How our universities enable Limbaugh's racism, global warming denial, and union busting.

[certainot]

Got a list of 64 NCAA tournament basketball teams, curious as to how many broadcast on Limbaugh radio stations. I detected an unmistakeable trend and gave up after the top 16 seeds.

The only team I could find that may not broadcast on a Limbaugh station is Brigham Young. Maybe they're on some Beck station. Or maybe they have principles, something some of the others seem to be lacking, according to their mission statements.

The Wisconsin Badgers and the Ohio State Buckeyes are in that top 16. The Michigan State Spartans and the Michigan Wolverines are lower seeds but also broadcast on Limbaugh stations.

Many teams broadcast on more than one Limbaugh station in a state and some also broadcast on right wing stations that may headline Glenn Beck or Sean Hannity, for instance, without Limbaugh.

Almost all those stations have an exclusively right wing lineup. The local talkers after and before usually also follow the same line.

All of these stations are on the same team when it comes to destroying public education and breaking unions. They were instrumental getting the Wisconsin, Michigan, and Ohio Governors (Walker, Snyder, Kasich) elected in the first place and enable their continued efforts. Not to mention Christie and Scott in NJ and Florida.

Almost all right wing talkers are protected by call screeners and seldom have to have real discussions with those who might have dissenting opinions. It is very likely some percentage of their callers, maybe a large percentage, are paid callers. Their purpose is to yell over everyone else, in unison.

Below are some excerpts of the mission statements of a few of the universities that help make those radio stations prominent in their communities and good places to advertise. Note the monumental hypocrisy.

University of Wisconsin System Mission Statement www.wisconsin.edu/about/mission.htm

The mission of the University of Wisconsin System is to develop human resources, to discover and disseminate knowledge, to extend knowledge and its application beyond the boundaries of its campuses, and to serve and stimulate society by developing in students heightened intellectual, cultural, and humane sensitivities, scientific, professional and technological expertise, and a sense of purpose. Inherent in this broad mission are methods of instruction, research, extended training, and public service designed to educate people and improve the human condition. Basic to every purpose of the UW System is the search for truth.

Michigan State University Mission Statement www.president.msu.edu/mission/

As a public, research-intensive, land-grant university funded in part by the state of Michigan, our mission is to advance knowledge.

University of Michigan Mission Statement http://www.umich.edu/pres/mission.php

We celebrate and promote diversity in all its forms, seeking the understanding and perspective that distinct life experiences bring. We proclaim ourselves a scholarly community in which ideas may be freely expressed and challenged, and all people are welcomed, respected and nurtured in their academic and social development.

The University encourages intellectual and cultural exchange in other countries, and programs that deeply engage scholars from disparate areas of the globe.

We strive to be an exemplary employer and a positive influence in our community. We provide an environment where all employees have opportunities to develop their potential, and where there is a shared passion for excellence and a commitment to respect for one another.

We dedicate ourselves to ethical and responsible stewardship of financial, physical and environmental resources. We look for tools and strategies to create and enhance sustainable practices in all facets of operations and seek to lead in the global quest for a sustainable future.

Ohio State University Mission Statement www.osu.edu/academicplan/vision.php

Purpose
To advance the well-being of the people of Ohio and the global community through the creation and dissemination of knowledge.

Core Values

Pursue knowledge for its own sake.
Ignite in our students a lifelong love of learning.
Produce discoveries that make the world a better place.
Celebrate and learn from our diversity.
Open the world to our students.

WTF?

Partisan politics is one thing but it may be that just about every major university in the US broadcasts athletics on, and gives credibility to, radio stations that function to lie, distort, attack diversity, ridicule science, and make Fox TV possible.

How can our universities continue to endorse anti-science global warming denial? All radio stations that headline the usual top right wing talkers are dedicated to global warming denial.

Right wing radio is antithetical to the stated goals of most universities. There are non-political alternatives for their athletics broadcasting.

