Terrorism: The Talk Of R&R’s Talk Radio Seminar 2002
N/T radio must plan for ‘the unthinkable’

By Jeffrey Yorke and Joe Howard
R&R Washington Bureau
rrdc@rronline.com

WASHINGTON, DC — The Enron scandal and the recession can’t hold a candle to terrorism when it comes to what America’s talk hosts talk about when they talk among themselves.
And, unlike Whitewater, Monica and other Clinton-era scandals that fueled Talk radio over the past decade — now all seemingly meaningless issues that separated Talkers and listeners by party line — the subject of terrorism is one that more or less unites people, blurring the lines of the old-fashioned talk host identity: Conservatives, middle-of-the-roaders and liberals all sound like hawks, and there are simply no doves when it comes to America’s war on terrorism.

It was crystal-clear last week that there is no better reflection of what America’s frame of mind is than to listen in on what the 350 talk hosts, producers and executives meeting here for R&R’s seventh annual Talk Radio Seminar had to say. It is an industry concerned about the future — and angry as hell.

Westwood One’s G. Gordon Liddy lived up to his bombastic reputation when he sparked a lively discussion during Feb. 21’s opening talk Radio Roundtable, featuring 13 seasoned talk hosts.

“Two rules of war,” said Liddy. “Rule No. 1: Do anything necessary to win.” And, quoting Winston Churchill, “Rule No. 2: Truth is surrounded by a bodyguard of lies.” That last comment fueled talk about the government’s tactics in waging a war against terrorism and what the government and talk hosts should tell the public. “Can we lie? Yes, if it means [saving] American lives,” offered Westwood One’s Laura Ingraham. Most on the panel appeared to agree, but Talk America’s Doug Stephan asked, “Whatever happened to truth, justice and the American way?”

“War happened,” Liddy fired back, and Jones Radio Networks host Neal Boortz added, “We are allowed to [lie]. Everywhere you turn, people bend, twist and manipulate the truth.” Turning to moderator and CNN anchor Wolf Blitzer, Boortz said, “It’s you people who are supposed to be objective all the time. I’ll flat-out lie to you if there’s entertainment value in it.”

But WOR Network’s Dr. Joy Browne argued that Americans aren’t nearly as naive as hosts think they are, suggesting, “I don’t think the American people believe us.” She then said to Blitzer, “I don’t think they believe you, and I don’t think they believe Bush. But it doesn’t mean they don’t have faith in him.” Stephan added, “We want to believe the government is telling us the truth.”

The war has also produced some surprise sex symbols. At one point, Ingraham blurted out: “Let’s go back to [Secretary of Defense Donald] Rumsfeld — the stud muffin of the war! I’m sorry. That’s so shallow of me, but I like him so much.” By that time she was blushing, and her fellow talkers were giggling.

Halfway through the session a solemn-looking man walked to the podium and handed Blitzer a piece of paper. Blitzer removed his glasses, quickly read the note and whipped out his cell phone to call his office. His demeanor suddenly changed. After a brief conversation, he put his phone away and told the hosts and attendees, “I have some very sad news. CBS News is reporting, and the Wall Street Journal has confirmed, that [kidnapped] Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl is dead.”

There were gasps from all corners of the room as the hosts struggled to resume their conversation. After a short period the floor was yielded to White House correspondent and WCBM/Baltimore talk host Les Kinsolving, who suggested that 30 seconds of silence be observed in Pearl’s memory before the discussion resumed.

A View From Inside The White House

The war on terrorism has fostered a new way of thinking for Department of Defense officials, Asst. Secretary of Defense Victoria Clarke told ABC Radio News’ Sam Donaldson during a Saturday-morning Q&A session. “It’s less about the bombs and bullets and more about a new way of thinking,” she said, describing the Bush administration’s approach to fighting global terrorism. Donaldson peppered Clarke with a series of questions, ranging from U.S. plans to strike Iraq to why Defense Secretary Rumsfeld is reluctant to admit fault when the U.S. military makes errors resulting in innocent lives lost. Clarke skillfully addressed Donaldson’s pointed questioning, less with direct answers than with observations about why she and her colleagues in Washington choose their words carefully. She said that, while the government tries to provide as many details as possible to the American people, it can’t do so at the expense of putting military lives at risk.

She also said that, while pressure from the media can sometimes be intense, ultimately, she believes that pressure is beneficial and results in the support of Americans for the war effort. “I happen to think it’s a healthy competition,” she said. “One of the things we have to do every single day is communicate.”
Meanwhile, White House Director/Radio Media Taylor Gross invited the radio industry to contact him about interviews and call-ins with Bush administration officials who wish to reach out to radio audiences. “Vice President Dick Cheney is a big fan of radio,” Gross said. “Homeland Security Director Gov. Tom Ridge also is.” Gross can be reached at 202-456-6238 or via e-mail at taylor_gross@who.eop.gov.

