The LuLac Edition #4, 641, December 9th, 2021

 

RIGHT WING RADIO AND ADVERTISING

Years ago I was very proud to work in the Radio and TV sales industry. The basis for my book “A Radio Story” was born from that experience. That was just one of the good things. The other one was the relationships I built with people  I still keep in touch with former Sales Managers and even a few of my clients. Recently I heard from two of the latter and the discussion got around to Conservative Media. Here are a few take a ways.

1.      Did you ever notice that political and even commercial advertising on Conservative radio are done with short buys? There are very few long time contracts. The ones that you hear are additional throw ins from the larger stations. When I sold advertising for say Rock 107, we discounted WEJL/WBAX Radio as an additional “throw in” to make the deal more attractive. Believe me no Ford or Dodge truck dealer is going to call an AM radio sales rep and say, “Please, please please get me on your radio station!”  So the advertising you hear is added value, also known as a  as a charity buy. That tells us that Conservative talk radio could not stand on its own without being subsidized by the larger more profitable stations in the media group.   How socialistic!

2.     Since Rush Limbaugh’s death very few stations have picked up the Rush banner. I predicted that Rush would go the way of the late Paul Harvey. When both were gone there was no suitable replacement. Rush’s minion Bo Snerdley sends me e mails all the time trying to get me to buy what he is trying to sell. Stations have gone with Rush imitators. We have one in our region who claims he loves the country but backs that argument up with logic that would make  “chicken little” blush. The dirty little secret about Rush is that not many  national advertisers of note signed on with him as years went by. When Rush started as an entertainer he put Snapple on the map. Toward the end you saw nothing like that.

3.       Two advertisers I spoke with and had associations with told me that when local and statewide elections come, they will shy away from making major buys at local Talk stations.  One outlet is more benign because most of the programming is syndicated. On live talk radio,  when you hear the same spewers of disinformation and hate that constitute the callers, you know that none of these people are going to buy a big ticket item. They are all fat and happy living on pensions and Social Security.  That’s one thing they have in common. The second thing they have in common is they have the “I got mine..I’m not going to let you get yours” attitude. Worse the hosts enable them by not calling them out. Some talent  may be while well-schooled in music but does not have the knowledge to argue. Another  lets them rant and rave and barely engages. To be fair, he will do so because his formal education taught him to respect hard cold facts. The third host on the other hand is pretty much stealing money from his company. He rarely pushes back and reads text verbatim. The other night he was yammering about Hillary Clinton (again another right winger who can’t stay away from Hilary, like others he has a hard on for HRC) saying she should be in jail. Meantime not a word about the crimes of his lord and savior Donald Trump who he never called for any jail time. Is he also a sexist to boot? You bet!

When you don’t have balance, no one wants to be associated with you in a big way.

4.      .I will give you that there is local advertising done by candidates on Talk Radio. I even bought ads for candidates I have helped in the past. But the buys rarely start weeks out (there are exceptions of course as we found in the Juridical race in Lackawanna county where the GOP candidate needed name recognition) and maybe last from a Thursday through Election Day. That's a small time bone that’s thrown to talk radio.

I had an old boss who once told me that most Americans are middle of the road. When Johnny Carson quit he used the night time rivalry between Jay Leno and David Letterman as an example.  He said Leno would eventually beat out Letterman because people didn’t like mean, they liked nice. People didn’t want drama, they wanted to be entertained. They didn’t want sneers, they wanted smiles. He was right.

Talk Radio has gotten so unreasonable because station owners have allowed the ignorant loudmouths to take control of the programming. Station managers will not stand up to their bosses (and I can’t blame them) who say the loudmouths must be coddled.  That’s okay because that’s a business model they have chosen. But know this, that model has marginalized the very reasons radio stations have existed since KDKA went on the air in 1920.

To educate and inform. Not to degrade and spew hatred and lies.

Advertisers are noticing. So are thinking people. Both have the power who do the most damage to a radio station: they tune out.