How can students and faculty and administrations of our institutions of higher learning continue to support the racism, sexism, lies, union busting, and global warming denial?

[bbgrunt]

1. I had no idea this was going on. Thanks for bringing it

to our attention.

[unc70]

2. Hard to avoid overlap, much more complex than you describe

The 2-seed UNC "Tar Heel Sports Network" has a huge number of affiliates, many of them low power AM stations. The great majority of these stations have carried Carolina sports for many decades and this relationship has survived changes in station ownership and formats.

While I have not looked at the current list of affiliates and their respective formats and programming, I would expect that at least a few of the affiliate stations might carry Rush. On the other hand, the "flagship" station, WCHL 1360, is a progressive station with a strong local presence plus it carries national programming (e.g. Ed Schultz, Thom Hartmann).

Not sure exactly what your point is.

[certainot]

3. RW radio has been essential getting us into the disaster we're in

and "institutions of higher learning' shouldn't be giving those hundreds of stations that do that any credibility in their communities.

their stated goal and principles, not to mention the students and faculty associated with those universities and colleges and the communities that support them need to demand better.

i suspect rw radio would not survive as the dominating propaganda tool that it is. on the other hand to ignore it as the left has done is really stupid.

the progressive station doesn't need it.

[unc70]

9. You propose "government" restrictions on "protected" free speech.

While I am personally offended at the association of The University in any way with vile RW radio such as Rush, I would be more afraid of a system where ANY government entity could use its economic power to suppress legally protected free speech, even that which I personally find repugnant. In Chapel Hill during the 1960's we fought the imposition of the Speaker Ban Law which tried to limit public discourse.

I think you over-estimate the relative strength of public universities and overlook the legal and political restrictions that bind them. If anything, a winning basketball program at Carolina is about the best publicity The University ever gets. Sometimes the contrast with other programming carried on the same stations can be very powerful in its own way. It would be a very small radio network in NC if you avoided all stations that carry any RW talk programming.

Before Jesse Helms was elected to the US Senate in 1980, he was part owner and news director of WRAL TV in Raleigh. Helms routinely attacked UNC and Chapel Hill. Helms would make one of his racist RW editorials attacking UNC during the same local news show where the sports segment might be extolling black basketball players at UNC like Charles Scott, in effect destroying the Helms argument in the process.

How much impact on progressive causes and candidate do we get when former coach Dean Smith endorses Democratic candidates and appears at a major rally? Hard to tell. Or when current coach K at Duke endorses Repubs?

UNC is a leader in things like working conditions at factories making products using licensed trademarks.

So, what specific actions do you propose to change things? Ones that would be legal for state government. Ones that could actually be implemented.

[Doctor_J]

12. The airwaves belong to the public

and using them exclusively for right-wing fascist propaganda, lies, and hate speech is not protected. The fascists' right to spew their filth is protected from prosecution. Their right to blanket the public airwaves with it is most definitely not.

[certainot]

15. the GOP/RW gets a free speech free ride- and need a free speech response

it's as if every day a jerk sets up a soapbox on your corner and screams that your father is a thief and your sister is a whore and every day you walk by. if you don't talk back after awhile you have to move.

every day the right sets up soapboxes on every corner and stump in the country and screams that liberals are liars and thieves and traitors and liberals just walk by with their ipods in their ears. after a while it sticks and becomes truth. that's where we are now.

much of the mess we're in now is directly related to the ability of the right to dominate the messaging for the last 20 years, mostly because the left collectively ignores the radio.

the organized think tank propaganda that masquerades as 'populist' talk radio has been getting a free speech free ride, with the national talkers and many of their local copycats not only protected by call screeners but likely reinforced by paid callers, and it has been almost entirely ignored by the collective 'left' whose lunch it eats every day.

