Talk radio trashes the clunkers (who feed them)

 Their industry reaped the windfall profits from "Cash for Clunkers," yet they trashed it.

The program is over Monday.

Talk radio gets listeners by telling them what they want to hear -- and the success of anything proposed by President Obama or the Congress is definitely not what the talk radio audience (ever aging and shrinking) wants to hear.

C4C is a great little (3 $billion) government program that people loved and used the hell out of. It helped- granted in a small way- the hurting auto industry, workers, revenues and car dealers. It was a nice little jolt of caffeine for the advertising business and the hurting-bad broadcast media. It gave consumers some badly-needed confidence and got some gas guzzlers off the road.

What's good for car dealers is good for radio and teevee- these media have been battered as dealers took the hit from the failures of American car manufacturers, and pulled back local advertising (True Blood for local media).

 Marketwatch:

Local advertising has been particularly weak this recession, hurt by the struggles in the automotive, retail and financial industries. Major U.S. automakers, for example, have slashed their dealerships across the country amid the specter of bankruptcy, and marketers have found cheaper and more effective alternatives on the Internet.

But after all the pain & suffering, along comes this inexpensive bandaid, and the sufferers perk up at the momentary, if symptomatic, relief. "We think it's sustainable," said CBS Chief Financial Officer Frederic Reynolds. "'Cash For Clunkers' got people off the couch and into looking in the market." He told Marketwatch that many vehicles are being sold beyond the scope of the program.

(photo: a young Roy Rogers- was he gay?)

It's not just with clunker-traders, say car industry watchers. “Dealers say they're getting a lift outside of 'Cash for Clunkers,'” says Hearst VP of Sales Kathleen Keefe. “It's getting people into the dealers, and they're buying—clunkers or not.”

Teevee, which is in just as much trouble as radio, got the bump too, and they're pretty happy about it.

“Man, does this ever speak to pent-up demand,” Television Bureau of Advertising (TVB) President Chris Rohrs told a trade site. “The blood pressure cuff put on the patient has given quite a reading—it's not a dead patient at all.”

The program was so popular that on Thursday, the U.S. Department of Transportation said there were more than 457,000 dealer transactions worth $1.9 billion in rebates and projected there was enough money left for the program to continue through Monday.

CBS CEO Les Moonves said the the program is "a real shot in the arm" for ad spending at the local and national levels.

But that didn't stop right-wing talkers from snapping at the very hands that fed them.

Hannity's bosses at Fox Radio and Fox News are making millions from the program, but that never stopped him from mocking it loudly, claiming there was a loophole that would allow you to buy a heap at a junkyard, have it towed to your house, and the government would pay you $4,500 for it.

(That was a damn lie: but knowing how business loves a loophole, we bet car dealers and the media ad sales departments wish it wasn't).

While Mel Karmazin, CEO of Sirius XM Radio was praising the program; (most new cars come with a satellite radio) and ad industry types were breathing a little oxygen for the first time in a year, Rush was calling it a boondoggle, Dori Monson a fraud, and Glenn Beck a scam.

So people loved and participated in "Cash for Clunkers;" the advertising and broadcast industries considered it a much-needed boost, but right-wing talk radio and Fox News called it a scam and a failure?

So why are those who benefit from it the most, such knee-jerk critics? The answer is that they're competitive, self-aggrandizing hambones scrabbling for the shock value headlines generated by being the most outrageously, and politically incorrectly negative.

What's good for their country, their industry, or the public's best interests are all considerations obviously low on their lists. Maybe they're making tactical gains for their own survival by giving their shrunken audience what they want to hear, but they're losing their own war by shrinking the talk pie (not to speak of fucking over the rest of us by trying to obliterate the national dialogue on issues of the day).

Comments

[sparky]

You forgot one part, Bla'M. Aides close to the president say he is leaning toward a proposal in which old people could be turned in for cash at the local armory.

"It would work by a percentage system," according to one woman with a great body who sleeps with a top White House aide. "Say the old guy down the street is raking in $872 a month - tax free mind you - and you turn him in. You'll get a 16 percent after tax allowance on your next prescription co-pay."

