Why you’re not likely to see another Neal Boortz
Neal Boortz and his radio crew, after his last broadcast on Friday. AJC/Rodney Ho
Neal Boortz signed off for the last time on Friday.
You won’t hear the likes of him again. And not just because retirement has doomed him to wander the world in an over-sized bus, like some middling country music singer who can’t find enough studio work.
The larger reason is that talk radio and its conservative clout have probably peaked.
As a cause, Boortz fans are sure to point to the Talkmaster’s departure, after four decades on our airwaves and 20 years at AM750 and 95.5FM News/Talk WSB. But four months ago, Clear Channel’s WGST – once a burning bush of conservative talk in Atlanta – shifted to sports. In Spanish. Last week, Allen West, the fire-breathing, former congressman from Florida, joined the corps of professional talkers. His program will be on the Internet.
It’s all of a piece.
Forty-eight hours before he bade farewell from the basement studios of WSB, Boortz sat for a relaxed conversation about the mark he’s left, and the where the talk industry is headed. And why, after all the shouting was done, the combined forces of conservative talk radio had been unable to push Mitt Romney across the finish line and stop the re-election of President Barack Obama last November.
Possibly, he said, talk radio had been a little too hot and, at the same time, a little too cold. “The failure of talk radio in this election may have been a little less time on the dangers of this man’s political philosophy” – if you know Boortz, you know this “this man” is how he speaks of Obama – “and a little more time trying to empathize with some of these voters out there. ‘I understand why you feel that way. Let me try to explain to you why this guy is not the answer.’ Maybe a little more of that would have helped,” Boortz theorized.
As for the mark he leaves, the Talkmaster understands that, despite 14 years of national syndication, he was always a “backbencher.” His phrase, not mine.
“One of the things that hurt my syndication was broadcasting from Atlanta. I was a Southern show. There is a bias against the South. We are ignorant, we are uneducated, we have stills, we drag our knuckles, there are dogs chained under our porches,” he fumed.
He pointed to an article by a talk radio consultant on the website of Talkers magazine, forecasting success for Herman Cain, the former Republican presidential candidate, who will take Boortz’ seat before the mike on Monday. Boortz has nothing but good things to say about Cain, who he is sure, will thrive. What galled him was the writer’s contention that Cain, though he was born in Memphis, would come across as “less Southern,” while Boortz had regionalized himself by using phrases such as “up in Washington.”
And so Boortz doesn’t place himself in the ranks of giants who, like Uncle Miltie and Walter Cronkite before them, may be the last of their kind. “The whole radio thing is changing. I don’t think you’ll ever see another [Sean] Hannity or [Rush] Limbaugh come along, because the spectrum is so much broader now,” he said. “You have people that are streaming shows on the Internet. And whatever listeners they do have will probably be taken from somebody else.”
Prior to sitting down with Boortz, I’d put in a call to Michael Harrison, the publisher of Talkers magazine. He didn’t write the article that Boortz had cited, but Harrison does think that parochialism – though not “bias” — had kept the Talkmaster in the second tier of talk jocks.
“His mark will really have been made as one of the great broadcasters in Atlanta history,” Harrison said. “He made an impact nationally – but not on an A-plus level. He would have had to abandon a lot of the flavor and the roots and the substance that made him such a star in Atlanta. And he didn’t do that. It hindered him going into that next national level.”
But Harrison agreed with Boortz’ larger point – that talk radio, over the next few years, is likely to become a more pallid version of itself. More voices, with less individual impact.
Talk radio, especially the conservative version, has enjoyed a fine run — for a couple reasons, Harrison explained. “Liberals are more likely to listen to a conservative host with whom they disagree. Many, many people love to listen to Rush Limbaugh because they enjoy hating him. The conservative listener is less tolerant of listening to a liberal,” he said. Result: Fewer liberal talk radio show hosts.
Conservative listeners are also a more compact demographic group, and thus easier for marketers and advertisers to target. “There is more of a diversity among people who might vote for Obama or vote for a Democrat or vote for a liberal,” Harrison said.
The looming problem for talk radio – as well as for talking heads on television and columnists in newspapers – is the Internet. “The Internet is causing a dilution of impact for everything. The bar to entry has been lowered. The bar to anyone paying attention to you has been heightened,” Harrison said.
