In August I put out a dire warning to Air America in the Huffington Post, as well as in many other outlets, suggesting that they reconsider their programming strategy. Yet it seems that even with my great capacity as a major broadcast power broker, Air America, nor others in Liberal Talk radio, heeded my scintillating counsel.
Because Air America just filed for Chapter 11, because I choose not to give up on liberal talk, and because it's much easier to massage a column than to write a brand new one altogether, I think it pays to revisit my recommendation for change that I believe liberal talk radio needs to make if they want to be successful.
Now, I'm not sure whether liberal talk radio is ready to go under, but if they don't reassess their approach soon, last week's Chapter 11 filing by Air America may soon have all of liberal radio hard put to find a broadcast signal that can be heard past the parking lot. Obviously the business plan has been a clunker for Air America, but the talk on liberal talk is also in need of a drastic tune-up.
Since participating as a talk show host at L.A.'s liberal talk station, KTLK, I have not changed my mind one iota as to what can make liberal talk work, and for the most part, it hasn't been the philosophy of the present powers to be. For the most part, liberal talk and their hosts have mimicked right wing talk: hard driving, one note ideology with no risk-taking creativity to speak of. Nothing an intelligent, liberal listener would buy for more than a few moments. If someone likes rock and roll, you don't serve up country and western with new words. Just changing the rhetoric doesn't transform Toby Keith into Aerosmith.
At least when Hannity or Limbaugh does it their audience comes away from it with some believable rage. When it's someone on the left pounding out one-sided bombast their message sounds implausible to a liberal. Beaming out 24/7 "hooray for our side," doesn't work for the left. In the least, it's insulting.
There are exceptions, of course, but far too few. Jones Radio's syndicated Stephanie Miller and sidekick Jim Ward pound out three hours of terrific progressive humor every weekday morning. Sometime fart jokes, sometimes brilliant satire. But always fun. The only successful liberal talker who doesn't do it with out and out comedy is Air America's Randi Rhodes, but she is so well-read and radio-hardened, her arguments far surpass the bloviator test. Simply, she doesn't try to con or pander to her audience.
"Staying the course" has been proven a devastatingly poor tact at 1600 Pennsylvania. Other than less blood, why should it be any different with Air America? As much as it hurts to drop a Rovian talking point on ya, "adapting to win" would seem critical to liberal talk success.
Liberal listeners don't want an ideological hole drilled into their skulls. They just aren't angry enough to buy that. The liberal's (Democrat's) greatest political weakness is an innate analytical idiosyncrasy. Being analytical necessitates taking both sides into account. Right wing radio's success comes from angrily demonizing the other side as utterly ineffective, unable to pose any real answers or goodwill. Liberal radio needs to be far more innovative to draw their audience.
That Jon Stewart of the "Daily Show," and Stephen Colbert on the "Colbert Report," shine as liberal, albeit twisted, newspreaders, should be taken as a huge hint to liberal talk radio. Political satire works. Not that television should be done on radio. Al Franken, though an intelligent and funny television writer and author, has proved it to be a rocky road. But there is a viable synthesization available in dishing out information through thoughtful humor with a pace and voice that neither bores nor irritates.
Politics and satire. It's a natural combination. They go together as naturally as prunes and regularity. And done right, they're just as effective. Not jokes. Satire. Not snare-drum, set-up, punchline, but humor that comes out of situation. Not sitcom obvious, but cleverly surprising.
So much of politics is absurd. Anytime you have such distinct sides with each believing they are so damn right, there's got to be plenty to laugh at. The fact is, political satire teaches us in maddening terms. It exposes the farce of the actions of the powerful, many of whom we elected. To not make that a large part of the discussion is to ignore the elephant (and donkey) in the room.
Years ago, sharp political farce filled the airwaves. The Credibility Gap (every day on L.A. radio) and the Firesign Theatre, were both bold and brilliant, making their serious points more salient through satire. Today, political satire resides on the airwaves one hour a day on Comedy Central and one hour a week with Harry Shearer. Neither alone would necessarily work as is on daily radio. But there are elements of each that would play well as integral part of liberal radio.
Let's hope that Air America makes changes will bring on those who know how to be smart and funny on the radio. There are those in waiting that might be ready to step in. I mean, besides me. There's plenty of comedy talent out there, but satire isn't enough. A sense of how you come across on radio is needed too. Funny can't be taught. Radio comes with experience. Air America, as well as local stations, need to bring on the funny people and show them how radio can work for them. At the same time, programmers and station managers must be willing to learn that all talk radio is not the same, least of all, liberal talk. It doesn't mean there is no room for serious discussion, or partisan cheerleading, but let's give the liberal audience some credit for being more than pablum munchers. If we don't they soon won't care what you're serving up. They won't be there to listen.
Steve Young is author of "Great Failures of the Extremely Successful"(Tallfellow Press) www.greatfailure.com and the newly released, "15 Minutes" (HarperCollins).