Let me get one thing out of the way first. Media as we know it today will NEVER return to what it was pre-1990. It just won't. We're never going back to the day where journalistic integrity ruled newspaper newsrooms, newsrooms which were fully staffed to cover all elements of the news in a community. Television stations are not about to stop showing the fluff pieces which dominate their daily broadcasts, and AM/FM radio will never be the dynamic vibrant voice it once was. The reasons for this are varied. A lot of this is old technology, or a delivery system based on a non-technology world. Owners looking to make a buck have trimmed these businesses to only 20 to 25% of the staff they once had, and are constantly screaming about cutting budgets even further. Instant information and entertainment gratification via social media destroyed a lot of their momentum, and their pathetic attempts to adapt are akin to a dad adding antiquated slang terms to his vocabulary in an attempt to look cool for his kids. Plus, the right, lead by Roger Ailes, killed it with their high intensity one sided opinion machine, which purchased all the media outlets they could, and the ones they couldn't buy, they manipulated by putting pressure on their ad revenue.
I love radio. I have always loved it, from my first show at AFN Nuremberg in Germany, to the show I just did today. I was meant to talk into a microphone and interact with listeners, and I can't imagine doing anything else, but even I have to acknowledge reality. This medium, radio, with the idea of punching electricity into a big metal stick and creating a wave signal, which is picked up by tuning a radio dial to a specific frequency, within a 100 mile radius of the station, is horribly antiquated. I know what the horseshoe salesman felt like when he started to see more and more cars drive by his blacksmith shop. Radio, as we've known it for almost 100 years, is dying.
Don't worry, it's not dead yet, and as long as there are quirky local owners, who value delivering a good product, there will always be a few radio stations. Eventually, most will either shut down or leave their terrestrial limits and head exclusively into the digital world. It is what it is.
Taking all that into consideration, maybe my next sentiment is bailing water on the Titanic with a Dixie Cup, but there's still a good fight to be had, and I'm willing to fight it.
Conservative elements did a real number on our media. They got rid of the Fairness Doctrine, and overnight media went from quality to ideology. They eased up the ownership rules, creating media empires where twenty people decided 90% of what we all read, saw and heard. They then went after public television and radio, the last bastion of non controlled media in many parts of this country. Didn't matter it was only a five minute news cast at the top of the hour. Any information they didn't own was to be destroyed. For the record, the conservatives seem to have gained some control of public media through donations.
If you think about it logically, Progressive talk radio shouldn't be so non-existent in America. More people identify with Democratic policies in the United State than Republican ones, and even in deep red states, large metro areas tend to have a more left leaning populace. Why are there so few left leaning talkers in America, while some markets have four or five right wing talk stations? Because a few people are infuriated at the thought of any opposing view being presented to the people.
Radio stations are controlled by ratings, and in large markets, you don't need a lot of ratings to make a lot of money. With that being the case, why would a corporate radio owner decide to not program the ONLY left leaning, progressive/Democrat radio station in a given market, as opposed to the 4th or 5th right wing talker, sports talker, or Christian music station? In a major market, progressive talk, when placed on a market competitive radio station, generally earns a 2.0 to 3.5 rating, far higher than the .02 rating the 5th overlapping talk station in any market would. In LA, San Fran, NYC, Denver, Portland, Seattle, and other markets, the conscious decision was made to go with far lower ratings. Those markets lost their only progressive talker because the owner would rather make zero money than allow left leaning talk into the market. It's the only explanation that makes sense.
For those who try to argue my numbers are off, that progressive talk doesn't get that many listeners, let me share a story. In Minneapolis, when Air America launched, they were pulling a 2.0 to 3.0 rating, very solid for a political talk station. Then, one ratings book, they plummeted, to the cheers and high fives of the right, and never came back up. In 2008, I was in a program director's office at a large radio group in town. He bragged about how the radio group killed Air America's ratings, how when Air America was borderline top 10 in the market, the owner of the radio group called the ratings company, and initially insisted the ratings for Air America in town were a lie. When the ratings company stood by their methodology, the owner threatened the ratings company. The exact quote, relayed via this PD, "If Air America EVER shows up with higher than a 1.0 rating in the rating books ever again, I will cancel every ratings contract our company has with you; not only in Minneapolis, but in every market we operate in." This was two years before I came to work at AM 950, and it was shared freely by the PD at the time. And the ratings trends do match the story. Is it so hard to believe this could be true? Not hard at all. Could it have happened in other markets? Sure.
If the ratings are truly random, then why did Progressive Talk never get above a 1.0 in Minneapolis again? Logic would say the up and coming station, in a liberal bastion such as Minneapolis/St. Paul, a station who was hitting 2.0 to 3.0 over a period of time, should've had a few comparable, or close to comparable, ratings months. Nope! Apparently, according to the ratings company, everyone who was listening turned off in unison and never came back. FYI - That doesn't happen.
