Why Does Rush Limbaugh Get To Have All The Fun On Syndicated Radio?

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by Mark Lassiter

On his nationally syndicated Premiere Radio Networks' show, Rush Limbaugh recently called President Obama "this little boy, this little man-child president..."

How many days before Limbaugh calls for armed revolt against The White House via Fox and Friends over coffee and donuts?

The Tea Party Express 2 is a Great American event for Fox News to promote and rally behind. How are protesters empowered and financially supported by a new program claiming to be "Fair And Balanced"? Fox News sponsors the echo chamber for a tea party coming to a city near you, complete with President Obama being demonized, shot at, lynched or dehumanized. If there is a Presidential do-over before 2010 will Fox News cite treason for its high ratings?

When I listen to the single point of view that is broadcast to over 600 stations via national media behemoth like Clear Channel on a daily basis, I am reminded of the words of my former neighbor, also African American, who said with force, "we have so much talent."

Certainly, money is not a problem as Limbaugh's deal with Clear Channel Communications is the second-largest ever for a radio personality, ranking behind Howard Sterns's five year agreement with Sirius Satellite Radio in 2004 for more than 500 million dollars. According to The Los Angeles Times, Limbaugh's salary is more than the combined annual salaries of the four best paid anchors on network television.

Unfortunately, syndication has more to do with the large advertisers than it does the unique interests of the local markets. Syndicated shows have stunted the development of new local talent as they force many local businesses from marketing to local consumers as the stations can base their ad rates on 'national' levels and carry ads purchased by the syndicated show and not the local audience they are supposed to represent.

There isn't a single nationally syndicated progressive Black voice on Clear Channel (or anywhere) who has the same unchecked creative license as Rush Limbaugh. It is time for that to change along with the colors of leaves in the Fall. Business models and old systems are being reshaped by the minute. Media, both traditional and new, will experience its own epiphany when people understand how "we have so much talent" translates into becoming cultural pioneers.

There is no need for a massive cattle call along the lines of American Idol. The only issue is conforming to the clearly defined Limbaugh criteria.

The Job Description is as follows: must be angry, fearless and divisive. Must make audience uncomfortable. Host will have free reign to craft vocabulary, leverage language or bend facts in the name of truth, justice and the American Way. Forget the intellectuals. I nominate Wanda Sykes, Charles Barkley, Chris Rock, Screamin Jay Hawkins (RIP), a fired-up Cedric The Entertainer, or Chuck D of Public Enemy.

Top Ten Candidates for The Next Great Media Host

10. Wyatt Cenac - cool, simultaneously brilliant and unassuming. Emmy Award winner. His sleepy eyes mask a surgical strike at all things stereotypical. Feature 'reporter' on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. In October 2009, he worked with rapper Slim Tug on the music video "Still a Boss" as a parody of how the recession is affecting the rap community..

9. Dave Chapelle - outrageous and raw. Reminds me of Sly Stone back in the day. The question was not whether Sly would be late to his concert, but whether he would show up at all. Chapelle walked away from 50 million dollars to keep his show on Comedy Central.

8. Cris Carter - analyst on ESPN Monday Night Countdown, Sunday NFL Countdown and HBOs Inside the NFL. Passionate and willing to fight for the things he believes in. He said if he were in charge of the Dallas Cowboys he would put a bullet in Terrell Owens which caused an uproar that caused him to apologize for his comments. "C'mon man!"

7. Wanda Sykes - Emmy Award winner named one of the 25 funniest people by ntertainmentFox has her signed for a new show as reparations for Fox News Channel. I hope she does well. I miss the HBO Chris Rock Show with Grandmaster Flash as musical director.

6. Carlton Douglas Ridenhour / Chuck D - rapper, author, publisher, lecturer and producer. Politically active. Testified before Congress in support of peer-to-peer MP3 sharing. Believe the hype.

5. Chris Rock - from Saturday Night Live's Nat X to his current standup routine, Rock is more Baptist preacher than comedian as he exposes hypocrisy with a compact New York City switchblade.

4. Larry Wilmore - "Senior Black Correspondant" with The Daily Show is a good enough title to merit a promotion to the national stage. A veteran of 30 years, he has written for The Office, Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air, In Living Color and The Bernie Mac Show. His latest book, "I'd Rather We Got Casinos" sums it up.

3. Paul Mooney - "BET is owned by White people. They rewrite history. They are big liars. They don't like the messages I send. They get intimidated and get frightened." Wrote for Richard Pryor. What more needs to be said?

2. Mike Wilbon - co-host of ESPN's hit show Pardon The Interruption. His commentary on sports and society have been a staple in Washington DC for decades.

