Like Japanese automobile manufacturers making large trucks, or hockey in the South, political left-wingers are invading a potentially rewarding but historically truculent market.
Yesterday, Air America Radio – an exclusively liberal talk radio network – premiered on a half-dozen big city stations across the country. Fronted by actor-turned-rabble-rouser Al Franken – whose show is called the “O’Franken Factor” – and staffed with a rag-tag cast of comedians, intelligentsia and general dissidents, the network certainly looks the part of the scruffy underdog.
However, the popularity of television shows like The Daily Show with Jon Stewart and the satirical news of The Onion have blazed the way for the particular style of firebrand radio that Franken is interested in. So, the market exists for this concept to work.
While liberal radio has sprouted up sporadically, its conservative counterparts – especially the indomitable Rush Limbaugh – has taken over the market. Limbaugh’s show is syndicated on more than 600 stations and has maintained its popularity through presidential tenures, wars, market fluctuations and his own struggles with drug addiction.
Despite my political resistance and personal detestation, I am willing to admit that Rush Limbaugh’s radio program – and most of its clones – is seamlessly produced and impeccably staffed. To be successful, Air America needs to emulate what they are seeking to destroy.
Recruiting comedian Janeane Garofalo and musician Chuck D, among others, should insure some short-term success for the fledgling network, but eventually content will matter and there is no guarantee that by the time the network finds its feet anybody will be listening.
Unceremoniously left out of the equation is the Reverend Jesse Jackson, who will be debuting his own liberal talk show on Sunday. Although Jackson might fit in well with the ilk of Air America, he is a famous enough personality to net his own contract with Clear Channel, and is, for now, too big for the network.
If growth goes as planned, Air America will come to swing states in time to rile up folks for the November presidential election.
This is a good thing.
In the hypothetical where liberal rhetoric is available for my personal listening pleasure, I see Air America washing Rush and Sean Hannity from the consciousness of Columbus, and supplementing CD101 as listenable driving around radio.
Franken, while certainly an ultra-liberal, is also vastly intelligent and forthright. Any enemies that he has gained were through speaking his mind – a fact that inspires real respect. He has gathered – among the aforementioned celebrities – a veteran of public radio in Katherine Lanpher and a University of South Carolina professor. Intelligent and insightful commentary should be a given, at least for their shows.
Political biases aside, balance in media is important, and Air America will not encourage the middle-ground dialogue that is necessary. The network is an important piece in countering the onslaught of conservative talk show hosts, but the vastly partisan nature of it is frightening.
The recent Sept. 11 testimony was striking in its partisanship, and watching Colin Powell and Madeline Albright – two people I have enormous respect for – exchange barbs was sickening. The Republican vs. Democrat nature of media has gotten so repulsive, I find that sometimes I can stomach Franken and Michael Moore barely better than I can their right-wing counterparts.
That being said, Air America is heartening. It will be lively, entertaining and – hopefully – successful.
And if it ever makes it to Ohio, I’ll be listening.
Brian Duff is a senior in journalism and English and can be reached for comment at [email protected].
