Is Right-Wing Radio The PR Arm Of The GOP?

John at Crooks and Liars links to the RNC’s web page, where the party urges its supporters to call talk radio shows to get the message out.  You can then go to a page that lists all the national conservative bull horns available.

In the WaPo, Bill Press shows how lop-sided talk radio is.  And the argument conservatives love to put forth that liberals are bound to fail on talk radio is a myth.  My colleagues Lionel, Stephanie Miller, and Ed Schultz, among others, are extraordinarily gifted radio performers.  On a level playing field, on stations with good signals and good promotion, shows work when they’re entertaining, even if they’re not on the air for the sole purpose of putting forth a party line.  I’ve been cancelled from stations where I was winning my time slot simply because management wanted only conservatives on the air, fearful that a liberal like me would alienate their core audience, even though I was bringing new listeners in without losing those already listening.  Lionel, Stephanie, and Ed have had this experience as well.

I don’t agree with Bill Press’s implication that a new Fairness Doctrine is the answer.  But diversity of ownership can lead to fresher voices, and variety in opinion.  Of course, it would make the conservative power structure very uncomfortable to have to listen to voices with which it vehemently disagrees.

By: Alan

Alan Colmes is the publisher of Liberaland.