Yakety Yak 
~ by James Banzer

   In the 1980's, radio started inventing a new niche
with talk. Just about everything else had been tried,
and this was something that had never been done before
on any grand scale.

   There had been local radio talk shows. No major
successes with a coast to coast dimension had hit the
scene in this medium.

   Along came Rush Limbaugh. He took the country by
storm, after signing onto his nationally syndicated
program with a little more than 50 stations in 1988.

   Little did anyone realize at that time that Limbaugh
would be both imitated and scorned by dozens of other
talk-show hosts in the years to come. Rush, more than
any other radio talk show host, can be credited with
today's phenomenal success of talk radio.

   Some love him. Others view him with complete disdain.
But he's successful, and in the end that's what counts
among the corporate radio bean counters.

   Before Limbaugh, none of the other radio talkers would
have had the nerve to call feminists by a newly-coined
term like "feminazis." Any other talkers would not
have dared play the theme to the film "Born Free,"
with the sound of gunfire mixed in with the music.
He's brash. He offends. He is a shock talker playing
to a conservative audience, and he doesn't mince his
words. That's his success secret.

   People who like this form of radio talk are likely to
call it gutsy. Those who do not like it call it
audacity.

   The indisputable fact though is that Limbaugh amounts
to a phenomenon. Imitators and emulators started
appearing shortly after Limbaugh's success became
apparent, and they continue to proliferate.

   Liberals have unsuccessfully tried the same type of
radio. They continue to make fledgling attempts to
match Limbaugh's approximately 600 radio stations
nationwide. So far, no one has come close.

   There are plenty of liberal people who would love to
meet Limbaugh's degree of radio success. Even eloquent
former New York governor Mario Cuomo tried. As much of
an accomplished orator as he is, he still failed
miserably.

   A radio station in Cincinnati is now changing its
format to accommodate liberal talk radio. It has
contracted with Jerry Springer, who wants to syndicate
his show nationally. A few daily hours of the sounds
of chairs flying, and words being bleeped, are all
that immediately comes to mind when contemplating this
trash television personality on the radio.

   Springer has talked off and on about running for
statewide political office in Ohio. Perhaps he thinks
this will be a good springboard for him. Could that be
enough to turn a red state blue?

   There's a little bit of irony here, in that Springer's
flagship station will be WSAI, which is a Clear
Channel Communications radio station. Premiere Radio
Networks produces Rush Limbaugh's show. Premiere is a
Clear Channel subsidiary. Again, bean counters rule
the day in radio.

   Talk radio is a good thing. People are no doubt better
informed today than they were without it. There's
exposure to issues that otherwise might go by
virtually unnoticed.

   Sometimes the information people get from talk radio
is one-sided. If one side is all that's heard, it is
the listener's fault. There are alternatives, and a
listener need not limit listening to one personality.

   Those who want deep blue can tune in to National
Public Radio. Those wanting bleeding red can stick
with Limbaugh, Sean Hannity or Bill Bennett.

   Those who want a mixture can tune in to C-SPAN cable
television, and listen to the "Washington Journal"
program every morning. C-SPAN is great radio with
pictures.

   That's the network which puts a Republican on the air,
then a Democrat, then an independent, then repeats the
cycle. Granted, this format seemed a bit out of place
when Ronald Reagan died, and those calling on the
Democrat line seemed obliged to talk ill of the dead.

   Broadcast talk is here to stay, and if you don't like
what you are hearing on the airwaves, you can invest
in XM satellite radio, which is in part another Clear
Channel venture. There, you soon will find your only
opportunity to hear the smut offered by Howard Stearn.
You should also be able to smell the effects of the
uncounted beans that were eaten by Stern and his
mindless fans.

010805

After a long career in broadcast news, James Banzer is
now writing on his observations about the world around
us. He currently resides in Louisville, Kentucky. You
may send him e-mail at jamesbanzer@yahoo.com.

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