Liberal talk radio

Liberal talk radio, also known as progressive talk radio, is a talk radio format that expresses liberal or progressive viewpoints, as opposed to conservative talk radio. The format has existed in the United States for many years. Pacifica Radio, launched in 1949 in Berkeley, California, was an early pioneer of radio programming known for its liberal political orientation. In the 1960s, then-emerging FM radio stations, such as free-form rock and roll stations, were frequently programmed by air personalities who mixed progressive rock music with liberal political commentary, such as outspoken opposition to the Vietnam War. Through the 1980s, talk radio stations normally featured commentators from both sides of the political spectrum.

In 1987, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) eliminated the Fairness Doctrine, that required broadcast license holders to present political opinions in a way such that opposing viewpoints were equally represented. The repeal of the Fairness Doctrine spurred the growth of political talk programming, the most successful being conservative blowhard Rush Limbaugh. President Bill Clinton's 1996 Telecommunications Act relaxed media ownership restrictions, resulting in the rise of media behemoths such as Clear Channel (now known as iHeartMedia) and the concentration of media ownership in the hands of a small number of businesses. The combination of these factors and the success of Limbaugh's show resulted in a talk media landscape largely dominated by right wing programming.

In the early 2000s, organizations such as the United Auto Workers and other wealthy liberals developed a plan to build a nationwide network of liberal talk radio to provide a viewpoint to counter conservative talk radio. In 2004, the progressive Air America Radio network was launched, featuring talk shows by Thom Hartmann, Al Franken, Rachel Maddow, Randi Rhodes, and others. Unfortunately for Air America, this was the same time that the rise of the internet and corresponding fall of broadcast radio was happening. Because of this and other bad business decisions, Air America was finished by 2010. Progressive talk radio survives today, though much diminished from its peak in about 2006. Some progressive talk personalities still enjoy national exposure, but the format as a whole is missing from many major markets. Many more progressive talk personalities, shows, and networks have migrated to the internet and have abandoned broadcast radio completely.

Alan Colmes
Alan Colmes had been on the radio since the 1980s and was unabashedly liberal back then; indeed, his was one of the few liberal voices on the radio during the early 1990s. His show included a segment called Radio Graffiti, which was sampled (some might say in an anti-Semitic dig at Colmes, who is Jewish) by the rap group Public Enemy on their 1990 album Fear of a Black Planet. Since 1996 he had come under increased criticism for playing "token liberal" on the Fox News opposite Sean Hannity. Since there are now much stronger liberals on talk radio there is no reason to listen to Colmes any more, although during the darkest days of the 1990s he was a refreshing change from the all-Limbaugh-all-the-time format, and in some markets the only game in town. That was... until his death on February 23, 2017.

Al Franken
Author, former SNL writer, and future U.S. Senator Al Franken was part of the initial lineup of Air America Radio. Air America's original flagship affiliate, WLIB in New York, had some early ratings success despite a modest signal. In their first month, their midday block featuring Al Franken drew more listeners in the demographic category desired by advertisers than competing stations featuring Rush Limbaugh and Bill O'Reilly.

Bernie Ward
Bernie Ward, formerly known as the "Lion of the Left", was heard on San Francisco radio for nearly two decades. Ward was a contributor to Democracy Now!, CommonDreams, and was for a period nationally syndicated from his radio home at KGO 810 AM. In 2008 Ward was convicted on child pornography charges and sentenced to seven years in prison. Now he is known amongst his fan base as, alternately, "Former Catholic Priest" or "Victim of Bushco Hit Job", depending on who you're reading.

Bill Press
Bill Press is the host of the syndicated progressive radio show The Bill Press Show.

Based in Washington, D.C., Bill Press was a Los Angeles television reporter and commentator until he was selected to chair the California Democratic Party in the 1990s. After that, he went to work for CNN where he represented the left side of the argument in their famous screamfest shows, Crossfire and The Spin Room. He later paired with his former Crossfire adversary Pat Buchanan on MSNBC.

He also blogs for The Huffington Post and the Capitol Hill newspaper/website, The Hill.

On 14 December 2009, Press announced that he had been denied Congressional press credentials because he had asked his listeners and readers to call and write to Senator Joe Lieberman and tell him that he was wrong about the health care bill. (Press holds credentials to White House press conferences.) Among those who voted to deny giving credentials to Press -- Fox News and Al Jazeera.

David Sirota
From 2009 to 2012, David Sirota hosted the morning show on KKZN "Colorado's Progressive Talk" in Denver. He has also guest hosted Thom Hartmann's show and has appeared on national programs such as The Young Turks. He has also written three books and is a nationally syndicated columnist.

Peter B. Collins
Peter B. Collins is a long time progressive radio show host, formerly heard on KGO 810 in San Francisco. He was part owner of the progressive talk station KRXA in Monterey, California, which was sold in 2014.

His radio show, formerly called Live from the Left Coast, is a mix mostly consisting of interviews with a wide range of guest experts early in the show, followed with as many calls from as many kinds of people as he can fit in. Often the guests and callers are able to interact when technology permits. Peter B. has been in radio since the 70's, working many talk time slots at many stations. His style is low-key and non-confrontational, even when arguing with people who strongly disagree with him.

