I heard this so many times this year I started to wonder if they were right: "The country has shifted to the left, talkradio is dead." I think the rumor's of that death have been greatly exaggerated. This poll from the Gallup organization made me feel a lot better about the future of our format,and you should too.
I spent the last weekend in beautiful Enterprise, Joseph and Wallowa Lake, Oregon. As I walked around the Wallowa County Fair (which by the way, was exactly like the county fairs I grew up with), the word got out that I was some sort of talk show host. Though I am on a Salem station, I guess someone, I am sure a complete nutjob, had heard of me. The questioning then began. "What is going on with you crazy Valley people?" and other similar queries.
It seems the folks in Wallowa County are actually CONSERVATIVES, and they don't understand nor do they care for us "city folk" and the "stupid decisions" being made here in the Willamette Valley. I carefully explained to them "IT'S NOT ALL OF US, PLEASE!!! I told them how basically FOUR Valley counties rule our entire state and those 4 counties HATE anything that remotely smacks of God, America or Conservatism. That didn't seem to placate them, but at least they understood that not ALL of us over here in the Willamette Valley are completely nuts! They just wanted to know why "we", meaning residents of the Willamette Valley, were letting the Legislature and Governor Kulongoski get away with all that they did in the last session. They understood very clearly how devastating the new tax increases, JOB KILLING TAXES, really are. One might think "aw heck those people are nothing but a bunch of redneck cowboys who couldn't spell their own names". One would be correct, at least that is what THEY think WE think! No, au contraire, they are REALLY smart people and they know a stinker when they see one and that is why they continue to elect some of the smartest people in Oregon, to the Legislature.
The good people of Wallowa, Union, Baker and other rural counties just feel like they have been left completely out of the political picture. Sure they are few, but aren't they still Oregonians? Why must we live with a system that allows 4 counties to run this entire state? Please, someone enlightnen me?
First of all, though I work for a Conservative radio station, one that carries the Rush Limbaugh show, I am NOT a Rush Limbaugh fan. Why? 1 - Since he went on the air in 1988 with his talk show (after failing as a deejay) he wound up costing a lot of my very good radio friend's jobs. 2 - He is a fat blowhard. 3 - He is a drug addict that can't admit it. 4 - I tire of his act, sort of like John Madden. Liked him the first 200 times he said the same things, but after 2,000, not so good anymore.
Now I am really, really TICKED at Rush. Why?
On Tuesday, January 20, 2009, evidently he feels that the Presidential Inauguration is worth carrying on his radio show for the entire 3 hours with no commentary and more importantly to we, the affiliate stations, NO COMMERCIALS! Now, if Rush, with his $48 million contract wants to abstain from playing HIS commercials, that is his own business, but to ask us, the affiliates to not play OUR commercials, from OUR local sponsors is OUTRAGEOUS! He has gone too far this time.
This date in infamy, January 20th, will not be more than a blip on my calendar, in fact I will probably be wearing all black and fasting with ash and camel dung on my head. Whatever, I don't think 3 hours of live coverage on a so called "conservative" radio program is legit! This my valiant friends who believe in TRUE CONSERVATISM is another reason why we lost this election. You might ask "WHY IS RUSH DOING THIS?" The answer is very simple: CYA. (If you need that translated, ask someone else) Rush is making sure that WHEN, not IF, Obama starts attacking talk radio, he can say: "Hey I was a good boy, I played your speech man!" IF that is his reasoning, then he is a coward and a fraud. I have emailed both Rush and his producers letting them know my feelings as well as those of our listeners, who, are loyal Rush fans. Blast away now!
Most of the major talk shows have been hitting this hard today but in case you missed it: Now, in a bombshell audio interview just discovered buried in public radio's deepest vaults, solid evidence has emerged that Obama truly does believe in a socialistic redistribution of wealth.
This tape provides the smoking gun evidence of Obama's real political views that his critics have been seeking for well over a year.
The video, currently available on YouTube (at least until its pro-Obama censors remove it, that is). Obviously coming at a time before Obama was on a presidential political trajectory, the then-state senator is overt in his push for outright radical socialism, if not marxism.
During the interview, Obama and a caller discuss how to most effectively bring "redistributive change", telling her that the legislative process is more effective than the court system for creating economic "reparative work".
The radical rhetoric heard in this interview is in sharp contrast to the carefully-chosen words used on the campaign trail. It exposes Obama's true fringe-extremist agenda, but it's up to talk radio, blogs and outraged voters to spread the word.
If you at all follow my comings and goings you know that I am a conservative talk host as well as a generally stupid former deejay. I may be stupid but I ain't scary and I ain't hurting anyone. The "Fairness Doctrine" scares the poop out of me. If Senator Obama is elected, I stake my life on the inevitability that my "voice" will be removed from the airwaves.
