Why Does Rush Limbaugh Get To Have All The Fun On Syndicated Radio?

Star Search

by Mark Lassiter

On his nationally syndicated Premiere Radio Networks' show, Rush Limbaugh recently called President Obama "this little boy, this little man-child president..."

How many days before Limbaugh calls for armed revolt against The White House via Fox and Friends over coffee and donuts?

The Tea Party Express 2 is a Great American event for Fox News to promote and rally behind. How are protesters empowered and financially supported by a new program claiming to be "Fair And Balanced"? Fox News sponsors the echo chamber for a tea party coming to a city near you, complete with President Obama being demonized, shot at, lynched or dehumanized. If there is a Presidential do-over before 2010 will Fox News cite treason for its high ratings?

When I listen to the single point of view that is broadcast to over 600 stations via national media behemoth like Clear Channel on a daily basis, I am reminded of the words of my former neighbor, also African American, who said with force, "we have so much talent."

Certainly, money is not a problem as Limbaugh's deal with Clear Channel Communications is the second-largest ever for a radio personality, ranking behind Howard Sterns's five year agreement with Sirius Satellite Radio in 2004 for more than 500 million dollars. According to The Los Angeles Times, Limbaugh's salary is more than the combined annual salaries of the four best paid anchors on network television.

Unfortunately, syndication has more to do with the large advertisers than it does the unique interests of the local markets. Syndicated shows have stunted the development of new local talent as they force many local businesses from marketing to local consumers as the stations can base their ad rates on 'national' levels and carry ads purchased by the syndicated show and not the local audience they are supposed to represent.

There isn't a single nationally syndicated progressive Black voice on Clear Channel (or anywhere) who has the same unchecked creative license as Rush Limbaugh. It is time for that to change along with the colors of leaves in the Fall. Business models and old systems are being reshaped by the minute. Media, both traditional and new, will experience its own epiphany when people understand how "we have so much talent" translates into becoming cultural pioneers.

There is no need for a massive cattle call along the lines of American Idol. The only issue is conforming to the clearly defined Limbaugh criteria.

The Job Description is as follows: must be angry, fearless and divisive. Must make audience uncomfortable. Host will have free reign to craft vocabulary, leverage language or bend facts in the name of truth, justice and the American Way. Forget the intellectuals. I nominate Wanda Sykes, Charles Barkley, Chris Rock, Screamin Jay Hawkins (RIP), a fired-up Cedric The Entertainer, or Chuck D of Public Enemy.

Top Ten Candidates for The Next Great Media Host

10. Wyatt Cenac - cool, simultaneously brilliant and unassuming. Emmy Award winner. His sleepy eyes mask a surgical strike at all things stereotypical. Feature 'reporter' on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. In October 2009, he worked with rapper Slim Tug on the music video "Still a Boss" as a parody of how the recession is affecting the rap community..

9. Dave Chapelle - outrageous and raw. Reminds me of Sly Stone back in the day. The question was not whether Sly would be late to his concert, but whether he would show up at all. Chapelle walked away from 50 million dollars to keep his show on Comedy Central.

8. Cris Carter - analyst on ESPN Monday Night Countdown, Sunday NFL Countdown and HBOs Inside the NFL. Passionate and willing to fight for the things he believes in. He said if he were in charge of the Dallas Cowboys he would put a bullet in Terrell Owens which caused an uproar that caused him to apologize for his comments. "C'mon man!"

7. Wanda Sykes - Emmy Award winner named one of the 25 funniest people by ntertainmentFox has her signed for a new show as reparations for Fox News Channel. I hope she does well. I miss the HBO Chris Rock Show with Grandmaster Flash as musical director.

6. Carlton Douglas Ridenhour / Chuck D - rapper, author, publisher, lecturer and producer. Politically active. Testified before Congress in support of peer-to-peer MP3 sharing. Believe the hype.

5. Chris Rock - from Saturday Night Live's Nat X to his current standup routine, Rock is more Baptist preacher than comedian as he exposes hypocrisy with a compact New York City switchblade.

4. Larry Wilmore - "Senior Black Correspondant" with The Daily Show is a good enough title to merit a promotion to the national stage. A veteran of 30 years, he has written for The Office, Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air, In Living Color and The Bernie Mac Show. His latest book, "I'd Rather We Got Casinos" sums it up.

