The Command Post - Op-Ed - Is Liberal Talk Show Host Ed Schultz Poised To Take Off Nationally?

June 18, 2005

Is Liberal Talk Show Host Ed Schultz Poised To Take Off Nationally?

If you're a talk show junkie like TMV who listens to various shows on both sides of the raging political war divide this item in Raw Story is BIG news:

Two radio executives who made Clear Channel and Rush Limbaugh household are to announce today they have purchased The Ed Schultz show, America�s fastest-growing talk show in the country, RAW STORY has learned. Veteran radio execs Randy Michaels and Stu Krane purchased the show from Democracy Radio, a non-profit which helps seed progressive talk radio hosts. Michaels� and Krane�s new company, P1 will now carry the show. The protracted sale has been in the works since March.

If you haven't sampled Schultz, he's worth sampling, no matter what your political views. If you're quickly switching the dial and get him you'd almost swear at first that you have Rush Limbaugh because there are some similarities in voice tone and speech pattern, but the accents — and the ideas — are quite different.

One Schultz's main strengths is that he's willing to talk to virtually any caller, even (you might say especially) those with whom he disagrees. And disagree he certainly will, usually respectfully, thoughtfully and strongly. Schultz recently took a blast of heat from listeners by opening up both barrels on Democratic National Committee chairman Howard Dean for Dean's controversial remarks about Republicans — he argued that they were counterproductive (as this site has repeatedly argued) — and for not doing better to match GOP funds.

Schultz also made clear when he talked to Dean about his ire over Dean not returning his calls and not going on his show earlier. Schultz was accused by some callers (and on some weblogs) of not being a true liberal. Actually, Schultz is a liberal but he's a pragmatic one who runs his radio show the way you can see he would like to see the Democratic party be run: by getting the ear of and making his case to centrists and some Republicans versus simply preaching to the same, already-convinced group of people over and over again.

Due to his professionalism, his show's large number of topics, his penchant for live-on-the-road broadcasts, the ideological diversity of callers, and the way his program is adding stations, Schultz more than Air America's hosts seems poised to be the liberal talk show host to watch in the early 21st century. And, now, with his show's purchase by two industry pros who already helped make Rush an institution, the man who calls himself "Big Ed" seems poised to make the national quantum leap — just as Dr. Laura Schlesinger did some years ago when her show went from KFI 640 in L.A. to a national audience to her signing a monster contract.

On his website, a listener writes of the announcement of the show's sale:

I was in audience in Seattle Monday when Ed announced the sale of the program. You should of seen him when he came out on stage before the show. The crowd roared. We were psyched. Ed gets a couple minute standing ovation. He says he has terrific news to share with us and almost tells us but decides to wait until he's on the air so everyone can hear at the same time. He's really excited about it. He looks like a kid just before he can open his Christmas presents. Another thunderous ovation as the show starts. And then he tells us that the show's been sold to two guys. Suddenly there was absolute...stunned... dead...silence. There may have been 8 people out of the 800 there who had a clue what that meant. We had no idea how to react. Was this good? Had Ed sold out? Were we about to lose what we had just found? Just 792 stunned people. After listening to the interview Tuesday with one of the buyers I'm convinced this is a very good thing...

What all of this means is that a show that was already growing and had started to get some some recognition, but was dwarfed by all the publicity surrounding Air America, is likely to get an even faster and more extensive rollout...nudged along by people who know how to do it on a national scale.

Unlike Air America which is still seemingly tinkering with some of its shows, Shultz already has a solid product with a solidified identity. In some markets (as here in San Diego on KLSD radio) he is on a station that carries Air America but displaces an Air America show. And the fact that he's not formally part of Air America, may even score him some points with some reluctant would-be listeners.

So far with all the publicity about Air America, Schultz's show has grown almost under the radar. But we predict he's the one most likely to offer conservative talk show radio its stiffest long term ratings competition.

Posted By Joe Gandelman at June 18, 2005 10:21 PM | TrackBack

Comments

Well, I guess I'll have to have a listen.

Hopefully I won't be disappointed.

