Get 'em while they're hot: it's the buy-a-talk host season

 A radio biz guru has said, "Any good host or exec will tell you that he is in the audience acquisition, retention and expansion business, to maximize the value of their spots."

(photo: Sean Hannity bumps it with a trumpet)

So if you still think your favorite firebranding, freedom-loving, uber-patriotic talk host does what he or she does, says what he or she says, out of pure love of god, country, and the American way, you're just a dittohead.

Politico reports that top national radio talkers are being paid millions$, literally, for right-wing activist lobbying groups whose messages are not only carried in ad copy, but also swirled into show content with only occasional or casual mentions that their messages are bought and paid for by these sponsors.

(photo: Laura Ingraham got dumped) 

Freedom Works, is working hard against front-runner Mitt Romney...  and guess what? so is Glenn Beck, who got around $1.4 million from the well-financed Republican phony grassroots "tea-party" front guided by Dick Armey.

Mark LeVin (that's not pronounced to rhyme with 'seven,' say it the French way, accented on the 2nd syllable, leh VIN, except misprounce the 'vin' part to rhyme with 'sin') gets 1.2 million for his sponsorship of Americans For Prosperity, a Koch Brothers-funded astroturf tea party organization.

Levin, whose endorsement deal with the tea party organizing group Americans for Prosperity started last summer, was similarly protective of his sponsor last year after President Barack Obama singled out the group in making the case that anonymously funded attack ads were distorting the midterm elections.

“Americans for Prosperity is a magnificent organization that people join voluntarily. You. Me,” Levin said on his syndicated radio show. Obama, Levin continued, “wants you to hate Americans for Prosperity. So if he wants you to hate it, then you should embrace it, and promote it, and support it and join it, because it’s effective.”

The Heritage Foundation, the grand-daddy conservative bullshit delivery system started this in 2008 by buying Laura Ingraham. They dropped her and now gives Rush Limbaugh $2 million and Hannity $1.3 a year to plug membership drives, and to defend the well-financed foundation when it's feeling persecuted (which is most of the time).

(Beck and many other conservative talkers have long been integrating their sponsors' messages into their "entertainment" with their 1-2 punch selling gold at incredibly inflated prices. First he predicts a dog-eat-dog Mad Max world after a collapse of the US financial system, (coming any dy, now) then pitches Goldline products as a hedge strategy. Dittoheads are some of the most gullible people in the world, loyal to a fault and willing to believe anything these on-air hucksters sell, whether it's their loopy politics or gold retailed at prices as much as 5-10X the cost on the real market).

It's working and working real good. 

Heritage estimates that it in each of the past two years, its sponsorships with Limbaugh and Hannity brought in more than 40,000 new memberships starting at the $25 level, while FreedomWorks said that in the three months after its Beck sponsorship started in April 2010, the group saw a huge spike in traffic to its website (which featured a photo of Beck linked to a fundraising appeal), resulting in 50,000 new email sign-ups.

There's nothing illegal about this, unfortunately, although old broadcast ethics have been flushed ignominiously down the golden executive toilets of these values-thumping whores.

“I wish more of the grassroots knew the reality that this wasn’t Rush or Sean or Beck saying these things out of the goodness of their hearts,” said the leader of one [conservative] group who inquired about ads on various radio shows, but decided they were both too expensive and ethically suspect. “If the grassroots found out that these guys were getting paid seven figures a year to say this stuff, it might leave a bad taste in their mouth.”

Dittoheads manipulated and their loyalty exploited? Nothing new there, but we think such partisan political activism that's bought and paid for should be daylighted like other political advertising.

There is nothing like this on the left. If it were ever revealed that, say Randi Rhodes or Thom Hartmann were being paid to mix corporate or political sponsors' messaging into their show content, there'd be hell to pay.

“The point that people don’t realize,” said Michael Harrison, founder and publisher of the talk media trade publication TALKERS Magazine, “is that (big time political talk show hosts) are radio personalities – they are in the same business that people like Casey Kasem are in – and what they do is no different than people who broadcast from used car lots or restaurants or who endorse the local roofer or gardener.”

The radio-consuming, dittoheaded, conservative base don't seem to care: with blind trust they eat what's fed to them... and shell out their bucks as directed. They deserved to be suckered... but the rest of us have to work hard to stop these messages from slopping over to pollute the mainstreams.

Comments

[Noah's friend, Wimmy]

Why do these people have audiences? If a politician were being hired by corporate interests on the sly they would be shot & hung. Oh that's right- they are.

[Steve]

I see Rush-bo is explaining the length of his dick.

[Pete]

After Viagra.

