Conservative talk radio on the wane in California

[madmusic]

Source: LA Times

Casualties include Mark Larson in San Diego, Larry Elder and John Ziegler in Los Angeles, Melanie Morgan in San Francisco, and Phil Cowen and Mark Williams in Sacramento.

Two of the biggest in the business, Roger Hedgecock in San Diego and Tom Sullivan in Sacramento, have switched to national shows, elevating President Obama above Schwarzenegger on their target lists.

Another influential Sacramento host, Eric Hogue, has lost the morning rush-hour show that served as a prime forum to gin up support for the recall of Gov. Gray Davis. Now he airs just an hour a day at lunchtime on KTKZ-AM (1380).

"It's lonely, it's quiet, and it's a shame," Hogue said of California's shrinking conservative radio world. "I think this state has lost a lot of benefit. I don't know if we can grow it back any time soon."


Read more: http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-talkradio15-2009mar15,0,39114.story

[babylonsister]

1. That's "music" to my ears!! nt

[madmusic]

2. Make music, not hate radio

It is good news.

[madmusic]

3. Good newsic?

Good news that is music to our ears. Did we just coin a cool new word? :)

Newsic. I like it.

[lapfog_1]

4. Apparently all of talk radio is taking it on the chin right now.

Peter Collins just announced that next Friday was it for him... and NovaM/OnSecondThought is gone, Randi is not
broadcasting anymore, though I assume that she will once a vehicle is found for her. Air America is going
through some changes and putting Montel Williams into the lineup ( which I just don't understand ). Thom
Hartmann is still on but now he is doing his own syndication, as is Mike Malloy. Rachael Maddow is rumored to
be considering dropping her Air America gig (which she doesn't really need anymore and it's been cut down to 1
hour anyway).

And I feel that I'm missing some.

Anyway, the lack of ad revenue and high wattage affiliates in major markets is hurting progressives. Plus
my feeling is that, so long as there the Repukes were running the show, we NEEDED the progressive voices just
to keep our anger from boiling over... it was good to hear someone who thinks like we do and has facts to back
it up. With the larger majorities in Congress, a Senate that's near 59 Dems and, most important, a President
Obama ( while maybe not yet the progressives dream, a damn sight better than the miserable failure that was
W.) we just don't NEED progressive talk radio as much. Just like I don't watch KO or Rachael as much as I
did last summer and through the election. I still watch, but if I miss a day, it's no big deal.

[madmusic]

5. True, but the Republican brand is burnt.

They are hurting, and that's the newsic of it. After all these years and years of dominating radio, suddenly the free market is really free again.

[DAMANgoldberg]

6. Cream rises...

Say what you will about Tom Sullivan and Roger Hedgecock, they are talented broadcasters. I think Ed moves back to 3-6P and Randi moves into 6-9P which leads into Malloy.

[certainot]

13. we need progressive radio as much as ever

right wing radio is still heavily dominant and still does the groundwork for all GOP obstruction.

demonopolizing talk radio should be a continuing priority. it continues to make real democracy, based on decisions made by an informed public, impossible.

ignoring the monopoly has been the biggest political blunder in our history, considering what it has enabled in terms of the economy, iraq, and 20 years lost getting serious on global warming and energy independence. we wouldn't be in this mess if it wasn't for giving the GOP the biggest uncontested soapbox in the country.

[roseBudd]

25. I say we don't need it because of Web 2.0, which we own by the way...

because we do have superior written communication skills and we tend to be smarter.

It's actually embarrassing for the dittoheads when they attempt to write anything.

Newspapers are increasing the user control of their online presence to increase page views and there is no one to screen callers to protect the dittoheads delicate delusions.

[llmart]

27. This is true.

I never listen to talk radio. I catch NPR occasionally but because I'm an avid reader and I love music, I would never waste my time listening to some blowhard's opinions. My parents taught me to think for myself, so why would I want to listen to someone else try to force their opinions down my throat?

[CubicleGuy]

7. I'll believe conservative radio is on the wane in California...

... when just one radio station in Sacramento becomes openly leftist again. For a brief, shining moment, there were two leftwing talk stations in the area, but one died off (prompting the other station to adopt the tagline "We're not going anywhere!" for a while), but they were eventually replaced by a gospel music station format.

