QUOTE OF THE DAY
"The preservation of liberty depends upon the intellectual and moral
character of the people. As long as knowledge and virtue are diffused
generally among the body of a nation, it is impossible they should be
enslaved."
- - JOHN ADAMS
Rhino here:
This week Phil Donahue premieres a new talk show on MSNBC. In the 8pm EST
time slot, he's going up against The O'Reilly Factor on right wing FOX NEWS
CHANNEL as well as the new Connie Chung Show on establishment inspired CNN.
Today's article is a plea from Don Hazen, Executive Director of the
Independent Media Institute and former publisher of Mother Jones magazine,
to "vote with your remote" for a man whose 29 year run of a talk show proved
his sincere commitment to educate the people about, and dialog on, the most
important issues of the day. I'll be watching when I can. Hopefully he'll
fill a void created by the cancellation of Politically Incorrect.
Check out the work of The Independent Media Institute at:
http://www.alternet.org
Vote with Your Remote: Phil Donahue for National TV Host
July 8, 2002 - ALTERNET - by Don Hazen
There's a new election just around the corner, and Phil Donahue is the
candidate who deserves your vote. In fact, all of us who are interested in
watching stimulating television and hearing independent voices and fresh
points of view on corporate TV should tune into MSNBC on July 15 at 8:00
p.m. EST and weeknights thereafter, to vote with our remotes. We'll be
giving the message to TV executives that there is an audience for
unconventional television programming with a decidedly progressive edge that
is far beyond what they imagine.
The new Phil Donahue show that debuts next Monday is up against the heavily
watched O'Reilly Factor on right-wing Fox News Channel, and a new show on
establishment CNN featuring familiar face Connie Chung, who was just snagged
from CBS for $2 million a year. This contest is the clearest national
political race since the muddy results from Florida in 2000. Viewers can opt
for the conservative O' Reilly; for Chung, the play-it-safe corporate
candidate; or for Donahue, who appears ready to speak some truth to power in
the populist seat.
Phil Donahue is perhaps the most honest man on television. Despite his
strong feelings and opinions, he's incredibly open and empathic, willing to
risk his own embarrassment to discover new insights. The Donahue Show was
amazingly successful during its 29-year-run, raking in Emmys and dealing
with issues like AIDS, feminism and race, and coverage of the 1992
presidential election. The show, he told The Progressive Magazine, "helped
bring democracy" to television. "I wanted people from all walks of life to
be able to actually use the airwaves that truly belong to them," he said....
...Of course, no television program is capable of inciting revolution. But
the stranglehold that corporations and incumbents have on elections and
media coverage precludes opportunities to build momentum around an
alternative view of the world. The startling success of Michael Moore's
book, "Stupid White Men" is one signal that there is an audience out there
hungry for some unconventional wisdom. Donahue told Newsday, "I know there
are uncounted millions out there who have ideas and concerns that aren't
finding expression on cable."...
TO READ THE ENTIRE ARTICLE
http://www.alternet.org/story.html?StoryID=13549
Reprinted under the Fair Use doctrine of international copyright
law ( http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.html ).
All copyrights belong to original publisher.
Rhino's Weblog is the responsibility of The Rhino.
Gary Rhine
rhino@kifaru.com
http://www.kifaru.com
http://www.dreamcatchers.org
http://radio.weblogs.com/0103207/
8:06:39 AM 
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