Senior advisers are split on the proposal, and the measure would face an uphill battle in the Senate, given Senator Robert Byrd's (D-WV)lukewarm reception of the idea.

[Puget Sound]

He will support it if the oldsters of West Virginia can be made to wear a plaque with a suitable dedication to Sen Byrd.

[chucks]

The program was good at bringing traffic to the showrooms, no doubt. It did have a number of short commings and good old fashioned unintended consiquences as most gumment programs do.
Most dealers lose money or attain minimal profits on the sale of new cars. The bread and butter of the car business is in used cars.
A dealer will step up to the plate for a good trade. Under this program, the dealers have to trash some great trades. Trades that the dealer might have paid $2500.00 to $4000.00 to get and have sold for a decent profit.
These are the cars that young couples or poorer people might have been able to buy with minimal down payments and low equal monthly's.
Now those cars are going to be in short supply for the next year. Thus that buyer is going to have to pay more for a good used car. Old supply and demand principal. Maybe the 90 Chevy was worth $2000.00 but the gumment puked up $4500.00 in tax payer money. Mom and dad decided to trade it in to be destroyed rather than give it to their newly wed daughter and her POS husband.
Blah blah blah blah.
Small business people and their used car lot on Aurora Ave got screwed out of the car they would have bought wholesale from the new car dealer as well.
Who gets the salvage money from the junk yard?
Oh well, it gives the socialist something to campaign on next year.

[sparky]

chucks, you would complain if they hung you with a brand new rope!

[chucks]

Sparky, I just don't think that the gumment should be in the car business.

And yes, I would complain in advance of that hanging at the very least. Hell, I might probably put up a fight.
(pretty sure that I would fight the old rope program to)

[Duffman]

Good morning Sparcoil...rain is on the way...better tend to the garden. :)

[joanie]

Finally, a thoughtful post, chucks. I understand that you have to show paper proving that you've owned the vehicle for a year and it has to be in working condition. The program provides a nice discount for those who can afford it but $16000 and up is still a long reach for many.

As for the advertising companies? How about a slimmer profit margin on their parts? What can they do? Apparently, they are looking for me to keep them in their current income bracket. Right?

And radio? Have they considered dropping the paychecks on their overpaid talkers and management? Or bringing more people back to radio by reducing the number of minutes devoted to advertising?

Sorry. This one doesn't compute for me. As you told the Suit, it is brain-dead thinking on the part of the other suits in radio and advertising that is the problem. Like the rest of us, they have to budget accordingly. I certainly don't feel a lot of compassion for all these people.

Too many too used to big paychecks.

[chucks]

Hey Duffy. I have been kind of busy these last few weeks and unable to read all of the posts that I may have missed. Momma is getting a little pissy about my still being unemployed so I have gone into overdrive looking.
Anyway, what is with this Sparcoil thing? Sparky-Coiler? Are people saying that Sparkey is also Curley Turd?
Sparkey, is this possible?
Back to the job search. This is going to make my head explode.

[joanie]

cash for clunkers blog

They've got a petition going signed by people who couldn't take advantage of the program for one reason or another.

[sparky]

No chucks, it's not true. Steven got a wild hair, and, typically, Putsie and Duffman always go along with him, regardless of how stoopid he gets. Keep in mind that steven thinks I am 65, not a teacher, and most recently told rozscat his ship was not where he said it was, and had to apologize later. We think the formaldehyde in all that cheap crap from China at WalMart is deteriorating his jelly bean brain.

[nevets]

Chucks, I hear that the dealers actually raised up thier prices for this event. I was looking a few months ago at a Ford and the sticker price was $33,000. Checked during this C4C and the price went up to $39,000. Go figure. Goes to show when ever there is a profit to be made, people always find a way to manipulate in thier favor. One thing I'll be watching for later this year is the County Tax intake during this event. Maybe with the influx of much needed sales tax receipts they can continue some much needed programs instead of putting Speed and Red Light cameras all over the place which only takes money out of the peoples pockets instead of into thier familys needs like food, clothing, school supplies, Housing, etc...

Unintentional consequences of trying to please everybody.

Sparky seems to be thinking of all the mess she will need to clean up in the school cafeteria once school starts. That probably explains the black cloud of death hanging over her posts today. Lets hope she wont go postal anytime soon on those kids.

