Thom Hartmann on CNN's "Reliable Sources" panel on the future of conservative talk radio

[alp227]

Guest host Patrick Gavin hosts a panel featuring progressive talk radio host Thom Hartmann, conservative talk radio host Michael Medved, and Talkers magazine editor Michael Harrison about the future of conservative talk radio after Cumulus drops the Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity shows. Transcript; excerpts:

MICHAEL HARRISON, TALKERS MAGAZINE: It's clearly a radio deal. It has nothing to do with the future of conservative talk radio. It has nothing to do with the future of Rush Limbaugh or Sean Hannity. It just is a deal between two giant radio companies trying to negotiate whether they're going to continue to be in business together, politics and experienced bedfellows in radio, and they're two competing companies that also work together, Clear Channel and Cumulus. They're just trying to come up with a deal.

And all of these public proclamations about Rush Limbaugh's ratings are down or the conservative movement is drying up and all that, that's the politicization of the situation. In fact, it's just a deal. They're not going to be dropped from the air. If they don't come up with a deal with Cumulus, they'll be on Clear Channel stations or any other companies that would love to have the two biggest attractions in talk radio, Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity.

GAVIN: Well, Thom Hartmann, let's go to you. Do you agree? I mean, David Brock from Media Matters said on MSNBC that this is a huge victory for progressive radio. You're in progressive radio. When you look at this, do you view the fact that they might get dropped by these 40 Cumulus stations as a victory for progressive radio?

THOM HARTMANN, SYNDICATED RADIO HOST: No, I agree with Michael that it is just a business deal. In fact, I can take it a step further. It is the further vertical integration of the radio industry. Clear Channel owns Premiere, the syndicating company that runs Rush and Sean's shows. And so they're moving that onto their stations.

Cumulus has their own syndication company. They bought the old ABC radio networks so they want to move their own talent on. If you own the talent that you have on your local radio shows, then you get to capture the network minutes, advertising revenue, as well as the local --

GAVIN: So why did David Brock say that this is a victory for progressives? For progressive radio -- is that just wishful thinking?

HARTMANN: No, David Brock and Media Matters were leading the boycott Limbaugh crusade, which did presumably some damage to the Limbaugh show. I can tell you it did a lot of damage to progressive talk radio, because a lot of advertisers right across the board said just pull me out of all talk radio.

So I don't know Limbaugh's numbers, but I do know on our side of it that progressive radio took a hit as a consequence of that.

GAVIN: One second, I want to go to what Rush Limbaugh has said about this. We're going to play a clip. This is what he said on his radio show on Monday.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LIMBAUGH: Nothing is going to change. You are going to be able to get this radio program on as many, if not more radio stations down the road than it's on now. And what you're being treated to is just a public business negotiation.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GAVIN: Thom Hartmann, let me get your take. I mean, there is this idea that at some point Rush Limbaugh will retire and there's some research to indicate that his audience might be getting a bit older.

Where do you see Rush Limbaugh, his audience, his popularity, in, say, three to five years from now?

HARTMANN: Well, I think that's up to Rush. He's a brilliant and talented guy. He does radio really, really well.

GAVIN: Are the trend lines going up for him or going down?

HARTMANN: I don't know. I'm not inside. But I do know that in n general, talk radio is doing well, particularly as we move into other platforms, onto the web, into TV simulcast, it is helping right across the board.

The video has 6 likes, 21 dislikes. The dittoheads must be PANICKING.

Alternet.org published this article on Saturday by Hartmann, "The Corporate Right-Wing Agenda Is Driving Thousands of Americans to Attempt Suicide"

[Dawson Leery]

1. kick

[totodeinhere]

2. That's one thing I love about Thom Hartmann. He is a dedicated progressive

but he thinks for himself and doesn't always spout the "company line."

[dawn frenzy adams]

6. Excuse me?

Are you being facetious? Because Thom sounds exactly like he his touting the company line. He's praising Rush Limbaugh. He completely lied about right-wing radio's demise. The new rating system has proved that the right-wing audience is fabricated. It's not that popular. But Thom wants to stay in the graces of these right-wing companies. He wants to keep the crumbs they throw his way. Notice how he took a swipe at Media Matters?

[certainot]

8. i agree thom is talking out of his ass but it's ignorance. like most LW talkers they don't know

the power of talk radio- because they don't have the time or desire to listen to it. like ALL prog lib dems in the US- citizens, activists, politicians, - that's why it's been kicking liberal ass for 25 years- it gets a free speech free ride. randi rhodes is the closest to getting it right and thom, who's show is fantastic, fucked up because he is ignorant of his own specialized medium and the harm it has done to the US the last 25 years.

a pity, that... but he's got great stuff on most important topics- compare that to that pack of carnival barkers and blowhards coordinated by billionaire think tanks into the dominant bully pulpit the last 25 years.

[AsahinaKimi]

3. They maybe right...

Rush will be on the air until he drops dead at 80, 90 what ever.. He can probably use the "N" word and get away with it, because in this day and age, its okay to be a racist, and inspire hate. That's free speech, so if people don't like it, get someone who can be just as popular for our side...like there will ever be anyone who has that kind of popularity and not labeled a "Rush wanna be".

[KansDem]

4. "He's a brilliant and talented guy. He does radio really, really well. "

Thom is too kind to Rush. He is "brilliant" and "talented" because he can tune people out who don't agree with him. He can shut them up and for this reason "he does radio really, really well."

Unlike his feeble attempt at live TV:

He gets his ass kicked so badly that the producers had to "clear the studio" (8'26&quot

[Dustlawyer]

5. They have the right to free speech, but in a capitolist, market driven society, we (the market)

can let the market decide! Boycotts are good in that they let everyone know where the boundaries are. They (talk radio) go too far when our boycott is effective, not too far if it is not. Rush would never admit publicly that he went too far in describing Sandra Fluke, but I bet he thinks twice when name calling another woman!

[certainot]

9. remember, RW talk radio is a protected monopoly- not market driven except in terms

of identifying money as people. the boycott is fantastic- the best activism for many years because it hits at the root of the problem and not as the majority of activism in america, at the symptoms.

RW radio is not an expression of free speech- it's a well oiled propaganda op that uses call screeners and paid callers to kiss their asses aggressively.

[certainot]

7. harrison is a RW talk radio DICK covering for the GOP

hartmann, as smart as he is, is ignorant of the power of RW radio. hartmann reads- he doesn't listen.

remember, these dicks are still on the radio as a MONOPOLY, and the idea that americans who listen to talk radio prefer the wit and wisdom limbaugh and hannity in a ratio of 95% to 5% is a monumental insult to america and americans.

medved is an idiot. YOU are unamerican, defending a right wing radio MONOPOLY as free speech? it is coordinated lying by RW think tanks, is protected as a monopoly, and reaches 50 mil a week with coordinated lying, and is LARGELY IGNORED by the left so it can repeatedly kick their ass. to which they ignorantly reply- why does the corporatist GOP keep winning when it's clear 65 % of americans think they're shit?

[90-percent]

10. I don't know bupkis about talk radio mechanics

But it does hurt to see Thom Hartmann disparaged here on DU.

Thom is oozing with journalistic integrity and I enjoy his clear cogent thoughts, explanations and historical perspectives.

There's things I disagree with Thom on, but they are so few I can't even name them!

The major distaste I have for Rush and Hannity is that I feel they are spewing propaganda they know is untrue. That is a sellout of their souls for money.

Thom showing respect for Rush is like showing respect for Hitler because he was such a good dictator.

-90% Jimmy