‘We Are All Reporters’

“Radio created a connection for a community that was just horror-struck.” That was the observation of RTNDA President Barbara Cochran as she opened a TRS discussion called “Planning for the Unthinkable.” The panel of veteran news experts concluded that radio as a community emotional conduit works best with a little preparation. Wall Street Journal Radio Networks’ Paul Bell, whose operation was less than 200 yards from the World Trade Center, said that his office experienced “multiple system failures” and was out of communication for hours.

“When something like this happens, we are all reporters, not just anchors, hosts or editors,” said WABC/New York PD Phil Boyce, who pointed out how crosstown WINS sales rep Joan Fleischer called her station’s newsroom from the street as soon as she saw the first airplane hit the World Trade Center on Sept. 11. For several hours, Fleischer impressed colleagues and competitors alike with her crisp reports that provided listeners with a window on a developing tragedy.

WTOP-AM & FM/Washington News Director Jim Farley stressed the need for a backup plan that includes satellite and mobile phones and redundancy plans.
Sometimes dreadful events present opportunities to showcase stations. During a session titled “Is There Enough News in Your News/Talk Station,” KFBK & KSTE/Sacramento News Director Ken Kohl said that the events of Sept. 11 have changed the dynamics of news, including “war updates” at the bottom of the hour that are now heard on stations of all formats.

Consultant Greg Moceri noted that, while the big winners are News/Talk stations, the even bigger winners are heritage stations, because people are “looking for something familiar.”

Citadel’s Brian Jennings agreed. “Heritage news departments won on Sept. 11,” he said. “Radio must deliver what the audience expects — or die.”

KGO & KSFO/San Francisco News Director Jack Swanson said that News stations have been propelled since Sept. 11 by the “Oh, f***! factor”: when the news itself causes the jaws of the audience and the news staff to drop. He recalled how, for three days beginning Sept. 11, KSFO’s audience disappeared, but then, from Sept. 14 through Sept. 19 the station dominated the market when listeners wanted to talk about terrorism. But Swanson stressed that “it takes more than news to make great News stations” and lamented that, even in these times, “No CEO is increasing news budgets.”

There are two kinds of News/Talk stations: the quick and the dead. That’s how competitive it is out there, according to WDBO/Orlando PD Kipper McGee. He recalled how, on Sept. 11, his station immediately went to live wall-to-wall news coverage while one of his competitors was still running a syndicated talk show.
“You have to be proactive,” he told a “Show Prep in a Can” panel. “Preparation is key to helping you respond.” McGee said that it’s important to always have phone numbers of experts handy in case of emergencies, and it’s crucial that station staff know what’s expected of them in times of crisis.

Depend On Your Network

CBS Radio News VP Harvey Nagler encouraged programmers to depend on their networks during a national crisis. During the “Show Prep in a Can” session Nagler said that stations should feel like their networks are behind them, and he implored affiliates to call if they need something.
He reminded attendees that networks can supply affiliates with names and phone numbers of experts on any number of subjects and have general content, like quotes and obituaries, that stations can use. “Let us know if you’re not getting what you want,” he said. “The world is shrinking so much, worldwide resources are going to help you.”

Timing really is everything, and some clusters have been slow to cross-pollinate. Even though Clear Channel Radio President Randy Michaels said at last year’s Talk Radio Seminar that stations in clusters should cross-promote their formats, McVay Media’s Holland Cooke pointed out this year that “the message has not gone down internally.” ABC Sr. VP/Programming John McConnell added, “Generally, we are still afraid of each other, and we may be more concerned about the downside [of cross-marketing] than the upside.”

Nick Michaels had something worth shouting about — but he didn’t do so because he wanted to get the message out. The renowned image crafter told the TRS crowd that it’s whispers that will be heard in the overcommunicated world, while “screams fall on deaf ears.” He added, “Anyone with enough money can send a message, but how do you make your message get received?” The answer? Reconsider your approach.

Michaels suggests that, instead of constantly telling the audience what your station does and why your station is so wonderful, understand and reflect the audience’s needs and emotions. Michaels added that radio has too often forgotten its human touch, and that humor helps clear the way for a message to be delivered.

Charles Osgood: ‘I Love Radio’

“I can’t imagine being in a field that’s as much fun as radio,” CBS News anchor Charles Osgood said during the annual News/Talk Industry Achievement Awards luncheon, where he was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award. Osgood showed off his singing and banjo-playing chops during his acceptance speech with a musical rendition of the Pledge of Allegiance that he persuaded the audience to join him in singing.
He said that radio is the medium people turn to “when they want to hear more, when they want to hear what other people think,” and he added that the ability of News/Talk hosts to present hours of programming every day is awe-inspiring for him. He noted that radio hosts have a unique advantage over their television counterparts: “We can whisper in the listeners’ ear and take them anywhere.”

R&R Editor-In-Chief Ron Rodrigues and staff writers Walt Starling and Mollie Ziegler contributed to this report.
©2002 Radio & Records, Inc.