[Truth]

Unfortunately people that read this blog truly believe this garbage. These folks are entertainers that get paid by advertisers. They don't change anyone's mind just like the IDIOTS on MSNBC don't change anyone's mind.

Hood is starting the machine of excuses for a disgraceful Obama administration to to be limited to one term.

[Tripping]

And what of Fox?

[Pete]

Truth, the issue raised by the post isn't the advocacy of the talk hosts. It's the lack of disclosure that they are being paid by advertisers for some of that advocacy instead of it being solely their personal opinion. It's exactly the same issue as when Armstrong Williams was busted for not revealing that he was taking Bush Administration money for the purpose while he was talking up some of its programs. It's called corruption; what's sold here is not public policies, but influential media opinions.

Limbaugh et al have personal opinions, and they're successful entertainers, and advertisers pay handsomely to advertise on their shows, including personal testimonials (which are clearly identifiable as such). That's all great. Such hosts also want to influence opinion (either by changing minds or deepening the commitment of allies), and good for that, too. The problem here is that the credibility of, say, Rush is largely based on the audience's belief that he's speaking from his heart. When his heart is instead an availability in Grid IV on Premiere's rate card, an act of fraud is being perpetrated on the audience. And the same is true for any talker, left, right, or (ala Ron & Don) indifferent.

[KS]

David Brooks stated in a column last year that the big talk show hosts don't really affect the results of elections much. I'd say he is probably correct. What these people do is distill information largely from the internet through their filter and regurgitate it to the listener who wants a quick fix and they have guest/interviews once in a while, which is more entertaining.

My observations indicate that the right-wing hosts are more credible than the left. Figure out why - the mainstream media covers up portions of the news that hurt their political agenda - as there is no penalty/accountability for these news organizations - meaning they don't police themselves and therefore are corrupt and the leftwing plays hide the sausage with the covered up/cherry picked portion of the news. The conservative talkers use the alternate media to compare with AP, NY Times, WA Po, LA Times, Reuters, etc. and a distinct pattern has developed and is predictable, as they opine.

Contrary to the above post, the left is a blind mob and the right appears blind to the left. Political gain is more important than the well-being of the citizens. The left prefers to emphasize the collective and right prefers to emphasize the individual, but it is almost impossible to represent the individual with the size of Federal Government, so the right ends up represented groups also. Until the size of Federal Guvmint is reduced drastically in size, corruption will prevail and more talker fodder for the right. Ann Coulter even went and wrote a book called "Demonic" about the mob mentality of the left - her spin. Of course, the conservative talkers ate it up and interviewed. She is way smarter than Sarah Palin and would be tough to go up against in the courtroom. Doesn't appear she will be seeking political office though to the relief of progressivists.

[Ann's Agent, Vinnie]

Ann can be had for a bottle of Chardonnay and a pack of cigs.

[Coiler]

Speaking of buying people, Brad Friedman was talking about how Citizen's United bought air time 20 years ago defending Clarence Thomas, who would later rule in their favor in the recent CU vs FEC.

[KS]

Still small potatoes compared to the Obama Admin selling firearms to the Mexican drug lords.

[joanie]

Which brings us back to the fairness doctrine, Pete. People should be able to hear both sides. On rightwing radio, they don't even hear one side: they hear what big money wants people to think. I mean, you're not hearing necessarily what Rush really thinks but what he's paid to think.

Gotta connect the dots, KS.

BTW, who is paying Rhodes, Malloy and Hartmann to speak for them? The three of them don't even agree.

[Coiler]

Most can buy guns across the border thanks to the NRA. Where is this story that the "Obama Admin" is selling guns to Mexicans? I can't find it.

[joanie]

And speaking of Malloy and Rhodes, they've been exceptional lately. Randi knows her stuff and Malloy feels for the average guy. I admire them both.

Coiler, few people on this blog deal in facts. I may be coming around to feeling like we have to keep Obama . . . but I'll feel like I'm committing treason as an American if I do it.

We, the Corporations, of the United States of America . . . Did any of you read Dylan Ratigan's column:

America for Sale: Is Goldman Sachs Buying Your City? My god, what will this country be like when we all owe five or six corporations for the food on our table and the water we drink, and all our energy . . . Didn't people learn anything from Enron? Anything at all?

BTW, when is the criminal David Vitter going to resign.

[ProgBlogJunky]

Thanks for looking into the Twitter snafu there Mr. Hood.

Now for this blog. Who cares what these companies pay to advertise on a particular show. I think what someone is trying to do is make it look like something it isnt. Its advertisement. Commercials. Ynow, like those $1 million sponsorships for 30 seconds from Budweiser during the superbowl paid to the NFL. Wait, does that mean al the NFL Players are alcoholics and promote a drunk driving?

