IPR – Talk Radio for Progressives

Pop Impulse has invited me to tell you about the birth of Immense Possibilities Radio (IPR). A generous offer, so here goes.

I’ve been conceptualizing IPR for several years, starting back when I hosted The Jefferson Exchange, a daily talk show on an NPR network serving Oregon and Northern California.

I was amazed that no matter how many new and flashy forms of media and entertainment come along, talk radio — plain old not-very-high-tech talk radio — is probably more popular and influential than it’s ever been. Yet I don’t think anyone has begun to tap its potential for building national community, or calling us to a healthier, more satisfying future. I happen to be of a progressive political persuasion, but what I’m hearing on Air America and most other supposedly “left-leaning” outlets isn’t much more nurturing than what Rush and Sean Hannity serve up.

Whatever show I listen to brings to mind an old story I’ll bet you’ve heard:

"There are two wolves fighting inside me,” the Cherokee Elder tells his grandchildren around the fire. “One is fearful, greedy, cruel and violent. The other is gentle, kind, understanding and generous. They have fought each other my entire life.” “Which one wins, grandfather?” asks one of the children. Grandfather reflects. “The one I feed,” he says.

My passion to bring IPR into the world jumped to a higher level last year, when I left the NPR program to explore a run for the United States Senate. My decision not to run could be told in a long story, but the nub is this — at their best, political campaigns send this message: “Elect me, and I’ll go clean up our mess.” The world never has and never will work like that. Elected leaders by themselves simply don’t have the clout to overcome the accumulated power of special interests without the active, sustained support of those of us who elected them.

So my decision was to focus my energy not on a political campaign, but rather on the lynchpin for progressive change: energizing broad-based civic engagement and more active citizenship. That’s the core mission of two projects that have my full attention. The first is Immense Possibilities Radio. If what you’ve read so far interests you, let me offer two links that give a much fuller sense of the project.

1) A recent magazine article that places IPR squarely in the current political context. 2) IPR’s new, still-modest website.

Right now IPR is at a critical stage of development, looking for allies who want to see this kind of programming take root and spread. If you’re ready to help, or simply want to be kept updated on our progress, let us know at ipr@opendoor.com.

Oh, and the second project? I’m glad you asked. It’s a book I’m currently launching called UNAFRAID: A Novel of the Possible. To quickly grasp its essence, and how it relates to the larger purpose by reading this.

[Jeff Golden, talk-show host extraordinaire, has contributed several posts to Pop Impulse, including his series from the Yearly KOS progressive blogger's convention last year - The Author]

Jeff Golden
Talk Radio

Unafraid - The Book

My friend and occasional contributor to this blog (reports from the Yearly KOS conference), Jeff Golden, has just introduced his new novel: Unafraid. A fictional look at how this country may have evolved had that bullet missed JFK 45 years ago in Dallas, the new novel is about hope and honesty in government.

Given the current political conversation in the US, the book is quite timely. Jeff, a recovering politician and radio talk-show host himself, has also just launched Immense Possibilities Radio (IPR) over at EQ TV. A gifted interviewer, he always manages to uncover interesting and provocative guests for his wide-ranging conversations. Worth a listen. You can get on his email list by sending him a note at this address. His previous shows are archived on the site. Read his posts to this blog here, here and here.

Will NPR Save Radio?

The jury is still out on the future of broadcast radio. If it is to survive, it will be NPR that saves it. That's right, after years of neo-conservative efforts to kill public anything, especially public broadcasting; NPR has emerged stronger, re-organized and increasingly relevant to popular culture on all levels. Which, of course, makes it much more threatening to the man.

I live and work in rural America, and I've got three different public radio services - all produced by a single, multi-state NPR affiliate - to chose from. Two FM stations: one a classical station, the other dubbed "Rhythm & News;" and, one AM station dubbed "News & Information." Talk about a broad range of specialized programming. Like many of my peers and colleagues, I wake up to "Morning Edition," and spend at least an hour every afternoon tuned in to "All Things Considered." And yes, I sometimes hang in my car long after I've parked just to hear the end of one of ATC's in-depth stories. Hasn't everyone?

NPR keeps me current in so many ways, like a regular screen refresh. I hear edgy, new music while many listen to oldies-but-moldies. I catch the BBC's World Service News. I laugh with Harry Scherer every week. His "apologies of the week" bit is one of the best regular radio installments in broadcast history. There are live shows like Amy Goodman's "Democracy Today" and "Talk of the Nation;" "Car Talk," and, well you know. Right?

