"HOT TALK" SUPPORTERS TALK BACK

By Brad Kava, SJ Mercury News - Ear (column); Friday, February 12, 1999

When the program director at a radio station shows up to defend his worst host as a result of a newspaper column, I know I've struck a nerve.

That's what happened on KSFO-AM (560) Feb. 5, after I argued in the ear column that day that a lot of what passes for "hot talk" on the Disney-owned station is more like hypocrisy and hate talk.

Program Director Jack Swanson appeared on Michael Savage's show to bash me. The truth of the column, where I took note of the constant bashing of gays, women and immigrants on the show, couldn't be denied.

But I painted the station with too broad a brush. More specifically, much of the hate is spewed by the afternoon host, Savage, a man who last week underlined my point by calling rapist Mike Tyson his hero, "a great heterosexual role model."

Others hosts, including Lee Rogers and Geoff Metcalf, are a bit more reasonable and, in fact, have championed some good causes, such fighting the gasoline additive MTBE, which is now shown to be polluting wells.

The special room in hell I suggested for Savage's liberal bosses, who will do nearly anything for ratings, is one populated by Savage. I know that living at close range with that despicable big mouth would be the worst fate the devil could come up with for his charges.

Many of you have gotten in touch to give me your opinions. As promised last week, here are some of them:

(box) I read your idiodic (sic) column in today's San Jose Parrot-Cage News. In response to the question put forth ("Have you learned any lessons from radio?"): Well, Brad, yes I have. Today, as a matter of fact. I learned that when you write inflamitory (sic) out-of-context garbage such as you did in today's Mercury rag, you end up getting publicly lambasted over the air by the host and the stations (sic) manager. The very same station manager who you said hell would have a special place for. Get a life, you miserable dweeb.

Kim, C. Erwood
San Jose

(box) There you go again. You have taken your usual shot at conservative radio by printing a combination of lies, misquotes and misconceptions about conservative views. If you had any guts, you'd document your "quotes" so we could see if they are accurate or not. But instead, you hide behind the excuse of not naming names. If you were really fair, you would print the same type of "contradictions" in next week's column, using the liberal claptrap you find on KGO and NPR.

Jon Biggar
Mountain View

Good point. Next time I'll just take the quotes off the tape recorder. But the hosts will still charge they were out of context.

(box) I read your "critical analysis" of conservative talk radio with a mixture of amusement and annoyance.

It is well known you don't like KSFO and that you object to two-dimensional cartoon conservatives (the latter view is one we share). However, although you are usually one of the more insightful and honest print journalists, I honestly think you are being either unfair or myopic.

KSFO offers a wide spectrum of different conservative perspectives. It is personality radio, and our personalities are very different. Lee, Mel, me, Hamblin, Eason, Savage, Simpson et al are each very different. Art Bell is, well, Art Bell.

We do not agree on all issues, and we do not all present the petty two-dimensional angry-white-guy view you suggest.

At the risk of spitting into the wind, I would welcome the opportunity to sit down with you sometime for an honest critical analysis of what we do.

I have a line I overuse which is: "Some people don't want to be confused with facts which contradict their preconceived opinions. ... " Sadly, you seem to personify that overused observation.

Geoff Metcalf
KSFO midmorning host

(box) I am constantly amazed at the blatant misinformation spewed by the staff at the Mercury News. Is it possible for any of you to review, report or even argue cogently about a subject? An illuminating example of your incoherent gibberish is your supposed exposure of hypocrisy in the separation of church and state and the anger at the pope's interference in the law regarding the death penalty.

If you hadn't noticed, the pope is the head of a foreign state (yes, Brian, the Vatican is a sovereign country). The pope is a foreign leader making a commentary on our legal system. It does bother certain people when he is able to impact the change of a jury-pronounced death sentence to life in prison. Your specious comparison to a constitutional issue of prayer in school is irrelevant, as usual.

I could systematically, with logic and reason, dismantle your entire emotion-ridden diatribe (column), but that would be a waste of my time.

Lance Solus
San Jose

That's the kind of attitude I'd expect from folks who will say and do anything for ratings. Happily, just as many of you were supportive:

(box) Many thanks for your article Feb. 5 on "neo-conservative" radio stations. Neo-bigots would be more to the point.

How they are able to imply that they are the protectors of free speech and yet censor any rebuttal to their poison diatribes. That's a monument to duplicity. As time goes on, they have become more revolting and have sunk to attacking Barbara Boxer's wrinkles, instead of her ideas.

Phil Smaller
Palo Alto

(box) Just in case you're getting flamed by the right-wing nuts, I wanted to let you know that some of us greatly enjoy your digs at KSFO. Personally, though, I think their mindless, reactionary blather is a good thing for us liberals. As long as the KSFO hosts continue to issue nonsensical rants while refusing to allow any diversity of viewpoints, their listeners will be utterly unprepared to craft intelligent arguments in support of their views.

Marc Fagel
San Carlos

(box) The Mercury's ear has been doing some careful listening to the once-great KSFO, and has heard some of the glaring inconsistencies in the daily rants of its local hosts. For example, the station has crusaded for the removal of MTBE from gasoline, and I commend KSFO for taking this issue on. But most of the same talk-show hosts equate environmental activists with terrorists, and argue for the elimination of the same government agencies which they expect to solve the MTBE problem.

As a veteran of the radio industry and a former KSFO personality, I deplore the stunning lack of balance and factual integrity in most of the programs on the station. You'd think a company like Disney would not need to, or want to, pander to extremists. And you'd think that management would set minimal standards of fairness and accuracy, so we wouldn't be subject to the paranoid ravings of a host who fears that "women with clipped hair" are a threat to our nation. A notable exception is Jim Eason, who has managed to maintain his dignity and most of his credibility since moving to KSFO.

Peter B. Collins

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