The result is when you leave the imbeciles talking to themselves no one wins.

 

MANCHIN QUIETLY DISCUSSES SENATE RULES CHANGES WITH REPUBLICANS

Sen. Joe Manchin , a key Democratic holdout on reforming the filibuster, is discussing small changes to Senate rules with Republicans.

Manchin's discussions with GOP colleagues - which haven't been previously reported - come as Democrats are trying to win over their conservative colleague on their push to "restore the Senate," including making changes to the 60-vote legislative filibuster.

Members of GOP leadership told The Hill that Manchin had reached out to them to float potential ideas with an eye toward making it easier to get votes and bills to the floor.

"Most of us would argue that the only thing that it takes to get the Senate working better is behavioral change. ... But he is trying to come up with some fairly, I would say, creative ideas about the rules," said Sen. John Thune (S.D.), the No. 2 Senate Republican.

Thune added that Manchin had spoken with other GOP senators and that there was a "considerable amount of interest in trying to make the Senate functional."

Sen. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) confirmed that Manchin had also talked to him.

"You know I had a lot of discussions with Schumer on this topic when he was the ranking member on Rules and I was the chairman and we could reopen that discussion," he added, referring to Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.).

Manchin says he hasn't changed his mind on the filibuster, where he's opposed to nixing the 60-vote threshold altogether or making a carveout. But, asked by The Hill if he was open to smaller changes like making it easier to get amendment votes or bills to the floor, Manchin indicated that talks are ongoing. (MSNNews)

 

HOUSE DEMOCRATS TO INTRODUCE RESOLUTION TO STRIP BOEBERT OF COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENTS

Original mean girl  (Photo: AP)

Nearly a dozen House Democrats introduced a resolution Wednesday to strip Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., of her committee assignments over anti-Muslim remarks aimed at Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., after House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy declined to punish Boebert for making them.

Reps. Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass., and Cori Bush, D-Mo., formally introduced the measure, which is being co-sponsored by Reps. Jamaal Bowman, D-N.Y., Cori Judy Chu, D-Calif., Jesús “Chuy” García, D-Ill., Jimmy Gomez, D-Calif., Pramila Jayapal D-Wash., Barbara Lee, D-Calif., Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y.

The resolution follows Boebert’s repeated use of anti-Muslim remarks aimed at Omar, one of the first two Muslim women (along with Tlaib) to serve in Congress

In a video clip that emerged last month, the Colorado lawmaker compared Omar to a terrorist. “Well, she doesn’t have a backpack. We should be fine,” Boebert said about a time she allegedly shared an elevator with Omar. (Omar denies the incident ever happened.) Boebert also called Omar a member of the "jihad squad."

“For a member of Congress to repeatedly use hateful, anti-Muslim rhetoric and Islamophobic tropes towards a Muslim colleague is dangerous,” Pressley said at a press conference announcing the resolution. “This sort of toxic behavior has no place in the halls of Congress and it diminishes the honor of the institution that we all serve in.”  (LuLac, aolnews)

 

CASEY APPLAUDS USTR ANNOUNCEMENT ON JOINING DECLARATION TO ADVANCE GENDER EQUALITY IN TRADE

 

Senator Bob Casey (Photo: LuLac archives)

U.S. Senator Bob Casey is releasing a statement following the Office of the United States Trade Representative’s (USTR) announcement that the U.S. will co-sign the World Trade Organization’s joint ministerial declaration on gender equality:

“I applaud this important step by the Biden Administration in advancing gender equality in the United States’ trade policy and agreements. I’ve long pushed for trade policies that put gender equity front and center, and I am pleased to see that the USTR is taking this issue seriously. The advancement of women’s rights and economic empowerment is a matter of human rights, economics and global security. We must continue to affirm the leadership of the United States in upholding human rights and supporting women’s full economic participation, globally. Now, we need to pass my Women’s Economic Empowerment in Trade Act, which would ensure the U.S. prioritizes the rights of women in our trade agreements with other countries. I will continue to work to get this legislation passed into law to strengthen trade standards on worker rights and the rights of women.”

