Talk Radio - Free Speech - Free Market

[Kiroy]

I lean both left and right on many different issues, so like most people my age, I'd consider myself an independent, but the talk radio issue has bothered me for a while now.

I think most people would agree that other than foxnews, most the media mostly leans left, sometimes a little, sometimes a lot. In radio, conservative talk reigns. People who are familiar would note that liberals don’t do well in talk radio, not because of some crazy conspiracy, but because the market doesn't want it (see Air America).

Now that the left has realized they still don't have the ability to bust into talk radio, they want to censor it, based on a pretty reaching study:

The Structural Imbalance of Political Talk Radio

I'm not going to go through all the goofyness in this study, but the fact they are blaming the problem of a lack of minority, and female owned radio stations is fucked. They forgot to compare their thesis with the owners of major news networks and newspapers… oops.

So here we go, in step the Dems to take action!

‘Little man Lott’ & `little man Lamb’

Group Led By Clinton’s John Podesta Outlines Assault of Conservative Radio | NewsBusters.org

Right's Reign on Talk Radio Called 'Structural Imbalance' -- 06/22/2007

Is this not crazy? I love talk radio, I've somewhat enjoy Air America (but I feel like I get that message via most other media outlets), and very much enjoy conservative talk radio. I'm not big into fox news, I think cause of the format, and the people, so talk radio is one of my only sensory sources into the conservative slant, and most of the hosts are very entertaining to listen to (Rush being the least, Michael Medved being the most).

This day and age, I try to find reasons to vote for the Democratic Party, because I'd like to see some change in certain things, but for fucks sake, it's just about impossible. I actually don't feel like voting for anyone, except maybe a third party candidate, but then what’s the point. It’s all fun and good to talk about if they have a chance or not, but we’ll need years and years of changes to make a third party/independent even close to a viable option

I understand legislation restricting talk radio will never go anywhere, but the fact the left is talking about it is just insane to me, even if that studies premise is correct, it shouldn’t matter in our capitalist society. Do any of you guys listen and enjoy talk radio, if for anything, the other point of view? How do you feel about this? Does government need to step in to make it more fair?

[tjac]

I've spent a lot of hours listening to Gordon Liddy, Rush Limbaugh, Howard Stern, Art Bell, Alex Jones, NPR, and local sports WIP, etc. From time to time, I enjoy all of them, but I also think they are just entertaining relflections of what their audiences want to hear. Sometimes, too, they are moronic and depressing.

Even what you'd probably consider "left" NPR is disappointing once you figure out that they are conservatism wrapped in an intelligentsia-aristocratic shell.

I wouldn't get so hung up on the media being mostly left, either. Left and right, in the U.S., anyway, are just two sides of the same coin. With that in mind, the media estate makes money, and will change if its audiences change.

[Tristinn]

left=reality.. right=constant crazy ass lies, racism, bigotry, misogyny, homophobics, racism.. lots of racism.

Why should the media lean right when thats all the right stands for? It just doesn't make sense.. News is supposed to be facts, not what right-wing radio and fox news do.

[Vinen]

Originally Posted by Tristinn

left=reality.. right=constant crazy ass lies, racism, bigotry, misogyny, homophobics, racism.. lots of racism.

Why should the media lean right when thats all the right stands for? It just doesn't make sense.. News is supposed to be facts, not what right-wing radio and fox news do.

You are ignorant and retarded... and exactly what is wrong with the majority of liberals (unless you are being sarcastic).

[tjac]

Originally Posted by Tristinn

left=reality.. right=constant crazy ass lies, racism, bigotry, misogyny, homophobics, racism.. lots of racism.

Why should the media lean right when thats all the right stands for? It just doesn't make sense.. News is supposed to be facts, not what right-wing radio and fox news do.

The left is as dangerously idealistic as the right is hypocritically corrupt.

[Tristinn]

Hey Fuckhead, I'm just posting what I fucking Hear from right-wing media. If I heard something different I would'nt fucking post it. Christ you are a fucking cunt.

[Kiroy]

Originally Posted by Tristinn

left=reality.. right=constant crazy ass lies, racism, bigotry, misogyny, homophobics, racism.. lots of racism.

Why should the media lean right when thats all the right stands for? It just doesn't make sense.. News is supposed to be facts, not what right-wing radio and fox news do.

This shit is why I don't think I'll ever vote on the left. I see far more fanaticism and hate from the left, then from the right, and I'm pretty damned open minded to most things.

[Tristinn]

OH MY GOD... Are the left the ones who want to build a wall along the southern border and kill anyone who crosses it? Are the left the ones who advocate the killing of hundreds of thousands of people in the middle east and thousands of US soldiers? Are the left the ones who run the most foul propaganda shit fest that is Fox News which spouts extreme hate and Christan Extremism 24/7?

