Failing newspaper notes conservative talk radio woes

By Thomas Lifson

Michael Finnegan of the Los Angeles Times wishfully all but writes an obituary for conservative talk radio in California.

But for all the anti-tax swagger and the occasional stunts by personalities like KFI's John and Ken, the reality is that conservative talk radio in California is on the wane. The economy's downturn has depressed ad revenue at stations across the state, thinning the ranks of conservative broadcasters.

For that and other reasons, stations have dropped the shows of at least half a dozen radio personalities and scaled back others, in some cases replacing them with cheaper nationally syndicated programs.

The article is full of condescending clichés stereotyping talks radio as the lair of sinister angry primitives. The pot is calling the kettle black. Advertising rates are down for everyone who sells advertising, including TV, radio, newspapers, and websites. Yes, syndicated programming, usually a cheaper alternative, is flourishing.

But an honest assessment is that conservative talk radio stations are doing better than newspapers in California. Hearst is threatening to close the San Francisco Chronicle., after all. Layoffs are a recurrent reality in newsrooms all over the state.

Yet Finnegan finds time to sneer at talk radio.

I suppose he has to take comfort in this, given how bleak his own industry's future is.

Hat tip: JBW