Our story last week about Mike Crute’s plan for liberal talk radio generated a lot of feedback from our readers, including this comment from KCAA CEO Fred Lundgren…
“Mike has a good plan that needs to be expanded nationally. The democratic leadership of this country MUST use liberal talk radio to win back the hearts and minds of red state voters. This will require a commitment of hundreds of millions of dollars annually and it demands a total departure from (inside their bubble) conventional thinking. There are 1315 news-talk stations in America and a large majority of them broadcast conservative talk. These shows are supported locally by conservative business owners who comprise most of the business community. This feedback loop has worked great for the republican party for 25 years. The only way to offset this one-sided monopoly of right wing bullshit is to buy the air time. There are plenty of billionaire liberals who can afford to do it without breaking a sweat, simply by combining their resources. I hope Mike can convince them to do it. As a democrat and station licensee, I’ve been yelling about this for years while the democratic establishment continues to steal defeat out of the hands of victory.”
Check out the story again HERE and the comments that follow.
Liberalism – it really is a mental illness.
How is a liberal net work going to raise revenue talking to unemployed and illegal listeners and urging them to hate America and our business community?
Jim,
We have liberal shows on KCAA and none of them tell listeners to hate America. So, since you mentioned it, who originated the hateful rhetoric? It certainly did not start with liberal talk radio. Conservative talk has it’s origins in division, suspicion, opposition to “others” and anger at those who are not members of the tribe.
How is a liberal net work going to raise revenue talking to unemployed and illegal listeners and urging them to hat America and our business community?
We already have a liberal talk radio network. It’s called National Public Radio.
Oh, and, it’s taxpayer-funded, to boot…a very liberal idea.
Then, when the liberal ‘choir’ is bored with being preached to on NPR, they always have the abysmally-rated CNN and MSNBC to turn to. Or the major social media outlets — very liberal — which engage in things like ‘shadow banning’ as a way to prop up liberal voices.
Yes, I think the liberal point of view is already very well covered across all the different media.
NPR doesn’t have talk shows about politics. That’s not what they do. They have no equivalent to Rush Limbaugh or Sean Hannity attacking Democrats or repeating conspiracy theories. There is no one at CNN or MSNBC doing that either. If funding things with taxpayer money is liberal, then building the wall is a liberal idea.
Twisted logic and semantics games on your part, Mark…but, hey, the First Amendment even allows for that.
And, if it doesn’t bother you or anyone else that the Federal (or any level of) government is funding the media, well, then…
The federal government funds the Voice of America too. The federal government buys ads on commercial radio.
I am not trying to be unpleasant, Mark, but you keep spouting half-truths and misrepresentations.
Voice of America is directed to a foreign audience, to educate and inform them about American society, culture and government policy. While I am not foolish enough to argue that there are no politics discussed on VOA, it is not of a partisan nature and certainly does not attack the Federal government or officeholders.
Likewise, the Federal government does not buy partisan spots on commercial radio for the purpose of attacking or even criticizing officeholders or public policy.
Please, Mark, stop with the ‘apples and oranges’ nonsense.
Just like VOA, there is no partisan reporting on NPR. No one similar to Rush Limbaugh or Sean Hannity. They report mostly about American culture and its people, not politics. And Republicans have continually voted to continue funding for it year after year.
Oh, Mark-
CNN and MSNBC attack the President and conservatives all day long, daily. They trip over each other seeking to dominate the 35% of people who identify as Liberal.
The call segments “News”, but much of it has a viewpoint. Perfectly legal, but most of it needs verification because Fake News does get on the air.
NPR employs people like Mara Liason, who, if you’ve watched her on Bret Baier’s Fox TV show, is an old-school liberal, and that’s fine as long as you know where she’s coming from. Mara was a big Hillary fan.
What’s wrong with attacking Democrats? It’s legal and proper last I heard.
If Mara is a liberal, what is she doing on Fox? What’s going on there? They had Mayor Pete on too. Is Chris Wallace a liberal? His dad was.
Are you really that ignorant, Mark? Fox has lots of liberals on. What would you call the bedazzled Shepard Smith? How about Oliviet Knox who also appears on Baier’s show, Or Chuck Lane, WaPo columnist and many other that Bret has as panelists.
