Why don't we have a leftist talk radio network?

[vlyons]

Why don't we have radio talk shows broadcasting to all those truckers, housewives, farmers and ranchers across America.

[MaryMagdaline]

1. We tried that with air America - just never had the same reception with liberals

[underpants]

5. Yes. Liberals don't need radio more than NPR and Democracy Now

I had to throw in Amy Goodman’s show because it is sooooo good

[GoCubsGo]

19. Air America's failed for other reasons.

They were started out by people who didn't know what they were doing. They later sold it off to what turned out to be a bunch of crooks.

[Liberal In Texas]

31. Exactly. Some billionaire needs to put his money where his mouth is and start

buying radio and TV stations and get an Air America-like network going again.

The repubs have been slowly building a RW propaganda framework for the last 30 years. It's time we got serious about our side building our own to get the truth out.

[JI7]

2. Because most liberals don't want to listen to talk radio all day

[tanyev]

36. That's me. Only time I listen to radio is when I'm in the car

and I checked out Air America when it was available. It was OK, but I prefer to listen to music when I'm driving.

[still_one]

3. Because of deregulation, and the communication act.

[Mike 03]

4. We gave it a good shot with Air America.

SiriusXM has a very good Progressive radio channel.

[Docreed2003]

15. Progress is a great channel

I listen religiously!

[Sedona]

6. Stephanie Miller's Sexy Liberal Podcast Network

https://sexyliberal.com/

[Rice4VP]

13. Yes, I used to listen to her show

[dameatball]

20. Speaking of which...last week Malcolm Nance hinted that he might be live on the show today. Then he

backtracked briefly and talked about something else. Anyway I will watch the show and get his take on things. I am expecting him to suggest shenanigans as far as the vote count and maybe give some insight there. I could be wrong of course.

[Sedona]

23. Nance is on SMS every Wednesday at 1030 Eastern

[dameatball]

28. Correct. What I thought he was hinting at was being in the studio this week instead of remote.

Like I said, I could be wrong, especially since they would probably have promoted it more if it was going to happen.

He is always entertaining. I really like him and Charlie Pierce.

[Sunsky]

7. We tried with Air America

I wonder what was their downfall? We need to counter the right-wing's propaganda machine.

[GoCubsGo]

24. Their downfall was incompetence by the original owners, followed by

being bought out by unsavory individuals.

[Codeine]

8. They don't want to listen to it?

Radio is dying. A handful of hate radio talkers are hanging on, but there’s no future in that shit.

[DeminPennswoods]

30. Most of the big boomer clear channel stations

are news 24/7 ala KYW in Philadelphia or moving to all sports talk. Where you get the rw radio is on the small, local stations that don't have enough money for independent programming and turn to syndicated talk like Gorka, Larry Elder, Limbaugh, etc, to fill the balance of day or weekend programming needs. People tune into these for hyper-local news, broadcasts of local prep sports and so on.

Liberals certainly could buy a company like Clear Channel, now I (heart) radio, add liberal talk shows to it and syndicate them to sell to these small radio stations.

[Statistical]

9. Is it going to be full of nonsense and conspiracy theories.

That is why people tune in to right wing radio. At 3am a truck driver dead tired isn't going to tune in to something doing a critical fact based analysis.

He wants some wackadoodle insane shit like Democrats are satanists which eat babies. Then he gets hooked. Then he starts believing it. Then he starts voting Red.

[liberal N proud]

10. Because liberals think for themselves

They don’t need to be told what to think.

In fact I get just as disgusted with left talk show as a right talk show.

All I want is a news program that lists the facts and that’s the way it was.

[sop]

18. Exactly.

For the most part liberals still believe there are still such things as demonstrable facts and objective truths.

[DEbluedude]

22. Thank you.

[marybourg]

34. You put your finger on it.

[Walleye]

11. I think it's because we like to listen to music on the radio.

[doc03]

12. Truck drivers, farmers and ranchers wouldn't listen to it housewives maybe but many of

them would be wives of truck drivers, farmers and ranchers. I get progressive Radio on XM but listen to
music instead. I see enough political stuff on the TV it is nice to get in the car turn some music on and get away from that stuff.

[Hugin]

14. It's been tried...

Though, it turns out liberals would rather listen to beautiful music.

The bright side is liberals also tend to buy things which are advertised.

Most of those right-wing stations operate at an extreme loss. It's more like campaigning. Their establishment is willing to pay for over the long run.

They fear a liberal media forming and that is why they have had a crusade against public broadcasting since the 1950s.

[Buckeye_Democrat]

21. Yep, the RW radio hate-machine is SUPPORTED...

... by RW groups, or they'd go bankrupt from lack of advertising money.

They're not successful on the "free market" at all, despite how they LIE as usual and pretend otherwise.

[Snarkoleptic]

16. Sirius/XM Progress is a decent channel.

But it's pay to play.

[Cirque du So-What]

26. Even then, it's hardly ideal

You pay for it, but it has as many commercials as RW radio. I grow weary of an incessant stream of ads for boner pills and tax relief.

[Snarkoleptic]

29. I also listen online to Chicago superstation WCPT.

https://www.wcpt820.com/

[Zoonart]

17. It was attempted. Don't remember AIR AMERICA?

Al Franken, Stephanie Miller, Randi Rhodes, and Rachel Maddow were some of the line-up. It failed to make inroads into rural markets and the money dried up.

That is where the right made its' biggest moves, buying up radio stations and newspapers and media outlets.

Also... lots of progressives live in cities and take public trans to their jobs. They don't listen to a lot of drive time radio.

[BlueTsunami2018]

25. We did, no one listened to it.

And we don’t have deep pocketed donors who don’t care if the stations lose money. There are also no firebrand types on our side to rile people up like they have Limbaugh and his clones. We’re also very self informed and don’t need people to tell us what to think and feel.

There are a lot of factors that go into it but the most important one is money.

[GoCubsGo]

27. Because they cost money, and there are no liberal billionaires

who are willing to invest in such a thing.

[Freethinker65]

32. We need moderate talk radio. Look at what Unites us!

The need for affordable access to healthcare, including support of rural hospitals.

The protection of the environment and public lands for hunting, hiking, ATVing, birdwatching, recreation.

Infrastructure of our roads, bridges, utilities

Investment in education, including vocational and technical, in rural, urban, and suburban areas.

A national policy on addiction treatment.

Deescalate the rhetoric. Big cities and small rural towns should not fear each other.

[betsuni]

33. A Prairie Home Companion did a skit, "Adventures in Ethics" (1996)

Garrison Keillor's character was hired to host a call-in talk radio show and be the Limbaugh of the Left. He told all sorts of lies about Republicans killing puppies, doing terrible things. Liberals got all rilled up and called in to the show furious about Republicans and when Republicans called in to correct the lies he'd yell at them and hang up. The reasoning was "You can't go to war with a picket of marshmallows." But his conscience started talking to him and he felt guilty.

There's no equivalent talk radio on the left. It would be people talking about reality without yelling and lying. No market for that.

[JHB]

35. Because of one inadequate attempt that everyone points to...

...as an excuse to not bother trying.

See discussions above.

[mfcorey1]

37. Clay Cane ....Sirius

[BraKez2]

38. SiriusXM Channel 157