Jon Elliott
Jon Elliott was a host on Air America Radio who regularly read the names and ranks of every soldier who died in the Iraq War the previous month on his first show of each month. Elliot alleged that Randi Rhodes was "mugged" by "right wing(ers),“ questioning whether the incident was "an attempt by the right-wing, hate machine to silence one of our own?...Are we threatening them? Are they afraid that we’re winning? Are they trying to silence intimidate us?” while substituting for Rhodes during her absence. Elliott later issued an apology for his on-air comments of speculation without evidence, "I shouldn't have speculated based on hearsay that Randi Rhodes had been mugged and that it may have been an attack from a right-wing hate machine, I apologize for jumping to conclusions." Air America canceled This is America with Jon Elliott as of 15 May 2009. At one time, his show was on XEPE 1700 (Tecate, Mexico) and XM Satellite Radio.

Jeff Farias
Jeff Farias is a progressive talk-show radio host who was previously on broadcast radio stations in Arizona. He currently hosts a video webcast.

Norman Goldman
Norman Goldman hosts a nationally syndicated progressive radio talk show.

Born and raised in New York City, Goldman got his start in 2006 when he was featured as "Senior Legal Analyst" on The Ed Schultz radio show. When Schultz started using Goldman as fill-in host, Goldman held popular show ratings and was encouraged to host his own show. He also appears on MSNBC. He categorizes himself as "independent" vs. liberal or progressive, but is a solid Democrat in direction. His motto is "Where fierce independence is the norm." - thus he will criticize and praise either "side of the political isle" depending on how he analyzes the particular issues. Recognizing the demise of terrestrial (brick-and-mortar facilities) radio stations, he offers "Beyond the Norm" podcast subscriptions. Commercials and news breaks normally heard during a live broadcast period are removed for the podcast recordings.

Jim Hightower
Jim Hightower is a populist commentator who has a long running two minute commentary called Hightower Radio aired on many stations. He had long-format shows on the ABC and United Broadcasting networks.

Monica RW
Independent Underground Radio LIVE (IURL) is a independently affiliated streaming web radio podcast hosted by Monica RW. Known as "The Voice of Progress", IURL is Michigan's Top African-American owned Independent Progressive-Left Politics, News, Commentary and Talk Radio resource. The program is web syndicated on iTunes, Stitcher, Tune-In and Google Play Networks.

Tom Leykis
Tom Leykis was an unabashed political libertarian during the 1990s, and used to advertise himself as "the talk show that is not hosted by a right wing wacko or a convicted felon", the latter in reference to G. Gordon Liddy. He has since turned into something more like a shock jock, and is less political than he once was. (He's also come under fire for perceived misogyny and homophobia.) He lost his radio show in 2009 due to a format change, and now can be heard.

Leslie Marshall
Leslie Marshall is a passionate contributor to the talk radio scene, once she discovered it after doing regular old-fashioned radio for a few years, and combines the firebrand waving anger of Mike Malloy with the "engage the conservative idiots who call me" style of Sam Seder.

Her slogan is "the only true democracy in talk radio". No one knows why. She is also pretty hot, what a shame that she hides her light under the bushel of radio.

Stephanie Miller
Stephanie Miller is the host of a syndicated progressive radio show based largely on comedic sketches. She is the daughter of former congressman William E. Miller, who was Barry Goldwater's vice-presidential running mate in 1964.

"Mama" Stephanie Miller's three-hour daily show is an outrage liberal comedy show, and features her producer, Chris Lavoie "Stuttering John" Melendez, and "voice deity" Jim Ward. Many regular features are repeated every day, such as "Right Wing World," "Stand Up News," and "Tinsel Talk."

Jim Ward has professed belief in 9/11 conspiracy theories on the air on several occasions. Miller tends to quickly dismiss his arguments when he does this.

Mike Newcomb
Mike Newcomb is a physician from Phoenix, Arizona and was a candidate for governor of Arizona, losing the Democratic primary to Janet Napolitano in 2002. He formerly had a progressive radio show on KPHX 1480 in Phoenix.

David Pakman
David Pakman (pronounced "pack-mun") is a nationally syndicated progressive television and radio host based in Boston, MA. A simulcast of his show is available on several online sources including the official show website and is also watchable on Free Speech TV and on his Youtube channel. Politically, he has identified as a Social Democrat.

Randi Rhodes
A stalwart of liberal radio since the 1980s, Randi Rhodes regularly beat major conservative talk hosts in her home Florida market on WJNO before commuting to New York to work at Air America Radio from its founding on March 31, 2004.

She was suspended by Air America Radio on April 3, 2008, over a personal appearance where her performance included controversial material. Six days later she terminated her contract.

She returned to the airwaves a few days later and was carried on broadcast radio via Nova M Radio and Premiere Radio Networks. Her show ended on May 16, 2014.

Ring of Fire
Ring of Fire Radio is a progressive radio show hosted by attorneys Mike Papantonio and Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., and Sam Seder. The show debuted on 1 May 2004, and may have been the longest-running show on Air America. They are syndicated across the United States on a variety of broadcast stations.

