Ted Koppel covering AirAmerica on NightLine: The dam has burst

[scottxyz]

This is the trippiest moment in American media I've seen in 30 years.

The dam has burst. And ABC is STILL trying to stick its finger in the dike. Give it up guys!

Yeah, Franken was a bit uneven, and he got a bad review from some guy who also gave Koppel a bad review 24 years ago (Ted was kind enough to point out. Nice when you see a journalist who can do some digging - even when it's just up his own ass.)

Then Ted blathers on and on for the first segment about whether the country needs a liberal station now, and while playing dozens of clips from rabid conservative radio hosts, and then telling us that the liberals have a hard time getting into talk radio, then telling us that some people think they don't "need" them when they already own the whole media... then, um.. tiptoeing around THAT big abyss, Ted blissfully, whorishly blathers on for the rest of the segment, not playing ANY of Franken's best bits (and Franken had PLENTY of soundbites - major bodyblows to Bush and O'Reilly and Rush)...

then Ted plays a clip where Gore called up - just the "Hello Vice President Gore" part - so really no clip -

What a mess... Ted Koppel, ok, you're a great guy, job well done - please be man enough to welcome some new talent into the room, there's plenty of airtime and paper dollars to go around for everyone...

[XanaDUer]

1. Who is the woman?

n/t.

[Kathy in Cambridge]

2. Blanquita Cullum-More Plastic Surgery than Zsa Zsa Gabor

RW talk show shill.

[XanaDUer]

3. Jesus...she looks...um

weird.

[libbygurl]

4. She looks scarier and scarier...

...every time I see her (not too frequently, thank goodness).

[XanaDUer]

6. Ithought it was that actress from the 60's

who was married to Eddie Fisher a long time ago...

Not to insult her. I thought she was better looking than that.

This lady looks like, plastic is slipping down into her lips, or something.

[Vadem]

23. Surely, you don't mean Debbie Reynolds? Maybe, Liz...

Taylor, you're thinking of (although she is beautiful, IMHO, not caked with makeup as is Blanquita Cullum).

[XanaDUer]

31. No, Connie Stevens...

Joely Fisher's mom. Who is a very attractive mature woman.

That is why I was like, "WTF?!" when I first saw the visage of the Scary Lady on the screen.

Then when I realized she was a conservative, well, I always feel that their internal ugliness does seem to manifest itself on their faces a lot.

:shrug:

[billbuckhead]

5. She sure has a face for radio

:puke:

[libbygurl]

13. *Guffaws*

[Teddy_Salad]

25. Does she have "eyes".....

.....eerie, scary looking woman.

[DieboldMustDie]

32. Great face for radio...

as they say. :evilgrin:

[MinnFats]

9. BOTCHED plastic surgery, I believe.

she should sue.
she looks like Dr. Frankenstein is her surgeon.

God, and then Koppel has the incoherent Cal Thomas on. Former second in command at the Moral Majority, in case anyone's forgotten.


Ted also reminded me of just how pissed I was when they let all the right wing radio nutcases set up shop on the white house lawn. Anybody want to deny there is a vast right-wing conspiracy?

[libbygurl]

11. Notice they needed to put up 2 RW against 1 liberal guy. I LOVE AL.

[Chicago Democrat]

15. She looks like a zombie with make up!

She is so evil and hateful, her face looks like its been puttied on.

[scottxyz]

20. Don't know who she is - I was just gonna comment on her hairdo and mascara

I mean really, she's kind of like the new Tammy Faye. With that big bleached bouffante hair and those over-mascara'ed eyes.

And her rebuttal to Franken - pathetic, bumbling, logically vacuous! (Guess it goes with that look on her face under that pancake.) Maybe the blondness lets her pass herself off as sexy in her circles. Like maybe 30 years ago.

Couldn't Richard Mellon Scaife pay off anyone PRESENTABLE? She looks like Gollum. And she makes about as much sense. She is truly the most incoherent mumbling mush-mouth I've ever seen on TV.

Koppel to Franken: "Why do we need a liberal talk show?" and then something about why the low blows, why going after Rush so personally?

Franken: "Well it's like if you're gonna do a new show like this, you're between O'Reilly and Hannity. It's a a question of format. You wouldn't but a rap show between two country-music shows. You've got to stay in the same format."

and then this... She was obviously so ignorant and bumbling. Saying something about how hard it is to break into this market... and then if he DOES break in and get successful he's gonna have competition so then he'll lose anyway...

I mean, she was so desperate and so confused and she made like no sense dude...

= = =

Koppel: But WHY did you use a name like "The O'Franken Factor"??

Franken: (Patiently, politely) Because... I wanted to annoy O'Reilly...

Koppel: (Touché) (stifles a laugh)

Franken: And I thought I made that obvious!

