More on Talk Radio

Suzie mentions Stephanie Miller returning to the huge LA radio market as a marker of success for progressive talk radio. What she didn't mention (lol) is that she's replacing an Air America show.

The secret to a successful show, regardless of your political viewpoint, is to have people that don't agree with you listen. I think Al Franken has learned this and his show is steadily improving as he has folks debate issues intelligently and he's moved away (IMHO) from the preachy, hysterical, venomous style that the other Air America shows practice. You like South Park, don't you? Well - it has a primarily conservative and neo-libertarian outlook but you enjoy the show so you don't really look at it that way.

An aside: Wouldn't it be GREAT to have Dennis Miller to a radio talk show???

I am certain that there are individual hosts with a progressive bent who will attain great success or are already there. I don't know Stephanie Miller but Alan Colmes is rising, Neil Rogers in Miami is by far the most popular host there, and there are others I'm just not thinking about right now.

But the ratings numbers don't lie. AA is off to a very sucky start.

I find it amusing that conservative websites are sounding a funeral dirge for AA while liberal sites are screaming that the numbers don't mean anything. They are both wrong in one way or another but the truth is that most of AA's affiliates are either small market or low-power stations.

The right has their bad-mannered, insulting, preachy guy in Michael Savage. And he's nowhere near as popular as Limbaugh, Hannity, Medved, etc.....Personally, I can't stand listening to him for long periods of time because of his demeanor. And I have to believe that's what's wrong with the progressive shows - especially the AA ones - they preach, slander, and call every opponents "liars" and garbage like that. Unless you are a real card-carrying leftist radical, it gets old and the entertainment value is lacking.

...and that's the real issue: If a show doesn't entertain, it can't compete. Why do you think all the gardening and medical shows are on weird times on the weekend? Because they don't appeal to a majority of listeners and are, therefore, not entertaining.

Do you think you can post a reply to this that's thoughtful and doesn't call me or other conservatives or libertarians liars?

(UPDATE)

Another article about ratings:

http://www.nationalreview.com/york/york200504261400.asp