Talk radio
Talk radio is a radio format which predominately features a host who talks about various issues, whether items in the news, book reviews, or political issues. When used in political discussions, the term talk radio refers to the predominantly conservative hosts. Here is the ranking of market share (audience) of the top 25 in talk radio for the period 8/1/07 to 10/31/07:[1]
- Rush Limbaugh 9.3
- Michael Savage 8.0
- Glenn Beck 6.2
- Laura Ingraham 4.8
- Sean Hannity 4.0
- MANCOW 3.6
- George Noory 2.9
- Dennis Miller 2.6
- Bill O’Reilly 2.3
- Neal Boortz 2.1
- Dr. Laura 1.5
- Bill Bennett 1.2
- Mark Levin 1.1
- Dr. Joy Brown 0.8
- Michael Medved 0.8
- The Right Perspective 0.8
- Dennis Prager 0.8
- Dave Ramsey 0.7
- Adam Carolla 0.6
- Randi Rhodes 0.6
- Jerry Doyle 0.6
- Mike Gallagher 0.6
- Bob and Tom 0.6
- Ed Schultz 0.6
- Jim Rome 0.5
Talk radio saw a dramatic rise when the FCC repealed the Fairness Doctrine which mandated that equal air time be given to opposing views. Since the repeal, talk radio has been dominated largely by conservative voices such as Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, and Michael Savage. Generally, liberal talk radio has failed; for example, Air America Radio, a liberal radio network, went bankrupt on October 13, 2006. As of July 2007, however, Air America is still broadcasting.
Talk radio includes topics such as gardening, the supernatural, relationships, advice, sports, health, and home improvement.