Alpha Joanie, quitkidding yourself. You'll vote for your Hussien Obama and enjoy every minute. Now quit your conspiracy about the rich taking over. No ones listening.

[don wade]

Mike Malloy? Doesn't that poor little guy have to pay stations to carry his show? No wonder the little fellow always seems to have his panties in a snit!

[Radio Queen]

Seems the left is still bitter about Vitter. In 2007, Vitter held a press conference to admit his wrongdoing one day after his telephone number was discovered on Palfrey's list. Since the calls were made from 1999-2001 (6 years prior to discovery), he had already confessed and made peace with his wife. Listen up: It's not really about what Weiner did--it's about how he handled the aftermath of being found out. His Nixonesque attempts at coverup and his Clintonesque repeated denials are what did him in. I don't much care about a congressman's sex life, but I do expect them to use good judgment, be honest and forthright, and take responsibility for their actions. Weiner and Vitter are an apples and oranges comparison. Get over it.

[sparky]

You are right, RQ...Vitter actually broke the law. Since the scandal with Wiener has suddenly brought forward the outrage for ethics on the Right, Vitter should "do the right thing" and turn in his diapers and his little black book full of prostitutes phone numbers ( you know, tne ones he called from the floor of the Senate) and resign.

That "get over it" part at the end...that was good~

[Puget Sound Blathers]

Well, Sparkles is partially correct. He broke the law but by the time it was brought forward the statute of limitations had passed.
The Ethics Committee dealt with it and then he stood for re-election with the people he represents. They voted him to return for another term.

My own take is that he should have resigned.

Congressman Weiner could have bulled his way through the mess if he would have:
1) owned up to it
2) stopped trying to blame others
3) apologized

His actions in the face of this crisis showed he wasn't fit for office in terms of judgement. If Congressman Weiner had done what Senator Vitter did then he would have probably made it through the crisis given that the people of his district want him to remain in office.

[ProgBlogJunky]

Its a unique Progressive trait Puget Sound. Progressives love someone who can look them in the face a lie.

[Puget Sound Blathers]

And speaking of Malloy and Rhodes, they've been exceptional lately. Randi knows her stuff and Malloy feels for the average guy. I admire them both.

Coiler, few people on this blog deal in facts. I may be coming around to feeling like we have to keep Obama . . . but I'll feel like I'm committing treason as an American if I do it.

We, the Corporations, of the United States of America . . . Did any of you read Dylan Ratigan's column:

America for Sale: Is Goldman Sachs Buying Your City? My god, what will this country be like when we all owe five or six corporations for the food on our table and the water we drink, and all our energy . . . Didn't people learn anything from Enron? Anything at all?

BTW, when is the criminal David Vitter going to resign.

Posted by: joanie | June 16, 2011 at 10:58 PM

yeah, those assassination jokes never get old...

malloy and rhodes are hate talkers, unextrodinaire. that folks fall for it says a lot about the low information voters we have amongst us.
and for the umpteenth time, i do not consider rush, levin, beck, et al sources of information. nor should you consider malloy, rhodes, et al.

all of em, to include the haters on the left like malloy, rhodes, et al, are entertainers that reenforce your predisposed biases. low information voters like joanie go for that kind of crap. go figure.

[Puget Sound Blathers]

Its a unique Progressive trait Puget Sound. Progressives love someone who can look them in the face a lie.

Posted by: ProgBlogJunky | June 17, 2011 at 06:42 AM

i know, you would expect that they would at least have the gumption to trot out Feingold to primary Pres Obama. kind of a, 'hey--over here, we got some principles' wave of the hand.

See how Pres Obama ignores Congress and that whole inconvenient War Powers Act.
'Libya, not a war I tell ya'

[Puget Sound Blathers for Coiler]

Most can buy guns across the border thanks to the NRA. Where is this story that the "Obama Admin" is selling guns to Mexicans? I can't find it.

Posted by: Coiler | June 16, 2011 at 10:44 PM

you won't find it in your nutter crap, try CBS News.
CBS

The emails that go along with the story are telling. The war between those on the scene and those back in DC.

[nuemes]

Good article Michael, thanks.

[joanie]

Breaking the law is okay if you apologize. Interesting thinking.

And Coburn? I don't think he's even apologized yet.

[Radio Queen]

Sparky, the "outrage for ethics on the right" is aimed at...do I really need to say it again...Weiner's handling of the matter. The dems and the media are downright pissed off that he played them for fools for several weeks--they had no choice but to turn against him. I agree that Vitter should have resigned, but calling for it 4 years after the discovery and 10 years after the actual occurrence is a bit ridiculous.

