Political Radio --most of it--might as well be termed lazy radio. It bores the heck out of me--so too the general public which has contempt for Congress and is mostly dismayed at the current Obama administration just as it was with the last Bush elected.There's a general malaise in the country--even as the economy has improved people are still ticked off but they're pissed at both sides, Republican and Democrat alike. Even splinter groups like the Tea Party, which have fed off the republic's dissatisfaction with ALL things politics, is the source of major disinterest among the body masses. Too bad this constant hasn't reached some of our illustrious broadcasters and programmers alike.
Locally, we have the wonderful and illustriously charming Brian Sussman Show on KSFO. Sussman's program, I like to call it "Groundhog Day" radio because it's the same show day after day. Bash Obama. Play actualities that bash Obama. And repeat that, every segment is the same. Then, seven minutes later, play more bash Obama actualities and so on and so on...until the very few people listening switch over. Even diehard conservatives have no use for repeat radio. Even hardened ultra-right wing people can only take so much of Groundhog Day broadcasts. There's nothing new here, never has been, never will.
Sussman's buddy, national talker, Mark Levin, is also a practitioner of this style. Do this experiment sometime: just give a listen to any of these guys. Because it's the same old song, you can literally repeat the show and not have to worry about the day of the week--the theme never changes. And it's not just a Republican deal. Randy Rhodes and Stephanie Miller spent the better part of eight years beating up the Bush administration --granted, like Obama, there was plenty of ammo to beat up Bush, but there comes a time when the public is fed up and has heard enough. Want further proof? Sean Hannity's ratings, both on his radio and TV show on Fox News, have been plummeting, down as much as 30% on TV. He's still doing OK on radio but his numbers have lagged there too.
I've often told Michael Savage that more people are interested in his meatball recipe than another Obama bashing. He doesn't agree. Fine. I think he's wrong. I think part of his entertaining program is that the public has turned off politics. Any wonder why nobody went to the polls last Tuesday. The disgust out there is universal. No particular party is immune. Name me a current politician that has universal love and I'll name you a nobody. I think you get my point.
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Waking Life (2001)
ReplyDeleteChapter 4 - Alienation
A self-destructive man feels completely alienated, utterly alone. He's an outsider to the human community. He thinks to himself, "I must be insane." What he fails to realize is that society has, just as he does, a vested interest in considerable losses and catastrophes. These wars, famines, floods and quakes meet well-defined needs. Man wants chaos. In fact, he's gotta have it. Depression, strife, riots, murder, all this dread. We're irresistibly drawn to that almost orgiastic state created out of death and destruction. It's in all of us. We revel in it. Sure, the media tries to put a sad face on these things, painting them up as great human tragedies. But we all know the function of the media has never been to eliminate the evils of the world, no. Their job is to persuade us to accept those evils and get used to living with them. The powers that be want us to be passive observers. Hey, you got a match? And they haven't given us any other options outside the occasional, purely symbolic, participatory act of voting. You want the puppet on the right or the puppet on the left? I feel that the time has come to project my own inadequacies and dissatisfactions into the sociopolitical and scientific schemes, let my own lack of a voice be heard.
(He pours gasoline all over himself and lights himself on fire.)
Please, 8:56, take this shit down the street and play with it.
Delete9:59pm
DeleteEverybody is already playing with it in the streets. It’s time to bring it front and center. You seem to think you’re immune to it all. That somehow you can ignore what’s going on all around you.
Perhaps your senses have been dulled so much that all you’re capable of is to absorb what you’re told to absorb. To consume what you are suppose to consume. To think what you’re suppose to think.
But I know, you’re a true rebel that lashes out at the world by eating a candy bar and drinking a high fructose soda pop then yell in a fit of rage during your sugar high at the neighbor’s kid for walking on your lawn.
No worries, the beat goes on. It stays.
Referring to Mark Levin's comments of March 5, 2014, Brian Sussman stated on air the next day, "If Levin says it, I'm in." What might be the ulterior motive here? Even more conspicuous when he repeats what an "honor" it is to substitute for Levin.