As it shifts to a digital world, the talk industry on both sides of the political spectrum is likely to become more extreme, the publisher of Talkers said, because of the need to attract attention. But with hundreds of Boortzs, Hannitys and Limbaughs competing for your ear, chances are that no single set of voices will dominate as they do now.
The final question, of course, is what young up-and-comers Boortz sees on the horizon. He gave good marks to Erick Erickson, who handles WSB’s evening talk. But after that, his list is pretty short. He was never one for busman’s holidays. “I’ve never been much of a talk radio listener. So I can’t really tell you who’s out there. I’ve got friends in the business, but I don’t listen to them,” he said.
- By Jim Galloway, Political Insider
For instant updates, follow me on Twitter, or connect with me on Facebook.
Tell us what you think about the site
Customer Care »
Vacation stops, manage subscriptions and more
AJC Services
Sections
Other Editions
Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement
© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
198 comments Add your comment
Joel Hitt
January 19th, 2013
3:47 pm
Thanks for doing this piece on Neal and conservative talk radio, Jim. It is well written, but I thought you were way too nice to him.
I listened to Neal for 20 years, mostly to understand what makes the conservative mind tick. I indeed failed at this task. Over the course of these two decades I steadily moved to the left further and further, and still tried to understand Neal and his callers. I still don’t get it. I am so glad he is gone.
I don’t look forward to Herman either, as you would imagine. I think his run at Washington has made him more dangerous because he now believes he is really a figure of national prominence, and that seems to have given him a puffed up opinion of himself. At least in Rabun County I don’t receive WSB clearly anymore, so that’s a blessing right there.
Joel Hitt
dadopee
January 19th, 2013
3:48 pm
Because there’s no place for bigots in America.
partlycloudy
January 19th, 2013
3:57 pm
What’s so sad about all these ugly, angry, bigoted and scared, old white men is that they really don’t care how much hate they spread all over the radio airwaves. They really do think they are smarter and better than women and minorities. Of course, what do they see when they look in the mirror? Surely they see their ugly faces. Of course most of them drink so much and use prescription drugs that they probably think they look like gods.
I agree with the poster who said for this dude to take all the other haters with him. They are all destined to go to a part of hell where they must listen to and watch Obama and Hiliary 24/7. Obama and Hiliary have been successful despite all the ugly, angry old white male bigots.
WOW
January 19th, 2013
4:05 pm
Rush, Cain, Hannity et al. use big words, and talk about all kinds of different subjects and this frightens and confuses the average liberal. It’s like way over their heads.
This is the funniest thing I have read in a long time. These three have done more to dumb down the national dialogue on issues than anyone else I can think of. They are exactly what’s wrong with our political process The base non of their info in facts or ideas, they just push hate. There are some thoughtful intellectual conservatives out there, but it isn’t any of these guys.
If two college drop outs and Mr. 999 is where you are getting your ideas from, then Republicans will truly never win another national election.
WOW
January 19th, 2013
4:05 pm
Rush, Cain, Hannity et al. use big words, and talk about all kinds of different subjects and this frightens and confuses the average liberal. It’s like way over their heads.
This is the funniest thing I have read in a long time. These three have done more to dumb down the national dialogue on issues than anyone else I can think of. They are exactly what’s wrong with our political process The base non of their info in facts or ideas, they just push hate. There are some thoughtful intellectual conservatives out there, but it isn’t any of these guys.
If two college drop outs and Mr. 999 is where you are getting your ideas from, then Republicans will truly never win another national election.
Rabbit
January 19th, 2013
4:07 pm
Bye.
Aesop's Fables and other Lib Economic Theories
January 19th, 2013
4:12 pm
These three have done more to dumb down the national dialogue on issues than anyone else I can think of.
Ladies and gentlemen, I give you sandra fluke.
Can I get a duh?