Meanwhile, the AM dial continues to be populated by the likes of Michael Savage, Rush Limbaugh, Hannity and his favorite toady who has his own show (some angry guy whose name escapes me at the moment), and any number of other rightwing nutcases. KGO radio in San Francisco is about as close to a leftwing station as I can find, but they do have their own more rightwing hosts on at certain times (I'll admit they're in the minority, though).

Conservative talk on the wane? I don't think so. Bruce Maiman, on KFBK (famous for unleashing Rush Limbaugh on the world), seemed to be about as middle of the road as one could possibly be, but I guess that was still too far to the left for his masters at ClearChannel. Now they play Armstrong and Getty reruns during Maiman's old slot.

It's pretty hard to find anything worthwhile on AM radio around here these days.

[scytherius]

17. I used to be in radio and the only thing constant in radio is change in format.

Understandably, they will go where the money is . . . and quickly

[BumRushDaShow]

18. Agree and I am not even in California!

I think this sentiment applies almost everywhere. Here in Philly, save for a single black-owned talk station with liberal/progressive talkers, the rest of the stations are filled with the vitriol from ClearChannel, Westwood, and any number of RW lunatic fringe syndicators. The few stations that insert local (political) talkers, tend to only use libertarians to fill out the rest of their lineups consisting of tape-delayed rants from Savage Weiner, Mark Levine, Bill Bennett, Dennis Miller, and the usual ilk of Limpballs, Hannity, etc. No station in the area ever picked up the Air America feed.

This sad state of affairs in a metro area that is 90% Democrat, finally pushed me to subscribe to XM's lineup (under SiriusXM) to at least get some semblance of progressive talk (I wanted to get Joe Madison mostly, who is on XM's "The Power" station). And even with that, they are moving shows around on America Left as of the past 2 weeks. Still, it's been a pleasure to finally hear Hartmann or Malloy (and I did hear Randi before she left). What a difference! But even on satellite, Faux's crap and other RW nonsense is littered all over those airwaves. It's hard to get away from it.

[truthisfreedom]

8. On the "Wayne" is more like it.

We've seen this before!

[DUlover2909]

9. OH Boo-fucking-hoo, what will we do?

:rofl: :toast: :party:

[mwb970]

10. Best news I've heard all day!

I wish the trend would come to Ohio. The number of right-wing hosts and radio stations here is astounding. The majority view is almost completely unrepresented. Same with the newspapers.

[Bluenorthwest]

11. Love that!

Larry Elder out of a gig! Next perhaps Dennis Preager? One can hope!

[roseBudd]

12. IMO the reason air America has not garnered the listeners is.....

Liberals don't like to listen to people talking, they prefer reading.

I never tuned into Air America once. If I am listening to radio, and I only listen to radio in the car, it is music.

The music radio stations that have hosts yapping in the AM don't really do it for me either.

I used to listen to Stern on my way to work, but then my commute is only 10 minutes.

[scytherius]

16. Agreed. There are some I listen to

like Stephanie Miller in the morning as I go to get coffee. And I listened to Rachel Maddow whenever I could, but I much prefer reading. I just don't like the caller format. I am interested in reporting and some analysis and talk radio is about the callers.

[madmusic]

22. There's more to it, I think....

Liberals don't like loud propaganda and don't like Limbaugh because that is all he is. Maybe Air America had more trouble than it needed because it tried to fight fire with fire rather than offering rational, evidence-based programing, which I think is why Maddow is doing so well. She sticks with facts without loud propaganda.

[roseBudd]

24. I think it is very inefficient, with people tuning in and out there has to be repetiveness...

I say let the dittoheads have it, they are so ill prepared once they venture forh, it is laughable.

They make fools of themselves on MSM online comments and in Letters to The Editor that are now being rebutted online as quickly as they appear.

[Codeine]

35. I like hearing people talk,

but I don't need any ideological component with that talk. I'm happy with NPR and the BBC World Service.