The problem I have found with the whole Air America/Hannity/Rush crowd is that they all seem to think they're mainstream. You know; sort of an "On Air" version of the D.U./F.R. echo chamber syndrome.

Posted by: A Vet at June 19, 2005 12:37 PM

I'm all for an alternative to conservative talk radio. Air America certainly ain't that. I've never heard of this guy and I think he'll have a hard time getting a station in my part of the country but if he's got an online presence I'd give him a listen.

Right now there are really only two national talk radio shows...Rush and Hannity. I can listen to Rush. It's getting to where I can't listen to Hannity at all. Someone of a different political stripe calls in and he's just all over them. He jumps to conclusions which may be right but he really should let the caller hang themselves first.

Today on Rush's show this guy called in and Rush just prodded him on with questions until this guys real stripes were shown. Say what you will about Rush but he knows his business and does it very very well. Let's see if Mr. Schultz can make a go of it.

Posted by: Wayne Fielder at June 20, 2005 05:20 PM

You know who does a good interview...?

John Stewart.

He claims that he does fake news, but his fake news is better then the tabloid nonsense that the MSM puts out.

In terms of mainstream news that isn't too bad, I'd say CNN.
It says something that, depending on who you talk to, the first "C" means either Conservative or Communist. Any news organization that annoys both sides comes up a notch in my book.

I like Fox for their War Coverage, because they do a good job of showing BOTH the ups and the downs, but between the runaway bride, michael jackson and the missing "pretty white chick" it's gotten too pornographic for me. I don't mean sexually pornographic, I mean in the voyeuristic sense.

The local news channels... forget it. Their main stock in trade seems to be corrupt local business people. Nice up to a point, but after you run out of good targets, it starts getting silly.

MSNBC...?

Not as bad as the locals, but it's not on my "favorites" button.

The real problem is that everything is ratings driven and it forces news down to soundbites.

The newspapers should take up the slack, but they've all become too political. One paper thinks Bush is God, the other thinks he's the devil. Both are equally ridiculous positions.

Online is becoming pretty bad too. The worst are echo chambers like DU or FR. I often read both sites just to amuse myself at how far out of touch they are with ANYTHING even remotely approaching reality. And the funny part is; they both think they're mainstream!

Posted by: A Vet at June 21, 2005 12:58 PM

It bears repeating that Big Ed is not a VRWC plant. Yes, some liberals have some questions about him, and some have raised their eyebrows about this sale, but Ed really is a liberal.

Posted by: Lonewacko at June 22, 2005 03:10 PM

I've listened to the Ed Schultz Show on WSGN out of Saginaw. He's unlistenable. I don't believe he's credible in what he says. His line is the same old liberal stuff, that I can get from CNN, MSNBC, CBS, NBC, ABC, Time, Newsweek, NY Times, WaPo, LA Times, etc., etc., etc. And Schultz doesn't have a sense of humor. He was touted as the 'next Limbaugh' at least two years ago, because of his ratings in Fargo, North Dakota. We'll see.

I'd love to have a listenable liberal as an option. And I hope someone becomes the 'next Limbaugh', because I'm tired about hearing about the 'next Limbaugh'.

Posted by: Jabba the Tutt at July 10, 2005 09:59 AM

A liberal I could listen to all day is Camille Paglia. I attended a lecture of hers on classical literature in modern education, which was all fine and well... and then the Q&A session started. It was like someone turned on her switch.

I would looooooove to see her debate some of my old college profs. She would make mincemeat of them.

Posted by: gus3 at July 11, 2005 10:21 AM

I am excited to see a liberal equivalent to Rush Limbaugh. On my radio station all we have is Mitch Album and this guy is a joke. Mitch just shoots opinions with no facts or facts with no opinions. Never gives out the entire picture in perspective.

I just think more people should be exposed to liberalism so that they can get a better idea of how to identify it. Too many people think that certain beliefs are 'centrist' or 'moderate' or 'indpendant' when frankly there is no such thing.

Posted by: Jeff MacMillan at July 17, 2005 12:42 PM