Can we give Rachel Maddow's radio show a proper send-off? **OFFICIAL THANK YOU**

[bunkerbuster1]

Yes, I know that she still technically has a "Radio Show" on at AAR. But her show, for the past two weeks now, has consisted of repurposed TV-machine stuff packaged for the radio.

I don't know all the nuts and bolts of the deal. I am not sure that she won't at some point resuscitate the radio thing, and we'll have "Ask Dr. Maddow" and radio exclusive interviews again. But I wouldn't bet on that.

I think what we're seeing is the end of a hugely influential, GREAT, if short, radio career.

And Rachel deserves a send off. Far as I can tell, this has been the only thread devoted to this news

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.ph...

and she deserves better.

Just sayin'. Thanks, Rachel, for being there at AAR from the beginning, and for working your ass off to succeed.


(on edit--adding the cheezy all-caps and asterisks that people love so dearly in hopes others will reply... I don't normally resort to such stuff but Rachel's radio legacy attention, dammit!)

[Ian David]

1. How come Oprah gets her own XM Channel but not Rachel?

Come on, man...

Rachel and friends... friends and Rachel!

[bunkerbuster1]

2. Not sure her future's in the audio-only side any more...

but any bandwidth is good bandwidth.

[bunkerbuster1]

3. Well, this sure sunk.

shameless self-kick.

[Duer 157099]

4. I have to say, that TV is her medium

I have listened to AAR-and-related for years and she was always my not-so-favorite host - don't know why, even. But on TV now, I like her even more than Keith (but it's damn close, I watch their shows together so it's almost like one show to me)

I just think her humor and intellect come through so much better on the TV machine. It's her medium. Maybe it's her animated facial expressions that lend so much to her message?

[bunkerbuster1]

5. While you might be right...

I was attracted to her radio show before I had a clue of what she even looked like (save for an AAR website headshot.)

From the beginning, it seemed she had done a ton of prepwork, and had absolutely no fat, no filler--she had to program the goofygeeky stuff (I guess "Ask Dr. Maddow" qualifies) to make sure there was some relief from the policy wonkery.

But it was great policy wonkery.

I'm very glad she's become a TV star. I'll keep watching when I can. It's just that for me, she set a new standard for what a progressive radio show could be. Flanders' weekly "Radio Nation" approaches it. Ron Reagan does a decent job. Sam Seder's "Seder on Sundays" was every bit as good as Rachel's show, in terms of bang-for-buck.

Can't think of anything else that really approaches it, though. (Hartmann's good, but with three hours to fill every day, he can't really quite get there.)

[barbtries]

6. come on now

if o'rielly or whatever the fuck his name is can do both so can rachel! right?

[bunkerbuster1]

9. O'Reilly threw in the towel, actually

And it may have influenced Rachel's decision.

http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/tv/2008/12/04/...

I never thought I'd quote BillO the Clown, but I'm sure he has a point here: "I've been working 60, 65 hours a week and I just can't keep doing that."

That said, Hannity does three hours on the radio plus an hourlong show. I imagine his support staff is a lot heftier than Rachel's though.

[soleft]

7. I'm going to miss Vanessa Silverton Peel - and her Mom

Cause it's Friday, and you got no job here

[bunkerbuster1]

11. Any idea where the original clip comes from?

"'Cause it's Friday, you ain't got no job..." - I used The Google but came up with nothing but a bunch of snarky folks quoting the clip.

[Festivito]

8. She's phenomenally good, and I hate her going to pay-TV.

We need her to keep a anchor on Air America/whatever-progressive radio. I don't care if it's rehashed TV stuff.

Progressive radio has SMALL COVERAGE that needs to grow. It should be over half the stations and instead it seems to be in very few areas and even then with poor broadcast power and sometimes very suspiciously bad management.

This is class warfare. They have the money and that is power to do whatever they want.

She may someday find her support waning without the confirming voice of radio.

ON EDIT: I sure do wish her well. What a dream boat! Well, a great bud. Go get 'em wherever you go.

[immoderate]

10. I posted something about this last week.

I noticed that Ron Reagan had taken over her time slot on the AAR feed. I miss her on the radio; it's more edgy than her TV show. But I'm proud that I noticed her brilliance when she was on at 5 in the morning.

--imm

[bunkerbuster1]

12. I'm sorry I missed your post

(I did do a DU keyword search before posting mine.)

I first noticed her on Unfiltered; didn't consider that show indispensable, although I liked what I heard.

But the first time I heard her 5am solo show, I was hooked, and have missed very few shows since.