[Anti-Dori]

Love is never having to say you're sorry. You have quite an ability to rationalize, RQ. And Coburn? That seemed an appropriate question? The list of sexual indignities on the right really cannot be boiled down to saying "sorry." Really, Radio Queen. I expected better.

[sparky]

So, you are saying that if it's been awhile since the law was broken, we should just let it go, nothing to see here.

I see.

Perhaps you had better fill in your friends on here who never miss a chance to bring up Chappaquiddick ..

Oh wait...that's different. I forgot.

[Coiler]

IOKIYAR

[ProgBlogJunky]

Lets see, Murder vs soliciting a prostitute. Gee Sparky get your priorities straight will you. How can you compare the two. Especially when you defended the murderer.

[Radio Queen]

Typical left diversionary tactics. Let's shift the focus from what happened in the last two weeks to rehash the last 40 years. While you're at it, why don't you blame Bush for the sexual missteps on both the left and the right? I would expect no less.

[Coiler]

Pickles Bush did run over someone in High School.

[Pete]

Thanks for the CBS link, PSB. That is, in fact, pretty despicable.

It does make me wonder how often law enforcement does this: allows a crime (or a suspected crime) to be committed in order to gather evidence to prosecute a larger crime. And how often it backfires like this. I imagine this is a common dilemma in undercover operations, for example. But truly, how much evidence do you need that US guns (and US drug laws) are fueling the drug violence in Mexico? That's been common knowledge for a decade.

On the War Powers Act, I can't decide whose hypocrisy is more disgusting: the Obama Administration and its allies, for claiming that Libya isn't really a war, or Republican Congressional leaders who are (correctly) pursuing the issue now, but only because a Democrat is in the White House. Every President since the WPA was passed has ignored it, from both parties. I'd love to see Congress enforce it, just once.

Same for the ridiculous fiction, practiced by both Bush and Obama, that the Iraq and Afghan wars should be funded in supplemental budgets separate from the DoD budget because, well, the numbers aren't quite as terrifying when you keep them separate. The amount of waste and corruption built into our military spending is just staggering, and it hasn't gotten any better under Obama.

[Anti-Dori]

Diversionary? How so? Coburn is not "40 years ago." Diversionary? Seems to me you are the one using "diversionary tactics." But, your response is why I realized moons ago that trying to have a constructive conversation with the right comes to meaningless generalizations, rationalizations, and misdirected or inaccurate allegations. Having said that, Chappaquidick may not be the best example. There are many, many more suitable comparisons of which I will refrain from providing a litancy as they have been posted before with similar "diversionary" responses.

So, Puget Sound, what say you on all this? Is Weiner the worst person in the world?

[KS]

Obfuscation is what they try to excel at. Sparky, Coils and Joanie - you blatantly practice double standards.

Breaking the law is not OK if you apologize, but covering up when they knew full well they broke the law always makes it much worse. If the Democratic Party got that through their heads and fessed up - like Clinton, John Edwards and Weiner didn't do, their ethics would suck less. Same goes for Ahnold

[Coiler]

can we get David Diapers to confess or is his wife happy to change his Depends every day?

[KS]

Waiting for you to admit Weiner and John Edwards are sicko scumbags.

(I already stated on a previous post that Vitter was one, although not to the magnitude of Weiner and Edwards)

[Anti-Dori]

"sicko scumbags" - an example of a generalization and possibly an inaccurate allegation. And Coburn? Or do you know what Coburn did? Perhaps your right-wing media didn't tell you?

Waiting for Puget Sound. We need to hear from a reasonable conservative on this.

[KS]

Another attempt to change the topic - Why don't you or Coils want to answer the previous question ? What are you trying to hide ? Now, what did the leftwing netroots media say that Coburn did ? Show us the goods...

Where is this story that the "Obama Admin" is selling guns to Mexicans? I can't find it.

Posted by: Coiler | June 16, 2011 at 10:44 PM

Here it is - smells a lot like a coverup here. Remember Watergate, Monicagate and now this. I have a strong feeling that this one is not going away anytime soon

[ProgBlogJunky]

My oh My it just gets better all the time.

[Coiler]

it says the ATF covered up the investigation, does not say the 'Obama administration' was selling guns" Kinda silly if you thought this was like "Iran Contra" which was real.

[joanie for SCRILLA]

Hahaha, Anti-D. You're much too nice to them. = what did the leftwing netroots media say that Coburn did ?