Duh, Ted.


= = =

Franken: "This is a 50-50 country. And a lot of people are hungry for it."

Franken: "And I think a lot of people get the joke. Unlike you." (The the right-wing bleach-blong lady.)

Her: (Dignified. A bit defensive, trying not to looked miffed at what she mistakes as a remark about HER.) Well I'm not a joke. Blah blah blah.

(Everyone laughs, she obviously has a hard time parsing or even recognizing ambiguous English grammar - nice accidental setup Franken - even Ted was pained.

= = =

And Franken was gentlemanly and informed to the end.

Franken in closing to Ted:

Franken: Well I remember that (so-and-so's review who came out 24 years ago crucifying your first show).

Ted: Well... I have that tatooed on my on my chest. {Laughter}

Thank you for listening.

= = =

This was amazing TV. A giant dam bursting.

= =

Yes, Franken's segment Thursday on AA was wobbly - not really weak though. I see what he's doing.

- A little Howard Stern scatology he seems to think is necessary to appear "earthy".

- Lots of "bits" - all of which are bombastic and some of which are very good - which adds up to cathartic in this day and age!

- News from a charming co-host just as cherry-picked as every other radio show.

My advice to Franken - imitate Stern a bit more - you've got that straight-faced sexy-sounding female sidekick, you've got that old jazz piece to read over the live commercials that pay extra, you've got the free-wheeling rants.

But you just need to veer a little off-script a little more. You're smart guy, but notice how Howard has Artie feeding him things all the time (and he used to have an ever better guy for many years before Artie).

The best radio talk show is a tight nucleus wrapped in a crew open to the public. You've all got laptops there feeding callers in to you - hire a writer (and lots of interns - and PAY THEM ALL SOMETHING because they're doing real work - hire a fundraiser who can get people like George Soros to throw you a million now and then to make payday, it's not rocket science).

People want to hear this stuff.


= = =

PS - Jimmy Kimmel is also funny tonight. (I don't have cable.) Doing "unnecessary censorship" - playing an innoncent Donald Trump / Matt Lauer interview and bleeping parts to make it funny.

[MisterP]

21. the new Tammy Faye is

JAN CROUCH

[libbygurl]

7. The usual "liberal radio will fail" BS-a sure sign it's frightening the RW

[XanaDUer]

8. My exact thought.

Fear. How dare libs come up with something like their own station.

Does this Blanquitta person have a show or web site?

I would like to drop her a note.

[Eric J in MN]

10. Cal Thomas said, "It won't succeed because it's not market driven," but

Cal Thomas said, "It won't succeed because it's not market driven," but every new radio/tv network loses money for years.

If it isn't making money five years from now, it will go off the air, but even if that happens we can enjoy it for the next five years.

[Lindsay]

22. So I guess "not market driven" means

not supported by the ultrawealthy corporatists.

Too bad...seems to me there are an awful lot of us who've been waiting for this for a long time. And we are a pretty savvy market, I think.

[Must_B_Free]

14. sure doesn;t square right with the initial ratings

sounds like a cash cow.

Gotta love listening to Franken with Jerry bumpers!!!

[Mari333]

12. IMHO if Air America wants to grab the attention of the audience

get some real human beings on who detest Bush, like me, and other people who are from the heartland, who represent the everyday people in the USA. Theres plenty of us out there. As the daughter of a Union man, I am not an elitist liberal, as the Right tries to say we are.
I am a self taught, intelligent savvy old mom who has read everything from Tolstoy to Dr Seuss to the James Joyce to Hunter S Thompson and a hell of a lot in between PLUS I know how to make pot roast and potatoes. And I put myself thru college. My dad was a railroad engineer for christs sake, but he used to read Shakespeare to us and Mark Twain. People actually THOUGHT out there in middle America at one time in our nations History.
In other words, get the real people on there who represent the USA, or the right wingers sitting on the fence wont identify.
Just my 2 cents.

[Vadem]

16. And a very smart 2 cents, Mari! I agree totally with you! .....

They need to have some real people who have been affected by the Bush policies. A real talk/opinion show--not just luminaries. Although, hopefully that will be coming after the initial beginning of Air America when the stars have gone off to other things.

[Eric J in MN]

18. you can try to call in, especially during one of their shows which isn't

you can try to call in, especially during one of their shows which isn't as well-known as others.

[Bozita]

19. hmmm ... I'd suggest a Mike Malloy

He's beaten Rush's numbers in Chicago.

[MinnFats]

24. i think i agree...they need people that can talk fast and mean...

...yet at the same time maintain 100 percent accuracy. What a fresh idea! use the truth -- stuff that actually happened -- as the cornerstone of your viewpoint!

