By Michael Harrison
Publisher
TALKERS
In the nearly four decades that I have been publishing TALKERS, I’m consistently asked by reporters who cover media and politics, “Now that the election is over, what is talk radio going to have to talk about?” This inquiry is based on the false – but widely held assumption – that “talk radio” is a one-trick pony. Drives me nuts.
This question hasn’t been limited to elections (although they lead the pack). It also comes after the resolution of wars (the two Persian Gulf wars were biggies), and major murder trials with racial overtones (O.J. Simpson comes to mind and let’s not forget the tragic saga of George Floyd). We need a good “reckoning” every now and then in this country.
There is also a variation of the question that I’ve fielded consistently at the end of each year: “What will next year’s big talk show topic be?” This one is easy. I always say, “The unknown.” Two mighty examples of that were 9/11 and Covid-19.
I’m often asked, “What would it take to bring people together during these polarized times?” My answer: “A hefty asteroid impact.”
I clearly remember an incident on April 19, 1995, while being interviewed by a reporter for The New York Times about the mechanics and philosophy of talk radio programming. He asked, “So what will be next week’s big topic on talk shows?” (As if I’m a fortune teller.)
As he was delivering the question, I noticed out of the corner of my eye on the Sony TV screen mounted near the ceiling of the TALKERS newsroom, the gigantic explosion of a building that was identified on the chyron as the Federal Building in Oklahoma City. I instantly responded, “Turn on CNN… I think it’s happening right now.”
So back to the election. Every ending launches a new beginning. Talk radio is a competitive game based upon the strategy of positioning. It’s sort of like a log rolling contest.
It requires a deft balance between leaning left or right and understanding the perplexing laws of gravity, momentum, and inertia.
It also requires an understanding of the true nature of marketplace conditions and the ever-changing state of public opinion.
Most important, it requires an understanding of the target core and the awareness that sometimes you have to piss off segments of it in order to maintain forward momentum.
There really is no such thing as “mass appeal” in talk radio. Back when Michael Savage was the highest rated talker in San Francisco, I was often asked, “How is it possible for such a conservative figure to be the top guy in one of the most liberal markets in America?”
My answer, “Because talk radio (and radio in general) is not an election. It is a competition for fractions of a point within niches. Michael Savage couldn’t get elected dog catcher in San Francisco… but he has the right appeal to a disenfranchised minority that is large enough to put him on top in his niche. The game is played the way the game is scored.”
I’ve always believed that there is a place for the left and a place for the right in talk radio. And as any sailor knows, the winds can change direction on a dime. The lefties have their work cut out for them and hopefully will take advantage of this new opportunity.
But all is not lost for the righties. Hardly! They are now finally free to move forward and cultivate the fascinating and engaging rebuilding of the very legitimate American Conservative movement without having to kiss the ass of a man who has hijacked both radio and frittered away the legitimacy of its content for far too long.
Michael Harrison can be reached at michael@talkers.com.