# Are there any liberal radio talk shows in syndication? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 15, 2002, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-liberal-radio-talk-shows-in-syndication/114162 "2002-06-15T03:43:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![zigaretten](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/91b2a8/32.png) [@zigaretten](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zigaretten)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2002, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-liberal-radio-talk-shows-in-syndication/114162/21 "2002-06-15T16:52:53Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by elmwood \* > \*\*Why is AM talk dominated by conservatives, anyhow? \*\* Because all the liberals are on TV: Rosie O’Donnell Phil Donahue Jerry Springer Oprah Rikki Lake Roseanne ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2002, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-liberal-radio-talk-shows-in-syndication/114162/22 "2002-06-15T17:02:48Z")
Talk shows on NPR ??? Does Prairie Home Companion count, or is the definition of Talk Show being stretched to include All Things Considered ? ---
**Author:** ![lawoot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/35a633/32.png) [@lawoot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lawoot)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2002, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-liberal-radio-talk-shows-in-syndication/114162/23 "2002-06-15T17:14:45Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Blalron \* > \*\*Nobody has ever heard of the Tom Lykis (sp?) show? He’s liberal. \*\* he may be liberal, but he doesn’t seem to spend much time talking about ISSUES. It seems to me that he tends to rant on “bad relationships/women are hypocritical scum/ain’t I great” type crap more than anything else (although I DO like it when he does his ‘Ask the Atheist’ segment) > [@](#): > > _Originally posted by Squink_ > \*\* Talk shows on NPR ??? Does Prairie Home Companion count, or is the definition of Talk Show being stretched to include All Things Considered ?\*\* I don’t know of ANY call in ‘talk-radio’ type shows on NPR - not even Car Talk, whose ‘callers’ are pre-screened DAYS in advance. ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2002, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-liberal-radio-talk-shows-in-syndication/114162/24 "2002-06-15T18:39:21Z")
I can think of one talk show on NPR - _Fresh Air_. It doesn’t strike me as being particularly liberal. Indeed, from what little I’ve listened to it, it doesn’t strike me as being something that NPR could do any better than anyone else. It doesn’t get very deep into the issues it discusses and has too many celebrity interviews to be anything other than a shallow examination of current events. There’s one talk show on PBS - _The Charlie Rose Show_ - and it doesn’t strike me as being very liberal either. Going back to the original question, I think it’s true to say that nearly all the syndicated talk show programs on American radio are conservative. The few exceptions I can think of are these: Perhaps some shows on Pacifica Radio. But Pacifica only has five stations in its chain. Unless some of those shows are syndicated to other stations, that’s only a very minor exception. _Fresh Air_ on NPR. But it’s only very slightly liberal, and I’m not convinced many people listen to it. _The Howard Stern Show_. This is the sort of thing that many conservatives give as an example of liberal influence on the media, and that infuriates many liberals as being a bogus example. Stern is a cultural liberal, I suppose, but he’s not an economic liberal. He doesn’t discuss his politics that much on the show, but I’ve seen them discussed in magazine articles, and it’s clear that economically he’s slightly conservative. It’s as least as accurate to describe Stern as a libertarian as a liberal. Doesn’t it ever occur to conservatives that some liberals hate Stern as much as some conservatives do? Perhaps there are a few other liberal talk shows on a local level or syndicated to a few stations, but there’s nothing else major. I conclude then that conservatives clearly dominate talk shows on American radio. If someone wants to discuss the influence of liberals and conservatives in American media in general, that’s a matter for Great Debates. ---
**Author:** ![Podkayne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@Podkayne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Podkayne)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2002, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-liberal-radio-talk-shows-in-syndication/114162/25 "2002-06-15T18:52:34Z")
As long as there is Rush Limbaugh, I hope that there is _Democarcy Now!_ with Amy Goodman. I think Limbaugh and Goodman are both loons, but it’s nice for there some balance on the airwaves. And, as a liberal, one can get to feeling a little bit high and mighty, listening to all the conservative gasbags in the media, and their undebates. It’s good to hear the same thing from the other side of the aisle, and remember that being on the side of the angels doesn’t make liberal idealogues sound any less stupid when they go pushing their agenda at the expense of truth and civility. [sup]This post brought to you by the Liberal Media Bias, the Friends of the Pinko Atheist Party, and the letter Q. Contains no actual fact. 100% all-natural opinion.[/sup] ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2002, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-liberal-radio-talk-shows-in-syndication/114162/26 "2002-06-15T19:03:52Z")
I just checked the homepage for _Democracy Now!_, and it says that it’s broadcast to “Pacifica Radio Stations, Affiliates, [WBIX.org](http://WBIX.org), Public Access TV stations, Free Speech TV (DishNetwork Channel 9415), and Shortwave Radio (Radio for Peace International)”. So I would include this as one of those Pacifica Radio things that is syndicated to such a small audience that it’s only a minor exception to the rule that nearly all political talk shows on American radio are conservative. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Frink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/977dab/32.png) [@Mr.Frink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Frink)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2002, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-liberal-radio-talk-shows-in-syndication/114162/27 "2002-06-15T19:43:35Z")
I’m getting kind of sick & tired about hearing people claim that **NPR** is sooooo liberal! **NPR** is probably the most _objective_ news source we have in this country. I would challenge anyone to find a liberal slant during it’s flagship news magazines _Morning Edition_ and \* All Things Considered\* (excluding commentary). They are very good at giving a clear, unbiased report of the news (unlike, say, **Fox News**. They also do have some shows that take calls from listeners (_Talk of the Nation_). But they are nothing like the typical AM-talk-radio show. There too the hosts strive to maintain an objective stance. I would really love to see some examples of **NPR** ’s supposed bias. It almost seems as though conservative often mistook **NPR** ’s unwillingness to jump on the “Bash Clinton” bandwagon as proof of its bias. ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2002, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-liberal-radio-talk-shows-in-syndication/114162/28 "2002-06-15T21:04:05Z")