1. Charles Barkley - has crossed over to the promised land where he can say anything he wants and get away with it. The studio show for NBA on TNT is a work of art. His aspiration for public office in Alabama is a plus. Introduced to him at Jocks N Jills sports bar in Atlanta and found him to be gracious and almost as funny as he is on the set.

We have so much talent. You make the call.

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Right Now, I'm In Desperate Need of A Soul Train Line!

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BREAKING NEWS: Louisiana Judge Keith Bardwell Resigns!

White Justice Quits After Interracial Marriage Controversy

A Louisiana justice of the peace who refused to marry a couple because the bride was white and groom was black has given up his post.

Here's Keith Bardwell's one-sentence statement to Louisiana Secretary of State Jay Dardenne: "I do hereby resign the office of Justice of the Peace for the Eighth Ward of Tangipahoa Parish, Louisiana, effective November 3, 2009."

Bardwell refused to perform the ceremony for Beth Humphrey and Terence McKay because they are of different races.

When questioned about his refusal, Bardwell acknowledged he routinely recuses himself from marrying interracial couples because he believes such marriages cause harm to the couples' children. In interviews, he said he refers such couples to other justices of the peace, who then perform the ceremony, which happened in this case.

Humphrey has said she and McKay received their marriage license from the parish clerk of court, where they also received a list of people qualified to perform the ceremony. When she called Bardwell's office to ask about the ceremony on Oct. 6, Humphrey said Bardwell's wife told her that the justice wouldn't sign their marriage license because they were a "mixed couple."

Humphrey and McKay have filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against Bardwell.

By MELINDA DESLATTE of Associated Press

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Change We Can Believe In??? Black High School In Chicago has 115 Out Of 800 Female Students Pregnant

Of the total female student population at Paul Robeson High School in Chicago, Ill., 1 in 7 are expectant mothers. Robeson Principal Gerald Morrow blames the staggering number of pregnancies on the girls home life and absentee men who are not being the loving fathers they need to.

"It can be a lot of things that are happening in the home or not happening in the home, if you will," Morrow said, according to the network, noting that "absentee fathers" are another factor in the school's high number of teen pregnancies.

The birth rate for teens ages 15 to 19 increased 5 percent from 2005 to 2007, according to a March 18 report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Health Statistics.

Could the reasons be lack of access to sexual health education and pregnancy prevention and a lack of access to reproductive health resources. Possibly. What .about the effort to get public assistance? Absolutely.

Or could it be the highly sexualized rap videos on BET or the degrading lyrics in Hip Hop songs catering to these same kids.

Is it a culture that glorifies violence, sex and crimes against women. The same women who have grown up fatherless watching videos portray black women as sexual objects for the pleasure of rappers and their thug entourages.

Is it how rapper Lil Wayne freely plants his seed in any chickenhead willing to open her legs to him. (So far the tally of baby mamas knocked up by the rapper this year alone stands at 4. Wayne already has a 9-year-old with reality tv personality Antonia Carter)

In fact, there was a recent incident where black girls shot up his tour bus because he refused to have sex with them.

The school's students are largely from poor communities of color where teenage pregnancies can be high. At least Robeson is a school in which young women are not being thrown out or transferred to other schools. Principal Morrow notes, "We're looking at how we can get them to the next phase, how can we still get them thinking about graduation?"

Is the answer as simple as providing educational classes and centers to normalize and encourage the use of birth control methods and distribute condoms? While a teen health center is being built across the street, some are advocating for more funding for the creation and maintenance of centers such as these so that teenage pregnancy rates go down.

If only if it were that easy. having 115 pregnant students is an epidemic that is only accelerating the complete economic and social disenfranchisement of Blacks in the US!
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Who's On The Outs in Black America, And Who's Stepping Up?

Beverly Bond's '09 Black Girls Rock Awards
No Punches, Just Praise as Tyson, Holyfield Meet
White House Starts Newsletter Targeting African Americans

Rape a Weapon of War in Congo, Activists Say

Black Philly Murder Victim Selene Raynor: Why???

Beyonce & Lady Gaga Collaborating

McCain Tells Obama to Pardon Black Boxing Champion
Celebrating the First Black Cover Girl Katiti Kironde
Elder Bush Sees 'Ugliness' in Attacks on Obama
Fox Fires Liberal Black Analyst Dr. Marc Lamont Hill
Diddy Loses $20,000 Ring During BET Show Taping
Obama Administration Shifting Policy on Sudan

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Macy's Passport '09

Fashion and compassion
Stars come out to raise money for HIV/AIDS

By Kathy Williamson

Santa Monica, CA - The 27th Annual Macy's and American Express Passport, where Fashion + Compassion Come Together, celebrated the common goal of raising crucial funds and awareness for HIV/AIDS organizations which a fashion show on Sept. 24 that incorporated various genres.