[sparky]

See what I mean?

[Duffman]

Yes Chucks...'tis true. PUTS has the goods (even saved it for future reference); they are one-in-the-same, ergo Sparcoil. We need to play along with her childish antics. [smile]

[nevets]

At least I have the decency to appologize. Unlike you still clinging to that lie. And it wasn't me who made the Sparky-Coiler connection. I only said you were as creative in your writing as that other duo High-Stew.

[chucks]

It is against federal law to change the MSRP on a new car or truck. The dealer can put a suplemental price on the car to sell it for what ever he or she sees fit. If the MSRP changed, it was a different vehicle.
The Ford dealers just about ran out of Focus's in this program. You can be sure that the dealer price tightened up. Nobody complained when the dealers sold those same cars at a loss in April when the dealer was just raising cash to make payroll.

[nevets]

And Sparky, it was in that creative writing that you made your mistake.

[sparky]

If you say so, steven, it must be true.

[AuthenticAndrew]

"not to speak of fucking over the rest of us by trying to obliterate the national dialogue on issues of the day"

This is what's happening with the health care debate. Only the crazy conservatives could bring Hitler, Nazis and swastikas into a national debate about helping the helpless. I guess socialist isn't a bad word anymore. We're making some progress.

[chucks]

Progress will be made when we beat the liberal socialist back under the rocks from which they came and we can restore some fiscal prudence to our government and states rights as well as the God given rights afforded by our Constitution to individuals.
It is true that Obama is following the lead of 1930's Germany in the way he is trying to take control of this nation from the states and the people and put it in the control of his administration and the czars along with fruitcakes like Bawney Frank and Nancy Pelosi. I do not believe those few that say he is a Nazi. He just does not have a clue as to what he is doing and is fucking up. That is what his kind does.

[Sandy]

they berate Obama because the "stimulus isn't working" then when a a part of it does, they trash it. These people just want the defeat of Obama. Mike's right, they will do anything towards that end, even put the country in the toilet.

[AuthenticAndrew]

Is Obama firing up the ovens preparing to incinerate millions of people? No? then _shut_the_fuck_up_ and show some respect for those who were in fact incinerated and whose bones are piled high in a holocaust museum for all to witness.

[chucks]

We will see how "successful" the program was after the dust settles, Sandy. In a few weeks, we will know how many cars were sold and how many deals unwound because of difficult rules and confussion in the processes.
$3,000,000,000.00 is just 1/2 of 1% of the original stimulous(?) package, so that is not really an issue (to me anyway). I was just expressing what I see as wrong with this program from my side of the fence.
There is a large market for many of those cars and the people in that market will be hurt. Both the customers and the used car dealers (and of course their employees and their families).
None of that is a denial that I want Obama to fail. I do want him to fail on every big government, socialist program that he endevers to start. I want for you, me and the rest of the American people to succeed as free individuals enjoying our God given liberties granted us in our Constitution.

[chucks]

Bwahahahahhahahhahhahahahaha!!!!!
This from the BushMcHitler crowd Andy. You suck.
A liberal Republican such as Bush can be compared to Hitler for 8 years. Let hopey-changey guy take over a huge part of the private secter as Hitler did in the 30's and you get your panty's all bunched up.
Get over your rightious self.

[AuthenticAndrew]

Oh great the old "liberal scumbags did it so conservative scumbags like me can do it to!" Keep at scumbag.

[sparky]

chucks, what huge private sector has he taken over? The car thing was over in less than a month.

[sparky]

that didnt all print out....

How is your life different chucks? What can't you do today that you could do last summer as far as your rights as a citizen?

[Duffman]

Apparently, or it seems to me the answer to that is: work for profit, as the economy is being devastated by this administration.
And I think that we're in for a deployment of one heck of a lot more troops to Afghanistan. Our new POTUS is of and for corporate America and like chucks implied HE (our POTUS) really doesn't have a clue what he's doing...which, by the way is all at the direction of Rahm Emanuel.

