by Elizabeth M Young

Created on: September 19, 2009   Last Updated: September 21, 2011

There is no mechanism for government to control talk radio in order to create more balance. While government can insure that Federal Communications Commission (FCC) regulations and public law are enforced, interference in the right to freedom of expression via the radio transmissions would constitute an egregious violation of all that is good and right in America.

What is not good and right, however, is the lack of balance in individual talk radio formats. There is an overload of heated, histrionic, and shocking speech, activism, and misconduct aimed at inflaming the emotions of unstable and intellectually vulnerable elements of society.

There is a machine gun pace, maintained by domineering blow hards who exhausted their limited educations and knowledge bases long ago. But outrageous speech and high pitched shrilling is not anything that is actionable in terms of asking the government for help, unless laws are broken. That machine gun pace, however, may be a mask for directing as much inflammatory manipulation and "dog whistle" coded statements as possible to the masses who actually pay attention to talk radio.

There is a very old truth that individuals who find any material offensive can simply turn the radio off or change the station. No one is forcing listeners to attend to the repulsive speech. The major fact is that talk radio is advertising and market driven. Advertisers buy ads. Investors invest, hoping for a return on their investment. In some cases, radio network and station owners are passionate that the entire lineup of shows and speakers must be focused on a certain political, religious, topical, musical or other format.

Inflammatory and extremist right wing ranting makes money. It makes lots of money. Lots of people listen to and support this format. Not so many of the opposition enjoy the screaming and the lunacy, but appreciate well moderated talk radio and news formats.

If talk radio stations were forced to give up air time to talk show hosts who presented other or opposing views, then restriction of trade lawsuits, probably with proof of financial loss, would result.

One solution, however, is already in the form of underground radio, which is a new form of radio that utilizes a combination of the Internet, short range local broadcast, and relatively cheap facilities and equipment. There are thousands of underground radio stations that broadcast worldwide. Often times they are one or two person operations which only broadcast after school or work hours, and on the weekends.

With lower operating costs, underground radio stations are not as vulnerable to influence by advertisers and to corporate interests.

Government can assist the underground radio system as it has traditionally assisted the mainstream radio system through it's development, by providing loans and grants as well as training and education.

Finally, there is pirate, or bootleg radio. These are illegal, unregulated stations which broadcast from mobile locations on land and out to sea. And the radio pirates can truly gum up the works of any imbalance in talk radio.

Learn more about this author, Elizabeth M Young.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.