3. Paul Mooney - "BET is owned by White people. They rewrite history. They are big liars. They don't like the messages I send. They get intimidated and get frightened." Wrote for Richard Pryor. What more needs to be said?

2. Mike Wilbon - co-host of ESPN's hit show Pardon The Interruption. His commentary on sports and society have been a staple in Washington DC for decades.

1. Charles Barkley - has crossed over to the promised land where he can say anything he wants and get away with it. The studio show for NBA on TNT is a work of art. His aspiration for public office in Alabama is a plus. Introduced to him at Jocks N Jills sports bar in Atlanta and found him to be gracious and almost as funny as he is on the set.

We have so much talent. You make the call.

Republican Chair Michael Steele Apologizes To Limbaugh, Returning Fat, Old, White Men As The Face Of the GOP

The Republican National Committee (RNC) two months ago names an African American man, Michael Steele, as head of his party. After serious losses in the last two national elections, it is obvious that the Republican Party (GOP) is trying to be sensitive to a changing and more "inclusive" United States.

But just when you thought it was good to jump back into the murky waters of the Republican Party, out jumps an old familiar shark... talk show host, drug smuggler and addict Rush Limbaugh. Rush goes after Mr. Steele, and Steele is the one who apologises. What did Steele apologize for? Check Under the Hood.

Now America knows once again why people of color aren't feeling the GOP and why Michael Steele is no Barack Obama.



What started this all off was Rush Limbaugh having the audacity to announce on national radio, 'I hope he (Barack Obama) fails.' and then he repeated it as keynote speaker this weekend at the at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC). As expected this set off comments from Democrats. What was not expected though, were continued comments from highly visible Republicans, like financial analyst and fellow talk show host Bob Brinker, ("There are those who wish to do our country harm and are unAmerican as they wish failure on this president"). And then came comments from Republican National Committee Chair, Michael Steele while on D.L. Hughley's CNN show Saturday, Rush is ... an entertainer whose show is, quote, "incendiary and ugly.".

Monday Rush then came back after Steele on his radio show. Putting Steele on notice that he (Steele)was "Chair of the Republican National Committee and not Chair of The Republican Party. That Steele really needed to change his own rhetoric and basically not to just mouth Democratic views. "For this reason Michael Steele is having a hard time getting anyone to pick up his phone calls when trying to fundraise for the party."

Last night, Steele told Politico that he hadn't meant to slight Limbaugh by calling him an "entertainer" whose rhetoric could be "incendiary" and "ugly,"and actual called Limbaugh a "leader" in the Republican Party. He conveyed this apology to all who would listen and or print it.

All the while Democrats all over are just loving this family squabble and the prospect of the polarizing Rush being the face of the Republican Party. Democratic National Committee Chair, Tim Kaine issued a statement that Limbaugh is, in fact, the GOP's leader--a notion Steele has had to refute publicly twice in the past three days.

"Chairman Steele's reversal this evening and his apology to Limbaugh proves the unfortunate point that Limbaugh is the leading force behind the Republican Party, its politics and its obstruction of President Obama's agenda in Washington," Kaine said, in a statement issued by the DNC press office last night.



Finally I thought it might be interesting to go back to Michael Steele acceptance speech when he was elected Chair of the RNC, "We’ve been misidentified as a party that doesn’t care, a party that is insensitive, a party that is unconcerned about minorities,” he said, adding, “Nothing can be further from the truth.”

He also said “the Republican Party had been unfairly caricatured by Democrats “and the media” as racist and insensitive to the needs of ordinary Americans” and, “in deliberations that stretched over nearly five hours and six ballots, Republicans suggested that they saw selecting an African-American chairman as helpful in redefining the party’s image.”

Well "man of Steele" take one giant step back because you have lost your party changing super powers to Kryptonite Rush Limbaugh.

Celebrating Obama, The NAACP And Talk Radio’s Segregated Airwaves

NAACP Turns 100, But What Has It Done Lately?

By Kevin Ross

Congratulating the National Association for the Advancement of Color People for 100 years of service for me is a no-brainer. But given the economic funk the country is currently in, don't expect me to bring balloons.

