RADIO: AAR Could Learn From Ed Schultz
13 October 2006 3:25 pm by Taylor Marsh
| It's about making money, stupid. |
Of course, by now you know that Air
America Radio (AAR) has filed for bankruptcy.
They began by reinventing the wheel, choosing comics, not radio people and it hasn't paid off. Franken has worked his tail off, but hard work and good intentions don't take the place of good radio. The one real radio person brought on board, Randi Rhodes, took the day off today. She picked a good day for a holiday.
The hosts still associated with the network are making positive statements of
support and hope for the future. I can certainly appreciate it, because for
progressives they're the only game in town, unless you get very lucky. One of
the lucky ones is Ed Schultz, who has worked hard, gotten a good syndication
team and made a real success of his show. Too bad the man's an ass.
Mind you, Mr. Ed doesn't care what I think and would not give my radio show the time of day. (We pitched AAR years ago, but it was a no-go.) He's also so beyond the blogs. Mr. Ed's DLC central, baby.
His barn doesn't stink, because he's straight down the middle, no lefty stuff for him. Going right is more his speed. Ed does a
different kind of radio than AAR. Guys love him, think he's great, but he's on the air and going strong, which in the end is all that matters in radio. Almost.
Exhibit A of why I'm not crazy about Schultz was on display last night on “Larry
King” for all the world to see. The exchange between Schultz and Sullivan
got intense very quickly.
ED SCHULTZ, RADIO HOST, “THE ED SCHULTZ SHOW”:
Well, Larry, I see it differently. I do believe that there is going to be
a political fallout to all of this because I think it's part of a pattern
that has taken place within the conservative movement.You know, you can nitpick this or wordsmith it anyway you want. The fact
is they knew about Foley a number of years before he ran for office in 2004
and they didn't do anything about it.The fact is Karl Rove said in January of '04 that he needed to get four million
evangelical Christians out to vote and that was going to be the difference.
Now, I just wonder if the evangelical Christians had known about this story
would they have voted for George Bush and bought into this full line of GOP
about how the Democrats are Godless and about how the Democrats aren't the
party of moral value.So, they went around putting up these vote value signs in South Dakota and
went after Tom Daschle and his faith and it worked. But I think if this gay
story had come out the way it was, I think it would have been different. And
it is a gay story and it is about pedophilia and it is about not telling the
truth to the American people.And, I think the American people right now are politically exhausted. They
just want to know what the truth is. They just want an investigation and they
just want to get to the bottom of it and they want to know when they go in
that booth that they're voting for somebody that's going to be honest with
them.SULLIVAN: Excuse me but this is not a gay story.
KING: Amy Holmes — Amy.
SULLIVAN: This is not a gay story, Larry. I'm not going
to let him get away with that.HOLMES: Yes, I agree, Andrew.
SULLIVAN: This has absolutely nothing to do with gay people.
The minute the comment was out of Mr. Ed's mouth you could see Sullivan's face cloud up. I flinched.
Schultz's ignorant response to the Foley scandal was an insult. It's not about
pedophilia and it certainly isn't about gays. A right-winger could have made
this statement, the naked stupidity so blatant you've really got to wonder where Schultz
gets his talking points. But Ed Shultz is nobody's fool. Was he catering to the crowd who still thinks gays are icky? Always looking out for that ever expanding audience pool, I guess.
I apologize for him to Andrew and the whole community of gays and lesbians. I've never been more embarrassed of a Democrat.
Worse yet, Schultz didn't even correct his statement. On he went, arrogantly
plodding through the conversation as if his statement didn't mean anything.
Too bad it wasn't all he did last night.
Next Schultz took out after Patty Wetterling, the Democrat running for Congress.
Hewitt played straight man to Ed's DLC middle of the road madness. We need Democrats like this
like we need more consultants running campaigns.
PRAGER: I'd just like to know, Ed, do you think…
KING: Hold on, hold on. Arianna, you're next. Hold on.
PRAGER: Just curious. Do you think the Patty Wetterling
ad was honest?SCHULTZ: I do not think the Patty Wetterling ad was honest,
totally. No. I think that that was over the top. I think she's a very anxious
candidate. I think that she's still traumatized by the loss of her son some
years ago. It's been a real tough road for her…PRAGER: I appreciate your honesty.
SCHULTZ: … and to be honest about it, I really think that
that ad was over the top. But that doesn't mean she's not a good candidate.
And that doesn't mean she can't win. Words fail me. Because if Schultz is going to say things like this in an election year as important as this one, well, I hope every Republican he gets to listen is worth it.
Big of Ed, really, saying her campaign ad against sexual pedophiles doesn't
mean Wetterling is “not a good candidate” and that it “doesn't
mean she can't win.”
Then today, with the news of AAR's bankruptcy, Mr. Ed. continued to show his
best side.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 13, 2006 Fargo, ND … Ed Schultz, host of America's fastest
growing progressive talk radio program The Ed Schultz Show, today assured
his listeners and fans that his show is independently owned, operated and
in no danger of bankruptcy or other financial obstacles. Schultz' assurances
that all is well at The Ed Schultz Show and at Schultz's partner and co-owner
Product 1st, the programming company owned by long-time radio executives Randy
Michaels and Stu Krane, were sparked by news of bankruptcy filings at a liberal
talk network in no way related to Schultz.Said Schultz, “Our show is growing in ratings and audience share everyday.
That's because we tell it straight from the heartland. And we're here to stay!”Schultz's daily show can be heard in over 100 cities across the country.
For a station near you, logon to www.edschultzshow.comFor further information contact: James Holm, The Ed Schultz Show…
A press release when your fellow Dems are floundering is callous, that's for
sure, but it also illustrates why Schultz is successful and AAR just filed for bankruptcy. It's about keeping your friends close, but your sponsors and the people
who pay the bills and keep the radio show humming closer. Radio is a business. Period.
AAR has still not figured that one out.
