RSS Feed MenuConservative talk radio has never been more angry and extreme than today. You might think that’s a response to the Obama presidency. But even more, conservative talkers are responding to a collapse in advertising revenues.
According to Scott Fybush, the proprietor of North East Radio Watch, talk radio has lost 30-40% of its ad revenues over the past two years.
Further, in an interview with a talk radio trade publication, Talkers Magazine, late last year, Talk Radio Networks CEO Mark Masters said: “2008 will be known as the year that weak syndicated programs began dying off in droves,” adding that “it has only just begun.”
In this environment, radio hosts believe that anger is their only path to survival. “If you’re not the most extreme person on the radio or making the most outrageous headlines,” says Fybush, “there is going to be some portion of the base that is going to ignore you and move onto someone who is more extreme.”
One of the most civil voices in talk radio, Michael Medved, explains the economic pressure upon the industry. He told NewMajority: “In this [economic] environment, you have something of a push to be outrageous, to be on the fringe, because what you’re desperately competing for is… P-1 listeners [those who tune in most frequently]. The percentage of people on the fringe who are P-1s is quite high,” he explained. As a result, talk radio hosts are feeling more pressure than usual to yell harder, scream louder, and insult further. Talk shows “are fighting for an ever- smaller pie, [which means that] you’ve got to be even louder about it because you’re trying to get the attention of an ever-smaller niche,” said Medved.
All these factors exacerbate the existing negative tendencies of conservative news talk radio. Michael Harrison, editor of Talkers Magazine, notes that “news talk radio has traditionally been a street medium… [that employs] the language and emotions and attitudes that one would hear on the street, by the fence, in the schoolyard.” Of course, schoolyard emotions evoke schoolyard results: a downwards descent into name-calling and fringe politics. Talk radio’s fascination with the “birther” movement is the logical end point.
As conservative politics attempts to reach out and rebuild, the incentives for conservative radio hosts point in exactly the opposite direction. The fact of the matter is that the survival of news talk radio “depends on ratings and revenue, not on getting people elected, or even on bring right,” says Harrison. If the economy worsens, expect more venom on your AM dial.
Churl // Aug 7, 2009 at 11:59 am
…and Frum and Chums squawk more and more about talk radio as they become less and less relevant.
franco 2 // Aug 7, 2009 at 12:51 pm
Churl,
They are LOSING the fight for moderation daily. The Frum party line is “Independents and moderate Democrats (and so called moderate Republicans) are avoiding the Republican party because of among other thing the rhetoric heard on talk radio. Forgetting the ridiculousness of this on its face, now the data, the evidence, has clearly turned against this premise. Republicans are passing Democrats in generic polling already. Obamas approval rating has fallen precipitously in the last 100 days and it all of a sudden looks dangerous for Democrat congressman to show their faces in their own districts. because the public is on to them. They aren’t reading the bills they sign and THEY are saying there is “misinformation” going around (by the people who HAVE actually read these bills) Yeah, right.
We are seeing the Dems double-down again. This strategy ultimately fails. Massively. The Democrats are overreaching and proving conservatives more right every day. We said he would govern like a Marxist (not a genocidal marxist…yet) But we are seeing union thugs and a marked contempt for the American people and a dictatorial style, with czars and government takeovers of private industry.
franco 2 // Aug 7, 2009 at 1:45 pm
The picture associated with this headline is ofMmark Levin who happens to have the fastest growing talk show in America. This site is very dishonest and misleading. Is there a reason they picked Levin or are they just sloppy?
Tim Mak // Aug 7, 2009 at 3:44 pm
“Just another hit piece. Nothing new to see here, folks.”
(*SHRUG*) (*SMIRK*) (*LAUGH*) (*YAWN*)
Barker – this is no way a (*CHUCKLE*) hit piece. Who am I (*SKEPTICAL*) hitting? Who am I insulting?