Nicole Sandler
Nicole Sandler lives in Coral Springs, Florida and has long experience in radio, primarily as host of various music shows. When WINZ-AM Miami was the Air America affiliate in south Florida, she was co-host with Jim deFede and it was obvious who was the teacher and who the student. When WINZ changed its format to be the 8th or 9th all sports talk station, Nicole got dumped. She soldiers on with a great talk show on the Internet.

Ed Schultz
Ed Schultz was a former sports radio announcer turned political talk radio host. He was the first liberal talk radio host to attain a national audience on a par with right-wing talkers like Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Glenn Beck, and Michael Savage. From 2009 until July 2015, he hosted a show on MSNBC, The Ed Show, where his style was something like a left-wing, pro-Hillary Clinton, Bill O'Reilly. Schultz, up until his death in 2018, hosted a podcast affiliated with Ring of Fire Radio.

Apparently, he did conservative talk radio in the distant past of his local Fargo local talk radio days, however either his wife, a psychiatrist nurse who later became his producer, or the idea of counterprogramming in a field dominated by conservatives, made him change his mind. He later changed his mind a third time and worked for RT America, where he became anti-Hillary.

Sam Seder
Sam Seder is the host of the progressive video webcast The Majority Report and a co-host of Ring of Fire.

An initiate into talk radio hosting with the genesis of Air America Radio on a show he co-hosted with Janeane Garofolo (the original Majority Report), Sam developed a style all his own and proved himself to the manner (or manor) born. After Garofolo left to pursue her acting career, and to get away from Sam's stutter, he carried the three-hour Sam Seder Show himself for a year or so. He is one of the few talk radio hosts who will stay with an angry "oppositional" caller and just keep on arguing with them.

Most of what Seder does is an evaluation of conservative media sources and how epistemic closure has affected it.

Unfortunately he is also anti-GMO, with one of his most watched videos on YouTube being him praising an anti-GMO activist. He is still vocal about his opposition to GMO's.

Kyle Kulinski
Kyle Kulinski started his online channel, Secular Talk, in 2008, during the presidential primaries. He since grew his channel by starting the Kyle Kulinski Show. His YouTube channel now has over 500,000 subscribers, and he ranks on the top 10 US News and Politics channels on YouTube.

Welton Gaddy
State of Belief is a webcast hosted by the Reverend C. Welton Gaddy, a Baptist pastor. This show takes on the wingnuttery of the growing fundamentalist right wing of Christianity and its non-Biblical teachings like the prosperity gospel. Gaddy is also chairman of The Interfaith Alliance, an ecumenical organization that promotes the community service aspects of Christianity.

Air America Radio
Air America Radio was a failed attempt to create a network that provided a 24/7 feed of liberal talk radio. The business model was flawed, the founders ran away, and they kicked out all their more interesting hosts. In their early days, they aired crazy, edgy, people like Mike Malloy, but in the end, they screwed him for many dollars.

Air America Radio was founded in March 2004, with a roster of well-known and lesser-known hosts, ranging from long-time liberal talk radio hosts to celebrities with moderate to liberal tendencies. The network was relaunched in 2007 under new ownership with a greater emphasis on political and cultural celebrities. On January 21, 2010, Air America Radio ceased live programming and ended operations four days later.

The most well-known personalities to emerge from Air America Radio are Ed Schultz and Rachel Maddow.

America Radio Network
The United Auto Workers started the United Broadcasting Network in 1996. Chuck Harder was originally involved in a joint venture but was forced out in a dispute and sued the union over the deal. In 2000 they became the America Radio Network. The network was always a money-losing venture for the union, and their final broadcasts were in February 2004, one month before Air America Radio debuted. The network carried Chuck Harder (during its first few months), Ed Schultz (during its last few months), Jim Hightower, Mike Malloy, Thom Hartmann, labor-oriented programming from the Workers Independent News Service, and shows on non-political topics like pets and home improvement. Many of the personalities on the America Radio Network become fixtures on Air America stations and on Sirius Satellite Network's Sirius Left channel.

The HORN
The HORN (Head On Radio Network) is an internet-only broadcast, sponsored by labor interests, featuring a very "down home chat" style of discussion. They feature podcasts from Bob Kincaid and Dr. Bill O'Brien.

Independent Underground Radio Live
Independent Underground Radio Live is a progressive webcast featuring talk primarily focused on Michigan politics.

Nova M Radio
, later known as On Second Thought, was a radio syndication service providing progressive talk programming. The network was heard on some American stations and satellite radio from 2006 to 2009.

Progressive Radio Network
The Progressive Radio Network is an internet webcast that was founded by Gary Null in 2006. It largely shares time between politically liberal/progressive shows, shows which discuss general science matters, and shows which advocate alternative medicine, anti-vaccination, AIDS denialism and woo (as Null himself pushes such through his own show on the network).

Sirius XM Progress
Sirius XM Progress is a progressive channel on the Sirius XM satellite radio service. It provides radio shows from major progressive hosts, including Stephanie Miller, Thom Hartmann, and Mike Malloy.