The current number one civil rights issue in American right now is financial. Folks need jobs. And when I say jobs, I'm talking about a plethora of jobs, including ones that sway public opinion and perceptions as to what is going on not just in America, but all over the world.

Take KRLA AM 870, a Salem Network talk station broadcasting from Glendale, California. The day kicks off with Bill Bennett, followed by Mike Gallagher, Dennis Prager, Michael Medved, Hugh Hewitt, and Dennis Miller. Kevin James, perhaps best known for the intellectual beat down from host Chris Matthews when he appeared on MSNBC’s “Hardball”, rounds out the evening.

Aside from the fact that each of these individuals is unabashedly conservative, they also have something else in common.

All of them are men. White men.

Switch over to Southern California’s number one talk station, powerhouse KFI AM 640, and the Monday through Friday line-up is slightly more “balanced”. George Noury begins at midnight. Next up is Bill Handel’s morning drive, the political musings of Rush Limbaugh, followed by in-your-face, no-nonsense advice from Dr. Laura Schlesinger. John Kobylt and Ken Chiampou pick up the torch during afternoon drive before former MTV personality Kennedy and Brian Suits close it out.

Although all the personalities at the Burbank station are Caucasian, two women – Dr. Laura and Kennedy - are prominently featured on the roster.

But travel across town to rival KABC AM 790 and it’s back to business as usual. The L.A. station that invented the all-talk radio format almost fifty years ago now has a white male weekday lead host in every one of its time slots. Up until last year, The Citadel owned outlet was home to nationally syndicated host Larry Elder.

Known as the “Sage of South Central”, Elder’s conservative Libertarian opinions were espoused three and sometimes four hours a day on the station for 15 years. In fact KABC, which also owned KMPC AM 710 The Zone before it became Radio Disney and later ESPN, had at one point six black talk show hosts on two stations as part of its line-up in the late 90’s.

Elder was among them. He was not only the most successful, but also the most controversial for what many believed were “anti-black” views.

Today, only civil rights attorney Leo Terrell is on the air. His show relegated to Sunday afternoons. Where is the local or national chapter of the NAACP on this issue? Clearly missing in action.

ALL WHITE, ALL THE TIME

This "preference for white" in Los Angeles, the second largest media market in the country behind New York, is nothing new. With Elder’s absence, however, the racial disparities now go beyond jarring. Of the six talk outlets, not one has an Asian, Native American, Latino, or African American holding court on the dial during the week.

There are 48 individuals being given incredible opportunities to make hordes of cash and hold sway over public opinions on the issues facing the nation. Of the cast of characters, 38 are white men, mostly over 40, and frequently accused of demagoguery. White women make up the rest, equally split in terms of their political ideology and two not sharing top billing with their male co-host.

Among the six, only CBS owned KLSX 97.1 is on the FM dial. While more entertainment focused with the likes of child actor turned train wreck Danny Bonaduce, or the outrageous Tom Leykis, the absence of non-white lead talent is still glaringly apparent. In that sense, listening to KLSX is like watching eleven seasons of ABC’s The Bachelor or Bachelorette series.

When President Barack Obama talked change coming to America on the campaign trial, was this one of the examples he was referring to?

Most answers come hastily with a resounding yes.

But this issue is not just a West Coast phenomenon. Across the country, public financed and privately held stations are banishing minorities to the unemployment line in favor of nationally syndicated hosts like Sean Hannity and Mark Levin.

In a similar conclusion years ago by journalist Michael Meyers, Executive Director of the New York Civil Rights Coalition, the data is eerily consistent. Meyers tabulated and analyzed Big Apple radio stations' managers' responses to an employment survey of non-white talk show hosts in the area. "The facts are that AM Talk radio stations all around the country have and continue to broadcast only whites," asserted Meyers.

"The results of the survey surprised us," he continued, "because of the stated and/or assumed emphasis on diversity in other media such as TV and newspapers. There are, for example, non-white journalists, columnists and editorial staff/ board members at every daily newspaper in New York; and there are non-white talk show hosts, anchors, and commentators on TV.”

Well, that was until the Tribune’s, McClatchy’s and News Corps’ started letting these individuals go as they attempt to weather bankruptcy, or write-downs of $21.7 million and $6.4 billion respectively.

