Ralph has a lively back and forth about the state of talk radio with the publisher and editor of “Talkers” magazine, Michael Harrison. Plus, Ralph answers a listener question about his views on Julian Assange.
Michael Harrison is the publisher and editor of Talkers magazine and the host of “The Michael Harrison Interview.”
“Today, the electronic media – meaning radio and television, the kind we grew up on – is fighting for its life against a wide array of unregulated media, social media, Facebook, Twitter, websites, streaming, YouTube, podcasts. The stations that are carrying Rush Limbaugh’s show, or did, are fighting for their lives… against exotic digital media that is ultimately going to win the battle.”
Michael Harrison: publisher and editor of “Talkers” magazine
When people say “Why is talk radio dominated by conservatives?” I have to give that disclaimer– that explanation– that conservative talk radio is dominated by conservatives… It’s the nature of radio formatting today: you target an audience and you super-serve them. And in radio that deals with politics, the conservative element has been a very successful one.
Michael Harrison, editor of Talkers
I think the death of local newspapers is a terrible problem for our democracy. But it’s more a business issue. It’s more a revenue issue. Once we figure out how to monetize all media in the digital era, there’ll be a rise of local news organizations again. But they won’t be in paper. They’ll be online. And to teach people to go to studios and to operate radio and television is teaching them how to get along in 1950, ’60, and ’70. We have to teach our children how to operate computers, how to do their own TV shows, radio shows from home. And grassroots media is going to have a resurgence. It already is from that direction.
Michael Harrison, editor of Talkers
“These (Assange and Snowden) are the disclosers of serious crimes. They should be given awards.”
Ralph Nader
The Bible of Talk Radio/Ralph on Assange