[BC] Talk Radio losing influence?

[Rich Wood]

------ At 12:57 PM 1/31/2008, Donna Halper wrote: -------

>I didn't say he has clout-- although studies in the mid 1990s showed 
>that he absolutely did at that point in time.  I said he is 
>perceived as controversial, and knowing how folks in the media (on 
>both sides of the political aisle) love controversy, whatever he 
>says gets lots of scrutiny and reaction.  Ditto for Howard Stern, 
>Bill O'Reilly, and Keith Olbermann, just to name a few.

Talk Radio has been my format for the better part of the past 20 
years.I've seen virtually every study that's been done and can't 
recall any that showed a host having any influence on the actions of 
his or her audience. Maybe you've seen some I've missed.

Influence is clout in the sense that influence changes minds. 
Listeners to the format have formed their opinions and look to 
Limbaugh and the rest to reinforce them. I doubt a single mind or 
opinion has been changed due to the opinions of a host. A host may 
have brought some malfeasance to light but that's about it.

Lately, I've seen a lot of clips of Limbaugh on TV newscasts showing 
how his ranting about McCain has had no effect on the outcome of any 
election or caucus. His influence may be little more than giving 
McCain more air time. The "just spell my name right" syndrome. 
Instead of the networks hiring him for commentary, they're now 
emphasizing how off-base he's been. These people aren't being taken 
seriously by other media, anymore.

Right wing hosts are dominant in the format, yet they've been unable 
to prevent the defeat of Bush #1, the election of Bill Clinton twice 
and the Republican loss of the legislature to the Democrats. My guess 
is that we'll have a Democratic President next time.  If we get a 
Republican, it'll probably be McCain. I think the downturn came when 
hosts began taking themselves very seriously and stopped being the 
entertainers they claimed to be. We now have pseudo patriots like 
Hannity who make the whole process look foolish. FOX now has 
Hannity's America. When did we turn the country over to him? Why is 
his view of the nation any more relevant than anyone else's?

Don't forget that, at the height of his popularity, Limbaugh had 
about a 4 rating (percentage of the population listening). The rest 
of the crowd had far, far less. That meant 96 % of the population 
wasn't listening. Vaudeville comedians learned very quickly that they 
couldn't continue the acts they'd been doing for years. On radio 
where millions would hear them they had to do a fresh show each time. 
I have to admit that I'm at a loss to understand how talk has been a 
one-note samba for so long and still remained popular. It may be that 
listeners just want a talking head to keep them company.

The Billo and Olberman feud is, simply, comedy. Billo is a buffoon 
and a ripe target. Howard Stern has nearly fallen off the radar. Once 
he went to satellite and took full advantage of his freedom to use 
dirty words the surprise was gone. My younger friends who worshipped 
him no longer listen even though they bought subscriptions. Everyone 
wondered how close to the edge he'd come on terrestrial radio. Now 
there's no mystery. Every night at a strip joint loses it's appeal 
after a while.

Look at the changes in the religious right. They've finally realized 
that the Christian Coalition, Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell were 
simply taking them for a ride. They're no longer the monolithic group 
they once seemed to be. I saw a piece on 60 minutes, I think, about 
preachers who no longer dabble in politics. They're now preaching 
about being ecological custodians of the planet and about helping 
their fellow man. I like that.

I say Talk Show Hosts have no significant influence in the direction 
of the country. I'm sticking to it.

Rich