From All Access:
New Liberal Talk Network Planned? Is MIKE MALLOY about to return to the air on a new liberal talk network? ALL ACCESS hears talk that the former AIR AMERICA RADIO late-night host, fired earlier this FALL, is part of a new effort to do syndicated liberal talk by the co-founders of AIR AMERICA, SHELDON and ANITA DROBNY, along with PHOENIX-based host Dr. MIKE NEWCOMB, through their NOVA M RADIO operation. The chatter says that MALLOY’s return is slated for OCTOBER 30 9p-Midnight (ET), initially on NOVA M’s Talk KPHX-A/PHOENIX. The operation will reportedly include DEMOCRATIC PARTY fundraiser/strategist JOE TRIPPI and pollster JOHN ZOGBY (who will host a weekly show for the new network).
Will they never learn?
Was
FOX News ever positioned and staged as a “conservative talk” network?
No.
FOX very cleverly positions itself at the center (“we report, you decide”) while its conservative inclinations have more to do with its understanding of its audience than any stated political agenda. This is working from the audience target out rather than political agenda in. To use the sociology jargon, the text is different from the subtext. “Liberal radio” (for lack of any even slightly better term) sees only text. Put in lay terms, what you are and what you seem to be do not have to be the same thing and perhaps would be more successful if they weren’t.
Metaphorically speaking, a primary problem with Air America was the absence of red in their white and blue logo (I’m not talking about talent issues here because I’m taking this from a marketing angle, and the marketing challenge would be the same regardless of the talent).
And here we go again.
Interesting postscript: While we were all sleeping FOX News quietly morphed their red-themed website into a blue one. If ever there was proof of my point, there it is.