WYD MEDIA

Politics Aside, Great Radio Broadcasters Make for Great Radio

 (October 20, 2006) Stephanie Miller is the most visible voice of Progressive Radio in L.A. She is heard mornings on AM 1150/KTLK. Steph appears frequently as a talking head on cable news channels. Recently she appeared on CNN’s Reliable Sources with Howard Kurtz. Her appearance followed Air America’s filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. Part of that interview:  
Kurtz: Stephanie Miller is carried on 60 stations. Air America remains on the air and you have nothing to do with Air America but you know the conservatives are doing a victory dance saying this failure is not just a financial bankruptcy but kind of an intellectual rejection of liberal radio.
  
Miller: Oh, they might want to back off on the victory dance. Progressive radio is doing just fine and it will continue to do fine. You might want to ask them why huge companies like Clear Channel and Infinity are flipping more and more stations to Progressive Talk every day. Air America is only one syndicator of syndicated programming. I’m with Jones Radio Network, as is Ed Schultz and a lot of other hosts that are doing very well. And that being said, people ought to remain calm. Capitalism is not a bad thing. Many of the best shows on Air America, even if they do go out of business, will continue. Randi Rhodes is doing very well. Al Franken is doing very well. We owe him and Air America a debt of gratitude for starting a format, but the format isn’t going anywhere. I picked up nine stations just last month.
  
Kurtz: Bill O’Reilly was on the air talking about this and he doesn’t refer to…
  
Miller: You’re kidding? He brought this up? That’s so shocking.
  
Kurtz: He doesn’t refer to Al Franken by name, he calls him Stuart Smalley after one of his characters.
  
Miller: Hilarious.
  
Kurtz: Let’s listen to what O’Reilly had to say.
  
O’Reilly: Stuart Smalley and his pals have run out of radical sugar daddies and are broke. Even the New York Times won’t buy them lunch. So now Smalley has on his resume a failed movie, a failed sitcom, and a failed radio operation. Not gloating, just reporting.
  
Miller: Interesting that Al is beating Bill O’Reilly’s radio show in several markets, so if his show has failed I’d like to know what Bill O’Reilly’s is.
  
Kurtz: Since they started a network by buying up a bunch of stations, as a business strategy, I guess the word is, dumb. But the argument for it is that is difficult for liberals like you to compete against stations that already have Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, and Bill O’Reilly. In other words, it’s like playing Country music on a Hard Rock station.
  
Miller: My show used to be on conservative stations and I did very well, long before there was such a thing as Progressive Talk. Same with Ed Schultz. Same with Randi Rhodes. I’m beating a lot of conservative shows already and our format is only two years old. They’ve been on the air for twenty years. What is happening I think the people who are radio people that have been in radio and do good shows – entertainment is entertainment – will continue to do well. These companies wouldn’t be flipping stations if they weren’t making money. We’re taking stations from a zero rating and making money for them and that’s the bottom line. It’s a business. It’s not a political movement. I think Air America would be the first to tell you that their business plan was not good as a radio business.
  
Kurtz: Now you spend an hour each morning delving into the right wing world. You play clips from FOX News and you make fun of Sean Hannity. Any jealously factor there?  
  
Miller: Oh, good lord no. I should send them my ratings bonuses. It’s my material. By the way, you end up there sometimes, Howard, depending on how you behave. I’m watching you.
  
Kurtz: Do you get a lot of hate mail from people on the other side of spectrum?
  
Miller: No, I’ve been on Sean Hannity’s radio and tv show. I told him that I don’t agree with anything he says, but he’s a great radio broadcaster. The people who are the great radio broadcasters will do well. I’m already getting on stations that are not Progressive stations. You may not agree with Rush Limbaugh, but he’s a great broadcaster. And the people on the left who are great broadcasters will continue to do well.
  
Kurtz: Virtually all of your callers are liberal and when you have guests, which is not very often, they tend to be liberal. The argument would be are you preaching to the converted. Do you have your own personal dittoheads?
  
Miller: That’s the dirty little secret. Great radio is great radio. Rush wouldn’t have his ratings if only conservatives were listening. I can’t tell you how many callers or emails I get from right wingers. They listen because they love me or hate me or they think I’m funny. Who cares? If you agree with everything somebody says, you’re an idiot.
  
Kurtz: Wouldn’t you be a lot less entertaining if you were having to defend President Hillary Clinton?
  
Miller: We make fun of everybody, that’s why the success of my show couldn’t be more stunning to me because I’m too liberal for conservatives and too political incorrect for liberals, so theoretically I have a show that appeals to no one. You have to admit, Howard, the right is giving us a lot more material these days. You can’t write this stuff like the guy who is head of the missing and exploitive children caucus…can you write this?
  
Kurtz: If you don’t make people laugh, keep them entertained, you’re going to be out of business.
  
Miller: Absolutely. My show is really a comedy show. We make fun of everybody.

Pictured: Stephanie Miller