Like the PBS TV broadcast service, NPR has recently updated its on-air personalities. While PBS is struggling with the transition, NPR has sailed through seamlessly. The service's new voices are already welcome additions to the family. And NPR blazes so many new trails, like their creative use of "sound" in all of their broadcasts. Their quirky, thematic and obviously very carefully selected musical interludes between stories have become so popular they have spawned their own series of CDs. Most NPR stories, especially those filed by field reporters, include a lot of the ambient sound that surrounds their many subjects - by design. They just get it. Their audio essays, like "This I believe," are another way that producers make their programming engaging and interactive. The recent NPR "Oral History Project" convoy even made it to southern Oregon and recorded the detailed stories of some of our most storied local veterans and orchardists. This is radio that touches our lives and tells our stories.

NPR member stations also provide valuable local programming. They are a resource to community- and arts-groups who seek to get their messages and events heralded to their local patrons. And they are an invaluable communications link in times of disaster or local emergency. Outstanding national programming, multiple services, comprehensive local coverage...that's what great radio is all about.

As I write, the administration is making yet one more run at the funding for public broadcasting. The federal government already provides the smallest amount of support among civilized, developed nations for this service that helps sustain an informed public and thus promotes democracy. Though minimal, that support is mission-critical. I've already signed a petition and contacted my congressman. I urge readers to tell their legislators to safeguard and preserve our public broadcasting resources. It really is a very small investment for such an enormous return. So NPR may save radio, but only if we save NPR.

XM - Sirius to Merge

The two players in the Satellite radio space have announced plans to merge. 14 million users are rejoicing, with few casting wary eyes toward the attendant loss of competition. That could be a sticking point, as current rules expressly forbid one company from acquiring the other. The expectation on the part of many pundits and analysts is to see a waiver of that rule. A newly merged broadcast giant will likely put additional pressure on already struggling local radio broadcasters. The complexion of media creation and distribution is undergoing tectonic realignments, as are the players and the content. Given the likelihood of robust growth in net-based content distribution, including streaming radio broadcast, the only long-term survival model for the satellite delivery systems was to merge.

Hate Radio Hacks

Since the U.S. election, conservative talk-show hosts have found themselves with diminishing audiences. Hey, the country is turning blue and progressive Democrats (the opposite of neo-conservative Republicans) swept both houses of the Congress and many state houses as well.

It seems, as a result, some hosts are seeking to hold their already questionable, fringe audiences by ratcheting-up the rhetoric. At least that's the case in southern Oregon where I live. In a Friday morning talk-show program, local hosts called some of my personal associates "bottom-feeders," and suggested they should be taken out and hung. Uh huh. That's right. As hard to believe as it is.

So while my colleagues were taking care of business, at work, at home, tending to their children in some cases, these hosts were slamming them on the air in really despicable language. Now that's brave, don't you think? Publicly picking on folks from a safe distance, without their knowledge and with little or no chance to respond. That's the American Way, according to this "entertainment" model.

Naturally, I took umbrage at the comments and did an extensive search on "talk radio"+incitement+negligence. I learned a lot. Read about the really egregious case of KSFO in San Francisco (ironically an ABC/Disney station) that resulted in a lot of very bad publicity, some firings and a lawsuit. In one of KSFO's many episodes, a drunk talk-show listener who had been angered by comments he heard called a state senator five times with death threats.

According to the Missouri Bar: "Negligence" is a well-known ground for lawsuits. More and more, courts are subjecting the media to negligence suits, making the media pay when they expose others to risk of bodily harm."

In other words, journalists and talk-show hosts encounter a measure of predictable financial harm to themselves if they fail to observe the doctrine of negligence as it applies to their broadcasts. Short of actual financial or tort liability, radio stations that feature hate-filled talk radio shows risk (1) bad publicity; (2) loss of advertising revenue; (3) reprimand and unwanted attention from parent corporations; (4) FCC Complaints; (5) local efforts to interfere with regular station licensing; and, (6) potential time- and resource-draining lawsuits. I am working on a draft strategic campaign plan that will make these real, meaurable risks.

To make matters even better for those of us with complaints in this area, Radio is suffering from a significant loss of listenership and market. That makes sense with the advent of satellite and IP radio. One can receive streaming broadcasts from sources worldwide. That gives us more leverage, because it amplifies the effects of our efforts. And, we've got allies like Media Matters for America. Here in Jackson County, we're evaluating our alternatives. Local Station management is not unresponsive to the community and we'll see just what happens. More later. Leave me a comment if you've had a similar experience.