General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsI wonder how many unionized truck drivers listen to this late night garbage 'Red Eye Radio'
Local station KGO, in converting from a regular news/talk station to weekday mostly news/weekend talk, picked up the national program Red Eye Radio for the overnight hours. I've never heard of it but apparently it used to be called the Midnight Trucking Radio Network. Seems that this is aimed mostly to truck drivers working night shifts as this show is broadcast on Cumulus Radio 50 KW stations (like flagship WBAP Dallas, WJR Detroit, WABC New York City, etc.) whose signals expand hundreds of miles when the sun sets. So curiously i listened to 10 minutes of this program online while folding laundry. The hosts were discussing politics and were basically telling the Fox News version of the story that got played out like a top-40 song earlier in the day on Beck/Limbaugh/Hannity/Levin/etc.
For example when discussing Obama speaking at the prayer breakfast the hosts asked about why he "forced contraception on the Catholics." (In fact, churches are exempt from the health care contraception coverage, but other employers are not, just because they're affiliated with a religious org. Well I guess I knew what I was in when I heard a host say "ObamaCare" earlier.)
Then they went on claiming that Obama donated only 1% of his income to charity and Biden "a few hundred dollars" while Romney donated 15%. I can't find any source to corroborate the claims about Obama/Biden, but comparing their tax returns from 2010, Obama donated as much from his income to charity as Romney did (14%).
When a caller suggested that churches should be taxed, the hosts responded that it was a ridiculous idea because it violates free speech and churches should be able to talk politics anytime they want. Thom Hartmann debated this topic on a show (with Alliance Defense Fund's Erik Stanley on 2/2/11, 1 hr 6 min mark of video). Furthermore, the 501c3 exemption is limited strictly to charitable or educational purpose, not political activism.
I had to turn this shit off and listen to Bob Kincaid on Mike Malloy's online stream.
Geez, I wonder besides insomniaconservatives there are unionized truck drivers listening to this BS as they transport things up the interstate and becoming so misguided they vote for "right-to-work" politicians? I bet that's why Indiana passed that right-to-work(-for-less) bill.
(Note: you may know about an indie rock station "RedEyeRadioNetwork.com". It's not related to this trash talk show.)
Ecumenist
(6,086 posts)overnight...what happened to him?
alp227
(32,004 posts)But at least 960 KNEW has Mike Malloy (1-3am) and Bill Press (3-6am) overnights.
KharmaTrain
(31,706 posts)...along with others at the station after Cumulus took ownership last Fall. Cheaper to put on these asshats than to have quality live and local programming...
Ecumenist
(6,086 posts)KharmaTrain
(31,706 posts)Radio is going through a major transformation...the corporates have destroyed the industry through amassing huge debt and cutting operations to the bare bones destroying what's left of local programming. Many broadcast vets are now turning to public radio and the Internet as their refuges and fueling a growth of independent and progressive radio. The downside is there's little to no money in these stations so those who use these mediums need to be willing to donate their time and, in many cases, put up some of their own money to be heard.
I would enjoy hearing Ray and hope he'll catch on somewhere but with the corporates still control the largest stations and continue to see talent as a liability not an asset...
Tx4obama
(36,974 posts)In 2005, the Obamas reported total gifts of $77,315
http://philanthropy.com/article/BarackMichelle-Obama/62804/
2006
The Obamas gave $60,307 to charitable organizations in 2006
http://philanthropy.com/article/BarackMichelle-Obama/62804/
2007
Barack and Michelle Obama Donated $240,000 to Charity
http://philanthropy.com/article/BarackMichelle-Obama/62804/
2008
(didn't see a result in my search for this year - I'm getting sleepy
2009
12 organizations received more than $5,000 each from the first family
PLUS in addition...
President Obama donated his $1.4 million Nobel Prize money to 10 charities in 2010.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/04/27/obamas-charity-donations-_n_851242.html#s266314&title=Fisher_House_Foundation
2010
The couple donated $245,000 to 36 different charities last year, which totaled about 14% of their income. The entirety of the proceeds of his 2010 children's book, "Of Thee I Sing: A Letter to My Daughters," was donated to a charity benefiting children of slain and disabled soldiers.
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/washington/2011/04/president-obama-and-first-lady-paid-453770-in-2010-federal-taxes.html
That's quite a big chunk of money