Larry30
January 19th, 2013
4:13 pm
WGST switched to Spanish sports because they had destroyed their listenership. Starting with planet radio and the final blow when they fired all their on air talent management made mistake after mistake. They could never accept and cater to the niche they had in this market. GST would never be WSB. The demise of conservative talk radio is a myth. More of a dream in Galloway’s mind. And the reason there aren’t liberal talk show hosts is because they can’t sell any advertising. No one wants to listen to the drivel they foist upon their listeners.
catlady
January 19th, 2013
4:13 pm
I think he said, “Backbitcher.”
S
January 19th, 2013
4:28 pm
There are plenty of liberal talk radio channels and in fact a new one here in Atlanta…10 10 on your dial. Internet Ring of Fire, Progressive talk radio out of Chicago, just a few that come to mind, we listen to the latter on our cells or on our computers. I think people are tired of listening to all the anger coming out of all these Right Wing conservative talk shows, I know I was and quit listening to them years ago. You can only listen to hate talk so long and then you too will start to hate.
tom brown
January 19th, 2013
4:29 pm
sure am glad this jerk of a racist is gone. Why did it take them 30 yrs to get rid of him. No respect for the office of President. Oh America is going down the tubes unless you choose Willard. What a laugh. Over and over the same downgrading crap about President Obama. Take Rush , Hannity, Savage and the ilk with you on your RV trips. Dont come back. I can actually tolerate Hermain Cain for more than 5 minutes. And keep Jamie the only one that would tell Boortz when he was full of crap/ The radio waves will lift up with Boortz gone. What a hateful egotistacle person he was. No one on that show liked him they just liked the paycheck. Boortz made no differance in regular peoples lives. Rudeness and dumbars is where he spent his time. Take your 10 million you made off vindictiveness and hate and dont come back.
gdfo
January 19th, 2013
4:45 pm
The only ‘hate spewing’ I have read or heard is from people who don’t agree with a conservative persons ideas.
Some of you have forgotten what it was like in the Old Democratic South.
You do not remember how bold it was for a Democrat like JFK to even openly discuss de-segregation. You have forgotten to much and are willing to put blame others for your own shorcomings.
Remember that Lincoln was a Republican.
People who have a record of making acheivements in the personal business world become conservative when other people make silly accusations. Remember history. What happened to the man who started Boeing Aircraft? What were his accomplishments? Who tried to bring him down. In the end he did more for his country then his detractors did. Boortz has faults like other people but unlike most people he did turn his life around by hard work.
BTW some of you are posting like he is dead, NO, just retired. And if you listened to him you would know why. Is he correct in all of his assesments? No. Is he always personable and charming? No. Personally I did/do not like it when he mis-pronounced words or made slips when he talked to fast. I do miss The Kimmer. He was entertaining. None of these people are political advisors, they are entertainers and opinionists. Don’t you just love to hate someone who has a different opinion than yourself. But it sure reads like most of you listened to his show. LOL..
BigAintheBigA
January 19th, 2013
4:46 pm
I remember Neal from way back in the WRNG days too when he was low man over there. Think Ludlow was the reigning star at the time. Talk about southern bias! HA! What I don’t understand about the libs is that if you’re not perfect, or not one of them, then you’re this or that and don’t deserve a voice. WSB has clearly thought otherwise. The game is changing but the rules will still be the same. If you don’t like it then for godssakes don’t listen. Happy retirement, Neal!
Aesop's Fables and other Lib Economic Theories
January 19th, 2013
4:53 pm
Notice how the foamy ones have to tell us that YES, THERE IS LIBERAL TALK RADIO. Must be some really profound thoughts being exchanged on these powerhouses that everyone wants to hear and reflect upon. Or not.
Deep Thoughts
January 19th, 2013
5:03 pm
It is wishful thinking to think that conservative talk radio, Fox News, etc. is on its way to extinction. Just read liberal blogs like this one on a daily basis, you are the ones, their loyal listeners and watchers, that LOVE to HATE. Liberals are the ones that listen, watch, and comment ad naseum. You are your own worst enemies.
It’s not about the quanitity of votes, but the quality of the voter. Liberals are the lowest common denominator and the most uninformed. A bunch of single minded, entitled voters banding together – lying to each other about their unifeid support.
You may be larger in numbers but you’ll never have the power and / or wealth you are so desperate to steal.
