Air America, et al..

[Steve West]

Sure it's entertainment and nobody would think otherwise... however, no 
matter how entertaining, this isn't music you're talking about.  These are 
real issues and there should be some truth and facts applied instead of an 
endless string of baseless accusations by both sides of the political 
spectrum.

Furthermore, it's PRECISELY because we have some rather uninformed listeners 
who don't bother to dig for facts and take what these so called ENTERTAINERS 
say at face falue thinking it's the truth.

I have pined away, even in this forum, that the fairness doctrine wasn't a 
good practice, but of late I've been re-thinking that opinion.  Why is it 
that I feel a certain way when I hear Sean Hannity - and agree with most of 
what he says, then when I dig for facts, I don't find lies... but I find 
that much of the *truth* has been conveniently overlooked.

No, talk show hosts aren't there to engage in public discourse... but 
shouldn't they?  After all, I thought these were the public airwaves and I 
thought that radio stations were supposed to broadcast in the public 
interest.  That they happen to make a profit along the way doesn't bother me 
one bit but lets do it responsibly.
>
>Talk show hosts aren't on the air in order to foster public 
>discourse...they're on the air to be entertainers and get paid. It's paid 
>show-biz, folks. That's the prime motivation of the hosts and writers. To 
>get paid. It amazes me so many of you are missing that fact.
>

Yes and it occurs to me that Howard Stern is an entertainer too... that 
doesn't mean that some of his material doesn't have to be censored for the 
public good.

You know what?  The bottom line here is that many people don't realize the 
power to sway public opinon these talk show hosts have.  People literally 
congregate around the water cooler and talk about what Limbaugh, or Glenn 
Beck, or Al Franken said this morning... it sticks in their minds and makes 
them think... and if it's all hate wrapped in entertainment then what 
possible good have we accomplished at the end of the day?