ReplyDeleteKSFO morning echo intertwines audio clips captured from yesterday's "Mark Levin Show" or overnight "Red Eye Radio." Program has devolved into vapid imitation of other hosts' topics, interpretations, reactions, and language/terminology usage. Seldom does he cite attribution or credit previously published material. When was the last time that Brian had an original thought?
Finally! Michael Zwerling has done it! MZ has small digs in San Francisco and true to his word, has been looking into the acquisition of either Family Radio's 610 KEAR or KSFO's 560. He is leaning towards 610.
DeleteThe hangup in negotiations is that Zwerling has only offered "Youngevity" products like "Tangy Tangerine" and other food supplements to seal the deal. Dr. Joel Wallach would be brought in as GM and midday talent.
Family Radio has had stated stern "No comment!" when called, however, there was a sense of "tittering" in the background, sounding lot like Jennifer Jones-Lee's gigglefest. Maybe she is applying and auditioning.
> Even more conspicuous when . . .
DeleteIntended above sentence to read, "Adulation is even more conspicuous when, as today, he repeats what an 'honor' it is to substitute for Levin."
Richard Lieberman on Lieberman Live when it was aired often said political radio is lazy radio. I would word it differently: PARTISAN political radio is lazy AND boring radio. When you have Savage on the national stage and then local hacks like Charlie Friedman echoing the same bashing Obama 24/7 mantra it becomes dreadful radio except for the lunatic, loud die hards who eat it up. That's why a guy like Gene Burns is sorely missed. He was not afraid to debate and sometimes would surprise us with the positions he took. Try calling in to debate savage or the "congenial genius of Watsonville" and you'll get hung up on within 30 seconds. That's why I'm tuned in to bbc radio most of the day and of course Forum on kqed.
ReplyDeleteI thought Gene Burns was one of the most polished, well seasoned radio personalities I had ever heard...and I've been everywhere.
DeleteGreat points. I still remember when Rich got in to an on air tussle with that southern hag named Georgia on KSCO. I tuned for five minutes just now and this despicable human being had the gal to attack Michelle Obama for advocating healthy eating for kids. Right wingers think advocating healthy eating for kids is a bad thing! Seriously? This hag even mentioned Michelle's big booty and mocked her. Yikes.
DeleteIt is NOT the role of the First Lady to be screwing around with the school lunch program. I didn't hear the caller but I agree with what he said, completely.
DeleteKSFO is flipping to "Liberal / Hispanic" known as "The Conquistador" shortly, sources in Atlanta have indicated. .
ReplyDeleteHow do we know you're not Mel Baker trying to dupe us!?
DeleteI hope that's not true. Where else am I gonna hear John Batchelor and Bob Brinker?
DeleteWill there be "Traffic on the Heuevos?"
DeleteWeather on the "Cojones"?
"La Conquistador"
How about " maricon, joto" for a Karel soundalike?
Theme bumper music: "Dude Looks Like A Lady"..
Maybe Weintraub will do us a favor and be buried from 2-4 am where he will do less harm.
HA! Maybe it *is* Mel Baker playing a hoax. You never know these days!
DeleteI'm also very tired of hearing KSFO "Hate Talk" radio during the afternoon, because of the rinse/repeat Obama bashing all day long. Add on to this the complete tarnishment of Bergdahl the elder, and you wonder why these radio hacks haven't bothered to fact check any of the slander coming out of their mouths. At least with John Batchelor I feel like I'm learning something new, as opposed to Sussman and his ilk. It really really makes me want to upgrade from my $14.99 Radio Shack listening device to a radio where I can pick up some decent programming out here in the East Bay.
Thank you, Rich & 12:03 for stating the obvious - PARTISAN Political Radio IS LAZY AND BORING. Too bad these lazy bores are the ones with the most money and influence on Washington and the airwaves, not to mention the middle of the country southward, where the most gullible listeners are. It's going to take a major revolt both on the airwaves and in the polls before it will turn around. Good Luck, All!