He was a fraud
January 19th, 2013
5:03 pm
Boortz would go on and on about govt. schools and indoctrination, but refused to actually see first hand what the classroom was like. He was like the other radio hacks, who bullied people with opinions different from their own, won’t miss him in the least.
catlady
January 19th, 2013
5:11 pm
Larry: No, the liberals are too busy working and being productive to devote time to such (stuff). NOT full of hate, NOT believing that bellyaching about everything solves anything.
Libby
January 19th, 2013
5:12 pm
Why are we discussing Boortz? What is more important is that our 1st black president is being inaugerated for his second reign and our FOTUS has a new ‘hairdo! This is the weekend to focus on the future of our country minus white people.
catlady hates white people
January 19th, 2013
5:15 pm
she loves her illegal aliens that keep her employed.
catlady
January 19th, 2013
5:20 pm
Was it Rush or Neal who said they would quit if Obama was reelected? Or was that what the man promised?
Ellen
January 19th, 2013
5:25 pm
Thank you, Neal Boortz, Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity et al for ensuring the reelection of Barack Obama. Thank you for turning off young people, women, all brown people and anyone who doesn’t go to your church. While you have greatly enriched yourselves, you have ensured the death throes of the GOP. Keep up the good work! Thanks to you, the GOP will be extinct as a national party. And your grandchildren will compare you to the Whig Party. HOORAY!
Randolph Phillips
January 19th, 2013
5:33 pm
I will never forget two things about the 2008 Presidential Campaign when i think about Neal Boortz. He was bonkers to keep Hillary Clinton from getting the nomination, and seemed quite happy that Obama beat her, He wasn’t alone. Only Limbaugh warned that Hillary was preferable to Obama. And Boortz/s sister taught Ob ama in Hawaii’s Punatubo School.
As for the dilution of impact of Talk Radio, and other “old media”, I think that is true in at least some respects. But a thousand almost unheard and almost, unread voices will not have the impact of a single voice with a big audience. So I don’t know the end result of that phenomenon.
Boortz admitted that he was essentially an entertainer, not a political thinker. He also made it clear he wasn’t a conservative. He was always promoting libertarianism, which is not the same thing at all. As a conservative, I probably agreed with him less than 15% of the time. I won’t miss him much, and actually like the idea Neal won’t be around to sell RINO Jeb Bush for President in 2016.
Otherwise, I wish him the best.
Watchful Eyes
January 19th, 2013
5:36 pm
I am a conservative, but tired of Boortz a long time ago, and not because 9of his views. What sickened me was his incessant reminders to his audience about his possessions and how rich he was. Hardly a class act., Hannity, Rush, Herman…… none of them talk about their acquired weath. It just doesn’t belong on talk radio. Good riddance to Boortz. I look forward to listening to Herman Cain.
Ronald Reagan
January 19th, 2013
5:41 pm
Liberals can’t comprehend anything that’s too complicated! They are good at repeating “one liners” & voting more than once in an election. We need another President like George W. was! Good man & had respect for his country!
Two-Tiered
January 19th, 2013
5:46 pm
“The looming problem for talk radio – as well as for talking heads on television and columnists in newspapers – is the Internet.”
Galloway; You forgot the most important aspect of this shallow statement: The Internet is eating newspapers lunches and biased “journalists’” (are you really a journalist?) days are even more numbered. Best dust off your high school resumes and hpe someone has a spot open on the “Weekly Reader.”
nike
January 19th, 2013
5:49 pm
I think there are ought to be more like Neal, Hannity and Rush. With these type of people on the air waves it will just guarantee the republican party will continue to have the same results as the last election. This country’s demographics are changing and people don’t want to hear the mess these folks continue to spout. Good bye and good riddance.
sandra
January 19th, 2013
5:53 pm
He will be missed.
td
January 19th, 2013
5:56 pm
catlady
January 19th, 2013
5:11 pm
Larry: No, the liberals are too busy working and being productive to devote time to such (stuff). NOT full of hate, NOT believing that bellyaching about everything solves anything.
HA, HA, HA and that is why 70% of the people making under $30,000 per year voted for Obama? Yes the moochers are conservatives. Try again.
So what?