A successful way to control the political leanings of local media are through advertisers. There are numerous major advertisers, big corporate names, who refuse to advertise with liberals. They see the left as their enemy, not as an active client base looking for their business. They usually hide behind the argument, "no one listens to you guys," (see how the ratings manipulation packs a double punch?) as they gladly write obscene checks to the conservative stations with ratings akin to Antartica. Do liberals use plumbers, buy cars, eat food? Yes, but regardless of how much you point that out, they look at you and say,"I don't care." I would love to once go one the air and say "This business says they don't want any customers who vote Democrat. They hate you and don't want your money." I guarantee the station would get an immediate call from the business owner, complaining about how I've irreparably damaged their client base, but my first comment back to him would be, "I thought no one listened to Progressive talk?"
What's even weirder? The pool of Republican money floating around to prop up conservative radio stations is amazing. It's delivered through political attack ads drawn from war chest slush funds, corporate advertisers who make zero sense airing advertising (industrial cleaning equipment, food additives, distant communities badmouthing the local community to encourage people to leave for their town, international shipping corporations with very limited local client base), and millionaires and billionaires who fancy themselves the next William Randolph Hearst.
That's why you see right leaning political talk stations, who only have one tenth the listener base they used to, still have on air hosts getting paid on the high end of broadcast salaries. These financiers used to get returns on their investment, back when right leaning radio dominated the US's radio waves, but ever since Rush Limbaugh's Sandra Fluke disaster, the ratings for right leaning radio have been cavitating. Some stations have moved passed their conservative loyalty pledge and switched formats, especially after the national corporate radio show owners demanded obnoxious cuts of the local radio station's adverting, but the formats never went to a market exclusive progressive talk format, instead they usually program a sports or a market saturated music format. The right leaning programmers have tried to make themselves feel better about their losses with the false argument, "at least we're better than the non-existent left talkers we ran out of business."
The salary issue is really hilarious. While floundering conservative radio hosts make 7 figures, the left can't even get a fair salary for established talent. When Ed Schultz resigned his show, there was a national casting call for the next big progressive mid day radio host. I personally know three major personalities who expressed an interest, two of whom would've gotten great national ratings. When the radio network trying to launch the show got to salary, they did the unimaginable. They said, "you need to work for FREE(!), and after the first year, then we'll see." They actually proposed their in house national talent should work for free. Meanwhile, the same network was paying the conservative non-prime time hosts six figures. I'm not sure if the radio network thought all progressives are stupid, or if this was their attempt to bury the format. After all the prospective talent told them they could go F- themselves, they threw their hands in the air and insisted no one wants to host a Progressive talk show.
If I renounced Progressive talk radio today, and began insisting "I've seen the Republican light!"; if I came out as the former left leaning radio host who now loves all things tea party, much like Dennis Miller did, I'd be able to command five times the salary my wife and I make today, and I certainly wouldn't be worth it. I'd just have to swallow my soul and let the money train roll on in. I actually was approached six months after I started the Morning Grind and asked, 1) is my liberal slant an act, and 2) would I be willing to become a reformed progressive and host a conservative radio show? He implied I'd be very happy with the potential money. I said no. This is not an act, and I believe in what I'm doing.
Progressive radio needs three things to exist. The first are good radio station owners who know a good format when they see it, and are not afraid of the criticism they will receive from right leaning politicians, elements and some advertisers. AM 950 has been blessed with great owners who are committed to the Progressive format.
The second thing? Loyal listeners, and that is something we have in numbers. I'm so impressed every time we have a live event and the place is packed. I've been on top 5 radio stations in large markets and AM 950's stand alone events (the ones not tied to a sports team, university activity or major event, like the State Fair) are by far the most attended. I'm truly blessed to have you listening and participating.
The third thing is advertisers. I've had the privilege of working with great businesses over the 6 1/2 years I've been on AM 950. One senior manager was telling me one of his employees was complaining the company's ads were running on the leftist station. He responded, "only an idiot doesn't try to attract as many clients as possible, and the 'leftist station' is getting far better results with their ad buy than the two conservative stations, COMBINED!" These results are something I've heard from many of our advertisers, which falls back to the loyal listeners point.
You can help make progressive radio work. If you shop at a business, tell them to advertise on AM 950. If you know someone who runs marketing at a large company, or is a start up business looking for their first visibility, tell them to advertise with AM 950. If you're a business owner, advertise with AM 950! This is pure capitalism, and we make money for our advertisers. And the more businesses we have advertising, the more secure the format is.
If you're not in Minneapolis St. Paul, first get your Democratic/Progressive friends together and start demanding the local radio group owner flip the programming on the station with little or no ratings to Progressive talk, all day, 24 hour. Then start contacting the business owners who need to advertise. At the end of the day, regardless of manipulated ratings, if the listeners are there, and their telling the businesses they're there, progressive radio will live on to fight another day.
I'm not going anywhere. I love what I do. The podcasting will eventually come for me, but until I have to go, you can hear me by tuning in on your radio dial!
