Randi Rhodes Staying on Premiere Radio Network

Fun fact: I made this graphic on one of Randi's
returns after an absence. She's since used it on
her own site. So, yay!

Whew! As a fan of liberal radio hostess, Randi Rhodes, I'm breathing a sigh of relief. Randi let slip that she was likely to be terminated from her Premiere Radio contract at the end of December, sending her audience into gallows mode. Those of us who have followed her since the beginning of Air America Radio have had to endure two prior--unexpected--losses of our radio goddess. We know that in the radio business, only so many things can be said aloud, and that due to contracts and whatnot, Randi couldn't tell us where she'd be, when or why. So, we were girding ourselves for a Randi-free future.

Alas, she's been re-signed, and will be around for at least another year. Sure, I'd have survived listening to Thom Hartman (who I do like), but given the choice, I'd pick Randi any time. Already, I have the three-hour lull between The Stephanie Miller Show and Randi's show (yes, Ed Schultz is on then, but I'm not exactly a fan). There's nothing I like to listen to after 3 pm. So, I was gonna be stuck with half of Steph's show, and then kind of a doldrums. What would I do, switch to Sean Hannity? Blecchhh.

Conservative radio fans would say that Randi's near-cancellation is just an indicator that liberal radio doesn't work. Interestingly--though they insist that the media is awash with liberal programming--they claim there is no market for liberal talk radio. Cognitive dissonance of course, has never been an issue for the tea party crowd. But the truth is, when Rush Limbaugh went on his misogynistic, hateful, and completely ignorant rants against Sandra Fluke, advertisers left radio in droves. Rush (and Sean and the odious Mark Levin and Michal Savage, et. al) manage to stay on because of conservative think tank foundation money. And phony colleges. And paranoid, end-of-the-world seeds, and gold, and whatnot. Those options are not available to liberals in this "liberal media."

Anyway, I'm jazzed that I'm not losing my Randi, at least not yet, not this time. And to anyone who would sneer and say that she's just the liberal version of Rush (or any of the also-rans, wannabes and never-weres), I'll tell you this. Randi has always said, "don't believe a word I say." She says, she knows the company she keeps on the radio dial, and that you shouldn't trust anything any of them say, without checking it out yourself from real newspapers.* I've kept her motto here at my blog as well. Where Rush will tell you to trust him as your single information source, Randi is constantly urging engagement, and even assigns homework on her show and website (which includes sources and further reading on her topics, from legitimate news sites). Plus, she's funny as hell.

Congratulations, Randi!

[Excerpt]

I have good news—I’m not going anywhere. I know what you’re thinking—Toronto Mayor Rob Ford is saying the same thing. But in his case it’s probably not true... and in his case that’s not good news. But Premiere is going to renew my contract for another year, so the good news is that I’m staying put. The bad news is that I’m in Florida, but that doesn’t need to affect you. I’m not going to go away, no matter what Republicans might want. In that sense, I’m like Obamacare—I’m just a lot easier to access. That’s because I have a much better website.

Read more: Randi Rhodes


*My one quibble with Randi Rhodes is her disdain for bloggers, which--obviously--is my hobby. I agree with her that no one should take a blogger's or a radio host's word for anything. Most aren't credentialed in any way (not Randi, not me, certainly not Rush Limbaugh or Sean Hannity), and are just giving their opinion. An informed opinion in her case, but still just opinion. So, I get it, but I don't think bloggers are useless, I think we point people to news, much as she does. Still love her though.

And by the way, I must point out that the only way for me to listen to any liberal talk, I have to actively seek it out online or on my phone, via IHeartRadio.com, DAR.fm or other online source. Again, for all the talk of "liberal media," we have never had a liberal radio station here in blue Clark County/Las Vegas, Nevada.