Programming a different Liberal Radio Station
Fox News is supposed to be giving us the profile of what a true conservative looks and acts like. However, what they truly give us is a world where every opinion is raped and beaten in confrontational paradigm. They make conservatism look like a war. The well groomed Sean Hannity prattles on about how the American hegemony is good for the world, while his so–called liberal sidekick adds to the conversation “We’ll be right back.”
They create an illusion of what we are supposed to be like, and in effect create stereotypes and divisions. There are now Red States and Blue States, Conservatives and Liberals all looking and acting the way the networks decide.
Even Air America, in their attempts to bring some balance, creates stereotypes about liberals that make you wonder if you are being sold an image to identify with. We are all to believe that liberals are nothing more than effeminate, soft– spoken wisecrackers like Al Franken, or pseudo–lesbian brain trustees like Janeane Garofalo.
It is a good point about Air America, though I’ll just have to brush aside the phrase “pseudo-lesbian” and picking up with “brain trustee” (You can add “Hollywood Elite” into the equation). Randi Rhodes represents another odd Liberal Stereotype, if the idea of a slightly quirky aunt makes sense as a Liberal Type. In the realm of Donkey versus Elephants (which isn’t where Clyde Lewis would want anyone to riff off into from that, but I don’t particularly care), perhaps Air America Radio is doing Brand Air America a favour by shoe-horning onto their assortment of affiliates the North Dakotan Ed Schultz. (I don’t know what you can say about Matt Malloy, whether or not he is Mr. Lewis’s “soul brother”.)
So what do you have? A station with a dedicated listenership wherever over 20 Starbucks are located within a 5 mile radius. (And not a Walmart in sight!)
So, therein lies the secret to programming a different Liberal Talk Radio Station. Find and create another type for the listener to identify with. We now enter into the domain of “Red State”-land.
Start with Ed Schultz, because he’s now pretty easily identifiable. Convince the Texan Jim Hightower to try another go at talk radio. (You now have the format ready to go and don’t get sucked into the equivalent of a Garth Brooks song in between Aerosmith and Led Zeppelin.) Jerry Springer seems to be a good bet… he has a radio show.
Beyond those three, I don’t really know. Scour the South for regional balance of sorts. Maybe you can toss in Lionel, who’s a bit off in this brand identity (I guess he’s an ACLU Libertarian-minded person), because we need to program something here.