Sirius Radio featured in Countdown's "The Worst Person In The World" segment
By Nicole Belle Monday Jul 16, 2007 1:32pm
(h/t Heather for video) 
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Ah...the Prince of Darkness himself. 'Nuff said.
Rick Perlstein has more on the Sirius channels--including the address of a higher up you can contact for accountability.
John Amato: Thanks for sending me all your emails and faxes that went out to Sirius...Here's Dave Gorab, and his email is dgorab@siriusradio.com. Tell him we like Taylor's suggestion...
Frist..for the first time..
Number two, with a two dollar banjo
I've been a subscriber to Sirius fer about 3 years now; I don't recall when it happened, but I'm pretty sure it("Patriot") was called "Talk Right" fer a while.
I've complained once, I got a form letter of the e-mail type in my in-box as a reply.
I'm a fan of "Talk Left", among other stations at Sirius, and I'm not plannin' a boycott- I really do find this a matter of "sticks and stones"- but I wanna know why an otherwise solid line-up at "Talk Left" includes Lynn Samuels?
What a load. Where were people a year and a half ago when this would have made a difference, when Sirius was in the process of changing the names from Talk Left and Talk Right? What a fake story, and to see the people whining yesterday, and most of them weren't even subscribers, please. I'm disappointed with Keith for giving attention to this false hysteria.
R U Sirius?
This is really a non issue. I like the name Sirius Left. I listen daily and have been doing so for the last 3 years.
I've been a subscriber for 2+ years and will continue to do so. A real patriot doesn't have to declare they are a "patriot".
[Deleted. Banned]
how many will it take?
watch this vid
http://youtube.com/watch?v=tMACzBomDK4
The Sirius incident reminds me of one of Maher's comments;
Bigoted Douchebag @ 8:
Yet, there are three reich-wing stations on Sirius (143, 144, & 145). Don't let facts get in the way of your hissy fit.
[Racist name changed-Sitemonitor]
I really like Keith, but I wish he would stop with the pop culture crap he does for 10 or 15 minutes every night. Any thoughts on that?
BTW, did anyone see Tweety smack doen Matt Continetti last night. Something to the effect of , "me to you, its the draft, thats the whole thing, If you were vulnerable to the draft you would have a lot less frisky attitude about the war than you have now"
It was delivered perectly, did not look like he had planned on saying it, looks like he said it out of exasperation, and experience.
Sirius Reich and Sirius Left behind would be more accurate.
Thanks John.
G. Gordon Liddy, LIVE from GUSH Ketif!
Good to see that Crooks & Liars is focusing on the important issues.
I don't understand why the first guy is "worse" because he forgot to put his landing gear down.
That's not at all unheard-of, and it hardly makes the pilot a bad person.
Years ago it was just Sirius Left & Sirius Right. When Air America started up, Sirius devoted an entire channel to everything Air America could throw at them, 24 hours a day. The Reich-Wing became upset over this (two lib to one con channel) and Sirius granted them the "Patriot" channel. The name did not bother me so much as the fact that Sirius already had channels devoted to the fascistic viewpoint: ABC Talk (100% rabid right), the Fox News TV feed, both CNN & Headline News feeds (Glen Beck anyone?), Fox Talk, and numerous christian/jeebus stations. Sirius has, in my eyes, left the lefties out in the cold in the past year or so. I mean, I can turn on terrestrial radio and be bombarded by Rushbot clones at every twist of the knob. But having truly progressive voices was something new, something Sirius could have differentiated itself with. But they have been dumbing things down lately. They got rid of Air America (actually, did not wish to renew the contract--Air Am went to rival XM), PRI (Public Radio International) and C-Span Radio (would not allow Sirius to preempt with NASCAR In-Car). The "homegrown talent" on Sirius Left consists of the ill-informed Alex Bennett and the unlistenable Lynn Samuels. Both of whom maybe talk politics 40% of the time. All others (Thom Hartman, Ed Shultz, Stephanie Miller, Mike Malloy etc.) are picked up from XM or are syndicated. I have been a subscriber for four years, with 5 radios and have convinced many others to go to THE DOG. But I must say I'm not happy with these developments an have considered canceling my subscriptions.
