Thanks for writing. Very good questions.

I confess that there’s probably no definitive answer to them, however. My suspicions are that the mainstream media, over many years, has attracted like-minded people while generally excluding conservatives. As a result, newsrooms (whether print or television) tend to have approved viewpoints while shunning or ignoring others. Such does not make for a hospitable environment for conservatives.

The opposite phenomenon appears to have occurred with talk radio. With the success of Rush Limbaugh, the first to really take a dying medium and fill a need for conservative viewpoints, others have followed. Over a number of years, audiences build, advertising revenue builds, and more talk show hosts appear.

Liberals have also attempted to fill a void for liberal news on the radio; they, however, have failed spectacularly, even with the support from the mainstream media and generous donors.

Out of some odd sense of obligation and fair mindedness, I spent a half hour listening to Randi Rhodes on Air America (R.I.P.) in 2007. The entire time revolved around angry calls, angry rants, flimsy talking points and cliched comments, a clip from Keith Olbermann, who sounded like he was foaming at the mouth, etc.

I concluded that no one would consistently wish to listen to such constant and vacuous negativity, even those who agreed with them.

And while you’re answering, why is it that major, successful talk shows are by a wide majority, conservative?