NYT: A Message for the Masses, but Are They Tuning In? (*'s radio address)

[kskiska]

By ELISABETH BUMILLER

For 248 weeks, through two wars, two major hurricanes, two Supreme Court nominations and one leak investigation, there has been a constant in President Bush's life: his Saturday radio address, broadcast to the nation at 10:06 a.m. Eastern time, no matter if Mr. Bush is in Crawford, Chile or the Camp David gym.

The broadcast, usually recorded on Fridays as a filler for slow-news Saturdays, is one of the little-noticed but crucial ways that Mr. Bush tries to drive home his message, even if the White House says it has no clear idea of how many people actually listen to it.

"I think it's definitely in the millions," said Jeanie Mamo, the White House director of media affairs. But Ms. Mamo, who oversees the radio broadcasts, admitted that she was in the realm of speculation because the White House did not monitor how many of the 14,000 radio stations in the nation carried the president's words.

(snip)

The bottom line for Mr. Bush is that the huge radio audience is less of a challenge to crack than television in prime time, when the networks sometimes balk at breaking into programming to carry a presidential speech. "It's easier to get five minutes on radio stations on a Saturday morning than it is to shake loose TV time," Mr. Mocarsky said.

more…
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/10/17/politics/17letter.html

[Straight Shooter]

1. Speaking from the Camp David gym? Pheweee!

I do NOT need that image in my mind.

[Art_from_Ark]

2. Fireside chats, they ain't

[shanti]

3. that is utter bs

that they don't know exactly how many radio stations carry the chimp's addresses. i'm sure they know down to the zip code which ones are "on their side!"

[CottonBear]

4. I have NEVER heard a radio address over the radio.

I've only heard any radio address on TV on Saturday or Sunday.
Has any DUer ever heard an address on live radio?

[La Femme]

6. Me either

It is funny that Bush has a weekly radio spot and hardly anyone has heard of it. He may as well have his own talk show with all the breaking announcements he makes on TV. He seems to make up excuses to get in the spotlight!

[Cha]

5. Propoganda from a chimp at

10:06am Saturday mornings..they should see Jon Stewart do the chimp with a Texas twang..catapulting those lies home.