Provisions of the Women’s Economic Employment in Trade Act, cosponsored by Senators Casey (D-PA), Cortez Masto (D-NV) and Menendez (D-NJ), were included in the United States Innovation and Competition Act of 2021, passed by the Senate in June 2021

 

TEDDY DANIELS BEST FRIEND!!!!!

Rep. Paul Gosar was formally censured by the House and removed from his two committee assignments after sharing a video glorifying violence against Democratic lawmakers. Now, GOP 8^th District candidate Teddy Daniels, is bragging about his ties with the congressman. He proudly announced his endorsement from Gosar, while making light of the violence he promoted and the protestors outside his event.  Rep. Gosar and Teddy Daniels both stoke the fires of ultra-partisanship for their own benefit, encouraging dangerous behavior and ideas to earn favors with the far-right and Trump-aligned fundraisers.

You want wat.n this guy as a  Congressman? 

 

DAN MEUSER DIDN'T HONOR VETERANS ON JANUARY 6TH!!!!!!

9^th District Congressman Dan Meuser put up a remembrance honoring those who were killed at Pearl Harbor 80 years ago. The tribute was pure boiler plate fluff. Meuser has desecrated their memory when he voted to decertify the election of 2020 on January 6^th just hours after the Capitol he works in was stormed by insurrectionists.

His words ring hollow because those servicemen died to PROTECT AMERICA, not to storm the very citadel of our democracy. Dan may think he’s getting a pass on his behavior but he’s not. Using the anniversary of Perl Harbor to tell us how much he loves America is a lie he revealed on January 6^th, 2021. 

Expet a load of pablum from the Meuser press office on anything that he'll think will make him relevant. Bottom line is Meuser voted no on certifying his own election and voted no to fix your roads and get rural broadband. Never forget that! 

 

REP. CARTWRIGHT ANNOUNCES $5 MILLION FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION IN LUZERNE COUNTY

 

Congressman Matt Cartwright (Photo: LuLac archives)

U.S. Representative Matt Cartwright (PA-08) announced the third installment of a federal grant for Luzerne County Head Start for 2022. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services grant disbursement of $4,955,978 will be used for the continuation of high quality, comprehensive, early childhood education for children in Luzerne and Wyoming Counties.

“I am proud to fight for our children’s success, for our country’s future success, by supporting federal investments in early childhood programs that will help our kids learn, be healthy, and become ready for school,” said Rep. Cartwright. “I applaud Luzerne County Head Start on receiving this award and their dedication to enhancing the quality of life for children and families in Northeastern Pennsylvania.”

“Head Start is unique in its comprehensive approach to serve the needs of both children and their families,” said Luzerne County Head Start, Executive Director, Lynn Evans Biga. “These funds allow us to support families and to provide young children with a high-quality early childhood education, which helps them develop into successful and responsible adults. Without your support, these much-needed services would not be possible.”

Head Start programs provide children in low-income families with education services focused on early learning, health and family well-being. These programs promote children’s growth and development and give parents an opportunity to become actively engaged in their child’s education. Head Start and Early Head Start has improved the lives of more than 37 million children and their families, providing them with the skills they need to succeed in school and in their lives.

Federal funding for Head Start services is authorized by the U.S. Congress and administered by the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), a division of the Department of Health & Human Services.

 

GOVERNOR WOLF VETOES LEGISLATION TO ALLOW UNVETTED CONCEALED CARRY

Governor Tom Wolf (Photo: LuLac archives)

Governor Tom Wolf today vetoed Senate Bill 565, legislation that would allow anyone who wishes to carry concealed guns able to do so without a background check and permit.

