Shock & Controversy on Talk Radio
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Many Americans do not differentiate between different sources for information, and as a result, "many citizens--perhaps the majority--live in a state of confusion and ignorance about government and political issues" (Bennett 1). One target for criticism has been the rise of certain kinds of talk radio through which information, ideas, and biases are transmitted, often unfiltered and untested. Talk radio today seems fueled by two trends which often intersect--shock and controversy on the one hand, and confrontational political discussion on the other. Howard Stern is a representative of the former, and Rush Limbaugh of the latter. Each has been highly successful and has been syndicated to stations across the country. There is some evidence that Limbaugh may have peaked and be on the wane, while Stern's future may be more assured with his highly successful book tours and his recent movie, about himself, starring himself. Both Stern and Limbaugh have been accused of having a negative effect on their audiences, though for different reasons. Each has also professed not to be responsible for their influence on the audience (Laufer 63). Stern tends to be more scatological in his broadcasts and Limbaugh political, but Stern has his political element as well and even announced his candidacy for Governor of New York in 1994 under the heading of the Libertarian Party. Bill Winter, Communications Director for the Libertarian party, seemed to accept this candidacy with some
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turn, the FCC agreed to dismiss another five pending complaints (Sobieraj D1).
Stern has continued to offend listeners on a regular basis, and he most recently outraged a group of his listeners after the murder of the Tejano singer Selena. After hearing the comments Stern made about her and her music on the air, hundreds of fans called radio stations in Texas to protest. Stern not only ridiculed Selena's music, but he did so using the sound of gunfire in the background, a reminder of how she died. City leaders in Houston and a state representative also condemned the remarks, made on the same day Selena was buried in Corpus Christi, Texas. Stern and his on-air colleague imitated Hispanic accents in making fun of the singer and her fans. A report on the fort Worth Star-Telegram quotes Stern as follows: "This music does absolutely nothing for me. Alvin and the Chipmunks have more soul ... Spanish people have the worst taste in music. They have no depth." Stern is supposed to have further poked fun at mourners. Hispanic leaders in Dallas threatened to boycott businesses that advertise on the show, and are considering complaining to the Federal Communications Commission (Asin www.HCI.com).
Sandy Wells describes the rise of
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Approximate Word count = 1764
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page)
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