Is it any wonder then that Meyers’ findings continue to fall on deaf ears? Flagrant discrimination based on race on the airwaves still exists even as America pats itself on the back for electing the nation’s first African American president.
Moreover, on-air diversity is actually receding, with many in the industry concluding that it doesn't matter if the ring leader rocking the mic is of the same gender and race time and time and time again.

But others are now pointing to signs that terrestrial radio’s undisputed reign may be waning, especially in a fast-changing world full of rivals like iPods, satellite radio and the ever burgeoning Internet radio outlets such as Blogtalkradio.

BLAME IT ON THE ECONOMY

Per 2008 revenues, terrestrial radio is a $15 billion dollar a year hustle. And yet for many, radio is a bad business to be in right now. The industry has suffered its worst year since 1954, the eighth consecutive “struggling” year.

ABC News puts it all in context. “The radio industry, just like newspapers and books and other forms of media, is facing an unprecedented financial crunch. Radio advertising revenue dropped by 9 percent in the third quarter of 2008 compared with the same period in the previous year, and many radio companies are saddled with huge amounts of debt.

As a result, more stations are turning to syndicated programming. Radio stations typically can broadcast syndicated shows at no cost; they just have to allow a distributor to sell some of the commercials on the show. In some cases, it's cheaper for a station to air syndicated programming than to hire a local talk show host.”

That may be a wise strategy, but a heavy focus on national shows creates another problem: The next generations of KGIL Laura Ingraham’s or Michael Savage's won't have the opportunity to learn their craft at radio stations if there are no on-air shifts for them to take. And companies simply are not hiring, making an already dire situation even worse.

Media giant Clear Channel Communications, which owns more than 1,200 US radio stations including KFI, is actually trying to stave off bankruptcy. The company recently laid-off 9 percent of its employees. Of those 1,850 workers, comprised of radio personalities and executives, few will be able to find jobs in an industry that will likely see even deeper cuts unless the economy rebounds by the third quarter of 2009. At a 52-week high of $25.69, Clear Channel’s shares are currently hovering around $5.00.

Then there's the matter of precedent: Radio stations have never really embraced diversity. And without much sustained outcry from the NAACP, Urban League, Southern Christian Leadership Conference or other civil rights organizations, the prognosis is not looking good. No wonder these organizations are dying a slow, painful death.

In California, for instance, Tavis Smiley is the only minority in the state with an English language nationally syndicated talk radio show. Smiley, a popular African American author and PBS television personality who is also a KABC alum, lives in Los Angeles along with his contemporaries such as Larry King of KGIL and CNN, and Adam Corolla of KLSX. Despite the odds, Smiley broke through and is succeeding with aplomb.

For most, particularly women of color, the glass ceiling is showing no signs of breaking. The recent cancellation of LA based NPR’s News & Notes with Farai Chideya (a black female national host) due to financial constraints was one small crack that was quickly sealed.

And this racial gerrymandering is not simply limited to on-air talent. The only discernible nonwhite employee in KFI’s news department, judging by the station’s web page, is Asian anchor Ginger Chan and Latina Editor Karla Marquez. The rest of the 15member crew is completely white, with 6 of them being female. While producer Ray Lopez of the John and Ken show is Latino, there are likely few, if any, other minority producers employed. KFI’s competitors don’t fair much better.

So is it any wonder why the political commentary or pop culture discussions that play out on cable news or the Sunday political shows tends to reflect the views of the majority? What's the point of having a NAACP if they can't play a role in rectifying issues such as these?

DON IMUS WAS GONE… AND THEN POOF, HE WAS THERE AGAIN

When acerbic radio personality Don Imus created the “nappy-headed ho’” firestorm after his 2007 comments about Rutgers women’s basketball team sparked universal outrage, mainstream media was suddenly looking for insight from self-appointed and elected black leaders. The Reverend Jesse Jackson, who himself has a syndicated program, mentioned that political talk shows don't have minorities as their main hosts, (para) "It's all white… all night."

Those partial comments came on the heels of MSNBC snatching Imus from his morning cable show and then teeing up possible replacements. KABC’s Elder was given the opportunity to "tryout" for a week.

Afterwards, no other African American was afforded the courtesy of auditioning to be a talking head. Not one.

