Talk Radio: Sucking The Air Out Of The Room.

According to a 2007 Gallup poll, one in five Americans turns to talk radio as a daily news source. Considering that it's not even news, that's rather disconcerting.

Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Glenn Beck, Mark Levin and dozens of other loudmouths on talk radio stations nationwide continue to lie about health care. Limbaugh goes so far as to say there isn't a health care crisis at all:

Conservative columnist Cal Thomas lies about the liars on FOX News (which is just videotaped talk radio, anyway):

Joesph Goebbels himself couldn't have designed a propaganda network as deeply penetrating as conservative talk radio. As posted previously on JackRabbit Café, Limbaugh's success comes largely through his syndicator's policy of offering his show for free to hundreds of small and medium-sized radio stations across the country in exchange for ad time. It's called "vertical integration," which really means that as you scan the AM dial, there is no escaping the feverish screaming from the right.

Here is broadcast journalist Sue Wilson on AlterNet:

Drive across the seven states they represent: Arkansas, Georgia, Indiana, Louisiana, Ohio, Tennessee, and Utah, turn on your car radio, and you'll know why public opinion has changed. According to Pew research, 22 percent of Americans get their news from talk radio. And conservative talkers have been lying to their listeners about what's in the health care bill.

Lies from Sean Hannity like, "If you don't have private insurance the year that this bill is passed, you can't get that later on from your employer." Lies from Rush Limbaugh that the bill would "outlaw individual private coverage." Lies provided in talking points from the Republican National Committee like "Democrats are proposing a government controlled health insurance system, which will control care, treatments, medicines and even what doctors a patient may see."

Tell a lie often enough, and people will believe it.

And there is nobody there to call them on their lies. Nobody there to set the record straight. Nobody to push back against the propaganda that corporate radio promotes in its own political self interest. In the Blue Dog Seven states, just three stations broadcast any kind of progressive talk. Three progressive radio stations in seven entire states. But Sean Hannity "freely" prevaricates on dozens of radio stations; Rush Limbaugh deceives people on 98 in those seven states alone. 98 publicly owned frequencies where public debate comes second to selling ads for Snapple.

Special assistant to the President for Science, Technology, and Innovation Policy, Susan Crawford told Broadcasting and Cable magazine, "The administration understands the important role traditional terrestrial broadcasting continues to play."

Maybe they should be listening to FCC Commissioner Michael Copps, who says in Broadcast Blues, "If you're concerned about health care or you're concerned about the environment as your number one issue, fine, but a piece of advice from me, is you better make media reform your number two issue, because you won't get anywhere on number one without media reform."

Radio Knave.

     Every town bigger than Bugtussle seems to have a loudmouth, low-rent Rush Limbaugh imitator on its terrestrial airwaves. Some have several, often including the syndicated Oracle of OxyContin himself.

     Such is the case in Phoenix, where one of the country's many mimics plies his ignorant tools of the trade.

     KFYI-AM is a typical talk radio station. Appealing to the lowest common denominator by endlessly repeating right-wing rumors, innuendoes, urban legends and lies, its blueprint is identical to scores of AM stations across the country: to reproduce the Limbaugh schtick to the point of outright aping. It's the pre-eminent, predictable routine of conservative talk radio, the medium's most successful and least challenging format.  

     Bruce Jacobs is KFYI's resident Limbot. He is as you might imagine: unoriginal, witless, mean-spirited and shameless. Much like Limbaugh himself, but without the $400 million contract.  

     Here's some basement-quality Bruce, with the equally dim J.D. Hayworth, parodied here yesterday: 

     Last summer, Jacobs attacked the widow of a slain Phoenix police officer over one of right-wing radio's core talking points, immigration reform. 

     Julie Erfle had the temerity to travel to Washington, DC with Phoenix mayor Phil Gordon to push for immigration reform. To radio right-wingers, of course, "reform" is processed as "amnesty," and, besides--it would leave them with too much dead air to fill.

     According to Azcentral.com, Jacobs said, "You ought to be ashamed of yourself, Julie Erfle...I don't know how you can look at your kids and do this. . . . When the next police officer is gunned down or killed . . . is it fair to blame you? Because I am going to give you partial blame.

     "Put that in your legacy for your husband."

     Phoenix Police Chief Jack Harris wasn't impressed: "To do the kind of attack that this Bruce Jacobs did on the widow of a murdered officer that gave his life for this community less than year ago . . . is reprehensible." 

      And for a guy who is paid to run his mouth, the big-talking Bruce was at a loss for words in an e-mail to The Arizona Republic: "I don't speak to your lying publication." 

     Way to man-up, tough guy.

      I bring up this lowlife because I read where Our Boy Bruce was an eager promotional tool for the outer fringe's protest yesterday as President Obama visited Dobson High School in the Phoenix suburb of Mesa. The recently-signed economic stimulus has the GOP Confederates and their dwindling followers in an uproar, and right-wing talk radio plays a huge role nation-wide in message repetition and troop recruitment.

     According to the East Valley Tribune, approximately 500 to 600 anti-Obama protestors showed up, and KFYI was a main booster. There was also a simultaneous protest against redneck Mariposa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio; strange bedfellows, indeed.    

     Both groups were dwarfed by the number of Obama supporters.

     The Phoenix area has been especially hard hit by the economic meltdown, especially in the housing sector. 

     According to USA Today, median home prices have plummeted from $208,000 a year ago to less than $138,000. A single zip code in the area has 1,500 foreclosures, and 45% of all real estate transactions in this former boomtown stem from foreclosures.

     Meanwhile, talk radio bottom-feeders like Jacobs feed on the anger. A sampling of the signs quoted in the East Valley Tribune at the KFYI-promoted rally read like Limbot radio promos:

     "Resist Cult Obama"

     "It's our money stupid"

     "Don't drink the purple Kool Aid."

     "We've seen the pork. Where's the beef?"

     "Obama speaketh with forked tongue"

     "Mr. Obama show me your birth certificate"

     "Obama cares more about the terrorists than the sailors"

     "B.O. smells and so does socialism"

     KFYI-AM is owned by Clear Channel, well-known in media circles as the owner of over 1,200 radio stations across the country, many with right-wing talk radio formats.

     In the Phoenix-area alone, the San Antonio-based Clear Channel owns eight stations, yet another argument against ownership of multiple stations in a single market.

     In January, a Wall Street Journal  report noted that Clear Channel would be cutting 1,500 jobs, 7 percent of its workforce. Most of the cuts will come in sales, although the Journal said the conglomerate is planning to replace some local programming with syndicated shows.

     Running a single generic syndicated show on multiple stations is cheaper than paying multiple local talent (I'm being generous with that word), and Clear Channel is clearly hurting. 

     Hey, Bruce: maybe you should get your real estate license.   

Postscript:

I e-mailed this post to Jacobs. Here's the response:

yawn mooch...go beg like a dog...do you fetch papers also beggar...hey beggar I think I heard that very same promise what 15 years ago...hey do you chase a ball like a dog as well because you beg like 1

So that passes as the wit of Bruce Jacobs. They'll hire anybody to yell on the radio these days.