Here is a sample of the Liberal Left's thinking on this subject and I invite you to Google "Fairness Doctrine" and see what you find. Not only is this Senator a moron, but he is sticking his fat liberal mind into an area that he has NO BUSINESS being in! I have said it here more than once, you have a CHOICE! Turn off the radio or tv or change the station. That is the ultimate in Democracy. Don't do business with the advertisers. Whatever you want, but don't take away FREE SPEECH!!!
With the possibility of a Democratic Party supermajority after the upcoming elections, Jeff Bingaman may soon get his wish to quash dissenting viewpoints.
During an interview with KOB/ Albuquerque host Jim Villanucci, Bingaman overtly stated his full support for imposing Fairness Doctrine restrictions on free speech which would effectively shut down talk radio as we know it today.
If enacted, the Fairness Doctrine (which is anything but) would create logistical nightmares for radio programmers, leading quickly to shuttered stations. The need to "balance" every viewpoint presented would also destroy the entertainment value of talk radio, driving away the audience.
In a stunning on-air admission of his desire to re-regulate radio and infringe on free speech, Obama supporter and New Mexico Sen. Jeff Bingaman (D) argued recently that the so-called Fairness Doctrine -- which would mandate equal time for opposing viewpoints on radio programming -- would elevate talk radio to a "higher calling." Bingaman lamented that radio without the "Fairness Doctrine" has become less "intelligent."
A transcript appears below (emphases mine):
JIM VILLANUCCI, KOB radio host: Talk radio listeners are concerned about the Fairness Doctrine. Do you think there will be a push to reinstate the Fairness Doctrine?
Sen. JEFF BINGAMAN (D-N.M.): I don’t know, I certainly hope so. My own view is—
VILLANUCCI: You support it?
BINGAMAN: I do.
VILLANUCCI: You would want this radio station to have to change?
BINGAMAN: I would. I would want this station and all stations to have to present a balanced perspective and different points of view instead of hammering on one side of the political—
VILLANUCCI: In this market for instance you have KKOB. If you want liberal talk you have Air America in this market in this market. You’ve got NPR. If you have satellite radio there’s a lefty talk station and a righty talk station. Do you think there are people who aren’t able to find a viewpoint that is in sync with what they believe.
BINGAMAN: Well, I guess my thought is that radio and media generally should have a higher calling than just to reflect a particular point of view. I think they should use their authority and their broadcast power to present an informed discussion of public issues. KKOB used to live under the Fairness Doctrine—
VILLANUCCI: Yeah, we played music.
BINGAMAN: There was a lot of talk also, at least it seemed to me. And there were a lot of talk stations that seemed to do fine. The airwaves are owned by private companies at this point, there is a license to given to private companies to operate broadcast stations and that’s the way it should be. All I’m saying is for many, many years were operated under a Fairness Doctrine in this country. I think the country was well-served. I think the public discussion was at a higher level and more intelligent in those days that it has become since.
Barack loves me this I know For the media tells me so
Cit-i-zens with big doe eyes
We are dumb but he is wise
Yes Barack loves me
Yes Barack loves me
Yes Barack loves me
The media tells me so
If you have watched the sickening coverage of Obama's trip to the Middle East, you see how the media have already granted him the Potentate of America.
When I saw him standing on the Temple grounds, on the very place that Jesus Christ, Solomon and David stood, I couldn't help but be sickened.
The media has made him The Messiah.
There is more here than just this though. In the radio world we are really seeing it.
A couple days ago, Micheal Savage, a controversial talk show host made some disparaging remarks about autistic children.
It was bad, not nice and probably stupid, but still covered by Free Speech. You can turn the dial.
I bring these two things together because I believe it is only the beginning of what we will see with an Obama Presidency. Political Correctness will run rampant.
Today he is going to be standing in the very same place the Hitler once exhorted the crowds of Germany to build the Third Reich or as he wanted a One World Government. Obama aides say they are expecting as many as a MILLION Germans to turn out for a CANDIDATE, not a PRESIDENT!
I have pasted below an email we received at our radio station from a major supplier of national advertisers. They now consider RUSH LIMBAUGH a "controversial" talk host and want all of their commercials pulled from his show due to the Savage problem.
important affiliate memorandum To: All Affiliates From: Dial Global Traffic Department Re: Controversial Programming date: 7/23/2008 At the request of our clients listed below, we would like to remind all affiliates that all spots including all paid units, make-goods and bonus weight cannot be aired during controversial programming. (This includes Michael Savage and Rush Limbaugh)
This restriction applies to all commercial audio listed below regardless of the source of the order.
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