January 19th, 2013
5:57 pm
I first listened to Neal Boortz in the early seventies when he was at WRNG radio, at a time I was just beginning to get interested in politics. I thought at the time he was a breath of fresh air. Perhaps my memory is wrong but I don’t recall him being such a Republican lap dog in those days. I would listen to him sporadically over the years and came to realize what a phony he was. Of course he openly admitted that he was just an entertainer, sort of a Limbaugh lite. I think that fact was lost on most of his followers, who take him seriously.
ATLien
January 19th, 2013
5:58 pm
Good riddance.
Try thinking, blue dog
January 19th, 2013
5:58 pm
blue dog says: “Please take Rush, Hannity, etc with you and don’t let the door hit you on your way out.
America, without these bigots, would be one far more united. A nation moving forward for the common good, not fractured by intolerance, racism and downright hatred of all that is not WASP.”
WTF? Huh? If a person has conservative values and advocates personal responsibility over a nanny state funded by the taking of assets from folks who actually work, that person is intolerant, racist, and hateful of non-WASPS?
You are literally out of your mind.
Alex
January 19th, 2013
6:01 pm
Just out of curiosity, how well has liberal talk radio been doing? Air America, bankrupt. Damn, I’m trying so hard to think of another, but I just can’t seem to do it. See Galloway, what you are missing is talk radio has ben so successful for conservatives because conservatives deal in facts. Liberals have been abysmal failures at talk radio because liberals deal in emotion. When a liberal caller calls a conservative talk show, they must be prepared to debate facts. If a conservative could find a liberal show to call, they would be able to make the host look bad on their own show by utilizing facts.
Bobsie
January 19th, 2013
6:06 pm
Neal didn’t speak the truth, he spoke his honest opinion. Sometimes it was close to the truth, other times not so much.
Best wishes Neal.
Alex nailed it
January 19th, 2013
6:08 pm
Well said!
Cliff
January 19th, 2013
6:15 pm
I listened to him for several years in the 90’s, and I actually agreed with much of what he said. But I grew tired of him bashing the Clintons day after day after day after day.
Then one day there was a terrible wreck on I-85 where father, mother, and infant were burned alive. He referred to them as “crispy critters”, and never apologized. That was the last day I listened to him.
Ralph Nader
January 19th, 2013
6:25 pm
It is intersting that I finally understand why Boortz used to say some folks “voted for a living.” I thought he was talking about poor liberal folks, when it was actually wealthy conservative folks. Wealthy conservative folks don’t work, they play like in the market, with peoples’ livelyhood, and in some cases peoples’ very lives.
The divisiveness in this country can simply be traced to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, DC. No one has done more to divide Americans than Obama . Boortz and his ilk are/were simply trying to point out that all Americans whether they be black or white, rich or poor, old or young need to rally together to fix the problems that we currently face. It’s pretty simple that when the White House and Senate fight spending cuts to the point that they cut the equivalent of 35 cents to you and me they aren’t serious. Plus raising taxes on the rich accomplishes virtually nothing (runs the government for a whopping 8 days). We simply can’t survive as a nation with fools such as this in Congress and the White House. If your family is in debt what do you do? Spend more like Obama recommends? Or do you cut your budget. This isn’t rocket science. It’s also extremely sad to see the race card used so often. It seems like whenever someone disagrees with Obama it’s because he’s black. That is preposterous. It is because he is ruining this country.
Ol' Timer
January 19th, 2013
6:31 pm
I cannot think of Boortz without thinking of the quote by Josh Billings who said, “As scarce as truth is, the supply has always been in excess of the demand.”
Keep It Real
January 19th, 2013
6:45 pm
Someone mentioned that Boortz was “well informed”. Someone was paid to have his materials prepared for the show. Whenever anyone got close to exposing his pure ignorance, racism, bigotry, etc., he hung up in their face. So above everything else, he was a coward! All of you “Boortzites” either already possessed the same traits or were converted somewhere along the way. There was nothing civil or humane about his behavior on the radio. It is a shame that radio owners sell their souls to the devil in order to profit at the expense of humiliating, demeaning, insulting, etc. all of mankind. It is apparent they are all Republicans too. I knew that Boortz and his “Boortzites” had issues when they could not figure out that Clinton left the country with a surplus after inheriting a deficit from Bush, Sr. Bush W. spent every penny of it, and then some, fighting a senseless war among other things yet Boortz and his “Boortzites” still found a way to blame President Obama. Everything that went on to further fuel the deficit was already in place by Bush W. and inherited by President Obama. It was so refreshing on November 6, 2012 to see that most of the world understood that. Guys like Hannity, Limbaugh and Boortz (looking at these names…are they even Americans?) should be embarrassed for themselves and their families. As for Cain, turn the 9-9-9 upside down and you’ll have your answer.