A successful way to control the political leanings of local media are through advertisers. There are numerous major advertisers, big corporate names, who refuse to advertise with liberals. They see the left as their enemy, not as an active client base looking for their business. They usually hide behind the argument, "no one listens to you guys," (see how the ratings manipulation packs a double punch?) as they gladly write obscene checks to the conservative stations with ratings akin to Antartica. Do liberals use plumbers, buy cars, eat food? Yes, but regardless of how much you point that out, they look at you and say,"I don't care." I would love to once go one the air and say "This business says they don't want any customers who vote Democrat. They hate you and don't want your money." I guarantee the station would get an immediate call from the business owner, complaining about how I've irreparably damaged their client base, but my first comment back to him would be, "I thought no one listened to Progressive talk?"
What's even weirder? The pool of Republican money floating around to prop up conservative radio stations is amazing. It's delivered through political attack ads drawn from war chest slush funds, corporate advertisers who make zero sense airing advertising (industrial cleaning equipment, food additives, distant communities badmouthing the local community to encourage people to leave for their town, international shipping corporations with very limited local client base), and millionaires and billionaires who fancy themselves the next William Randolph Hearst.
That's why you see right leaning political talk stations, who only have one tenth the listener base they used to, still have on air hosts getting paid on the high end of broadcast salaries. These financiers used to get returns on their investment, back when right leaning radio dominated the US's radio waves, but ever since Rush Limbaugh's Sandra Fluke disaster, the ratings for right leaning radio have been cavitating. Some stations have moved passed their conservative loyalty pledge and switched formats, especially after the national corporate radio show owners demanded obnoxious cuts of the local radio station's adverting, but the formats never went to a market exclusive progressive talk format, instead they usually program a sports or a market saturated music format. The right leaning programmers have tried to make themselves feel better about their losses with the false argument, "at least we're better than the non-existent left talkers we ran out of business."
The salary issue is really hilarious. While floundering conservative radio hosts make 7 figures, the left can't even get a fair salary for established talent. When Ed Schultz resigned his show, there was a national casting call for the next big progressive mid day radio host. I personally know three major personalities who expressed an interest, two of whom would've gotten great national ratings. When the radio network trying to launch the show got to salary, they did the unimaginable. They said, "you need to work for FREE(!), and after the first year, then we'll see." They actually proposed their in house national talent should work for free. Meanwhile, the same network was paying the conservative non-prime time hosts six figures. I'm not sure if the radio network thought all progressives are stupid, or if this was their attempt to bury the format. After all the prospective talent told them they could go F- themselves, they threw their hands in the air and insisted no one wants to host a Progressive talk show.
If I renounced Progressive talk radio today, and began insisting "I've seen the Republican light!"; if I came out as the former left leaning radio host who now loves all things tea party, much like Dennis Miller did, I'd be able to command five times the salary my wife and I make today, and I certainly wouldn't be worth it. I'd just have to swallow my soul and let the money train roll on in. I actually was approached six months after I started the Morning Grind and asked, 1) is my liberal slant an act, and 2) would I be willing to become a reformed progressive and host a conservative radio show? He implied I'd be very happy with the potential money. I said no. This is not an act, and I believe in what I'm doing.
Progressive radio needs three things to exist. The first are good radio station owners who know a good format when they see it, and are not afraid of the criticism they will receive from right leaning politicians, elements and some advertisers. AM 950 has been blessed with great owners who are committed to the Progressive format.
The second thing? Loyal listeners, and that is something we have in numbers. I'm so impressed every time we have a live event and the place is packed. I've been on top 5 radio stations in large markets and AM 950's stand alone events (the ones not tied to a sports team, university activity or major event, like the State Fair) are by far the most attended. I'm truly blessed to have you listening and participating.
The third thing is advertisers. I've had the privilege of working with great businesses over the 6 1/2 years I've been on AM 950. One senior manager was telling me one of his employees was complaining the company's ads were running on the leftist station. He responded, "only an idiot doesn't try to attract as many clients as possible, and the 'leftist station' is getting far better results with their ad buy than the two conservative stations, COMBINED!" These results are something I've heard from many of our advertisers, which falls back to the loyal listeners point.
You can help make progressive radio work. If you shop at a business, tell them to advertise on AM 950. If you know someone who runs marketing at a large company, or is a start up business looking for their first visibility, tell them to advertise with AM 950. If you're a business owner, advertise with AM 950! This is pure capitalism, and we make money for our advertisers. And the more businesses we have advertising, the more secure the format is.
If you're not in Minneapolis St. Paul, first get your Democratic/Progressive friends together and start demanding the local radio group owner flip the programming on the station with little or no ratings to Progressive talk, all day, 24 hour. Then start contacting the business owners who need to advertise. At the end of the day, regardless of manipulated ratings, if the listeners are there, and their telling the businesses they're there, progressive radio will live on to fight another day.
I'm not going anywhere. I love what I do. The podcasting will eventually come for me, but until I have to go, you can hear me by tuning in on your radio dial!
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