Poor Harry Reid. Those mean ol’ wepubwicans won’t play fair! Here’s Harry, “waaaa!!! waaaaa! waaaa! mommy! those wepubwicans are being mean to me! waaa! waaa!” LOL! Hey Harry! Remember when you democraps filibustered every bill or issue presented by the republicans??!! Well, they were taking notes, dipshit! They learned from you and your cohorts of stupidity, the democrats! Paybacks are hell, aren’t they Harry? LMAO!!! Hey Harry, don’t forget your porta-potty! LOL!!
whatever about sirius' presumption of liberal cowardice.. there's an article on Digg just now about a National Review cruise which is truly chilling. Offers a disturbing insight into the delusional mind:
http://www.alternet.org/story/57001
Here's a flavour:
A lady >declares that she gets on her knees every day to
"thank God for Fox News".
Andy K @ 3:
I commented on this earlier, but it was pretty late in the day when I did it.
Quick sum up:
Sirius had Air America, Sirius Left, Sirius Right, and Sirius Patriot
Air America goes exclusive to XM, this leaves Sirius Left, Sirius Right, and Sirius Patriot
FNC contract with Sirius expires, FNC holds out to get Sirius to carry a Fox Talk channel. Sirius drops FNC for a few weeks, but brings it back after Sirius decides to replace Sirius Right with Fox Talk. Now there's Sirius Left, Sirius Patriot, and Fox Talk.
This isn't some grand scheme of Sirius to make Progressives look less patriotic, it's just the way the channel naming went. They have a lot of other channels that probably get conservatives peeved (Stern, OutQ Gay Channel, Playboy Channel, etc.).
vbg @ 18:
You're right. That was weird, this errant pilot being considered almost as bad a person as Robert Novak.
played you like a $2 banjo, HA! Nobody played anybody. It was one dark lord giving a gift of death to another dark lord. Anyone who thinks Novak is more than just a paid TOOL, has no brains at all.
I don't know about the pilot. Somehow putting him in there diminishes the seriousness of the other two. And I wish he had done a longer segment on the Sirius thing. It's something that has gone on in America for awhile now but people in the MSM are just now beginning to say something about it.
I once landed a plane in flight sim and forgot to lower the landing gear.
I know..... I'm a geek
oh man, I was worried they were going to bash the ever living shit out of my Sirius. Christ, XM is 40% owned by (or something like that) by none other than those lovely Bush Backers known as Clear Channel
new name: Bigoted Douchebag @ 8:
Hey C&L sitemonitors, is this name really gonna be allowed? Think about it for a second then sound it out.
[Sorry. I did it earlier, right after I woke up. It didn't click then. Thanks. I'll get it down. Update. Like the new name? Sitemonitor]
Eamon @ 21:
That is a frightening piece.
Seems like a $2 banjo would be hard to play well, so it would be more accurate to say you played somebody like a $2,000 banjo. Not as funny though.
I cannot believe you guys are spending so much time on this non-issue.
You're playing right into the "Patriot's" hands, BTW.
Distract them with inconsequential semantic one-upsmanship is play number 429 in the Conservative Playbook.
Jackie the Jokeman couldn't come up with a more pathetic joke than what this blog has become.
Well, the only thing on all the news channels right now is that the wrestler killed his family and then himself. Okay, not it's official, might we move on? The lady, I think her name is Fran Townsend or something like that, has hogged the cameras all day telling us basically we are all gonna die cause al qaeda is stronger than they were but not as strong as they would have been had we not gone to war in Iraq, or something like that. And yeah, al qaeda still wants to get their hands on nukes and wmd. Wow, that's a surprise, huh?
Finding this video of Jon was a nice escape from the bs on tv. Thanks C&L. :)
this just in from alternet.org, thanks to Eamon,
"Just take a couple of these anti-war people off to the gas chamber for treason to show, if you try to bring down America at a time of war, that's what you'll get." She squints at the sun and smiles. " Then things'll change."
That was an actual american repug, speaking what could liberally be called "her mind". People, wake up and stop arguing about the fucking pilot story. Things seem to be sliding sidways to the point where the 20% of the population starts getting mideavil on the other 80%. Time to start marching and letting these stuck up rich bitches know that a hand gun in the bedside table isn't a match for an angry mob with torches.
and sirius had two left stations until air america (named after a cia drug running airline in the 60's. why aren't we all in an uproar about that?) left for the money to xm and now they run big ed instead of thom hartmann. sorry, sirius still has two. out-q 109( michelangalo singorelli who's on from 11 am to 3pm pdt. don't think i'm spelling that right.) i'm on the left and proud of it. aren't you? if not, i guess we could ask them to call it sirius crybaby. by the by, sirius left was on the air before air america.
Oops, I put my thank you on the wrong thread. Sorry! See I got so relaxed I had no idea what I was doing.
Dr. Matt @ 29:
A frightenin' piece that's gotta be at least a week old.
Digg- bringin' ya last weeks news today.