Roll Out
January 19th, 2013
6:52 pm
Prob won’t see another boortz for a couple of decades. Takes along time for that kind of cynical hatred of your fellow man to ferment.
tom brown
January 19th, 2013
7:21 pm
Willard goes down in the election and Boortz quits
Its a great time in America !!!
Now America will prosper and thrive.
George W aint showing up at the inaugeration , haha he wasnt invited anyway.
Hope the RV dont run into a ditch and BOortz has to change a tire
He probably has someone he pays to drive . He is a much better follower.
buh bye Boortz dont let the door hit you in your fat ass
tom brown
January 19th, 2013
7:25 pm
Whenever anyone got close to exposing his pure ignorance, racism, bigotry, etc., he hung up in their face. So above everything else, he was a coward!
……………………………………………………
wow did you ever hit the nail on the head there.
COWARD BOORTXZZZ .
thats the tickit
justin Case
January 19th, 2013
7:27 pm
Roll Out & Tom Brown you two are some kind of stupid!!!
NoWingedAngel
January 19th, 2013
7:37 pm
I’m laughing at all the conservatives on here asking where all the “liberal talk” stations are. The entire internet is a liberal station. Today’s youth are able to get news and then fact-check it in moments.
If conservatives want to stay a viable group, then they’re going to have to update their platform to something that’s pro-science, pro-technology, pro-diversity, pro-woman, and they’re going to have to stop making it harder for minorities to vote.
Take a look at the last election. Your major constituency, white males over 50, are continuing to die off and what do you do? Instead of changing your platform and becoming more moderate, you shift as far to the right as you can go and then try and rig elections by gerrymandering, enacting voter ID laws, and attempting to change the way electoral votes are allocated.
If your party has to cheat to win… there’s something wrong with your party. Not the electorate.
Aesop's Fables and other Lib Economic Theories
January 19th, 2013
7:50 pm
I’ll give the dummycrats the pro stupidity crowd but that’s about it.
Mick Dee
January 19th, 2013
7:54 pm
Boortz and his ilk failed to stop Obama’s reelection. So Boortz leaves as a failure.
Boortz’s high point was during Dubya’s years of trashing our budget, starting wars, Abu Ghraib torture, enacting the Patriot Act to rob us of our right to privacy and our right to assemble and our right to a trial. Did Boortz complain about it? No, instead he sounded the drumbeat to weaken our public schools and ship our jobs overseas.
Thanks for nothing Neal!
Old timer
January 19th, 2013
8:10 pm
Neal will be greatly missed by this former liberal who realized her father spoke the truth…it takes years. I wish we could listen to him for many more years, but as a retiree now, I know one just must slow down and smell the roses. AMF
vuduchld
January 19th, 2013
8:22 pm
Good bye to an over hyped, over blown wind bag who was nothing but a mangy hound. Could care less were you headed, as long as it’s off a deep, steep cliff.
Sukie
January 19th, 2013
8:22 pm
Hooray…he is finally going off the air…should have been done years ago. We don’t need his kind mouthing up the airways…this is 2013 not 1913.
PM
January 19th, 2013
8:24 pm
I used to be a huge consumer of talk radio, but those days were before Rush came along. Boortz was all I had left, and now that he’s left, I may stay for the traffic reports but not even sure about that. 106.7 does a good news show but the Waze smartphone app runs circles around waiting for traffic reports on the sixes.
commonsense
January 19th, 2013
8:33 pm
Thank God this lying bag of wind is finally off of the air! Too bad he can’t Hannity, Limbaugh, O’Rielly, Ingram, Alex Jones, Micheal Savage and the rest of the hate talkers with him.