This from Politico which is hardly left-leaning:

For his part, Coburn informed Senate investigators “that he told Mr. Hampton s attorney, Mr. Albregts, in May 2009 that he was not ‘the negotiator’, and ‘it’s got to be something apropos.’ Senator Coburn also testified that he did not propose any resolution, but was simply going to pass information to Senator Ensign. Mr. Albregts testified that Senator Coburn took an active role in the negotiations between Mr. Hampton and Senator Ensign, and this role included proposing specific resolutions.”

Once the scandal went public in June 2009 and led to a huge political and media firestorm, Coburn deflected questions from the media. He told POLITICO that because he was a church deacon and a doctor, he was covered by a confidentiality privilege and would not have to disclose his role in the affair to anyone, even the Senate Ethics Committee.

Coburn, however, backed away from this stance, and by July 2010, Coburn was secretly cooperating with FBI agents looking at possible criminal charges against Ensign. Coburn turned over thousands of pages of documents — including emails — to federal prosecutors.

Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0511/54905_Page2.html#ixzz1Pan7Hrz9

Coburn decided saving his own booty was better than sticking to his lies. And isn't it all about lying, Queen? What a bunch of hypocrites you all are.

Might try reading something other than right-wing propaganda, KS.

Of course, you won't hear much about it because Coburn brings lots and lots of big money into politics. Just like Rangel and Vitter. Weiner was one of us. He wasn't a corporate shill who gave the D's lots of moolah. So he was expendable.

BTW, Scrilla, check out this from Le Monde Le Weiner Scandal: the French react

Apres the Strauss-Kahn scandal, French argue over American hypocrisy.

Of course, not all the French think we're hypocrites. Just a lot of them. Either way, the article makes my point that Weiner's weener is much ado about nothing - at least, to the French.

[joanie for SCRILLA]

Now, you are welcome to call my response a "diversionary tactic" till the cows come home. Well, except for KS. He'll just call me names.

I'm headed to BB with a carload of work to do.

Two more days, Sparky. How about you?

[joanie]

Removing Scrilla.

[joanie]

Coiler, KS olfactory nerve died years ago.

[Coiler]

yes indeed. He objects to having a black president with his shoes occasionally on some piece of antique furniture like all the other white presidents do.

[Puget Sound Blathers for Coiler]

yes coils, running true to form. when he can't debate, he calls ya a racist.

[Puget Sound Blathers]

i would have let congressman weiner stand for election next year. the folks of his district can determine if they want him or not.

remember, he broke no laws.

now, that being said you wouldn't see me voting for him albeit if he had an R or a D by his name.

his 'judgement' in both engaging that behavior and subsequent actions in trying to deny it tell me that this is not someone i want to handle sensitive or important issues of the day.

hope that helps.

[sparky]

.5 for me and then two days of professional development classes, joanie. Working on a PPoint for a presentation on Netizenship. I have so much material from here...LOL

[Puget Sound Blathers]

So, you are saying that if it's been awhile since the law was broken, we should just let it go, nothing to see here.

I see.

Perhaps you had better fill in your friends on here who never miss a chance to bring up Chappaquiddick ..

Oh wait...that's different. I forgot.

Posted by: sparky | June 17, 2011 at 05:30 PM

poor sparkles, conflating the reckless actions of ted kennedy resulting in the death of a young woman. someone, mind you, who was still alive when he ran off to get his attorney.

anyone think that ted kennedy -politics aside- is the kind of person you want to make decisions of substance and judgement?

don't be too hard on sparky and the gang. they are just really pissed off that anthony weiner apologized to andrew breitbart. now that really hurt. because the next time breitbart has something, it will be harder to discredit him.

and that ticks off the left. LMAO

[KS]

Why do you care about what Coburn did ? Because he is a Republican and if he was a Democrat you would have dismissed it - just like you are trying to dismiss Weinergate. Politico is a middle of the road/leftwing site (depending on who reports). Ensign should have resigned for what he did and he had financial clout, so your point about expendability is moot. Another thing, Coburn wasn't the one who practiced infidelity but he prevaricated and was less than ethical- will see what happens. When will you condemn Harry Reid for taking more money from Abramoff than any other politician ?

Yep - PS - Coils is master-baiting about race again. The Hispanics will help vote this guy out next year - so you'd better start calling them racists,

You make a weak point Joanie, but you obfuscate well and practice double standards like the extremists that you are. Weiner was just plain stupid for the way he used Twitter, which did him in, besides covering up in all his arrogance. he'll probably get a reality show. Feeling sorry for his wife.

"it says the ATF covered up the investigation, does not say the 'Obama administration' was selling guns"

The Obama Administration is responsible for ATF - are they not, Coils ? Keep making excuses for the corruption of this administration - we already know your ethics are in the toilet - is that all you've got ?