Andy K @ 36:
while I don't argue with your thesis, the article reckons it was posted today. Maybe you saw another report of the cruise. Let's just all be thankful that at least one article on digg isn't about the friggin' iphone!
I had a $2 banjo once...and it played just fine, thank you.
Video: Sirius makes Countdown's "Worst Person"
Ah there's nothing like political controversy to get your name in the media. Especially when it's something like a channel name that is causing the uproar.Watch the video below to see where Sirius ranked in yesterday's Countdown with Keith Olbermann...
Larry @ 20:
Yes, payback IS hell. Can't wait till your Goopers filibuster the Webb Amendment. THAT will be classic. Support the Troops n' Stuff!
Yup, troops are gonna loooove that one.
Bill @ 38:
I apologize for any offense I may have given to enthusiasts of the affordable banjo.
Larry @ 20:
Damn, you got a lotta nerve talkin' about people whinin' - your guys are nothing but a bunch of babies, cryin' and having tantrums (seeing Lindsay Graham on Press the Meat and John "Don't Take My War Away, Mommiiiieeee, waaaahhhh!" Boehner.) Cryin' over the fact that you want more people to die. Very mature.
thebaldman @ 34:
Well, that explains why I pick up Ed Schulz in my car but when I stream AA on my computer, Thom Hartmann's on at the same time.
At any rate, I remember checking out Sirius and XM before I made my decision. I went with XM b/c they had Air America and also CSPAN Radio. Still, I noted that BOTH providers had more rightie programs than left or moderate. Like 3 to 1, something like that.
Well, they're mergining anyway so perhaps that means I'll get Talk Left and there will be 2 leftie programs - wowzer.
Eamon @ 37:
Like here http://www.crooksandliars.com/2007/07/02/the-national-review-cruise/. With pictures too!
Rusty Shackleford @ 41:
Think I'll head over to Pahrump this weekend and pick me up a $2 "banjo".
Thing Fish @ 44:
ah, touchée! I don't know how I missed it.. I couldn't have been working.. Oh, that's right I was in Berlin. Luckily the neocons held their fire and didn't bomb it as per article.
Eamon @ 45:
ah, touchée! I don't know how I missed it.. I couldn't have been working.. Oh, that's right I was in Berlin. Luckily the neocons held their fire and didn't bomb it as per article.
No dig intended ^_^. Was an interesting article; which is likely why I was able to recall it. Next time they need to get someone on board for a Gonzo treatment of that ship of fools.
Well back to work for me.
Patriot...
1. a person who loves, supports, and defends his or her country and its interests with devotion.
2. a person who regards himself or herself as a defender, esp. of individual rights, against presumed interference by the federal government.
fuck the FASCIST BITCHES!
Larry @ 19:
I can just see you doing all of those waa waa waas. How long have you been off of the tit?
And Sirius should you bother reading this. Get rid of Lynn Samuels. Her goddamn voice makes my skin crawl. She is totally freaky and doesn't carry a single cohesive thought or sentence. She waters down the arguments of the left and gives cannon fodder to the right. What the hell she's doing on in n the noon slot I don't know. Because she's so delusional it makes us all look bad. For gods sakes get another Thom Hartman or Stephanie Miller or Randy Rhodes or Mike Malloy. Those guys have brains and backbone and are entertaining. Lynn is just freaky. Also a goodname for Sirius Left would be Sirius Freedom as that's what liberalism is. Patriotism and nationalism are elements of fascism. Any history buff knows that.
Thing Fish @ 46:
No dig intended ^_^. Was an interesting article; which is likely why I was able to recall it. Next time they need to get someone on board for a Gonzo treatment of that ship of fools.
Well back to work for me.
Back to your work hurting America no doubt... you liberals are all the same
Thing Fish @ 44:
I had no idea Art Bell had a $2 banjo store.
Bill @ 51:
I once had a cheap Juice Harp.
At one time they were called Jew's Harp, but I guess that ain't pc no more.
Indubitably the Zionist haters will say it's part of a plot.
I could just plotz.
pine nut @ 41:
You forgot Melanie Morgan on PBS acting like a spoiled brat, and then when she was pushed off of ever appearing on the Newshour again (but not all PBS shows), she then became a spoiled baby.
I thought she smelled a little ripe too.
