ELKO, Nev. – After listening Monday morning to a fill-in talk show host on one of Utah’s prominent radio stations, the chair of the Democratic Party asks, “What Liberal Media?”Republican Enid Greene, a former Utah congresswoman who until recently ran the Republican Party of Utah, is hosting Doug Wright’s popular radio show while he takes a few days off.
“We respect the fact that Doug Wright is a conservative with an opinion," said Wayne Holland, chair of the Utah Democratic Party. “But for KSL to hand over the public’s airwaves to a political partisan parroting Republican Party talking points is beyond the pale.”
Ignoring public comments on policy made Sunday at two stops in the West - Kimball Junction, Utah, and Elko, Nev. – by one of the leading Democratic presidential candidates, Barack Obama, Greene and KSL chose instead to offer uninformed commentary and criticism to thousands of listeners.
“The First Amendment is designed to promote democracy through ensuring a marketplace of ideas,” said Holland. “KSL has failed in its obligation to the First Amendment. Citizens of Utah interested in making an informed decision regarding a presidential election are worse off.”
SPECIFICALLY:
Greene, whom a caller likened to Jane Fonda, criticized Obama’s recent comments regarding military action to prevent Pakistan-based terrorists from attacking the United States.
This is what Sen. Obama told an audience of an estimated 900 Republicans, independents, and Democrats Sunday evening at a town-hall style meeting in Elko, Nev.:
“I made a simple proposition that I’d like anybody here to challenge me on. If the government of Pakistan knows that bin Laden is in their northwestern territory, and those folks who killed 3,000 Americans are training to attack us again, then if we had actionable intelligence, in terms of taking them out, and we couldn’t get the government of Pakistan to act, we should act.”
The audience cheered Sen. Obama’s stand, which was unfiltered by the news media.
Greene also criticized Sen. Obama for not taking positions on specific issues. Again, Greene seemed to be relaying talking points from the Republican National Committee in Washington, D.C., instead of talking about what he actually said during his visits to Utah and Nevada, much less researching the issues through his Web site.
Sen. Obama outlined proposals for ending the war in Iraq, immigration, education, healthcare in the rural West, the environment and global warming, and mining – all of which were reported extensively by broadcast and print news outlets based in Las Vegas, Reno, Elko, and Salt Lake City.
Because of the overtly partisan bias of Greene, KSL listeners across Utah and the West could be unaware of Obama’s positions on these issues.
They certainly could not have gotten a sense from Greene of the enthusiasm the senator generated among Nevadans and Utahns of all political stripes and by Greene’s counterparts in the media who produced an avalanche of headlines such as “Obama Feels the Love”(The Salt Lake Tribune), “Obama Visits GOP Country” (The Reno Gazette-Journal), “Obama Defends Foreign Policy Comments” (The Associated Press), “Obama Launches Rural Campaign in Elko” (Elko Daily Free Press), and “Obama Appeals to Young in Elko” (Elko Daily Free Press).
5 comments:
It is sad that KSL is becoming more and more a tool for right wing propaganda. I used to be faithful KSL listener, but the day-long Hannity type discussions have turned me off from listening to KSL at all. The right wing always whines and moans about the media and yet it is the conservatives that control the media. It appears that the right wing believes it is better to divide our country than bring the people together with ideas from everyone.
Besides, listening to Classic Rock is more entertaining than listening to Enid Greene.
KSL has interviewed us (members of Utah for Obama) twice. The first time was a fairly good interview, where I was at least accurately quoted. The second one never quoted either myself or Nikki Norton directly, except to play back modified sound clips to make it sound like she was stuttering as Andrew Adams tried to make her "crack". He also indirectly quoted our words after twisting what we said regarding Senator Obama's visit. It's just sad. Even Deseret News quoted us accurately.
Talk radio shows are an entertainment venue. Those that feel that they are worth listening to, do so. Radio stations try to generate as much advertising revenue as possible by getting people to listen. They are free to follow their business sense on this.
I have no problem with partisans of any stripe hosting a show. But I am free to tune in or to tune out. For the most part, I choose the latter.
I hear what you are saying with respect to Greene's commentary. I have no clue what kind of entertainment value she offers. Although I have long been a Republican, I am pretty much turned off by Ms. Greene and have been since she first ran for Congress. I was quite disappointed that in the last gubernatorial race, one of the GOP candidates (a former speaker of the Utah House) chose Greene as a running mate. What was that guy thinking?
I hardly ever listen to Mr. Wright's radio show, so it was unlikely that I would tune in when he had a guest host. But knowing that the guest host is Enid Greene made it absolutely certain that I wouldn't tune in.
I really would like to see more liberal radio programs on the air. I've learned a great deal from reading liberal blogs and books. I'm glad Tom Barberi is coming back. But Utah is still slanted heavily conservative in the radio talk show arena. Even if Bob Lonsberry thinks Doug Wright is a liberal looney.
I don't understand why Enid Greene and so many other republicans have to be so dogmatic.
has KSL forgotten what enid greene's last name used to be???
hello!
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