To answer your question, Chris Wallace is a registered Democrat. Fine with me. You see, it’s your ilk who wants to keep opposing views off the air. Conservatives like liberals on the air. It shows the undecided voters what liberals really believe.
Hey Bill, If liberals want to keep opposing voices off the air, why are you opposed to liberal talk radio? When was the last time Rush had a liberal on his radio show? Does he offer Democrat candidates equal time on his radio show? Does he even allow them to respond to his rants? Does Rush take calls from listeners?
Keep talking, Mark. You make my previous point nicely. I have no objection to liberal talk radio. It can take it’s chances in the marketplace against conservative talk anytime.
Rush takes calls from liberals all the time. Equal Time? You don’t even know the definition. You really are stupid. Go have a Starbucks with Eric.
Robert,
Respectfully, you are incorrect. Only a small amount of NPR’s funding comes from taxpayers. If that were true, there would be no pledge drives. Your opinion must be informed by Fox News and right wing talk radio because in fact, Federal, State & Local governments make up less than 6% of the revenue and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting kicks in another 10% percent. These statistics are known to the 30 million people who listen to NPR. This is why they underwrite the network at pledge time. Surveys show that NPR is one of most trusted news sources on the planet.,
Hello, Fred.
The last numbers I saw, from about two years ago, indicated that, combined, NPR, PBS and CPB received almost a half-BILLION dollars in taxpayer funds. That’s still a very hefty sum of money, in my book.
Yes, $450 million is pretty much a rounding error, as the saying goes, in an annual Federal budget that runs into the trillions of dollars. But, to a lot of us, the dollar amount is not the point. Rather, many of us, as I stated elsewhere in this conversation, oppose tax dollars being used to support the broadcast or any other media. It’s a very fundamental, philosophical belief that really transcends money.
And, as you, yourself, say, Fred, you’re doing just fine in the private, commercial sector airing liberal programming on your stations. That is the way it should be. History is just too replete with examples of things that can go wrong when governments control the CONTENT of the broadcast airwaves. Yes, for many of us, on the other side of the aisle, it is a ‘trust’ issue…and we don’t. Kudos to you for apparently making liberal views work…without government financing or control.
The point is that the taxpayer money was appropriated by a Republican-controlled Congress, and signed by a Republican president. If you have a problem with it, you should talk to them.
Why do they need talk radio when they own every television viewer except those seeking the truth. Those folks watch FOX.
The question is why do you fear another voice if you think you have the truth? The truth should win, right? Unless it’s not really the truth.
Paesan,
Seeking the truth by watching Fox would be like seeking cultural refinements by watching professional wrestling.
I’m politically independent. I’ve spent more than 40 years iin media…..broadcasting, publishing and online. I think the power of talk radio as relates to politics has been misunderstood for many years. Talk radio tends to aattract older, white adults. A demographic group that’s almost identical to conservative voters to begin with. Conservative talk radio, therefore, “preaches to the chior”. I’d argue that conservative talk radio attracts very few converts. Conservative hosts ‘preach to the chior” and make their audiences feel good about their political choices. Using scare tactics and spewing extreme rhetoric as a tool to keep them in the fold as well as block out rational arguments from the left. Liberal Talk? Its been tried and didn’t work. Liberal and independent voters are younger (18-49) and tend not to listen to any type of talk radio. If they listen to commercial radio at all, its usually music (or sports in the case of men). And a lot of that listening is done via online services such as Spotify and Pandora as well as Satellite radio. Good luck trying to launch a political talk network aimed at THEM.
Valurep: “Spewing extreme rhetoric” kind of topped your hand as not necessarily very “independent” at all. I don’t care for the Limbaughs, Hannitys and Levins of the airways anyway, but rather than do the narrow-minded thing and paint with a broad, stereotypical brush (“older, white audience”), just chill and not worry so much about those who want to serve up “reasonable, rational” left wing propaganda to counter.
Will be Right is absolutely correct! The liberals have tried their hand at talk radio and failed miserably because no one was buying their bullshit. That’s why Soros and the other billionaire Dems aren’t buying in.
