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What a great day! What an awesome story! Are you ready for this?
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Will We See Gore TV? The former Veep looks at creating a liberal alternative to conservative talk radio and television By KAREN TUMULTY Wednesday, Jun. 18, 2003 Since deciding not to make another race for the White House in 2004, former Vice President Al Gore has been devoting considerable time to another dream, one he shares with many Democrats these days — creating a media enterprise that could challenge the dominance of conservative voices in cable television and talk radio. Numerous sources in Hollywood and Washington tell TIME that Gore has been quietly sounding out potential financial backers for a cable television network that would feature "progressive" viewpoints. Additionally, Gore has helped arrange meetings between key Hollywood figures and a wealthy Chicago couple who have publicly announced plans to invest $10 million in a liberal radio network. What role Gore himself would play in any of these ventures is still far from clear. "He can pull out at any time," says one associate who has spoken to him about the concept. "He can say, 'This isn't my deal.' But he's interested." Gore has been exploring and encouraging several types of possibilities in recent months, and consulting closely with Joel Hyatt, the founder of Hyatt Legal Services, a nationwide chain of low-cost, storefront legal clinics. (Hyatt ran for Senate from Ohio in 1994, unsuccessfully seeking the seat that was vacated by the retirement of his father-in-law, Howard Metzenbaum.) One entertainment industry source who met with Gore and Hyatt earlier this year said that, at that time, part of what they envisioned youth-oriented programming, "putting video cameras in the hands of kids." Gore is also making his influence felt in other ways in Hollywood, a place where he has not always been warmly received. When the former Vice President attended the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah, earlier this year, he arranged a series of private meetings with politically oriented entertainment industry figures. One session was with a handful of people from the Environmental Media Association, a group that promotes the idea of incorporating environmentalist story lines into movies. "He was very interested in what we are doing, because he is very interested in media," says Debbie Levin, the group's executive director. Gore has also been helpful to Chicago venture capitalists Sheldon and Anita Drobny, who announced in February that they planned to fund a liberal radio network to counterbalance such conservative commentators as Rush Limbaugh. Several sources said Gore has helped introduce the Drobnys to such Hollywood political forces as producer-director Rob Reiner. Comedian Al Franken, author of the book "Rush Limbaugh is a Big Fat Idiot," is considering hosting a show on the Drobnys' network, and added that the couple has approached Gore to do regular essays. Anita Drobny declined to comment about any venture involving Gore, telling TIME: "I'm not at liberty to say anything about that. As far as Vice President Gore, you'll have to call him to ask him about his project and what they are doing." Gore and Hyatt did not respond to repeated requests for an interview. Gore has long been interested in the nexus between politics and media. His 99-page senior thesis in college was titled "The Impact of Television on the Conduct of the Presidency, 1947-1969." Before running for Congress in 1976, Gore worked as a newspaper reporter for the Nashville Tennessean. The ascendancy of conservative outlets such as Rupert Murdoch's Fox News Channel — and particularly such ratings powerhouses as commentator Bill O'Reilly — have been a growing source of frustration for Democrats. And while liberal commentators such as former Texas Agriculture Commissioner Jim Hightower have made a stab at syndicated talk shows, they have by and large been unsuccessful. In March, the MSNBC cable news network canceled Phil Donahue's talk show after a disappointing six-month run against The O'Reilly Factor. However, some liberals point to the success of Hillary Clinton's just-released memoir as evidence that a marketplace exists for their viewpoint. Gore has shared their frustration. In an interview last December with the New York Observer, he described the conservative outlets as a "fifth column" within the media ranks that injects "daily Republican talking points into the definition of what's objective." "The media is kind of weird these days on politics, and there are some major institutional voices that are, truthfully speaking, part and parcel of the Republican Party," Gore said. "Fox News Network, The Washington Times , Rush Limbaugh — there’s a bunch of them, and some of them are financed by wealthy ultra-conservative billionaires who make political deals with Republican administrations and the rest of the media." |
The American people are already beginning to take note that whiny liberals and their ideas are BAD for this country. For DECADES, the liberals have taken over control of the mainstream media via CBS, NBC, ABC, CNN, CNBC, The New York Times, The Washington Post, USA Today, ad infinitum. Hey guys, you've already TRIED this! It didn't work the first time!
The American people are turning to conservative radio and TV in DROVES because they are sick and tired of being fed the socialist mantras forced on them by the left! Limbaugh, O' Reilly, Hannity, Fox News, Beck, Savage, et al are a huge success for two reasons.
1) They give voice to the thoughts and feelings of the majority.
2) They are entertaining to listen to and/or watch!
Hillary's book is huge for the same reason people were obsessed with the Michael Jackson specials that ran a couple month's back. She gives a voyeuristic look into life in the Clinton White House. It's NOT because people want her to be President.
Al Franken had a best-seller just because he put Limbaugh's name in the title. Guess what, Mr. Franken? Limbaugh ain't fat anymore, but you'll always be an idiot.
This is great. I hope the libs pour millions of dollars into this pathetic waste of time. I would love to see liberalism taken out with the trash heap in this country once and for all. Bring it on!
Posted by at June 18, 2003 01:04 PM
Comments
Al Franken had a best-seller just because he put Limbaugh's name in the title. Guess what, Mr. Franken? Limbaugh ain't fat anymore, but you'll always be an idiot??????????
Rush and Al are the same age, when Rush was sitting on his fat ass collecting unemployment hand-out checks from the government, Al Franken was winning Emmys.
Posted by: Jeremy | July 22, 2003 05:19 PM
Such truth I rarely read, the majority is brainwashed from being educated by a liberal run school system. Unfortunately, you are wrong about the masses being tired of liberalism. However, the people who tune into the news, especially talk radio, tend to be a little smarter than the masses, which is why talk radio tends to be conservative. It is a statistical fact that democrats, on average, score lower on intelligence tests than republicans(this is a fact). It takes logic to be a conservative, any ass with feelings can be a democrat. Liberal ideas only work on t.v. and not on radio, because radio hosts must face callers who question their logic and liberal logic falls apart at this point because it is based on emotions. (liberal)I "feel" like hungry people should be fed, so lets take that money from others who worked for it and give it to the poor. (conservative)I feel that way too, but isn't it better to invest that money and create more jobs than to provide one meal. Logic over emotions. Al's t.v. show will probably do well, because t.v. tends to be aimed at people with a seventh grade education level(we have multi-millions of those). However, if he tries talk radio, it will quickly fall apart. Us smart people who listen to talk radio just won't fall for his load of crap. Actually, I might tune in just to start my day with a laugh.
One other point, you list O'Reilly as a conservative, I don't think so. Maybe in finances, but not in any other way. I listen to him sometimes and his view tends to be very liberal no matter what he calls himself.
Just for the record, I am not republican or democrat; I am a Libertarian (viva la freedom).
Posted by: Richard Lowell | October 1, 2003 06:54 AM
ALl this media/politics crap is nothing but the mental drivel of the ignorant vs. the never-quenched desires for power brought to you by whatever party of cockmongers. total greed, total puppet show, total al gore, 'nuff said
Good 'ol George Washington NEVER wanted political parties as he thought they brought decisions for the people down the level of a scwabble, as the way it was in britain....WHOOPS!
Posted by: interest of my arse | October 4, 2003 10:03 AM