The Rise of Kos AND "...19th anniversary of Rush Limbaugh's radio show..."

[L. Coyote]

The Rise of Kos
By E. J. Dionne Jr.
Friday, August 3, 2007; Page A15
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/02/AR2007080202023.html?hpid=opinionsbox2


Perhaps you missed it, but Wednesday was the 19th anniversary of Rush Limbaugh's radio show. Limbaugh was celebrating his ripe old age, in media years, in the same week that liberal blog fans were trekking to Chicago for the YearlyKos convention. Therein lies one of the most important stories in American politics.

Make no mistake: From the beginning, Limbaugh was a revolutionary figure. He befuddled Democrats and the journalistic establishment because he was an up-to-date throwback. The large audience he won on the right marked the return in the United States of openly partisan mass media, a 19th-century phenomenon that had all but disappeared in the late 20th century.

Limbaugh is not primarily about information, though he freely uses even those bits that come his way courtesy of dreaded "liberal" media sources. His goal is mobilization, and he has been extremely good at it. He spawned conservative imitators in media markets all over the nation and aroused a faithful band of Dittoheads who despise all things liberal and Democratic.

............

[Bozita]

1. K&R. EJ's stuff is always worthwhile.

[David__77]

2. Media outlets are always ideological.

Whether openly or unconsciously or cryptically, there is always ideological content to information media. We need a consciously leftist media in this country to mobilize a progressive movement. The truth is on the side of the left.

[hfojvt]

3. a revolutionary figure?

with a reactionary message. Shilling lies for power. :puke:

"If Reaganomics worked, Rush is a straight-talking champion of the little guy on a populist crusade to take the country back from those pointy-headed liberals who think they know what's good for everybody and are drunk with the power of sending out welfare checks.

If Reaganomics didn't work, Rush is the carnival clown hired to distract the crowd while paramedics carry the mangles bodies from a derailed roller coaster. He does a little juggling, pulls some flowers out of his hat, and when the crowd starts to get a little anxious about the rising body count, he starts shrieking hysterically that this never would have happened if it weren't for those goddam liberal safety inspectors."
Al Franken (for Senator)


So apropo for what Rush is likely to say about 35W.

[KharmaTrain]

4. -Aug 1, 1988 Was A Very Sad Day For Me...And I Didn't Know It

I was an "up and coming" talk show host at the time...and had been hired to do afternoon drive on a big station somewhere in the midwest. I moved my family and thought I was on the way to fame and fortune. When I was "recruited", I first heard about Rushbo...from a man who had just signed him to a deal with WABC Radio and who was consulting the station I was to work at. At first, I was told how Rushbo's show was different..."funny", "outspoken" and "different" were the words they described him.

We both started on August 1st...the station flipped to a full-time talk show and soon it was obvious who was getting the grease and who wasn't. Rush came out with what now is his usual schtick. He was already throwing around the term "feminazi" and kept calling Michael Dukakis "The Loser". The phones lit up for days on end with complaints about him, but the consultant and station manager smiled and I was told "this is always what happens" and that soon he'll be the "star" of the station. From that day, I knew my days at that station were numbered.

A very long and sad year later, I had developed a successful program being the "anti-Rush" and my ratings were higher. Whatever topic Rushbo would play with, I'd throw out the opposite opinion or let those with opposite opinions have their say. Management wasn't happy with this...somehow I was "dissing" the star. I even interviewed Rushbo at the time...he told me "a talk show host should never use his show to further a political agenda". Yes, he said this and I have the tape still to prove it.

The last straw was a day after a very raunchy Rushbo performance...it was right around Thanksgiving...and I joked that the "best caller" will win the "remnant of Rush's Thaksgiving dinner". Management had already broken my contract, thus I had nothing to lose. My show as cut from 4 to 2 hours...Rushbo got one of the extra hours...and I sued for breach of contract. Another year would go by, but I did win and that money helped me set up a very successful business...so it all worked out.

Yesterday, I spent the day at Yearly Kos...looking into the future of Progressive Talk radio and meeting with people on the topic...something that is near and dear to my heart...even discussing rolling back Dergegulation with an FCC Commissioner who was attending.

While I wanted to get back into talk radio...and I did various shows over the next decade, it was never the same...I had seen how the game was played and had no hunger to fight against those assholes...the same ones that polluted our radio dials today. Sadly, they still pollute and my quest to help advance Progressive Radio has gone nowhere. C'est La Vie.

[Skittles]

5. fascinating stuff, KharmaTrain

you should consider posting this as a thread

[KharmaTrain]

6. Thanks For Your Response

I'm not really a poster...I'll leave these memories lie in the dust.

Cheers...

:toast: