Bill Press: ‘The Conservative Stranglehold on Morning Cable news Television in America Is Over.’
May 08, 2012
Looking for a break from the conservative voices that dominate cable news in the morning and talk radio all day long?
The Bill Press Show, heard on radio stations nationwide, is now also seen on Current TV from 6 to 9 a.m. EST. Launched by the progressive news network in March, the live simulcast – alongside The Stephanie Miller Show – gives viewers a rare progressive voice on cable news in the mornings.
Shortly after his show debuted, we talked to Bill Press about Current TV’s role in today’s political environment and other topics.
You helped launch Current’s foray into daytime programming. Is this what it takes to, as you put it, break “the conservative stranglehold on morning cable news television in America?”
There’s a huge imbalance in TV and talk radio between the right wing and progressives – almost 10 to one. Five years ago, almost all of the 2,000 news talk radio stations were dominated by owners who don’t allow progressive voices to be aired. There was not one progressive nationally-syndicated talk show. Today, we have six or eight, including Ed Schultz, Stephanie Miller and myself. So, it’s getting better for us. Current TV now reaches an audience of 64 million homes.
That’s impressive. But how is Current TV keeping the right wing in check?
Progressives have very limited opportunity to influence the national dialogue and counter the lies from the right. So we give liberals what has been lacking: the truth. All we get from the likes of Rush Limbaugh are lies. Issues are not one sided. Current TV and I share a common goal of cutting through the talking points and shouting heads to present sane, intelligent political commentary and analysis.
In previous programs, you featured AFSCME Sec.-Treas. Lee Saunders and AFL-CIO Pres. Richard Trumka. How else do you highlight labor and issues affecting working families?
Those who peddle these lies (about public service workers) are skillful propagandists who know there are gullible people out there who repeat these lies. We need to shine the light on the corporate big money that’s behind all these attacks, expose funding sources like the Koch brothers and other political front groups who have been operating under the radar for so long. We can’t let them control the airwaves.
These vicious attacks from corporate-backed politicians have been relentless. What’s at stake for workers in the 2012 elections?
No doubt, there’s a war on labor, a war on women, a war on working families. We saw that in Wisconsin, Ohio and Florida. The right wing is out to destroy the middle class. They want to end collective bargaining and are vowing to cut, if not end, Medicare. But unions are determined more than ever to defeat their enemies and make sure they are not put in charge. We need to keep the White House and the Senate and take back the House.
What are the chances of making all these happen, especially Obama’s re-election?
Six months ago, I thought we would have a hard time. But now the odds are in Obama’s favor. The economy is improving. The Republicans, on the other hand, have fielded an incredibly amateur bunch of candidates. I also think the Supreme Court decision on Obamacare, whatever the outcome, will benefit the president. A reversal by the justices will just anger a lot of people because there’s a human element to the health care law and you don’t want people, especially working families, back at the mercy of insurance companies.
You’re a union member yourself, aren’t you?
I’m a lifetime union member and proud of it. We need to fight like never before, to hold on to what we have accomplished and make sure our brothers and sisters have the same opportunities like everyone else.
