The battle for the airwaves took a new turn March 31 with theaddition of Air America Radio, a liberal talk-radio network, to thedial in nine cities, including Chicago.
Many liberals rejoiced at the thought of having a forum tochallenge Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Bill O’Reilly, MichaelSavage, Neal Boortz, Laura Ingraham and other conservative talkingheads.
The Left decided to counter with lightweight hosts such ascomedians Al Franken and Marc Maron, comedienne-actress JaneaneGarofalo and rapper Chuck D.
The list omits most Democratic heavy-hitters. Why should we carewhat someone like Janeane Garofalo has to say? After all, thisisn’t “Saturday Night Live.”
The debut of the station has been far from smooth, with its LosAngeles affiliate having signal troubles, the San Francisco launchbeing delayed and the Chicago station knocking a Spanish-languagestation off the air.
In the past two weeks, we have learned all we need to know aboutthis operation: It is being done on the cheap.
The Chicago Tribune reported this week that the network isfacing serious cash-flow problems. Its signal has been knocked outin Los Angeles and Chicago because the network owes $1 milliontotal to station owners in the respective cities.
With a network two weeks old already against the ropes, we mustrecognize the shoddy nature of Air America Radio and tune out.
Those who are politically attune deserve better than hearingshows titled “The O’Franken Factor,” “The Morning Sedition” and “SoWhat Else is News?” With these pathetic shows, liberals could notpossibly think they have made a dent in the empire of Limbaugh.
Alas, they believe that entertainers are the way to radioequality.
They aren’t.
In listening to Franken’s show you hear the usual rhetoric wehave all come to know and love: Bush is not intelligent, Iraq was amistake and all the usual golden nuggets of the day.
Even Franken’s presence is unnoticeable on the radio. Hisco-host, professional broadcaster Katherine Lanpher, carries theshow, with Franken occasionally jumping in with comicone-liners.
The show also featured the winner of the “MoveOn.org Stupid andMisleading Quote Contest.”
All in all the station fails to put together captivatingprogramming that I can’t read in The New York Times, watch on CNNor hear from James Carville.
“Air America’s problem is that it is an artificially-generatedpublic-relations ploy,” said Guy Benson, a Medill freshman and theconservative co-host of WNUR FM-89.3’s “Feedback.” “Prior to itsinception, the open market clearly did not demand a high-profile,left-wing radio network, or else one would have evolved on itsown.
“The fact that a small group of wealthy liberal elites decidedthat such a network was necessary means very little,” he added.
In the end the Left must realize it has network and some cabletelevision, print media and Hollywood all firmly in its corner. Youjust have to know when to stop.
We as Americans do not want to hear what comedians and rappersthink about politics — just ask The Dixie Chicks.
No signal, no cash, no point: Liberal radio has left a dubiousmark in two weeks. So you better catch Al and Janeane now.
They might not be on the air any longer by the time you readthis.
Political columnist Troy Appel is a Medill sophomore. He can bereached at [email protected].
