MovieChat Forums > Talk Radio (1989) Discussion > Liberal Talk Radio Hosts?

Liberal Talk Radio Hosts?

posted 11 years ago by pauluswiggus
19 replies | jump to latest

I lot of these boards mention that this film seems dated by the issues being discussed (not being 'edgy' by today's standards). But, what I found strange was that the host is so liberal. I'm Australian, and here talk radio is strictly the domain of right-wing conservatives. I had assumed that the USA was similar (Rush Limbaugh and the like). Were liberal talk radio hosts common in the 80s or has there been a shift in the political perspective on talk radio? Do liberal hosts like the character here really exist?

[–] kylopod 9 years ago

First of all, the right-wing domination of talk radio did not really emerge until the late 1980s. Talk radio was not always even intrinsically political; it was more like what's seen in this movie, where the host rants on a whole host of subjects which sometimes intersect with politics.

I have heard Alan Berg, the host whose murder inspired this film, described as a liberal. But the character in this movie is a composite of Berg and another host (he also reminded me a bit of Howard Stern in certain moments), and he sometimes sounds more libertarian than liberal. (Libertarianism seems to be popular among shock jocks.) One thing they definitely based on Berg was his habit of arguing with racists on the air--which is what got him assassinated by members of a white nationalist group. That's not something either the shock jocks or the right-wingers were generally into, to put it mildly.

[–] tplast 8 years ago

I'm Australian, and here talk radio is strictly the domain of right-wing conservatives. I had assumed that the USA was similar (Rush Limbaugh and the like).

Here in America it is overwhelmingly conservative/Right. The LEFT totally bombs at radio.

Were liberal talk radio hosts common in the 80s or has there been a shift in the political perspective on talk radio?

Neither side of the political spectrum was common for most of the 1980s due to the Fairness Doctrine still being in effect. Near the end of Reagan's administration he had a chance to renew or not renew the Fairness Doctrine and of course chose not. Talk radio bloomed thereafter.

The Right only succeeds at radio because it requires persuasion, ideas, use of words. The LEFT fails because they have no visual imagery to demagogue the audience with. They run only on emotion, which needs visual imagery to be successful. Which is why the LEFT had the Doctrine instituted in the first place.

[–] snepts (11123) 6 years ago

I've always held that dinosaur brain wrong wing people slop at the trough of what the ww throws at them. They don't care about any consequences, they just want to bitch and inflame whatever progressive ideas are out there. Regulate abortion ? Hell yes ! Regulate Gun Control ? Hell no. We can see who's bread is being buttered, and I don't want to be a pro-gun anti-choice person. But let's take Government out of the equation ! Sure - thanks.