This presidential election cycle provided a number of insights, revelations, and takeaway lessons for news/talk radio. And by using the term “news/talk radio” I mean all spoken word platforms on the AM/FM dial including commercial, public, educational, and ethnic outlets that provide news, politics, and commentary. They are all RADIO.
1. Conservative talk radio is legitimate. Its detractors who claim its content and opinions only address a relatively small percentage of the American public and a dying demographic are obviously misreading the tea leaves. Conservative talk radio is big, influential, and a long-time bellwether of American public opinion. Conservative talk radio would do much better than it already does in terms of ratings and revenue if it were supported by its preponderance of financially crippled and intestinally paralyzed owners with the resources it needs to do what it does with maximum effectiveness. The genre should stay the course, perhaps with renewed vigor and variety.
2. The potential for liberal talk radio has never been greater in the modern era. Opinion radio works best when it is the resistance to “big” anything – big government, big media, big business, big religion, big tech, big pharma, and big BS. There are key differences between playing cultural offense and defense in this game. The stage is now set for the first time since the blessed repeal of the Fairness Doctrine for a tremendous resistance and galvanizing on the left side of talk radio’s commercial offerings… now that the shoe is obviously on the other foot. This should not be executed at the expense of conservative talk radio. There are enough dead in the water music stations out there ready for new life. And don’t tell me about Air America. That’s ancient and inapplicable history. I’m a broadcaster, not a politician. The true “battleground” of today’s dynamically polarized society should and can take place to a large and healthy extent on the AM and FM dial! At present, YouTube is eating radio’s lunch with its energetic lineup of outstanding independent liberal talk talent (as well as conservative).
3. Public radio needs to come clean. Until public radio gets honest with itself as to what it actually represents on the true spectrum of public opinion, it will not realize growth, but rather a continuing background wallpaper role in American politics and cultural relevance. A new level of self-honesty will provide public radio with the boost it so desperately needs to move in a more pertinent direction.
4. Ethnic talk radio does not represent political monoliths. Time to wake up to that obvious fact and stop with the insulting blinders and stereotypes.
5. Joe Rogan. The radio industry should never have allowed Joe Rogan and those who will follow in his footsteps to be a non-AM/FM talk show host. Talk radio and talk media are cousins and they currently are still genetically connected. But they are also competitors and talk radio is fighting an uphill battle in that struggle.
Michael Harrison can be contacted at michael@talkers.com.