Ultimately congressman turned media personality Joe Scarborough got the gig (along with Bill O’Reilly’s old slot on KABC) and black screenwriter John Riley became part of the morning team briefly before quickly fading off the scene.

As for Imus, he was back on the air after a year with an undisclosed financial settlement from CBS. KABC is the current radio home for the cantankerous sexagenarian, who has seen his clout and his national ratings only slightly diminish since the incident.

The upside is Imus now has two African American as part of his morning crew. Bravo, considering in all likelihood they would be collecting unemployment benefits alongside other black hosts who know first-hand how tough it is to land a gig in the current climate.

Even at stations where non-whites are employed as talk show hosts, tokenism seems to triumph. Meyers reports states, “Whether commercially-sponsored or listener, corporate funded, these AM radio stations possibly perceive minority talk show hosts either as hard to find or not available-- or as not "as qualified" or "as entertaining" as the Caucasians they consistently employ.”

That argument is also being advanced in sports talk, where minorities in basketball, football, baseball and soccer take center stage. For better or worse, these shows talk about these athletes, but rarely are people of color leading the discussion.

Two notable exceptions are The Michael Irvin Show, hosted by the former Dallas Cowboy star, and The 2 Live Stews, featuring Doug and Ryan Stewart. Both are intent on muscling their way onto the scene with impressive results.

Other than putting on a yearly Image Award show, sadly, this is likely the only time the NAACP show any leadership in this regard.

But these developments may not do enough to placate talk radio junkies fired up with “Yes We Can” audacity.And their discontent will only become increasingly impolite as the simmering battle playing out between President Barack Obama and Limbaugh, gathers steam.

FAIRNESS DOCTRINE 2.0

Radio personality Bill Press has opined that the ongoing Commander in Chief versus the King of Talk slugfest is Exhibit A why Congress should re-enact the Fairness Doctrine, the federal ruling to insure that different voices are able to speak with equal force and influence on matters of public discourse. Having recently lost his syndicated spot on OBAMA AM 1260 AM in Washington D.C., here’s a recent exchange between Press and US Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI):

PRESS: Yeah, I mean, look: They have a right to say that. They’ve got a right to express that. But, they should not be the only voices heard. So, is it time to bring back the Fairness Doctrine?

STABENOW: I think it’s absolutely time to pass a standard. Now, whether it’s called the Fairness Standard, whether it’s called something else — I absolutely think it’s time to be bringing accountability to the airwaves. I mean, our new president has talked rightly about accountability and transparency. You know, that we all have to step up and be responsible. And, I think in this case, there needs to be some accountability and standards put in place.

PRESS: Can we count on you to push for some hearings in the United States Senate this year, to bring these owners in and hold them accountable?

STABENOW: I have already had some discussions with colleagues and, you know, I feel like that’s gonna happen. Yep.

Locally, Press broadcasts on KTLK AM 1150 with comedian Stephanie Miller, Randy Rhodes, and MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow. The Clear Channel station - to their credit - has the most women on the L.A. airwaves. And we’re not talking sidekicks.

And yet KTLK’s “left leaning” ideology about how the Republican Party is this “bastion of out-of-touch white men” ignores the fact that their Monday through Friday is also white. For all the hand-wringing Press engages in over the Fairness Doctrine, his angst completely obfuscates the issue that even “liberal” talk outlets can’t reconcile.

Are you listening NAACP?

This is why I actually agree with Rush Limbaugh that traditional radio should not be regulated. The Fairness Doctrine would negatively impact an already challenged industry in tuned to what its audience wants. The real issue is one of opportunities missed, and industry leaders in radio, television, cable and print news have enough foresight and introspection to not only say “What are we doing?” but “Why are we continuing to do it?”

Look at Sirius XM, a satellite company whose stock is trading at 12 cents a share, is potentially facing a hostile takeover, and likely will file bankruptcy because of an inability to pay a $175 million debt payment due on February 17. What will this mean for the likes of Oprah Winfrey and friends, Al Sharpton and Warren Ballentine (both of whom were just let go by Radio One), and other shows featuring minorities? Don't look to the NAACP for answers.