[Duffman]

...and I can't wait to see what talk radio does to a POTUS who escalates a war (in Afghan) that we don't have any business being in. Oh, but Sparcoil I forgot...it's different under a Dem administration, isn't it. Do tell us how different it is (either persona will suffice). [smile]

[sparky]

From Media Matters

# The claim that Obama and Congress are cutting seniors’ Medicare benefits to pay for the health care overhaul is outright false, though that doesn’t keep it from being repeated ad infinitum.

None of the predicted savings – or cuts, depending on one’s perspective – come from reducing current or future benefits for seniors.

# In response to fears that funding for CER allows the government to make decisions for doctors, FactCheck.org reported: "Some take that to mean the government would no longer allow certain treatments that are 'more expensive' to be prescribed. But there's no description of government force here."

# Comparative Effectiveness Research, Or CER, Simply Allows Doctors And Patients To Make Informed Choices About Treatment.

# Jon Keyserling, general counsel and vice president of public policy for the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization, which supports the provision, said the bill doesn't encourage seniors to end their lives, it just allows some important counseling for decisions that take time and consideration.

# PolitiFact: "Nothing In The House Bill Would Affect Veterans' Current Coverage."

Not that facts would ever stop you guys.

[Duffman]

...shall we 'refresh' our memories about FACTS?...(smile) and we're glad you quoted Factcheck.org as it's nice to know you rely on that source...more later on that. This is getting to be fun.

[Duffman]

...and chucks I think joanie is getting frustrated with our POTUS (like you implied)...because I think like Sparcoil..she was a John Edwards fan...till he self-destructed. Hehe. [Oh BTW sparcoil, has he owned up to the child yet...I haven't heard?]

[sparky]

Here is some more good news:

"Rich Hallabran, spokesman for UPS Stores, said today he has not only temporarily halted buying ads on the Glenn Beck Show but also on the Fox News Channel altogether as reported by AP Television writer David Bauder."

"Congratulations to Color of Change for a boycott that has successfully driven 33 companies away from the odious and racist rantings of Glenn Beck! Beck is returning from vacation to even fewer advertisers than when he left!"

Even better news:

"Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. has decided to appoint a prosecutor to examine nearly a dozen cases in which CIA interrogators and contractors may have violated anti-torture laws and other statutes when they threatened terrorism suspects, according to two sources familiar with the move.

Holder is poised to name John Durham, a career Justice Department prosecutor from Connecticut, to lead the high-stakes inquiry, added the sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the process is not yet complete."

[nevets]

Sparky, if only you would have looked up the retirement requirements for Washington Teachers as you have done on this most complicated bill of HealthCare Reform (or is it Health Insurance Reform) then you could still be sitting there confident no one would be the wiser of your fake occupation.

[Duffman]

As someone herein said...what you seem to fail realize (Sparcoil) is how many sponsors are 'waiting in line' to back the show because of it's ratings.

[sparky]

Oh, I see. Well, thank you for setting me straight. I know you both are on top of everything that goes on.

[joanie]

Why try, Sparky? Really. It is like they take stoopid pills every morning.

BTW, I hear Durham has a fairly narrow mandate, so we'll see. Anything can happen. We are further along in getting those felons than we were six months ago. I'm hopin' for the best.

I'm admitting, duffo, that our President doesn't know how to use the bully pulpit very well. But, he's learning. I'm still optimistic.

[sparky]

You're right joanie.

Speaking of stoopid..did you see this today?

RUSH LIMBAUGH: Obama "wants us to have the same health care and plan that he had in Kenya" and "wants to be the black FDR.

[Duffman]

Afghanistan...folks; this is getting very SERIOUS...and portends to get seriouser...

[Dave (not dave ross)]

i dont begrudge the govt helping the average citizen considering the $700 billion wall street got, with cash for clunkers. The program was wrong to disable the trade ins and further, the government computer system was set up to handle a third of the sales at a time. without this approval the rebate may not be paid to the dealers who are in a fragile financial situation anyway. many didnt fill out the form for the rebate correctly. most of these sales say the car can be repossessed if the rebate doesnt come through. it will be interesting. it does open your eyes when the govt tries to run program, and only half of it works.

[nevets]

Why try gramma? How about to earn that respect she held for so long here at the BW. Roz even asked her to go on a trip.