RW radio is a monopoly that is so dominant that it makes real democracy impossible- in that case it becomes stupid for americans to continue to ignore it.

maybe most university regents are republicans - very possible- but the students and faculties of those university should demand separation from radio stations that are unquestionably part of an organized national attack on all things fair, just, rational, and democratic to sell an anti-science free market fantasy for deregulation and tax cuts for billionaires.

it makes no sense to ignore it, and it doesn't take govt legislation- that would take too long anyway since the delays in action on global warming that radio was critical in enabling require we fix this problem even more quickly.

[certainot]

5. PS- the larger universities do seem to have a number of statons

which would seem to make it that much easier to drop a few.

[bemildred]

4. The very notion of an academic institution with a "mission statement" makes me want to puke.

:puke:

[unc70]

10. Why?

Can understand you might think it would be something trite or even delusional. But the entire concept making one puke seems a bit excessive?!

[yurbud]

6. How many AM stations DON'T carry right wing talk?

[certainot]

7. i think there are 7, maybe 8.

[KoKo]

8. Very interesting. And an excellent way he get's his propaganda into mainstream...

along with all the other stations he airs on sometime two times a day...every day.

Thanks for posting this.

[Doctor_J]

11. Since almost every AM station in the country carries hate speech 24/7,

this piece is a little distorted.

[certainot]

13. why?

[Doctor_J]

19. Because any entitity that uses AM radio for any purpose is by

default going to be associated with right-wing propaganda. Where I live, near Toledo, if is press "Seek" on my car radio, basically every station that the radio finds is spewing right-wing hate, regardless of the time of day. If one of those happens to broadcast the Browns games for 3 hours every Sunday in the fall, that doesn't necessarily mean that the Browns are promoting fascism. WGN-AM in Chicago broadcasts right-wing propaganda most of the week, and also is the flagship of the Cubs.

Now, please note this does NOT mean that there is NO correlation. But as I said, anyone who uses AM radio for anything has a built-in association with GOP propaganda, but may not believe in it.

[certainot]

21. you're right and that's a problem

the association is a problem - it makes it much more acceptable. it is common to hear the RW programming include reminders of such and such a game by your favorite team, or limbaugh reminders during game talk. and maybe your favorite team game review comes on after or before the RW talker.

i wouldn't be surprised if this is part of the model ideal.

pro sports is one thing, for students and faculty of a university to put up with that association sucks on their part.

while students stayed away from the polls in 2010 because obama didn't do such things as close gitmo, their university helps limbaugh sell his CLUB GITMO apparel and coffee mugs from the local blowtorch. while they stayed away from the polls because obama didn't push for single payer their university helped sell death panels and other pharma propaganda. ain't that dandy.

[certainot]

14. PS there are a lot of other stations around that would probably be

very happy to set aside the music or sports talk to broadcast the games.

i have a feeling, just guessing, the association is sought after by the RW talk stations to give them community standing. most will do promos for the teams they broadcast and i suspect it brings in sponsors. the rw stations may be some of the loudest (sometimes by far) but i suspect there are alternatives.

i think principles are an issue and should be for students and faculty especially. for instance, talk radio has done years of attacks and lies on teachers and unions and efforts to privatize education - they have done the groundwork for what is happening in wis and mich and ohio and around the country and it is an attack on all students, tuition , aid cuts , and so on. the problem is generally that talk radio is almost completely ignored by people who read and watch and don't have time for radio or prefer music.

a lot of the crap the GOP is pulling now would not be possible without that coordinated uncontested repetition from 1000 radio stations- and it seems our institutions of higher learning are aiding the effort.

[unc70]

16. What you "feel" or "suspect" are not substitutes for "FACTS"

When you say "i have a feeling, just guessing, ..." it means you do not know what you are talking about. Not about the number of stations, their technical or business characteristics, nor simple things like the number of stations in a market versus the number of NCAA teams in that market.

I do not like RW talk radio and support progressive talk radio, locally and nationally. But Rush, et al are on lots of AM stations everywhere while there are relatively few progressive talk stations.