Featured designers at the Barker Hanger in Santa Monica included Rachel Roy, Calvin Klein, Hugo Boss and Levi's; and a visit to Venice, Italy via a live performance by opera singer Melody Moore. The show welcomed stars from the worlds of music and fashion. They included celebrity choreographer Brian Friedman; Indie bands, A Fine Frenzy (from Los Angeles); A Fine Frenzy; Zion 1 with K. Flay (hip hop group); DJ Rashida; Bria Murphy (model, daughter of Eddie and Nicole Murphy); and the Harajuku Girls. The appearances by Sharon Stone and Dame Elizabeth Taylor brought several standing ovations from the audience.

Many of the celebrities were moved to donate $500 to $5,000 including LaToya Jackson; Davy Jones (The Monkees); designer Rachel Roy; Alex Meneses (Everybody Loves Raymond); Eva LaRue (CSI Miami); Cody Longo (FAME); Josie Lauren and Cassie Scerbo (Make It or Break It); and Nichole Hiltz (In Plain Sight). Sharon's "teams" raised almost $75,000.

Dame Elizabeth Taylor asked everyone in attendance to join her in the fight against the wide-reaching and deadly disease. "As my beloved friend Michael (Jackson) said 'We are the world,' and it is up to us - it is our responsibility to take care of those who are sick and dying," which was greeted with cheers from the audience.

Macy’s Passport achieved their goal once again and will be donating over $1 million to a variety of HIV/AIDS organizations.


- Wireimage photo - Nichole Murphy and daughters. Read more!

DEATH OF BLACK MEDIA: Is Ebony Magazine Really Up For Sale?

Who Will Tell Our Stories, The Internet?

The outlook for the Holy grail of black-owned publishing companies, Johnson Publishing, is bleak. Actually, beyond bleak.

Non-stop speculation has had Ebony and Jet magazines on the ropes for some time. Then the Ebony Fashion Fair traveling fashion show -- a flamboyant staple of black women's fund raising efforts since 1958 -- was canceled for the first time in its history.

And now comes word that the company synonymous with Black America is putting its flagship title, Ebony, up for sale.

According to Newsweek, Johnson Publishing's chairman and CEO, Linda Johnson Rice, is seeking a buyer or investor in an effort aimed at securing the survival of the nation's oldest African-American magazine. It's unclear whether the company's other properties, including Jet, would be part of a possible sale.

We here at 3BAAS Media Group have been addressing this issue for some time and even held an Urban New Media Conference in June to discuss what actions should be taken.

According to those familiar with the developments, Chicago-based Rice, the daughter of Ebony's legendary founder, the late John H. Johnson, has approached, among others, Time Inc., Viacom, and private investors that include buyout firms. Time Inc., the world's largest periodical publisher, already owns Essence, a monthly lifestyle, beauty, and fashion magazine for African-American women.

Viacom, meanwhile, owns BET (Black Entertainment Television). Nothing has yet resulted from any of Johnson Publishing's overtures, however. And it's unclear whether negotiations are underway between the publishing company and any of the identified parties or other potential rescuers.

It's a challenging time for print media in general, so Johnson Publishing's plight is not that unusual. Add to that the question of whether the brand can stay relevant with younger blacks, and prospects look even worse.

The fact that black-owned Johnson Publishing faces this juncture during the year when a black man -- one whose social circle the CEO belongs to -- took the White House, is tragically ironic.

Still, no magazine holds the place in the collective heart of African Americans that Ebony has had since its inception in 1945. At the same time, the level of superiority and arrogance the company has shown can not be ignored. On several occasions we have heard people express frustration over how they tried to take the company in a direction that embraced New Media and kept readers fully engaged.

Even as recent as a few months ago at the 2nd Annual Blogging While Brown conference, several attendees where mumbling about Eric Easter, Chief of Digital Strategy for Johnson Publishing. For many, Mr. Easter was coming across like he had all the answers as opposed to engaging those in the audience that have demonstrated an ability to create an online presence.

Currently, Johnson Publishing only has one photographer, Valarie Garrett, to cover the entire country for both Ebony and Jet. So even the images they once prided themselves on now coming from the record companies, studios, the celebrities themselves, or companies like Wire Image.

So the million dollar question is, "What we gon' do now???"

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