Donahue’s Gonahue

[chuckster]

Say goodbye to Phil Donahue – the '60s-style liberal talk show host won’t be talking to MSNBC’s shrunken viewership after Friday – the cable network has fired him.

What has been rumored for months is now a fact. The ill-fated Donahue show was from the beginning a ratings disaster. According to the Washington Post, during this so-called "sweeps" month, where ratings are closely monitored with an eye toward setting advertising rates, "Donahue" averaged a mere 446,000 viewers. Fox’s Bill O'Reilly attracted 2.7 million viewers, up 28 percent from February 2002, according to Nielsen Media Research, while CNN’s Connie Chung averaged 985,000 viewers this month, Nielsen said.

At one point in his short and dismal rebirth as a talk show host, Donahue’s ratings almost shrank to the point where they vanished from the scale.

"We're proud of the program and we're disappointed that the show was not able to attract the viewership we had hoped for and expected," Erik Sorenson, MSNBC president, told the Post. "We thank Phil and his staff for their dedication, commitment and passion."

So much for that mythical audience Democrats say is allegedly starved for a diet of liberal palaver.

 

[Frank]

While I respect and am friends with a few very educated liberals, I'm probably just as convinced as they are (about conservatives and Republicans), that the largest portion of them consist of persons without a lot of education, who do not read up on politics, are very meagerly informed on only the slightest political, historical and social issues, and participate sparingly if at all in call-in TV and radio talk shows.

If that sounds harsh to any Democrat, I'm afraid that both experience on C-SPAN, cable news shows and talk radio - and that of exit poll demographics and regular polling would corroborate this.

Last night I noticed that the highest rated cable news show was O'Reilly. The *second* highest show was Hannity and Colmes - which follows O'Reilly. The *fourth* highest show was Greta Van Sustern - who follows Hannity and Colmes.

Of course, when news programs fail to garner liberal support, there's always some slam against the intelligence of conservatives, and that dumbing down the issues to the ignorant redneck will draw ratings and other such crap continues - when national issues are in their favor, this same rabble somehow becomes an enlightened group.

America is basically moderate to slightly conservative, which is why the 'swing' vote is so important to both sides.

 

[vraiblonde]

I'm currently reading "Slander" and Ann says basically the same thing. And because I don't trust anyone, I actually checked her facts - she's right on the money about conservative vs. liberal media ratings.

I read somewhere that they're going to trot out Dersh and some others to host liberal talk shows. The lack of logic behind this is mind-boggling.

 

[Frank]

There's been some musing in the papers recently about Al Franken, and how so many liberals have tried to get a decent radio or TV show going, and they just can't get the viewership. For some reason - *nobody* knows why, and they have NO guesses.

I think they DO know why, and it's not just luck of the draw. A substantial portion of each 'side' is just not engaged in the issues of the day. A *larger* portion of conservatives, are - for the simple reason that there are MORE of them.

I recall a rew years back, when C-SPAN had to create different numbers for Democrats and Republicans, because without that balance - conservative's numbers were overwhelming. C-SPAN tries to be impartial and balanced, one of the reasons I do like them. They don't editorialize, they let their callers and guests do that - something nightly news broadcasters USED to do, before they felt the need to "teach" Americans about the issues.

 

[vraiblonde]

If I were the networks, I'd create a "reality" show and spew liberal propaganda to get my message out. I'm waiting to see if the "compete to run for President" producers will think of this.

My suggestion as to why conservative shows do better than liberal ones is because conservatives watch talk shows and listen to the radio to get information; liberals already think they know everything.

That said, I consider many of our primetime programs to be nothing more than left-wing talk shows.

 

[Kyle]

Originally posted by vraiblonde
I'm currently reading "Slander" and Ann says basically the same thing. ...

It's even better on CD in Ann's voice.