Gov. Wolf’s SB 565 veto message:

“This legislation, which eliminates the requirement for individuals to obtain a license before carrying a concealed firearm, will only exacerbate gun violence and jeopardize the safety of all Pennsylvanians. 

”Each year there are more than 1,600 victims of gun violence in Pennsylvania. These victims and communities deserve to have meaningful legislation passed to address the scourge of gun violence. I support many public policy proposals that would help solve this urgent issue, including safe storage legislation, extreme risk protection orders, enhanced reporting requirements for lost or stolen guns, and closing gaps in the background check system. Unfortunately, this bill would make gun violence worse and would put law enforcement officers at greater risk of harm.

”I would like to make clear that this veto will in no way affect the rights of the 1.3 million Pennsylvanians who have legally obtained a license to carry or the millions of Pennsylvanians who legally own a firearm.

”This legislation removes the requirement that an individual obtain a license, and with it, the ability of law enforcement to conduct a background investigation. Removal of the licensing background investigation will hinder the ability of law enforcement to prevent individuals who should not be able to carry a firearm concealed from doing so. Domestic abusers and other dangerous criminals should not have the ability to carry hidden weapons in our communities.

”In states without concealed carry licenses, there is an 11 percent higher rate of homicide than those states who require a license. The Pennsylvania Chiefs of Police Association and the Pennsylvania District Attorneys Association both oppose this legislation and there are no law enforcement organizations in Pennsylvania that support this bill. I stand with them, domestic abuse survivors and advocates, responsible gun owners, and victims of gun violence who have expressed their opposition to this dangerous bill.”

This veto is not a move to restrict rights of lawful gun owners, as they can still conceal carry when they apply for a permit and successfully pass a background check. So far in 2021, nearly 360,000 license-to-carry background checks were completed and nearly 11,000 were denied. This is a veto against harmful legislation that puts public safety at risk across the commonwealth.

“As communities across the state struggle with crises like gun violence and suicide, Senate Bill 565 was a poorly timed, poorly conceived plan to expand access to firearms and would have risked the lives of more Pennsylvanians,” said House Democratic Leader Joanna McClinton, D-Phila/Delaware. “The House Democratic Caucus fought tirelessly to defeat this legislation and will continue to oppose measures that create greater burdens on our communities, health care providers and law enforcement as they work to lessen the trauma firearms are causing our communities.”

=“When Senate Bill 565 was raced through our chamber, Senate Democrats fought it and tried repeatedly to amend it with safety measures. We were part of a large and broad coalition that opposed unregulated concealed carry; that coalition included not only gun violence prevention advocates but members of law enforcement,” said Senate Democratic Leader Jay Costa, D-Allegheny. “This veto will keep our communities safer and prevent an unsafe and unlimited rise in concealed firearms in our communities.”

 

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1987

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US President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev sign a treaty eliminating medium range nuclear missiles……Peruvian Navy Fokker F27-400M chartered by Alianza Lima FC crashes into Pacific Ocean 7 miles from Jorge Chávez International Airport near Callao; 43 killed, only pilot survives……Palestine uprising begin in Israeli-occupied West Bank…. "Nightline" is seen in USSR for 1st time………Test debut of Carl Hooper, WI v India at Bombay……"Wall Street" film directed by Oliver Stone and starring Michael Douglas and Charlie Sheen is released……Mookie Blaylock sets NBA record of 13 steals in a game……. Okla's sets NCAA record of 33 steals vs Centenary……..Rollermania at Madison Square Garden, Eastern Express beats Midwest Pioneers……Belgium Christian Democrats (CVP) loses parliamentary election…..Browns set club record for most points scored in a quarter, 28…… USSR performs nuclear test at Eastern Kazakh/Semipalitinsk USSR……Chrysler pleads no contest to selling driven vehicles as new…..  

First National US Tour of "Les Miserables" opens at Shubert Theatre, Boston and this week in 1987 the number one song in LuLac land and America was “We’ll Be Together”? by Sting.