mancow mentioned in your book?

by: John Healy

Fri, 11 Jul 2008 18:18:14 +0000

Hi Mr. O Connor, I saw your interview on the PBS program hosted by Emily Rooney Greater Boston recently and thought you did a good job presenting your take on Hate Radio which has for many years now poisioned the radio airwaves.Even here in Boston ,so called Liberal sanctuary all the talk shows have right wing conservative extremist anti first amendment Hate Spewers and even the Sports Talk hosts express in lockstep with the Rush Limbaugh led gang of hate mongers!Where has the FCC been in all this?? The public airwaves are to be used for the public interest and not defiled by the HATE MONGERS now on the radio. John Healy

by: Cougar

Tue, 24 Jun 2008 02:49:57 +0000

Roy, I understand radio and TV stations are out to make a profit, which is good for them. That said, the radio and TV stations still have to adhere to the FCC rules that they serve the public interest. That rule is supposed to mean that over the air stations can’t favor one group over the other, no matter how popular or unpopular a group may be. We are a Republic and not a Democracy: the rights of the majority can’t trample on the rights of the minority. But, that is exactly what has been happening with AM radio’s refusal to grant equal air time to people or groups opposed to the views of Limbaugh and Hannity and all the other extreme right winged conservative talk shows,because Limbaugh and company refer to themselves as entertainers. They’re not entertainers: their purpose is to be the mouthpieces and cheerleaders for the far right and their ideas. AM radio would not be looking at the possibility of the government reimposing the fairness doctrine if they had lived up to their duties to provide equal time. But, they are to blame for their own troubles in either not providing equal air time or holding Limbaugh, Hannity and company and the corporations responsible for the things they have said. I don’t see Limbaugh and company going away any time soon, not even if the government reimposes the fairness doctrine. The worse case scenario might be that Limbaugh and company might have to talk about something other than politics. The worst case scenario might be that the radio stations would be forced to drop the extreme right wing conservative talk shows if they don’t want to provide equal air time. Sure, if they have to provide equal air time for dissenters, it would cut into their profit margins. But, such would be their choice for carrying shows dealing in politics. You may believe Limbaugh’s views and Hannity’s views and your views are shared by the majority of the 300+ million people but the extreme right is on the fringe as is the extreme left. If Limbaugh and the others were to lose their shows tomorrow, they’d find other ways to be heard. But, what makes me wonder is what do you (and others on the extreme right wing fringe) have in common with Limbaugh and the others, beside your conservatism? Limbaugh has amassed quite a fortune speaking from his bully pulpit. It’s a good bet that Hannity, O’Reilly and Beck (whom I actually like, along with Neal Boortz) likewise are wealthy because of speaking from their bully pulpits. But, what have they done for you or your neighbors? They’re not hurting because of the high gas prices, which in turn has led to higher food prices. They fret and worry over people they see as being cheats on collecting welfare. One would think Limbaugh would have some sympathy for someone on welfare, since he was once himself but he rails the loudest of all. Many of us are struggling because of the high prices but all is good with the conservative voices.They support our billion dollar addiction to war in Iraq, which weakens our dollar, which drives up the price of a barrel of oil and drives up the price at the pump. It’s all good: conservatism seems to be more about keeping things as they are instead of trying to ease the stress the majority of our citizens are going through. The conservatism espoused by Limbaugh and Hannity opposes the government doing anything to help people, whether that’s something in the way of making sure people don’t starve, don’t lose their homes because greedy homeowners got loans from even greedier banks, building new highways or repairing old highways - I love it when I hear a conservative talk about states’ rights, that the state should be building their own roads. The problem with that scenario is that the majority of states don’t have the funds needed to build billion dollar highways. The only way they could raise the funds would be through raising taxes but for some, that could mean taking every dollar and every cent made by someone living in their state. And why does conservatism seem to care more about the wealthy keeping more of what they have earned, all the while being okay with the government taking more from those who make much less? Not every person who is poor is on welfare but they may have to give up more of their money. Conservatism, as practiced by the far right, is all about “Me and mine but not you and yours.” It’s okay if the federal government awards a multibillion dollar contract to a defense contractor or bail out a once profitable company but conservatism recoils in horrow at the thought of our government finding a way to provide health coverage for every single citizen. Conservatism wants social security switched over to being run by private companies at a profit to those companues. Social security needs to be fixed but privatization isn’t the cure, it’s the disease. Social security wouldn’t be in the shape it’s in now if our politicians had kept their sticky fingers out of the social security cookie jar. But more than anything else, conservatism, make that fascist conservatism is all about destroying the ties that binds our country. The question I have is when will you say enough is enough? Gas was expected to peak arouund $4 per gallon, now it’s $5 per gallon, some projections a year from now estimate $10 per gallon. There are people right now who can’t get by on what they’re earning because of the high prices. And the number will only go higher, skyrocket in fact, as the price climbs higher and higher. But, hey, it’s all good: Rush and Sean are telling you everything is beautiful and that you should ignore the symptoms of the heart attack that is going to strike our country and kill it. It’s all good, really, it is!

by: Roy

Mon, 23 Jun 2008 05:26:31 +0000

Cougar. The purpose of most radio stations is to make a profit. I know PBS is supported by donations and federal funds but for the most part radio stations are interested in programing that will attrach advertising dollars and that certainly is not Air America programs. If Rush Limbaugh lost 90% of his audience, he would still have more than Air America. The left wants to implement the fairness doctrine because they have been unable to compete in the free market. Even though Chris Mathews has been on the air longer than Hannity or O’Reilly, his audience is dwarfed by either. If left wing talk radio was viable, the free market would support it and it would not need to be subsidized or forced to be carried by the fairness doctrine.

Comments on: Talk Radio’s Last Stand?

by: jason

by: superfan

by: John Healy

by: Cougar

by: Roy