Talk Radio (was LTAR)

[Dan Billings <billingsdan@yahoo.com>]

I think the major reason that conservatives dominate
talk radio is history.  When talk really took off
nationally in the late 1980's, it offered an
alternative to the main stream media -- which at the
time generally ignored or disparaged conservative
opinion.  With Rush and other conservatives offering
something on talk radio that could not be heard
anywhere else, the audience for talk radio became
dominated by people who were right of center.  The
people drawn to talk radio were not interested in
hearing more of what dominated the main stream media. 
I think this is why the many attempts to create a
left-wing Rush have failed.  Plus, a good talk show
host is a showman first and an ideologue second.

Also, as a commercial medium, stations imitated what
was successful -- resulting in more conservatives on
the air.

Today, as a reaction to talk radio and the Republican
Revolution of 1994, conservative opinion is well
represented in the main stream media -- but that
wasn't the case 20 years ago.

And the liberals do dominate public radio where they
can survive on a government subsidy and ignore
commercial concerns.  ;-) 

-- Dan Billings, Bowdoinham, Maine

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