"Liberal network" signs Al Franken

[Bill O'Neill]

Steve writes:

> Talk radio is a bit different, where it's presented as
> opinion in the first
> place, not news.

Nice fall-back position for talk jocks, "the opinion cushion," as I call it.
Wanting it both ways, talkers will often chum the topic-waters to motivate phone
activity.  Problem is, if you're in the host's camp, then the show starts to
tank with the clicking sound of dials all across the fruited ADI.  That's why
Howie Carr's show is so dreadful.  It's just one stream of (non)-consciousness
call after another.  The only opposition he tends to get are his answering
machine "chump line" which can, actually, be funny radio.

OTOH, that's why David (get well soon) Brudnoy is so good.  He's ready to
provoke but engage a bit more cerebrally.  I don't buy the concern that cerebral
discussions are turn-offs.  There are two considerations: such discourse, while
it may somewhat limit the descriptors of who will pick up the phone (among that
1%) there is ratings evidence that a broad base of listeners LISTENS to it.  I
think it's the "Jeopardy factor."  Most viewers, myself included, don't "get"
most of the Jeopardy questions. In fact, part of the draw is checking out the
"wicked smaat" contestants and the average viewer just enjoying the ride.  We
can all learn from the knowledge of others.

Limbaugh: Pomp and his self-described conservatism aside, he is knowledgable.
He has access to information that many listeners find interesting or important.
So, he's providing a service.  I cannot believe that his popularity or success
is due to a massive right lean in America.  Liberals count in his numbers as to
the conservatives.  Content counts.

My personal philosophy or feeling about callers to my programs was that I was
less interested in what it was they thought about on a particular issue than
that they had an opinion.  THAT was the story.  Witness Marge Phelps.  Sitting
alone in the darkened kitchen in her old bathrobe, pink fluffy slippers.
Sitting at the counter, sipping her first coffee of the day, tapping her index
finger on her first cigarette of the day.  She reaches over to the Realistic
table radio and clicks it onto my station.  Outside, it's still pre-sunrise.
It's cold and still.  Her next action is she actually "listens" to the talk and
begins to engage her thoughts to what we're babbling about.  Then, it gets
scary.  She actually glances at the telephone, debating whether or not to
subject her voice to potential dozens, hundreds, more.  Finally, she dials that
call number and makes her way to that one-on-one conversation the likes of which
don't happen everyday.  The "thing" is what motivated Marge to call.  All of
those switches had to flip in the precise order necessary for that relationship
to happen.  This is what radio has forgotten.

Bill O'Neill