It IS a serious issue, because general "words" have been framed to tilt right in the CMSM, due to the "right" complaining and letter-writing and the CMSM caving in. So the result is, the left is left, and the right is "patriotic". When the Dems put forward a vote, the CMSM tells us it's a "political ploy", but when Lugar & Warner put forward a proposal, the CMSM tells us they are "heavy hitters". The Sunday ANBCBSNNX talk shows have mostly, if not all, Republican guests most often. The excuse USED TO BE that the GOP had the majority in everything, well NOW what's their excuse? ABC News Briefs on AM radio are a huge culprit. Paul Harvey, Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, and Savage are shoved down our throats. SOMEONE is stopping syndication of things like Air America Radio on AM radio, but we're told it's because it's not successful. Well, IT'S NOT ON! I would listen to it! Who is stopping it?
The CMSM was "in bed" with the Bush administration with "embedded" reporters, in the leadup to the Iraq War. We have William Kristol all over the TV...who the fuck is he? Is he a Senator? Is he a congressman? Was he ever elected to anything? WHO is scheduling him on TV all the time? Why not ELECTED officials like Senator Bernie Sanders? Or how about Ted Kennedy instead of William Kristol? Who the fuck IS this guy? How does he WARRANT all of this TV exposure???
Al Gore invented the internet. Clinton was impeached for lying about a blowjob. Where is the CMSM story, "Bush/Cheney lied us into a war, and somehow wasn't impeached?"
The Republicans started the ball rolling with modern filibusters with the nomination of Abe Fortis to the Supreme Court.
When Dem's filibustered in the past few years, it was because the opposition had all three branches of the government, and cutting off debate. What's funny is they would now blame the Dem's for helping to launch the war.
Now the reichwingers control two of the three branches, so their filibustering is is wah wah wah, we don't still control all three branches.
Sirius Out Q is considered a politically "left" station, and accurately so. I can't believe the amount of whinging about this. Give it a rest already.
ysabddaden @ 52:
I think the pc term is "jaw harp." I like "juice harp" better though.
Rusty Shackleford @ 59:
I always thought the latter referred to all the saliva involved therein.
ysabddaden @ 53:
Oy vey! Don't plotz too hard, its bad for the tush.
Do yourself a favor, when you feel like you're gonna plotz, take a shpotzir instead. You'll thank me, its great for relieving gas.
If you need a good laugh, my friend, check out this link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HDCzsnU1VbQ
I agree with the names of the channels being unfair. I wrote Sirius to urge them to change the names to just "Sirius Left" and "Sirius Right".
However, I hope non-subscibers do not see this as the overall leaning of the service as a whole, which is extremely "fair and balanced" (not the Faux News "fair and balanced", but the real meaning of the words).
I live in a market that has ZERO liberal commentators on the radio. If my only choice was AM/FM, I would only hear right-wing blowhards like Rush Limbaugh. I would have no choice between right-wing or left-wing like I do with Sirius. Subscribing to Sirius has opened me up to all kinds of liberal commentators and opinions.
So I think it's wrong to target Sirius for any kind of boycott, because in the end, you'd only be helping all the right-wing AM/FM station owners. You'd be targeting one of the only sources for left-wing radio commentary many people in this country have.
I think it suits the right-wing channel well for it to be called Sirius Patriot. After all, the more patriotic the person is, the more blind they are to reality.
"Played you like a 2 dollar banjo"
Oh mercy thats funny...
Dear Mr. Gorab,
I hadn't really noticed this since I don't listen to talk radio, however it has been brought to my attention that our (our: I'm a subscriber, look up my return address) left-of-center talk channel is referred to as "SIRIUS Left", while the right-of-center station is referred to as "SIRIUS Patriot".
As both a Progressive and a veteran of the United States Army, I resent the statement-by-implication that those of us on the left are not "patriots". I beg to differ. People I have known have died in both the World Trade Center disaster and the Pan Am 103 bombing, and I am as angry as anyone. Were I not far too old, I would merrily put back on a uniform, hopefully to fight in Afghanistan.
This subtle manipulation of perception would likely delight Joseph Goebbels, but I am not amused. I must insist that action be taken to rename one or the other of these stations to put in place a balance of perception. Should you decide not to do so, perhaps you'll instead take the time to cancel my subscription (don't forget to stop charging my checking account too).
Should neither of those events occur within the month, you may rest assured that I will take the time and trouble to cancel the account myself.
Speaking of perception, only a lack thereof could cause one to think that yourselves and competitor XM Satellite Radio do not represent a duopoly in your marketing space. Perhaps the same groups of people who alerted us to this state of affairs might also ask us to express our concerns in that matter to the FCC, where you might find a sympathetic ear for another few months - but not, I think, for very much longer.
Regards,
G.C.
What took everyone so long to address this? As a Sirius subscriber, I emailed them a complaint 6 months ago about this.