The AM radio landscape is dying, led by a sponsor revolt at the whole format, mostly due to acerbic conservative host, Rush Limbaugh. Add to that the overall changes in media over the last couple of decades, and the concerted effort by radio network and station owners to squeeze liberal talk out of the market. Yes, yes, I'm aware that conservatives maintain that the people have spoken, and that they don't want liberal talk. If they'd ever gotten liberal talk on anything close to a level playing field, I might agree. But they haven't, and they didn't.
Randi, as well as The Stephanie Miller Show and others, were squeezed out of even Miller's own flagship station in Los Angeles in favor of Limbaugh, and the usual slate of conservative talkers. And is doing terribly. In fact, the whole genre is now doing terribly, and the right-wing side is only kept afloat by conservative think-tanks and like-minded groups. On the progressive side, not only are they fighting an uphill battle for programming, they don't seem to have the ear of monied liberal groups.
Randi has been hinting at a departure lately, and I figured this was coming. I thought it would be later this year, though. I know she has a good man in her life, and a home in Costa Rica, so maybe she's just sick of battling for a slot on the air. She seemed really bothered by several recent news stories, and has flat out said (paraphrasing) "it's time to go." As in leave this country.
In that, I wish her well. But I'll miss her New Yorker voice. Ironically, she herself admits she does not have a voice for radio! And she wasn't for all tastes. But since the days when I first found her, while looking for a new show called "The O'Franken Factor," way back in 2004, I've been a fan. And I'm hoping for some kind of revival at some point. Rest up, Randi, and come back in a new format!
[Excerpt]
Premiere: Randi Rhodes Show To End May 16th
A statement from PREMIERE said that RHODES "has decided to end her national radio program. We’ve had a successful partnership with RANDI for several years, and we wish her all the best for the future. PREMIERE NETWORKS will conclude syndication and production of RANDI RHODES on MAY 16th, 2014. . ."
Read more at: All Access
Oh, please Jamie, stop blaming Limbaugh. It's old and not true.
ReplyDeleteThe fact she is leaving the country during the obama administration kind of tells you something.
And to say that some organizations are keeping Limbaugh and others afloat is nonsense. You ned listeners for the advertisers otherwise they would not survive.
There is a liberal talk show host on KDWN on Saturday afternoons- I believe he bought the time. Why don't you liberals go out and support him, pay his advertising fees, get him on full time and then support him as time goes on.
It's true, Dan. The Limbaugh/Fluke thing pretty much killed talk radio. It's on life support, and by that, I mean right-wing think tanks. The advertising for the entire format has collapsed. Liberals who targeted Limbaugh unwittingly helped kill some of the left-wing shows as well. Who's the guy on KDWN? They used to have a semi-liberal guy in the morning, before Heidi Harris.
ReplyDeleteI don't know what the the name of the guy is, just heard him once and that was it. I think he paid for the time himself.
ReplyDeleteLimbaugh and the others are entertainers, nothing more, nothing less.
I'd really like to know how there is a supposed "liberal media," and yet only a handful (versus hundreds on the right) of liberal talk radio stations. Seriously, liberal hosts besides Randi are: Stephanie Miller, Bill Press, Thom Hartmann, Norman Goldman and Ed Schultz. That's about it. Online you can find Nicole Sandler and Sam Seder. More and more, they're getting squeezed out, and into podcasts, if that. WHERE is the liberal media?
ReplyDeleteThis crazy Progressive idea that Liberals are being squeezed out of radio is not true..Air ameriica tried with their own network and there was not enough support..I think they were waiting for the government to come along and pay for them to be on the air..You remember the "Fairness Doctine"? It seems that Liberals can only survive if they get some sort of affirmative action...In other words the playing field has to be adjusted enough so that their group is successful.. That does not seem fair to others.
ReplyDeleteActually, Air America Radio was run by a series of incompetents, and started with a roster of non-radio people. It's a tribute to their talents that Rachel Maddow and Al Franken used it as a stepping stone to a larger career. But the network was plagued with behind-the-scenes turmoil due to the management, one of which is in jail now. But the fact of the matter is, conservative talk bloomed off of Limbaugh (who was considered fringe at the time) decades ago, and grew unchallenged until AAR. With proper management, it could have gotten a toe-hold.
ReplyDeleteBut to allege that the public WANTS 99% conservative talk, that cities like Los Angeles, San Francisco, Denver, Las Vegas, Chicago, have room for three or four conservative stations, but not even one liberal one? It's ridiculous. And the fact that Limbaugh and his cohorts are absolutely TANKING in LA and SanFran now that they've taken over liberal stations and rebranded them "The Patriot," shows this. This is often the case, by the way, a liberal station is changed to conservative, or a redundant sports talk station, and then proceeds to get WORSE ratings.
But tell me, anonymous. If there is a supposed liberal "lame stream" media, where the hell is it?
There are plenty of liberal radio talk shows & media outlets -like NPR & MSNBC. Stephanie Miller, Nicole Sandler, Joe Madison, Ed Schultz, Alan Clombs, Thom Hartman, -they got good enough ratings to make TALKERS MAGIZINE top 20 most listened to talk shows. Randi Rhodes just didn't get good ratings.
ReplyDeleteOne of the reasons why Air America failed is because GREEDY PHONYS like Randi Rhodes demanded $1 million a year salary and a car & driver & sylist in her contract even though her ratings weren't good. When she worked for NOVA M she was earing $600, 000 a year but she wanted the owners-Sheldon Drobney to pay her Libel Insurance. Remember when she refused to broadcast so she lied and said it was because of a thecnical problem ,but behind the scenes she told the Drobneys she was going to stay off the air untill they paid her libel insurance. Sheldon Drobney tried to commit suicide because he had to declare bankruptcy. Remember when she was whining on air she couldn't pay for health insurance ;well agian she was lying because during her phony lies she was spending $30,000 getting her teeth capped-veners.Randi Rhodes has spent over $60,000 on plastic surgery and other cosmetic procedures. She actually blamed Pres. Bush on her show for the reason why she couldn't afford a million dollar apartment in Manhattan. If she wanted a million Manhattan apartment she could have sold her million house in Florida. She actually stated in an article she would never move back to New York unless she lived in Manhattan. When she worked for Air America she rented an apartment on Park Avenue-The pricest real estate in NYC. Rhodes only has herself to blame Liberals know Rhodes is an egocentric fraud who saw an easy way to make alot of money.
What are your sources for this info?
ReplyDeleteIf Randi only wanted to make a lot of money, should could have been "phony," and put on a conservative show. She's a radio pro, and if she lacked integrity as you seem to think she does, she would have done that to make more money.
Randi the Tranny is off the air? I can't believe it!!!!!! Hahahahahaha. I heard this hack a few times while driving through Buffalo, NY. All she did was call republicans drunks and idiots. She couldn't put a coherent argument together if it bitch slapped her in the face. America...what a country if this moron can command a million dollar salary with absolutely zero talent and a shrieking, New Yawk accent. Good riddance, you communist skank.
ReplyDeleteI can't help it if she was over your head.
ReplyDelete