Joe,
To succeed, liberal talk radio can’t be calm, reasoned, analytical and “thoughtful.” That has been tried and it does not work. Liberal talk needs fire breathers who who go beyond the calm voice of Thom Hartmann and Bill Press, or the humor of Stephanie Miller, all of whom have my sincere respect. Certainly, liberal talkers must be factual and call out the liars on conservative talk… but equally important, liberal voices must be loud, outrageous and offense to conservatives, so offensive that conservatives will listen, just to be outraged, in the same way liberals once listened to Rush.
Fred come on now… Liberal Talk Radio and the Main Stream Media has been dominated by your side for decades. Lets be honest, it all boils down to Trump won and Hillary lost and your side cant handle this very truth. Why don’t you guys come up with new ideas and a plan for America other than Impeach Trump and then maybe people will take your side seriously.
Trump can’t deal with the fact that he won. He’s a sore winner, and he’s now using the power of the fed gov to attack his enemies, including private citizens, private businesses, and the opposing party. This is what the deep state does when its run by a one guy who are required to pledge them total loyalty. He has broken his promise to drain the swamp. He has instead co-opted it to work directly for him.
Someone please tell Eric (the Obama hand-Holder) that he’s confused by who inhabits The Swamp.
The Swamp hosts people like the two former FBI agents who were screwing each other on company time while plotting a coup.
It also hosts Brennan and Clapper who will probably being doing time or living in exile when this is all over.
And James (choir boy) Comey who’s motto is “I Cannot Tell A Truth.”
There are hundreds more…lurking as the focus pivots toward them
Sorry daddy-o, the swamp is anyone who works in the various agencies near the WH. That whole area is land-fill. You can’t be selective and just pick the two or three you don’t like. The leader of the liars resides in the middle of the swamp, and he has the power to drain it, or have them kiss his ring. He prefers to have them kiss his ring or any other part of his body. If I was forced to testify, so is my successor.
Eric did you really just call the conservatives the Deep State?
Never mind the last 2 years, how about the last 20 years?
There can be no doubt about the coup attempted against our duly elected president who has been the best potus all while under attack.
There can be no doubt that the “duly elected president” got there with the help of the Russian govt, and likely owes them on several fronts. No other reason for him to cozy up to Putin. There is no coup if people are just doing their job, and everything was approved by judges and the Republican DOJ. Its all constitutional. Even if they found T guilty, all it means is the VP becomes president. So it doesn’t change the results of the election, which was bought and paid for by Putin. He’s a crook, and everyone knows it.
This guy really might be Eric Holder
“The results of the election which was paid for by Putin”
“Trump is a sore winner”
“There is no coup if everyone is just doing their job”
Eric talked like that when he didn’t take his meds. Like after he went to Ferguson Missouri
Steve,
Liberal talk radio is statistically and objectively, the mainstream thinking of a majority of Americans on a majority of issues. As proof, we can go through a long list of national policies. The real truth is that a very vocal and angry minority, represented by right wing talk radio and Fox News has amplified a minority point of view beyond it’s deserved place on the national stage. This has caused a new false equivalence to emerge between viewpoints on policies that were previously undisputed. Again, I can offer numerous examples. So, you see, most of the national media is not “liberal” as so many in the angry minority camp claim. In fact, liberal views are mainstream… representing the best of inclusive American views. Liberals are patriots who seek a stronger “Union” not more division and hate as perpetuated on right wing talk radio.
Mr. Lundgren actually believes that the success of conservative talk radio is based on “support” from Republican local businessmen who buy advertising on these stations, not for ROI, but as a personal donation to “the cause”.
He goes on to lambaste well-healed liberals, billionaires like Tom Steyer and George Soros, for not doing the same for left-wing stations like the one he owns.
He completely ignores the advertising bought by liberal candidates and PACs on conservative shows, purchased because those stations have proven audience.
Mr. Lundgren does well in portraying the victim, much like the political philosophy demonstrated daily by those who share his views.
Will,
The long term victims are working class people who buy into attacks on unions, opposition to universal health care, laws against women’s rights and so much more. I am dumbfounded that gullible evangelicals can adjust their religious beliefs to match the cacophony of BS on right wing talk radio. The victims are also those who take the early bus to work, those millions who have no chance for upward mobility in system rigged against them. Most recently, the victim has been the rule of law.