[Doctor_J]

14. Hate radio dies a natural death. Dem/lib radio killed by station owners

If someone were to flood the airwaves with Hartmann and Stephanie and Malloy like they do with Hate Radio, it would become just as popular. But the station owners are all ultra-rightist partisans who don't want the truth coming out

[roseBudd]

28. I think the issue is liberals don't listen, they read...

Since i was very young I was aware that I read faster than people can speak

[Doctor_J]

31. Possible, but irrelevant

The only reason the GOP has any clout remaining at all is that Big Media broadcasts are 99:1 right-wing talking points. If the ratio were reversed, and all one could see/hear/read was Dem propaganda, there would be about 25 GOP Senators and 120 House members. And Scalia, Thomas, Roberts would have been impeached long ago.

[droidamus2]

34. Another side

I think many of the station owners are RW but I think just as many are bandwagon jumpers. They have been fed the idea over the years that rightwing radio sales and progressive talk doesn't. So even on their local talk shows they go for as conservative as they can find. If some of the big names fall or it starts to be the common knowledge that conservative talk is not paying off at the local level these owners will switch to something else that is more salable. (unfortunately probably not progressive talk).

[gratuitous]

15. Oh, it's a shame all right, Eric Hogue

But I would say that the shame is that you think you've provided some "benefit" to the state of California. Did your constant blather pave one freeway? Build one school? Feed one family outside your studio?

[Foxman]

19. I wish it was on the wane here in Texas...

but it seems to be as strong as ever. I was listening to Air America over the Internet this week (which is the only way I can hear it here in Houston) and they were talking to one the networks founders about how far they've come and what the network has overcome. While those successes may be great, until the network can be heard over the free airwaves in the 4th largest market in the country, it won't mean much.

[4lbs]

20. Ah, Roger Hedgecock. The former mayor of San Diego that was also deeply involved in

receiving improper campaign contributions from J. David Dominelli's ponzi scheme and Nancy Hoover.

Hedgecock was removed from office after being convicted of conspiracy and 12 counts of perjury.

[W T F]

21. It's funny to watch these idiots.

The more they drown in their convoluted logic the more crazy they get.
:rofl:

[Xithras]

23. I cheered when Cowen went off the air.

I listen to Armstrong & Getty in the morning (who are generally apolitical, though one of them does lean right a bit...I put up with it because he's funny and it doesn't happen often) and Cowen used to come on right afterward. I couldn't hit the tuner button fast enough.

Sadly, his leaving the air had little to do with a conservative wane. Cowen was head to head with Rush Limpballs on another station, and he couldn't compete with Rush for conservative listeners.

KSTE replaced him with Clark Howard, a totally nonpolitical show.

[No Elephants]

26. Who'll create and disseminate the memes? How will anyone know what to think? This is series!1111!!

[treestar]

29. With the economy as bad as it is

They are bound to take a dive - people aren't buying the no government, no taxes, right wing BS.

[RamboLiberal]

30. Hope this is the start of a trend - especially in blue states & cities

Amazing how even in blue states & cities that RW radio dominates the airwaves!

My only salvation is listening to Stephanie Miller, Ed Schultz, Thom Hartmann on the net. At least in Pittsburgh we finally got after a long 6 month hiatus our lone liberal back, Lynn Cullen.

And of course in the evenings I can watch KO & Rachel.

But since I like politcal talk it pisses me off and raises my blood pressure that in the car all I can get on the radio is this RW crap.

[melm00se]

32. and all of this

without re-instituting the "Fairness Doctrine"...who'd've thunkit!

[ronnykmarshall]

33. Larry Elder is a fucking prick.

I tried calling and he just talked all over me. I lost my cell phone connection before I could tell him to fuck off.

[SemiCharmedQuark]

37. Remember his shitty show "Moral Court"

Didn't even last a year.

[ronnykmarshall]

38. Oh god! That was horrible.

I saw that once and just couldn't get over how horrible it was.

Now I LOVES me some trashy daytime TV court shows ... but that was down right shitty. I didn't even know who he was when I watched it.

[slackmaster]

36. Roger Hedgecock is still in his same old time slot

And his show has gone completely down the tubes. He used to focus on local issues. I often disagreed with him but at least his viewpoint was usually thoughtful and well articulated.

Now he gets nationwide callers who are too dumb to get past Rush Limbaugh's screener.