I’m willing to leave this thread here for now, even though I’m not sure that the question as asked has a factual answer. But I am sure that debates about the merits of various radio talk shows do not belong in this forum. The question is whether there are any nationally broadcast liberal-leaning radio talk shows, not whether those programs, or conservative programs, are good or bad. bibliophage moderator GQ ---
**Author:** ![Ashtar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc29f/32.png) [@Ashtar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ashtar)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2002, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-liberal-radio-talk-shows-in-syndication/114162/29 "2002-06-15T21:21:22Z")
[Phil Hendrie](http://www.philhendrieshow.com) has mentioned before during his programming that he was a registered democrat. Although to be honest about it, I think he hates all political parties equally. Still a cool show, though. You usually have to hear it more than once before it starts growing on ya, though. ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2002, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-liberal-radio-talk-shows-in-syndication/114162/30 "2002-06-15T22:17:14Z")
I just remember a couple of other NPR talk shows. There’s _Public Interest_, which isn’t really very political, so it’s certainly no more liberal than _Fresh Air_, and probably somewhat less so. There’s _The Diane Rehm Show_, which is more political and somewhat liberal. (I didn’t think of them at first because I think of them as local Washington shows and forgot that they’re syndicated.) Still, the generalization holds that the vast majority of political radio talk shows in the U.S. are conservative. ---
**Author:** ![JS\_Princeton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/57b2e6/32.png) [@JS\_Princeton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JS_Princeton)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2002, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-liberal-radio-talk-shows-in-syndication/114162/31 "2002-06-15T23:53:38Z")
Re: NPR/liberal bias/talk shows This American Life (an NPR docu series… not a talk show) is decidedly liberal in content. Local affiliates often have their own local talk shows during the day between Morning Edition and ATC. They are often presented in a format similar to TOTN, which isn’t exactly partisan, but if I can hijack for a moment here… The reason NPR gets labeled liberal is because most of the people who listen to it are liberal. That’s generally because the audience is very well educated. That’s probably due to the fact that its generally only educated people who are willing to give money for educational programming (which is what public broadcasting is partially billed for). To get uneducated people to donate money, you tell them you’re going to support such-and-such a cause that they agree with, or you appeal to their religious interests. Uneducated people generally don’t want to spend their hard earned money on some programming taht’s basically continuing ed for the already know-it-all class. Okay, enough out of me. This was all IMHO anyway. MODS? ---
**Author:** ![Measure\_for\_Measure](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/measure_for_measure/32/557_2.png) [@Measure\_for\_Measure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Measure_for_Measure)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2002, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-liberal-radio-talk-shows-in-syndication/114162/32 "2002-06-16T00:36:48Z")
NPR has a talk show called, “Talk of the Nation”. [http://www.npr.org/programs/totn/](http://www.npr.org/programs/totn/) Monday’s show: > [@](#): > > Monday, June 17, 2002 > How much are you willing to sacrifice for safety? Since Sept. 11, we’ve been engaged in a national debate over civil liberties and the war against terrorism. Monday on Talk of the Nation, host Neal Conan talks with thinkers on all sides of the issue. > > Grab a newspaper, open it up to the real estate section, and more often than not, you’re in for a case of sticker shock. In many parts of the country, housing prices are through the roof. Join the show in its second hour for a discussion on the housing market. What’s causing prices to soar, and what can be done to make housing more affordable? Yesterday’s show: > [@](#): > > Friday, June 14, 2002 > Join host Ira Flatow on Talk of the Nation: Science Friday for a discussion on preparing for possible nuclear threats. What health effects could we expect, and what could we do to stay safe? Relative to my POV the preceding doesn’t look like liberal agitprop. But it very well may be considered liberal by US media standards. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Frink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/977dab/32.png) [@Mr.Frink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Frink)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2002, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-liberal-radio-talk-shows-in-syndication/114162/33 "2002-06-16T04:16:03Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by JS Princeton \* > \*\*Re: NPR/liberal bias/talk shows > > This American Life (an NPR docu series… not a talk show) is decidedly liberal in content. \*\* I’ve been an avid listener of **This American Life** since its inception, and I can assure you that it is decidedly **non-political**. It’s more of a slice-of-life show with a wide range of topics…almost none of them political. When it does touch on a political topic, it’s from a “quirky” viewpoint. From a November 1996 show entitled _Politics_: > [@](#): > > \*\*More stories of the election you can’t hear anywhere else. Campaign diarist Michael Lewis on his transformation into a television reporter, and on an inspiring moment in American politics between two supposed political enemies from the 1960’s. MIT Professor Henry Jenkins on how candidates today campaign on cable and govern on the networks. Radical right wing Mexican-American activist Daniel D. Portado on how Tuesday’s results will affect his burgeoning Mexican “self-deportation” movement. Host Ira Glass in the White House, and on the street with campaign workers. And more. \*\* Another **NPR** show– **Talk of the Nation** does focus on politics quite a bit. But I don’t think it could be classified as being “liberal” at all. They seem to go to great lengths to present both sides of the issue. On most topics they’ll have one guest from the left and another from the right. Unlike the conservative talk radio show, **TotN** gives roughly equal time to both ends of the political spectrum. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-liberal-radio-talk-shows-in-syndication/114162.md?page=1)