Why arent their any liberal radio talk shows?

Question

Their are many conservative shows out their. Are Republicans more in tune? (pardon the punn)

Answer 1

They tried with "Air America" but wound up paying stations to carry them. "Air America" has not been successful at all with the screaming extremists in the major markets.

Answer 2

Oh but there are... all the AirAmerica shows are on NPR and other stations now...

I like Randi Rhodes sometimes... she is like the liberal version of Ann Coulter... a real pain in the butt to some people.

There is also Ferai Chideya (not sure if I spelled that correctly) and she is much more balanced and discusses issues that deal with minorities and politics among other things. She leaves the judgements and bias out of the picture and that is appreciated by her listeners.

Moody Red - you don't know what you're talking about: Don Imus and Howard Stern are trash radio... they are neither liberal nor conservative.

Answer 3

Actually, the reason is far different from any I have heard suggested.

What makes Talk Radio "Talk" radio isn't the host and the host's views. It's the callers. People like Talk Radio because even if they themselves never call, or just never get through, they hear other people and their viewpoints. Often they'll hear something they agree with, sometimes they won't, but they do hear ordinary people (meaning people without a talk show, newspaper byline, or news anchor job) like themselves being heard.

Some hosts take more calls than others, and some have less patience with callers that simply don't know what they're talking about, but the effect of taking calls is that people, even the non-callers, feel HEARD. You can't get that feeling from a newspaper, and you can't get it from watching the news. You don't even get it here on Yahoo! because I doubt that anyone is paying attention to dissenting viewpoints anyway. (If you've ever changed your mind on a major issue because of this board, please email me and tell me I am mistaken).

Now, the reason that Liberal Talk Radio didn't do that is because they chose hosts that have no capacity to even pretend they are listening to anyone that doesn't already agree with them. Where Rush and Sean will ask "Why do you feel that way?" and "Why do you think that is true?" or "What evidence do you have to support that?", the response of hosts like Garafolo and Franken was derision and name-calling, when dissenters did get on the air.

It comes down to the basic personality of Liberals and Conservatives. Liberals just don't listen to anything that conflicts with what they already "feel" is true. I base that on half a century of being alive, and twelve years of being a Libertarian (which means I disagree and have discussions with both Liberals and Conservatives.)

Allan Coombs is the exception among well-known Liberals on Talk Radio. He does give people a chance to talk, and is rarely rude and derisive. Of course, someday he's going to realize he's really a Libertarian, and not a Liberal.

So that's the answer. Liberals don't listen. If they'd find some Liberals who could do that, they could be successful in Talk Radio.

But they wouldn't stay Liberals very long.

Answer 4

The libs have been writing lots of books bashing Bush they have been given wealthy. Then they have became on the left and have been terrified of better taxes and characteristic abandoned Air usa of america. Who needs to pay attention usa of america bashing on the radio while Cynthia McKinney is working interior the fairway party primaries (with 6 others) and Hillary is crying on the campaign path. I doubt a style of two be the 1st woman American Prez. while do we ever pay attention something helpful from the left? The left needs to take from the wealthy and supply to the destructive. I study Robin Hood in regular college. The left has no longer something to speak approximately different than how lots pot they smoked final night or how they think of bill Clinton is God or why we don't choose jails. i don't be attentive to the thank you to describe how uninteresting the libs extremely are to take heed to.

Answer 5

You have got to be kidding, right? ABC radio and it's affiliates have plenty of Liberals on the air. Don Imus was one, Howard Stern, but he went to paid radio, then there's Mitch Albom, Thom Hartmann, Randi Rhodes. And there is Sirius Left, also paid radio.
They realized that Rush Limbaugh is really getting an audience, along with good sponsorship that has convinced many people who were sitting on the line or Liberal biased to join forces with the Conservative right, which many found makes a lot more sense than listening to people like Rosie O'Donnell, Stern, etc..

Answer 6

Im a liberal, and I've heard a few liberal talk shows. I hear their points, and think, "Yeah, I know..". Then I change back to a music station and turn it up. So I guess the answer is that while I stay in touch politcally, political ranting is not what I want to listen to for entertainment, even if its ranting I agree with.

The types that listen to Rush are so full of hate, they seem want to hear that crap 24/7.

Answer 7

Because liberals think for themselves and would not listen to talk show. Conservatives need to be told what to think.

Answer 8

Because the big businesses, insurance companies and corporations only pay for conservative radio programming to promote their own personal agendas for those that cannot afford television sets.

This keeps the poor and undereducated voting for their right wing causes. Cheap and effective.

Answer 9

Air America, which is actually quite down to earth.
Some of the stuff on NPR as well.

Answer 10

Because Liberals do not feel that it is necessary, to wine and complain like conservatives.