INTERNET RADIO TO THE RESCUE

This is Exhibit A while bloggers and specifically the black blogasphere has become the go-to folks to get things done. And for many, sites like Blogtalkradio is assisting in that effort. One of several online stations that have come on the scene in the last few years, Blogtalkradio allows anyone with a phone and a computer to host and podcast their own Internet radio program for free.

Last year the social networking site saw exponential growth with hundreds of hosts from all racial and ethnic groups. In November 2008, some 3.8 million listeners tuned in, nearly 750,000 or 16% of which were African-American alone. These folks clearly have something to say and are finding an audience, albeit small, eager to hear it.

Obviously these hosts are playing in the minors while superstars like Limbaugh reign supreme in the big league.

"I have a very simple philosophy ... put the very best product you can on the air, regardless of origin," says Gabe Hobbs, a senior vice president for programming at
Clear Channel for twenty-five years.

Hobbs was among those recently laid off at the San Antonio, TX based company as a result of low ad sales.

In 2010, blacks are estimated to spend $1 trillion dollars. Hispanics are on tap to exceed $1.2 trillion by 2011. Both groups listen to talk, yet unanswered text messages to radio execs are saying loud and clear, “I’m just not into you.”

“These hiring authorities, in contrast to their reputations for being visionaries and innovative programmers, don't appear to be as either visionary or innovative; but, rather, they seem awkward or clueless, oblivious or insensitive about their responsibility for inclusive hiring. This lack of inclusiveness appears to be a failure of leadership rather than as outright racism or the intentional exclusion of minorities,” says Meyers.

Meyers goes on to point out that the widely-held perception that mainstream, majority-owned AM Talk Radio stations are broadcasting mostly or only Caucasian talk show hosts daily is accurate. “This is a problem of defacto racial segregation that is both easily recognizable and easily fixed. It is a challenge to the stations' executives-- people of good-will, to a person, we are sure-- for prompt, corrective action,” Meyers concludes

These were the identical words he used in 2000. Eight years later, News/Talk became the number one format in terrestrial radio.

Sound check one-two, one-two! Is this thing on?

There’s a saying that goes “I can’t hear you, because your actions are speaking too loudly.” Well, for organizations like the NAACP, the silence of not advocating for minority voices on the public airwaves is most certainly not golden. In fact, it’s just the opposite. To the point of being deafening.

So forgive me for raining on the NAACP 100 Year Celebration parade. I'm just not into you!


Kevin Ross is president and CEO of strategic marketing firm 3BAAS Media Group. A former talent on KABC, he currently hosts his own show on Blogtalkradio and blogs at 3 Brothers And A Sister.

Rush Limbaugh To the Indian Chief, "Where Did The White Man Go Wrong?"

WISDOM THAT NEEDS TO BE SHARED

Indian Chief 'Two Eagles' was asked by a white government official, 'You have observed the white man for 90 years. You've seen his wars and his technological advances. You've seen his progress, and the damage he's done.'

The Chief nodded in agreement. The official continued, 'Considering all these events, in your opinion, where did the white man go wrong?

The Chief stared at the government official for over a minute and then calmly replied. 'When white man find land, Indians running it, no taxes, no debt, plenty buffalo, plenty beaver, clean water.Women did all the work, Medicine man free. Indian man spend all day hunting and fishing; all night having sex.'

Then the chief leaned back and smiled 'Only white man dumb enough to think he could improve system like that.

Tribal Leader Rush Limbaugh Goes Bananas!

This Is Entertaining On Sooo Many Levels

Although our total focus is on Barack Obama winning South Carolina tomorrow and affirming his legitamacy, we can't help but wonder what the Republican village is up to. Well, it seems folks are on the warpath over Mike Huckabee's new-found top tier status, or so we hear -- right Rush?

HAS IT COME DOWN TO THIS RUSH LIMBAUGH?

Obama Stories on CBS News.com Prompt Racist Postings

Why Folks In Baltimore Went There With Rush

Rush Goes After News Station Over Obama

Obama Comes Up Short Against Hilary

RUSH LIMBAUGH: WILL THE POLITICS OF BARACK GET HIM IMUS'D?

After Watching The Clip, You Need To Read This

These Media Folks Don't Seem To Realize It's A New Day - But They Will, Trust Us!!!

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