Why Liberal Talk Radio Always Loses

In response to NYC Loses Liberal Talk Radio Outlet:

It’s hilarious that every time there’s a contract negotiation with Rush Limbaugh or Sean Hannity, the Left jumps on it as some sort of sign that conservative talk radio is on the decline.  Discussion of liberal talk radio almost never includes talk of contract negotiations or advertisers pulling out because it’s ALWAYS on the decline.  What’s to negotiate?  There’s no ebb and flow on that side of the industry.   How else do you explain the loss of liberal talk radio shows in the very liberal NYC while conservative talk radio continues to thrive?

I wrote about Air America’s bankruptcy several years ago and the same still seems to be true for liberal talk radio in general.

In the New York Times bestseller “Slander” by Ann Coulter, she identified the differences between conservatives and liberals in talk radio prior to Air America’s launch. “To be sure, conservative radio talk-show hosts have a built-in audience unavailable to liberals: people driving cars to some sort of job… The paradox of liberal talk radio is that if liberals cared about ideas or knew any facts, they would cease being liberals. Liberalism thrives on ignorance… This is not an ideology that can withstand several hours a day of caller scrutiny where their goofball notions can be shot down by any trucker with a cell phone.”

It’s a shame that Air America’s slew of financial backers didn’t read Coulter’s book first. 

In response to several radio interviews I’ve done on Air America’s troubles, one producer wrote that I was “gloating” about their bankruptcy. That’s true, but no more than if someone were to bet me whether the sun would come out tomorrow and, lo and behold, I won! The producer also harangued me writing that Air America’s bankruptcy means a lot of people will lose their jobs, so I should show some compassion. Perhaps Air America should have done the same and run their network as a business instead of a left-wing charity case. 

Anywhere on the dial, you can hear radio hosts discussing politics, gardening, callers’ deadbeat boyfriends, restoring cars, how the Oakland Raiders can turn the season around (as if), and other niche topics of interest to their listeners. Yet, Air America can’t get blue-staters to listen to their hosts’ incoherent rants.