Facing Talk Radio Reality

Boy, did I pick a heck of a time to try my hand at talk radio. This week's Rush Limbaugh controversy underscores how a series of provocative comments on birth control can reverberate from a Florida studio to the halls of Congress to the Presidential race itself. Once again, the real issues of our nation's economic growth and huge deficit take a back seat as outraged opponents respond and Republican leaders feel very uncomfortable. This contentious story shows no signs of heading anywhere positive. Rush is very powerful as an entertainer who has meant big ratings and revenue to hundreds of radio stations. His influence over some 20 million listeners nationwide is also felt by many politicians looking to court this unabashedly conservative audience. You have to acknowledge Rush as the man who has been most instrumental in setting the blueprint for today's politically charged talk radio. It's a different world from the seventies and eighties when mostly local hosts could do a "potpourri" of topics and showcase contrasting points of view in the same forum. Hosting a local morning show on a station with mostly national conservative programming provides a unique set of challenges, especially in my case where I can't genuinely speak to enough of the same right-wing ideology. Most importantly, I concluded that the WXLM morning show needs someone who can spend more time on it; show prep is difficult when I'm also busy with a job in direct mail advertising. While I get set to hand the show over to someone new in a few days, I've appreciated the opportunity, direction and support afforded me by the people at Cumulus New London. I'll be glad to fill in once in awhile at WXLM. That's what I do. I don't have to be the morning star, just a team player who comes through when needed.