I know - I, too, said "he's still on the air?". Yep, Al Franken hung in there, and Radio Equalizer writes his epitath:
We now know what likely led to Al Franken's abrupt termination from the San Francisco airwaves: an unmitigated ratings catastrophe!
...Managing just a tiny 0.7 share of the 25-54 year- old audience from 9am- to- noon Pacific Time on KQKE-AM, Franken has been handily beaten by conservative Rush Limbaugh (who scored a 3.1 share) and mostly apolitical market heavyweight Ronn Owens (with a 5.0).
Translated into actual listeners, it means that KSFO's Rush Limbaugh had four for every Franken tune-in, while against KGO's Owens, it was about a seven- to- one ratio in the Bay Area.
And none of the excuses we've seen so readily utilized by "progressives" can apply here: KQKE has an excellent signal, the station has been promoted in the market and has had more than two years to catch on locally.
The really "stand up and notice" thing here is that Rush gets such good ratings in the Bay Area...there must be a GOP underground out there! We'll have to launch a crusade to liberate San Francisco!
That aside, Franken was the premier player on Air America - a man well known in the country and who once upon a time actually had some talent (this was back in the 70's, for you youngsters out there). That he has failed so miserably in uber-lefty San Francisco shows what we all knew from the get-go: there isn't a market for liberal talk. Why should this be? Well, mostly because liberalism has been, is and always will be one long, piercing whine...its the kid who's never satisfied, no matter how much you give him. Sensible liberals realise this - and most of them have become libertarians (who are still wrong, but at least not wrong about everything).
Posted by Mark Noonan at November 3, 2006 02:53 AM
Comments
I think you might be drawing an unfair conclusion. I know that sometimes libs listen to Limbaugh so I think there's a great possibility that a bunch of the San Francisco libs got more out of listening to Rush Limbaugh because he's just so entertaining than they got out of listening to the same old, boring Al Franken.
Posted by: Morris at November 3, 2006 11:32 AM
I think you might be drawing an unfair conclusion. I know that sometimes libs listen to Limbaugh so I think there's a great possibility that a bunch of the San Francisco libs got more out of listening to Rush Limbaugh because he's just so entertaining than they got out of listening to the same old, boring Al Franken.
Posted by: Morris at November 3, 2006 11:37 AM
I always thought that the Al Franken show on Air-Head America was comedy. You mean he was being serious?
Posted by: A-10 at November 3, 2006 01:18 PM
Franken and Davis, on SNL, in the 1970's, was funny, as I recall. Whatever happened to Davis?
Posted by: 1H8L1BS at November 3, 2006 04:50 PM
I listened to him a few times on Air America. He seemed to be trying to be serious, and failing. To bad. He was pretty good at funny. But for San Fransco to agree with me! Pretty amazing.
Posted by: Richard of Oregon at November 3, 2006 06:34 PM
Another tidbit, re: libs and traditionally liberal media. Not exactly Alf Ranken material, but in a similar vein....
I caught SNL the other night, being a Hugh Laurie fan from his old silly days on BBC, and was amazed at the audience reaction to a skit.
It had a Ken Mehlman character who was wimpy but not totally bad, and a Howard Dean character. "Dean" went on about the changes in the country after the Dems take over and then said that they would send Bush, Cheney, and Rumsfeld to Gitmo. There was a significant pause before the audience came up with some tepid claps and cheers---whether it was a lag due to an "applause" sign or just trying to figure out who Bush and Cheney and Rumsefeld are and where is Gitmo (taking the audience into consideration) I could not tell, but the actor playing Dean was clearly waiting for a response that did not come.
Then he went on to say that there would be plenty of room, because the Dems would release the prisoners already there----to stunned silence. OK, I put in the "stunned" part. But I know it was silence.
It made me realize that not even the hard-core NY young liberal 'elite' are comfortable with the idea of just turning those terrorists loose. They might, with proper direction, clap and cheer a little at the idea of sending Bush and Cheney and Rumsfeld to a prison, but even THEY know how stupid it would be to underestimate the people who want to kill us.
Which makes me wonder if the Dems are underestimating THEM.
Posted by: Almiranta at November 3, 2006 08:00 PM
1H8L1BS, don't forget what happened during the 1980's on SNL. That was the "Al Franken decade". On the other hand, the 2000's are definitely not the Al Franken decade.
Franken can't beat Limbaugh in San Francisco, one of the most left-leaning areas in the country? Man, how far has he fallen? Hey, Al, you should have stayed in comedy.
