CSPAN: Radio Talk Show Week

CSPAN 2 has been airing the studio action of radio talk shows all week. The camera is set up in front of the DJ's and pretty much left static for the entire program. As you might expect from a social liberal (yes, and I wear the label proudly), I could barely stand to watch the conservative talk shows with their ruthless character assasination of Kerry and indiscriminate support of the president and his failed policies. But it seems to be a staple of the right to goose-step right over the cliff of history, waving a flag right up until the heat of the apocalypse is cooking their face off. In any case, I tuned out after a few minutes of that. I like to keep up with the other side's arguments, but only when they actually have one.

Yesterday, a progressive talk radio program from Madioson, Wisconsin was featured and, though I didn't find the conversation quite as distasteful, I thought it was pretty dull. The host was dull, the guest was dull, the talk was dull. During the seemingly unlimited number of commercial breaks, the camera stayed on and caught the off-air talk between the DJ and the guest. The conversation turned to whether or not progressive radio had a future and the host concluded that it did, if it could be as entertaining as conservative radio. The example of (gasp) Rush Limbaugh was used who reportedly said that, first and foremost, he was an entertainer.

If Rush Limbaugh is the yardstick by which progressive radio measures itself, it's doomed to failure. Popular mass media relies on shock, prurience and playing to base emotions and instincts that any self-respecting progressive would reject off hand. Progressives, I hope, would never revel in demeaning or demoralizing our opponents with the same fevered zealotry of radio conservatives - which, therefore, is less entertaining to the masses and less attractive to advertisers.