Talk Radio Is The Modern Equivalent of The Old Barbershop

I'll have to admit I am absolutely intrigued with the rise of talk radio, and I have had fun being a part of it. You see, for years the deadest time in all communications was AM radio from noon drive time till about 4 p.m. Reminds me of Gainesville's own Charlie Smithgall who, back in the 1930's, took the very early morning hours on WSB, during the depression, and purely on his personality gained a following of farmers. And that brought advertisers. And that brought money ... and the Smithgall radio success story is history.

Well, that's what has happened with talk radio - from Rush Limbaugh to Martha Zoller to Sean Hannity. They took radio time that had been slow and made it prime time. A recent survey shows a majority of Americans now listen to some talk radio regularly, no matter what time of the day it comes on. For a while we assumed people were following talk radio because it was conservative, and they were tired of getting nothing but the liberal agenda from newspapers and especially TV. And to some degree that has proven to be true.

But Ken Bode, who has served as the host of Washington Week In Review, may be closer to the truth about the popularity of talk radio. He says talk radio is the modern equivalent of the old barbershop ... a place where you can hear what is on other people's minds, have a lively but civil political discussion, and let people know where you stand on whatever issue is on your mind. And on talk radio, you don't even have to pay for the haircut.

This is Gordon Sawyer, and may the wind always be at your back.