ON AN UNBALANCED MEDIA

EXTREME WAVES

Driving to a meeting this morning, I decided to catch up on the morning's political news on the news stations on my Sirius radio.  Flipping through the channels, I saw channel 144, titled "Patriot".  This of course, was a conservative, right-wing talk radio channel, with a guy called Mike Church holding court under the moniker "Sirius Patriot" (get it?). 

Just below the "Patriot" channel, was a channel titled "Left".

First question that went through my mind,  Why is the presumably liberal radio channel called "Left", when the diametrically opposite channel can get away with calling itself "Patriot" instead of "Right"?

Since when did one side of the vapid, over-the-top partisan combatants in America get to expropriate a wonderful word like Patriot to describe their corner of politics?

Why can't moderates call themselves Patriots?  Or anybody else in America? 

When did Patriot become the the property of the right-wing fear and hate-mongers (as opposed to the left-wing fear and hate-mongers who've also done their share of damage from their corner?)

Where do moderates and centrists go for news and talk on mainstream media?

Why are there channels just for the right and left?

What about the all-important center?

I guess now we know why we're called the "silent" majority.

Anyway, I listened to the Mike Church dude for a few seconds...he was giving a weather forecast in Iran, as follows:

"So, I understand it snowed heavily in Iran yesterday.  One question, how does one know when snow falls on a turban?"

He of course started chuckling following his best attempt at a Don Imus' "nappy-headed" humor.

It was of course OK to do that since Iranians are not part of a political and advertising constituency in America that bring the world of hurt on his head that befell his peer Don Imus.

But as I flipped past the "Patriot" channel, the thought that went through my mind is whatever happened to feeling good about being a moderate conservative and a Republican?

Why do I feel like taking a shower after flipping through a conservative radio show or watching Lou "Broken Borders" Dobbs doing his "news" cast on CNN?

I have no problem with the freedom of these folks to say what they want on the air.  I just have a problem with them doing it on airwaves, cable and satellite channels that are regulated, auctioned and apportioned for the "public good". 

Deregulate the airwaves and other communications channels and then we can have a true  free-for-all for ideas across the political spectrum.  Put it on an even playing field.

Give the free market an opportunity to dilute the bigoted bilge down to a far less poisonous trickle.

Comments

[Alex Tolley]

"Give the free market an opportunity to dilute the bigoted bilge down to a far less poisonous trickle."

I think the free market has brought us to where we are. Advertisers sponsor the shows and the right wing shows have seemed to do better than the left so far, by pandering to these baser views.

[Michael Parekh]

Agree with your point to some extent Alex. Free market forces have certainly been a factor in the current state of affairs, as applied to the current pool of media providers in radio, television, satellite and other forms of MSM.

However, because of the artificial restriction of supply of media providers, driven by the regulation of our airwaves for the "public good", and the limitation of number of media outlets in specific markets, the free market forces have been sharply curtailed on the SUPPLY side of media outlets.

Contrast the current state of affairs with the number of content providers in every genre and niche on the interenet.

Both the providers and audiences are far more numerous, albeit with smaller audiences. The free market forces are not restricted on the supply front because there are no regulatory hurdles on that side...yet.

Thanks for another thoughtful comment.