[Teddy_Salad]

28. Hey....

.....railroad engineers are very smart!

I'm soon to become one.

:D

[mouse7]

30. So Air America is worthless if you don't personally benefit?

No... I'm so sorry. That's not correct. thanks for playing, though. We have some lovely parting gifts....

[scottxyz]

33. Mari333 - I agree

AirAmericaRadio is a valuable - right now kind of rare and probably expensive - forum and it needs to be leveraged to the max. (Eventually it could make money and spawn lots of imitators but for now it's a bit hard getting thru it seems. But we've been STARVING for something liberal in the talk show format for decades now so we're all chafing at the bit. Champing at the bit?)

A lot of radio talk shows have a very efficient way of harnessing the energy of the audience, bringing them on in various ways (beyond just call-ins). You have writers sitting next to the host passing jokes (via laptops), you have interns doing kinds of stuff, you have people emailing, you have special guests - who can be famous people or just everyday people - whole batallions doing different things. The shows really harness this energy to the max - and a lot of it's volunteer!

There's TONS of material and talent in that studio - and out here too. One of the main reasons this is happening NOW is because the web drummed up the material - DU is a huge factor in this launch, and there will be "synergy" as lots of listeners flock from AA to DU (and atrios.blogspot.com) and vice-versa and the debate gets carried on in text AND audio now.

I think this is a major day in US media history - when a piece of the internet burst into mainstream media and a cross-fertilization started taking place. AirAmericaRadio.com needs to keep harnessing the energy of the web and vice versa - and millions of people listening and calling in or coming on the show or helping out will contribute a lot too.

I called them up today - never did that on a radio show - didn't get through - but I did call my local station to congratulate them on what they were doing for our town (New York). I feel involved with this show - even though it was wobbly in some parts, but as Ted Koppel pointed out, it took HIS show SIX MONTHS to really take off 24 years ago - but I feel like it's saying stuff over half the country has been dying to hear and I'm a part of it.

I think WE need to focus on making AirAmericaRadio as open and participatory as possible - it's not like it's the impossible dream, a lot of the most successful shows on radio are very participatory, with certain regular callers, some people who come on the show once or once in a while, different people different walks of life who give the show a lot of spice.

Franken will do his scripted shticks for the first days or weeks, and then he'll be needing some more occasionals and one-shots and regulars to help him out (and probably more phone-bank people, telephone lines, production staff, interns, etc). We're gonna need him and he's gonna need us.

I remember reading lots of your stuff on this forum Mari333 and liking it a lot, and I bet you'd be a great voice on the show once you do get on! And you will soon! I would be optimistic and feel involved and show support and I bet you're gonna get your soapbox! And give 'em hell!

And I do hope there could be more shows like this already. Part of the thing about liberals is we are very diverse - and one show is going to have a hard time catering to all liberal interests. That's what's so paradoxical - right-wingers are by definition more monolithic (see Jane Jacobs' "Systems of Survival" for evidence of that) - but they're the ones with the plethora of talk show radio outlets - a VERY important format when you're trying to reach out to voters and sway politics and policy.

So I know it's frustrating because you probably want to be on there NOW. I felt that way too today - I was running around the house frantically dialling and haranguing my roommate today... but I never got through.

It's gonna happen some way or another, sooner or later. In the meantime, Will Pitt has a show (on at 1 AM soon I hear). So... maybe we have an "in"! ("Synergy"!)

[Mari333]

34. I was only using me as an example not as anything else

I am not an elitist liberal. I am a mom in Michigan. Lots of people out there are moms, dads, etc who are intelligent people with ideas, and they do call in..but one thing the reich wing talk show hosts do is try to (even tho they arent) portray themselves as regular joes and janes..
thats why I think regular joes and janes who are liberal should be on once or twice a week or the hosts, if they were brought up in regular houses, should sort of let people know that they are eltitist snobs from Harvard, but real people like everyone else with kids, and dogs and worries
just another 2 cents.

[Dover]

17. Question.....does anyone know what Malloy's ratings were like?

I missed all of the stuff at the end of his gig and don't know why he's off the air. Malloy was VERY entertaining imo, and really knew how to tap that "anger" they referred to among liberals better than Franken perhaps. So why isn't Malloy in the liberal lineup? Too progressive? TOO far Left? Maybe that extreme would sell better.

[Bozita]

27. Malloy topped the Chicago ratings ... until he was fired

He's the guy who could carry the other hosts on AA with his spillover.

[KissMyAsscroft]

26. Everyone has to hate the new guys to be cool...

I actually prefer it this way...

This is just the way it works...it would be worse if everyone loved it from the start.

[dweller]

29. STFU TK n/t

let real Liberals speak.

remember, you tried to shut up Kucinich?
dp