Now the UNC Tar Heel Sports Network is a very desirable affiliation, it is not the only "game in town". Actually not quite true. Sometimes it is competing with NC State, Duke, Wake Forest, or even ECU for the only station available in many smaller markets in rural NC -- to be the "only game in town". More often, there are maybe two or three possible stations to be considered.

Remember that you have many AM and most FM stations locked into a format that makes them unavailable for consideration -- for example, religious, Spanish language, centralized formats, public radio. Because of the unpredictable nature of live sports, you need a competent person working the board at the affiliates to deal with local commercials, etc. Another restriction.

See how easy this is technically. Now for all that business leverage you think the universities have. It isn't that great to begin with and is decreasing rapidly. When only a few games a year were on TV, these radio broadcasts had much larger audiences. Now it is mostly limited to those of us who can't stand most of the TV sports talking heads. Many of the college sports radio networks probably will not survive many more years in the face of streaming video on things like iPhones -- I watched part of the NCAAT this week on my old iPhone in some places where the radio broadcast was not available.

Anything else you suspect or feel that I might help you understand?

[certainot]

18. i knew when i used that phrase it might get such a reaction. and what about principles?

and i'll bet that there is a recognition by the propagandists of the value of associating with these universities, while they shit on the idea of higher learning.

my point is that one of the reasons rush is on so many stations is tied to increasing their acceptability in communities - it may be part of the formula.

- those stations can sell hate, racism, ignorance, deregulation, and tax cuts for billionaires better because of it and the acceptability of the new irrational teabagger GOP is greatly facilitated because these organs of the national propaganda machine so critical for destroying our democracy and selling corporate fascism pretend to be good members of the community.

while they help limbaugh sell CLUB GITMO apparel and coffee mugs to make torture acceptable and racism to rally the base and rumors to destroy good politicians and health care propaganda they hide behind the tarheels. meanwhile the NC students don't vote because they think obama hasn't done enough about gitmo. it makes no sense.

you can argue in circles about your need to hear the tar heels on radio but as you say, there are alternatives, and on that point also it is not the specifics that count.

no, i do not understand the intricacies of the business but i do understand that RW radio is not about selling steaks and flowers and flooring. this is easy. there are alternatives for those universities, and their students and faculty need to demand it before they get so upset about 'a little torture' and lack of single payer.

[onpatrol98]

17. Better approach...

Find out what is either lacking in our programming or encouraging more democratic talent to enter the fray...but, I don't want a hateful equivalent to Limbaugh. As much as I hate to say it...free speech does have a cost, but it's a cost our country said it was willing to pay. So, we should simply find ways to take advantage of this freedom the best way that we can. If Limbaugh had that much power, we wouldn't have won the White House, Senate, and House. We won it on our own effort and lost it the same way.

[certainot]

20. you're wrong. those are RW talking points. it is a well established monopoly

organized and coordinated from think tanks and the GOP, it was subsidized to start and may still be, it excludes progressive talkers, it is not a reflection of local market forces, they use paid callers and their talkers are protected by call screeners, on public air waves from stations licensed to operate in the public interest.

even if you still argue it is a free speech issue then there is still no excuse for not getting in their face with sponsor boycotts and shame, and picketing- that's free speech too, and to ignore them makes democracy impossible.

"If Limbaugh had that much power, we wouldn't have won the White House, Senate, and House. We won it on our own effort and lost it the same way."

you have to be kidding- this country has and is going backward, largely because the left ignores the right's most important tool, which limbaugh is point man for.

it is the main reason we deregulated wall street, bush and palin got anywhere near the white house and took back the house. it is why single payer is 'unacceptable' why irrational twits can obstruct global warming action and why no one in the GOP would dare cross lines. and on and on.

global warming won't wait for progressives to 'evan bayh' their way into a right wing talk radio monopoly that is the centerpiece for everything they do.