 

[demsformd]

I cannot stand Donahue...I've hated him since that awful talk-show that he ran. (I cannot stand any form of a daytime talk-show). I have seen people talk about how little liberals know about politics. Well what about the feeling that the Democratic Party is nothing but an elitest clique that some people here have articulated so often? My reason for why conservative talk shows receive higher ratings is that messages of hate spread much more than messages of love and pacifism. People what the strong and wrong rather than the educated and right.

 

[chuckster]

Originally posted by demsformd
My reason for why conservative talk shows receive higher ratings is that messages of hate spread much more than messages of love and pacifism.

I think the conservative talk shows get better ratings is because they focus on the truth and the issues and don't try to get around the topic. They face it head-on.
I will watch Crossfire just to hear some of the crap they are trying to spin. That show is more of a situation/comedy than an information show.
Fox News is the best for accurate information without the spin. It is all that my wife and I watch from 6pm until 11pm every night.
What scares me is that some of the liberals on Fox actually beleive what they are saying. Alan Combs is off the wall.

 

[vraiblonde]

Speaking of uneducated...

Originally posted by demsformd
My reason for why conservative talk shows receive higher ratings is that messages of hate spread much more than messages of love and pacifism.

You've obviously never watched any kind of political talk show, liberal OR conservative. If you think Begala, Carville and Press are spreading love and peace, you're more delusional than I thought. Go ahead and prove my point by asking, "Who's Press?"

 

[Frank]

Originally posted by demsformd
My reason for why conservative talk shows receive higher ratings is that messages of hate spread much more than messages of love and pacifism. People what the strong and wrong rather than the educated and right.

Thank you for confirming my point - that the conservative message must be appealing to to the uneducated and bigoted rabble, rather than an involved and educated audience - that is what I said liberals will do, because they can't admit otherwise. The only time the unwashed masses seem to rise above themselves is when they are enlightened enough to agree with liberals. Then, miraculously, the masses don't rush to hate.

I'm sorry you see it all as a message of hate - because you'll never have a balanced perspective of it all - only your own. If you can't see someone else's opinion that differs from your own without judging them, you'll be condemned to ignorance, no matter how much you learn.

 

[Frank]

Originally posted by bluto
Well we all know liberals are better educated than everyone else.

Ah yes - thanks for reminding me - I forgot about that little conversation. This would explain why the most uneducated part of the population tends to be the most liberal.

 

[demsformd]

I know who Bill Press is...former co-host of Crossfire, Talkback LIve, and currently is contracted with Fox News for a show with Pat Buchannan. I watch political magazines and talk-shows religiously...Crossfire, Hannity and Colmes, O'Reily, and Inside Politics are among my favorite. And in my office at the firm, I always have C-SPAN on. vrai, if you think that Carlson, Novak, and Buchannan are spreading love, then you are quite dilusional yourself.

 

[vraiblonde]

And, Dems, that would be "strong and wrong" vs. "weak and right". If you're going to quote Bill Clinton, get it right.

 

[demsformd]

I know vrai, but that just doesn't sound as good. Thus I decided to adjust the wording just a little to make it sound better.

 

[vraiblonde]

Originally posted by demsformd
dilusional

At least I can spell it. No one would ever accuse any of those talk show hacks of spreading love - that's not their job. Their job is to debate the points.

 

[demsformd]

Sorry about that...I think that I should start typing in Word and then copy it into the post window so these stupid mistake do not occur.

 

[vraiblonde]

Originally posted by demsformd
I think that I should start typing in Word and then copy it into the post window so these stupid mistake do not occur.

I don't do that - I throw caution to the wind and type directly into the post window. So much for liberals being more educated, huh?

 

[smcdem]

Originally posted by demsformd
I know who Bill Press is...former co-host of Crossfire, Talkback LIve, and currently is contracted with Fox News for a show with Pat Buchannan.
Actually the show is on MSNBC. Hey i loved Phil he could really make you laugh!

 

[vraiblonde]

Originally posted by smcdem
Hey i loved Phil he could really make you laugh!

Yep - he cracked me up all the time.