(*ROLLING MY EYES*)
ottovbvs // Aug 7, 2009 at 5:53 pm
franco-2 // Aug 7, 2009 at 12:51 pm
“They are LOSING the fight for moderation daily. ”
………..For once I agree with you Franco……..the Republican party goes further right by the day egged on by Limbaugh and co…….it’s politically suicidal but that’s another matter.
” Obamas approval rating has fallen precipitously in the last 100 days ”
……….You mean from the mid sixties to the mid fifties……..while the Republicans are at….bah….da…..boom…….34% ……….I love your alternate reality rants Franco……they confirm the GOP is going to be out for years
barker13 // Aug 9, 2009 at 8:53 pm
TimM // Aug 7, 2009 at 3:44 pm (#29) –
No, Tim…
(*SIGH*)
Not “(*SKEPTICAL*)
It would be (SKEPTICAL EXPRESSION*) or perhaps (*QUIZZICAL GAZE*)
You got everything else right, though! Good work!
(*WINK*) (*CHUCKLE*)
BILL
Lying for dollars | The Bipartisan Report // Aug 10, 2009 at 10:04 am
[...] On David Frum’s New Majority blog, there was an eye-opening post about what’s been happening with talk radio. It isn’t pretty. Revenues are down 30-40% in many markets. The title of the posting is [...]
Survival of the John Birchest: The Economic Pressures on Right Wing Radio to Push Ever Further to the Far Right « Prometheus Unbound // Aug 10, 2009 at 5:54 pm
[...] a comment » At conservative David Frum’s New Majority website is a fascinating article on what’s driving American “shout radio” to, well, shout even louder than usual: [...]
» Why Talk Radio Is So Angry Liberal Values // Aug 10, 2009 at 9:45 pm
[...] New Majority has looked into why talk radio is getting even angrier and found it is because of pressures from a declining audience with talk radio having lost 30 to 40 percent of its ad revenue over the last two years: In this environment, radio hosts believe that anger is their only path to survival. “If you’re not the most extreme person on the radio or making the most outrageous headlines,” says Fybush, “there is going to be some portion of the base that is going to ignore you and move onto someone who is more extreme.” [...]
Is Money Fueling the “Anger” on Talk Radio? | Talk Frontier // Aug 10, 2009 at 10:56 pm
[...] NewMajority.com recently posted an article contending that conservative talk radio is growing more “angry” as a result of increased competition for listeners. Author Tim Mak’s primary source appears to be Salem host Michael Medved, who is quoted at length: [...]
Club Lorem Ipsum :: Materias Grises » Archivo » Departamento de Burradas Ficticias // Aug 11, 2009 at 12:54 am
[...] conservadora no son políticos buscando ser elegidos, sino gente ganándose la vida tratando de ser el conservador más puro y ruidoso del mercado. Como consecuencia, lo que puede empezar como una oposición más o menos creativa pero no [...]
Why Is Talk Radio Getting Angrier? « Thoughts of an ETSwatch // Aug 11, 2009 at 3:30 pm
[...] Radio Getting Angrier? Posted in Politics by etswatch on 08/11/2009 As its Revenues Drop, Talk Radio Gets Angrier Conservative talk radio has never been more angry and extreme than today. You might think that’s [...]
CasdraBlog » Blog Archive » links for 2009-08-12 // Aug 12, 2009 at 7:01 am
[...] Talk Radio Gets Angrier as its Revenues Drop (tags: politics) [...]
Daily Digest for August 12th « thegovernance.com // Aug 12, 2009 at 10:36 am
[...] Talk Radio Gets Angrier as its Revenues Drop [...]
Who Knows News? A Pew survey - Page 3 - Christian Forums // Oct 20, 2009 at 11:00 am
[...] of all talk shows has been dropping over the last 2 years–30-40 per cent, according to this article. It doesn’t mention specific programs, just the industry in general. Some of it may be that the [...]
Shooting Spree – Is Rhetoric Too Toxic? // Jan 10, 2011 at 6:17 am
[...] Hyperbolic accusation and fantasy murder may well serve a talk-radio industry facing a collapse in advertising revenues—down 30–40 percent over the past two years, reports FrumForum.com’s Tim Mak. [...]