Posted by: Bigfoot at November 3, 2006 08:31 PM
Al Franken is a bumbling neanderthal....
Posted by: Ames Tiedeman at November 3, 2006 09:12 PM
Considering the San Francisco Market is a liberal hotbed this very interesting.
It confirms what I have always said about Franken..
He just isn't that interesting of a personality.
And, yes, I am a liberal.
Posted by:
CrackpotPress at November 3, 2006 09:51 PM
One thing to keep in mind is that those San Francisco radio stations actually cover the entire Bay Area, including more conservative places like San Jose and Silicon Valley. That's in part why KSFO has been so successful over the years.
Posted by:
Perry at November 3, 2006 10:00 PM
I will truly miss Al even though I never listened to him, but he and JFrancoisK have done so much for our cause. Best of luck and perhaps he can find a TV camera that will assist him from here out. Moonbats are great and thanks to the 527 media as well.
Posted by: SEW at November 3, 2006 10:19 PM
Considering the San Francisco Market is a liberal hotbed this very interesting.
It confirms what I have always said about Franken..
He just isn't that interesting of a personality.
And, yes, I am a liberal.
Posted by:
CrackpotPress at November 3, 2006 10:24 PM
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I think you might be drawing an unfair conclusion. I know that sometimes libs listen to Limbaugh so I think there's a great possibility that a bunch of the San Francisco libs got more out of listening to Rush Limbaugh because he's just so entertaining than they got out of listening to the same old, boring Al Franken.
I think you might be drawing an unfair conclusion. I know that sometimes libs listen to Limbaugh so I think there's a great possibility that a bunch of the San Francisco libs got more out of listening to Rush Limbaugh because he's just so entertaining than they got out of listening to the same old, boring Al Franken.
I always thought that the Al Franken show on Air-Head America was comedy. You mean he was being serious?
Franken and Davis, on SNL, in the 1970's, was funny, as I recall. Whatever happened to Davis?
I listened to him a few times on Air America. He seemed to be trying to be serious, and failing. To bad. He was pretty good at funny. But for San Fransco to agree with me! Pretty amazing.
Another tidbit, re: libs and traditionally liberal media. Not exactly Alf Ranken material, but in a similar vein....
I caught SNL the other night, being a Hugh Laurie fan from his old silly days on BBC, and was amazed at the audience reaction to a skit.
It had a Ken Mehlman character who was wimpy but not totally bad, and a Howard Dean character. "Dean" went on about the changes in the country after the Dems take over and then said that they would send Bush, Cheney, and Rumsfeld to Gitmo. There was a significant pause before the audience came up with some tepid claps and cheers---whether it was a lag due to an "applause" sign or just trying to figure out who Bush and Cheney and Rumsefeld are and where is Gitmo (taking the audience into consideration) I could not tell, but the actor playing Dean was clearly waiting for a response that did not come.
Then he went on to say that there would be plenty of room, because the Dems would release the prisoners already there----to stunned silence. OK, I put in the "stunned" part. But I know it was silence.
It made me realize that not even the hard-core NY young liberal 'elite' are comfortable with the idea of just turning those terrorists loose. They might, with proper direction, clap and cheer a little at the idea of sending Bush and Cheney and Rumsfeld to a prison, but even THEY know how stupid it would be to underestimate the people who want to kill us.
Which makes me wonder if the Dems are underestimating THEM.
1H8L1BS, don't forget what happened during the 1980's on SNL. That was the "Al Franken decade". On the other hand, the 2000's are definitely not the Al Franken decade.
Franken can't beat Limbaugh in San Francisco, one of the most left-leaning areas in the country? Man, how far has he fallen? Hey, Al, you should have stayed in comedy.
Al Franken is a bumbling neanderthal....
Considering the San Francisco Market is a liberal hotbed this very interesting.
It confirms what I have always said about Franken..
He just isn't that interesting of a personality.
And, yes, I am a liberal.
One thing to keep in mind is that those San Francisco radio stations actually cover the entire Bay Area, including more conservative places like San Jose and Silicon Valley. That's in part why KSFO has been so successful over the years.
I will truly miss Al even though I never listened to him, but he and JFrancoisK have done so much for our cause. Best of luck and perhaps he can find a TV camera that will assist him from here out. Moonbats are great and thanks to the 527 media as well.
Considering the San Francisco Market is a liberal hotbed this very interesting.
It confirms what I have always said about Franken..
He just isn't that interesting of a personality.
And, yes, I am a liberal.