ReplyDeleteRich, intelligent conservative radio does exist but in the Bay Area there's no market for it. Most of the kids grow up being told they can save the world by practicing politically correct speech, eating the right cheese and carrying a bacteria infested cloth bag back and forth to the grocery store. That is STUPID. It's a Democratic machine state and people keep flocking here from all over the world to support the collective charade so that's that but I'll tell you very candidly that my wife and I aren't going anywhere and we aren't going to shut up about what we believe and there damn well isn't a thing anyone can do about it. What you see here is chronic anger, weakness and perpetually out of control emotionalism. Any one of those attributes by itself presents a vulnerability but all of them together? HA! There are plenty of opportunities to have some fun, if you know what the hell you're doing. We do.
ReplyDeleterootvg, gosh, it must be devastating for you and your wife to be surrounded by so many emotionally intelligent liberals here in the San Fransisco Bay Area.
DeleteImagine how frustrating it must be for conservatives to see the extraordinary evolutionary progression of the world and the USA moving toward a much more rational, tolerant and leftward direction.
Seven Signs of Major Progressive Change:
1. Pope Francis
2. Publication of Piketty’s book, Capital in the Twenty-First Century
3. Evangelicals supporting climate change science
4. American States legalizing marijuana
5. American states legalizing Gay marriage
6. Beginning success of Obamacare
7. Minimum Wage Movement
May America continue becoming a more heart-centered society.
In spite of all the RightWing concerted hell-bent opposition!
Outside of Stan, Rootvg is perhaps the most intolerable prick commenting on this forum. He and his wife are the prototypical right wing nuts who embrace the idea that they're some sort of brave martyrs because they and their ass backwards views reside in the Bay Area. Believe me, nobody gives a damn that you're here, especially when you're in that hot and muggy hell hole called Danville. Just remember to stay hydrated out there..
DeleteYou're not alone Rootvg.
DeleteThe Bay Area is a lost cause but the pendulum is swing our way what with the failure of barry's policies, the state dem's (genetic) ethics scandels, and unsustainable government worker pension packages. Soon Tesla buyers can purchase a Texas made product.
Look at Harris' failed gun policies... She tried to confiscate guns from folks with the slightest mental weakness, and low and behold, the certifiable nut from LA slashes and shoots 6 folks. Not a peep from Harris. Meanwhile, Detroit is approving concealed carry permits and violent crime is falling.
We're going go have statewide shall issue concealed carry here as well. The Feds won't be able to stop it. I know plenty of people who already carry, legal or not. What's your life worth?
DeleteI could see how a person wanting meatball recipes from radio talkers could think Levin says the same thing day in, day out.
ReplyDeleteSavage's appeal drops when he wanders away from politics. Savages program gets turned off when he starts chewing food with an open mic. Some peoples manners, or lack of...
Savage repeats the same 10-15 phrases when talking politics no matter the specific subject matter. He's been eating on air a lot recently and every time he does I wish he chokes on his food. Another nasty habit of his is when he clears his mucus membranes when he takes a call.
DeleteThe Bay Area use to have an abundance of really good talk radio, whether you were liberal, conservative or a mix of both. Gene Burns, Lee Rodgers, Barbara Simpson, Bernie Ward, Ronn Owens, John Rothmann, all local, I will even throw Gil Gross in there, before Gil Pete Wilson, there were some syndicated shows, but for the most part the shows were local. Now the Bay Area has an abundance of really bad talk radio, some fairly good host, but very few, and not on enought (Christine Kraft, Pat Thurston a few others) Frankly with all the mediocre and really bad hosts, Ronn sounds better and better. It is hard to say who is worst, but here are a few, not only are the bad, they are boring beyond belief: Gil Gross, Jon and Corey also on 910, these 2 guys spend 2 hours talking among themselves about absolutely nothing of importance, Frosty, Ethan Bearman,Karel, Sussman, Spencer Hughes although he has some redeeming qualities, he is for gay rights, he often does a fun non political segment, example: who as a women if you could pick anybody would you like to be your date at the prom, dead or alive (my pick Paul Newman or John F Kennedy) other fun subject, it is more entertaining than Obama bashing all the time. What a sad state of talk radio in the Bay Area, 910 just seem to get worse and worse, the same for KSFO, KGO seem to have stay the same at least for the time being.
ReplyDeleteLevin has better numbers than savage but both pretty bad overall, especially with key demographics.
ReplyDeleteSavage talks about besting Hannity? Please. Equal stations and losing to Levin who's terrible.