Oh by the way, how is retirement anyway?

[nevets]

Y'know Joanie, when you talked about that Grampa in your class I never realized you were talking about one of your fellow Grand Parents. And when you always said you dealt with law enforcement officers, I always thought it was Officer Friendly visiting your classroom. Well the cat is out of the bag. But please before you run off to Ske-daddle land, tell us why you had to impress us here that you were an actual teacher?

[Duffman]

Sparcoil, would you kindly give me a heads up if and when John Edwards owns up to being the father of that child. I note he is currently layin low...helping Elizabeth (Wow!) set up an antique store that she's always wanted.
Thanks.

[nevets]

Beware strange gifts from Obama.

[Coiler]

Beware, bitter old people like in 1962 from the republican party.

[KS]

Beware of leftwing radical czars in White House, many of whom got their start by protesting for free speech in the 1960's, which was a rouse for stamping out free speech to dissenters.

[Tommy008]

I can't listen to Mr. Superior Michael Medved anymore. Previously i could barely stomach his condescension and arrogance if he had a good guest on. No more. Now, when I hear his voice, I envision him sending those parcels of litter and trash from debris by the side of the road that he's found the litterer's address in, containing his nasty, smartypants little notes, anonymously, hiding behind the protection of the United States Postal Service, like a little bitch.

[oda231]

Duff said: "Afghanistan...folks; this is getting very SERIOUS...and portends to get seriouser..."

In the war on terror, our greatest enemy is our self. Like the company picnic we have become a community of self licking ice cream cones and have forgotten the mission, or more tragically become so self absorbed in power point success and vertical movement within defunctional organizations that champion mediocrity and the status quo. This risk adverse culture has paralyzed the intelligence world and is metastasizing to the military and other government organizations to the point of a terminal diagnosis. We no longer ask the question how do we complete the mission and win but more important how do we keep from making a mistake. I would have to look back to when we moved the bar of success so low that it became a line in the sidewalk, easily crossed by anyone who was paying limited attention but this “kum by ya” mentality in the intelligence world has opened the flood gates for our enemies who define success as wining and destroying their opponent. Our current model is so stagnate, outdated, and self limiting that it not only is ineffective but provides a template for our enemies to easily understand, exploit, and defeat us at every turn. While we have the most highly sophisticated, technical abilities of any country in the world it amounts to the analogy of the high speed multifunctional computer only used to play solitaire. The various alphabets in the soup are continuously marking their spot on the nearest congressional tree for fear another four legged man’s best friend might just gain favor with the current elected potentate of the gold chest and their overinflated fecal filled budget will not get them into the current “place to be seen” where the size of a man’s genitalia is directly proportional to his place at the trough. While the key words like “Unity of Effort” sound good on the parchment of the potentate, they effectively come down to a dysfunctional three legged race between different agencies desperately trying to reach the finish line of bigger budgets equal more power. This emperor’s clothes mentality is hamstringing the “true believers and GSD (Get #@%& done) personnel who are at the epicenter of any successful endeavor. Outside the box thinking is labeled as “cowboy” and “suspect” with the potential for risk or God forbid massive success. When talented aggressive patriots see the rotting decay of their superiors, the attrition rate makes websites like monster.com their quarterly bonus as the private sector continually draws the best and the brightest away from service to their country like congress to a $1000 a plate fundraiser. This insanity must stop or all our forefathers fought for will be a distant memory in the ocean of incompetence and insecurity that currently is directing our efforts.

[chucks]

Oda, that sounds like a bunch of fancy talk for Obama is fucking up things as badly as LBJ did in Nam.
On that note, I agree with you. Any day now, I expect the hippy's to grab their tie dyed shirts and pooka shells, put flowers in their hair and start singin Joan Baez crap.

[oda231]

Urkel has taken up poll sky diving and is in a free fall at terminal velocity. It will be interesting to see when the TOTUS tells him (if it does) to pull the ripcord and if his rag opens. He has no reserve chute.

[sage]

Ahem, "czars" were the opposite of commies. They were establishment creeps along the lines of pro big business and no regulation. So I guess King Shit, you're supporting chamber of commerce-like policies when you mix metaphors around.