What the fuck is the matter with you people? Do you not see this? Do you not pay attention to what is happening?

[tjac]

Originally Posted by Kiroy

This shit is why I don't think I'll ever vote on the left. I see far more fanaticism and hate from the left, then from the right, and I'm pretty damned open minded to most things.

But see, you know this isn't true, or maybe you just have to look harder. Look at the 'conservative' nuts outside of abortion clinics and gay community events. For god's sake man, how do you dismiss Anne Coulter? Or the preachers calling for assassinations or their congregation members looking forward to the rapture. Both sides have their wackos.

[Kiroy]

You're right. I dismiss anne the same way I dismiss sharpton and jackson.

[Tristinn]

Both sides have their wackos but NOTHING compares to the Rights Wackos. Ann Coulter calling for the killing of a Supreme Court Judge? Wanting to Nuke all of the Middle East and converting them to Christianity? If anyone is gonna argue that shit like this is comparable to Far Left pundits, I want you to fucking show me.

[Kiroy]

Originally Posted by Tristinn

Both sides have their wackos but NOTHING compares to the Rights Wackos. Ann Coulter calling for the killing of a Supreme Court Judge? Wanting to Nuke all of the Middle East and converting them to Christianity? If anyone is gonna argue that shit like this is comparable to Far Left pundits, I want you to fucking show me.

The difference is she's making jokes in bad taste, knowing that Supreme court judges won't be killed, and radical muslim's won't be converted, but Jesse Jackson wanted those lacross players to burn in hell on horse shit charges, others want to tell me what kind of car I have to drive...

Lets get back on topic. Should free speech be fucked with in talk radio?

[tjac]

Originally Posted by Kiroy

You're right. I dismiss anne the same way I dismiss sharpton and jackson.

Yep, Sharpton jumps from condemning the Duke students (who have their own moral issues, btw) to condemning Imus, to disparaging Romney and Mormons. Every bit as disgusting as Coulter.

[Soriak]

Reality has a well known liberal bias.

Really... what makes you say that the US media has a liberal bias? The only idea I've heard in support of that statement is that they don't report enough about the good things happening in Iraq. I'd agree, except the "good things" seem to be isolated cases in small regions, whereas the bad things are blatantly obvious and widespread.

If you want to focus on McCain being able to walk around on a market in Baghdad like one in the US - fine. Although I don't think you'd need 100 soldiers, snipers and helicopters to shop in Arizona. He later apologized for that comparison, he "misspoke." (I remember a CNN article about his market statement, but I didn't get notified about his "misspeaking" correction... liberal bias?)


The idea of "unbiased" reporting in US television is uniquely crazy. It consists of giving both sides the same amount of airtime - regardless of how far out there their views are. But moderators shouldn't be referees in a boxing match, they have to investigate and present as big a picture as they can. If that means the Phelps guy who thinks IEDs are god's penalty for the US supporting gays doesn't get any air time, so what? While I don't advocate outlawing opinions, you don't need to air them all on national television.

Get fucking rid of the crazies and it may actually be worth to watch it again. In short, take a lesson from the BBC or the "omg evil" AlJazeera, which has produced some outstanding reporting since launching their English channel.

You don't get to put Coulture and Sharpton in a room for 20mins and call it unbiased reporting - it's nothing more than entertainment, which shouldn't be on a news channel.

"The isolation associated with hours and hours in front of the tube leads to liberal values and viewpoints," says Medved.

Unless they watch Fox News, I'd assume. They probably also shouldn't read books, we all know they're dangerous and deserve to be burned. Then again, the media may just not report on the good things that come from book burnings - like how those liberal writers profit from them because someone had to buy those books to burn!


edit: and the left has a ton of crazies of their own, not just the few people one knows by name, but also in the general population.
However, general "liberal values" are undoubtedly superior to regulating everyone else's lives according to the morale's of some guy in a town of 200.

It's pretty much across the board - someone wants to control every woman's body, decide what you can and can't drink or do to your own body, what you can or can't hear on television (oh no, someone said "fuck"), or if scientific evidence should be dropped because it doesn't match the story in a book.

It's the choice between freedom and liberties vs religion knows best. Bonus points if religion = government, because praying in school hasn't hurt anybody yet.

[tjac]

Originally Posted by Tristinn

Both sides have their wackos but NOTHING compares to the Rights Wackos. Ann Coulter calling for the killing of a Supreme Court Judge? Wanting to Nuke all of the Middle East and converting them to Christianity? If anyone is gonna argue that shit like this is comparable to Far Left pundits, I want you to fucking show me.

It might be that the left's wackos are just more insidious, that they have a more 'female' approach to getting their way. But if you need obvious examples, what about PETA or ELF? What bout all of the different rights and equality advocates whose intentions are good, but really further the rights of some at the cost of others? And I don't think he is, but some people really fnd Michael Moore obnoxious.