I will be taking a hiatus from the Hal Ginsberg Morning Show starting Monday June 19. I intend to return on Monday July 11.
My show airs 6-9 am Pacific/9-noon east coast Monday – Friday. Listen at halginsberg.com/dListen-Now/, radiomonterey.com, and at http://uberstations.com/. On your smartphone, try Radio Monterey on your tunein app. Better yet, install the Radio Monterey app on your device.
On facebook, you can connect with other progressive talk fans at the Hal Ginsberg Morning Show and at www.facebook.com/groups/152169051511789/. You can also find me on twitter at Hal Ginsberg @HalGinsberg.
Monday (times below are Pacific) –
6:30 – Bernie Sanders’ supporter and Howard University educator Mai Abdul Rahman returns to discuss the upcoming DC primary.
8:30 – Black Agenda Report‘s Glen Ford discusses how we can build a durable multi-racial progressive coalition.
Tuesday –
7:30 – We chat with Optimal Health Acupuncture‘s Glenn Sadowsky.
Wednesday –
6:30 – “Listen to Cliston” – the Observer’s Cliston Brown. shares his unmatched knowledge of the contemporary political scene.
8 – “Catholic Jack” Quirk imparts his progressive faith-based views.
Thursday –
8:45 – “Green Eric” Petersen from the Monterey County Green Party discusses all things Green.
Friday Free-for-all +
8 – Arlen Grossman and I kick it around some.
And . . . expect the unexpected, including last minute guests, on the Morning Show!!
Thanks for being part of The Hal Ginsberg Morning Show and Radio Monterey!!!
OMG! 1st no Blue Wave. Bad enough, but w/Trump’s threat 2use SCOTUS 2stop the votecount the shit has really hit the fan. What is the basis 4this? R we now a banana republic? Trump is treating r election like he is
halginsberg
aji chili lover
Bird
Glenn is so right. Mass shootings like this are so rare in other countries. There are just too many guns in our society. A friend of mine was just in Montana, where he was told everyone is ‘nice’ to each other because everyone has a gun.
So it is not time or money that is causing you to take your show into hiatus, but rather what you all but admitted is in large part you being in a funk after we as Progressives were unable to get Bernie elected. Well first of all, you may regret not being on-air during the next few months as Bernie exercises the political power we’ve granted him during the Democratic primaries. Then there is the upcoming FBI primary, as well as Citizens United as they push to enforce FOIA through the courts. While I’m not a big fan of Citizen’s United, they are doing a public service in their attempt to expose the all too cozy relationship between Hillary’s State Department and the political slush funds raised by the Clinton Foundation. While the above is not likely to happen soon enough for Bernie, and Hillary will likely be elected President, it may be her Vice-President that will ultimately govern. Do you really not want to be on air when Bernie exercises his power and when he has something to say about the Democratic platform, and about who is the vice-presidential nominee?
It is true that your show does not currently reach a large audience. However, those who do listen seem to be incredibly loyal. I’m convinced most listen carefully and take your words to heart, even if some of us at times disagree with your takes and vehemently tell you so. In fact, this is one of your greatest strengths, the fact that you are accessible and approachable, and that you allow opposing opinions to be expressed both on your show and prominently on your website.
So instead of just walking away from something of value that for years you have carefully cultured, why don’t you instead let your audience give you a dose of the medicine that is almost guaranteed to make you feel better about your show’s successes? Money! While the airwaves and the Internet have in large part taught consumers that everything in these formats should be free, I suspect given your current period of grief and given your threat to leave the airwaves, many of your listeners would choose to chip in a few bucks as a way to tell you that we find your show worthwhile and that you should not stop.
Personally I would pick Patron for this task; it is the donation vehicle that somewhat similar successful hosts such as Karel & Benjamin Dixon use. From $5 and $10 donations, each of these hosts now consistently receives $650-850/month. The small donations given are not that much of an imposition on listeners; the amounts given are probably less than the money many already spend on good coffee (not to mention good pot, LOL).
It is also rewarding to Patron donors that the funds raised are transparent. Thus your listening audience becomes even more an integral component of the success of the show. I also like that donations can optionally be anonymously donated.
With Patron the host sets a realistic, prominently displayed fundraising goal. One of the fundraising options is to collect donations on a per show basis (with a maximum monthly cap). Given that you don’t know if or how much longer you might continue to broadcast, this for you would be a good option.
Now don’t get me wrong here. I’m not saying you would initially start on Patron at the $500/month level. Initially you’d be lucky to bring in a hundred or two. But that is still so much better than the stick in the eye your show’s overhead expenses currently gives you, something that I truly believe makes you feel much worse about the impact of the show than you really should. If your audience proves it is willing to give you a reasonable dose of the universal elixir (money), won’t you find it in your heart to at least do a two hour show three days a week during this intense and most important political season?
Which brings me to my final subject, something you perhaps will take as a downer, but that is only meant as constructive criticism. If there is a problem with your show (besides the unwarranted time consumed discussing instantly implementing a politically DOA Draconian Carbon-tax that would be totally unfair to many in the lower working-class, LOL), it is that you are not much interested in the aspect of self-marketing your show to the maximum extent possible. Your primary interest is obviously in content & show quality, and given that you do everything alone, you do this amazingly well. However, you do little if any effective show marketing. I recognize that you have a cozy symbiotic relationship with Radio Monterey, but think you should also be pushing your show to as many other formats and audiences as possible in the growing world of streaming options. Facebook’s Livestream, SopCast P2P (I love P2P cuz it minimizes your bandwidth requirements), Periscope, Spreaker, YouTube just to name just a few; all would potentially expose your show to additional new audiences.
I think you’re overthinking this Shade. Hal has a son going to college, and from what’s he indicated, an expensive one. Hal isn’t bringing in any income and his wife is a teacher. It’s time he become a productive member of society and start paying taxes to support the programs he cares so deeply about.
Perhaps you’re thinking along the right line. Hal always said he didn’t believe in divesting as much as he did in owning & influencing corporate behaviour. Perhaps Hal lost his shirt in the current oil glut. Just kidding Hal.
Thanks Shade. These are great suggestions and I appreciate your incredible support and positivity. Your conclusion that I failed to market well is undeniable. Perhaps better, okay some, marketing would have helped. It sure couldn’t have hurt and perhaps I’ll return to the internet. There’s nothing I’d rather do but: 1) I really can’t bring myself to urge people to vote for Hillary and obviously Trump is beneath contempt. 2) Jeff’s implication that I have a financial responsibility to my family is not off-base although his way of articulating this point is certainly off-putting. Thanks Jeff.
One other thing. Regarding a Fossil Fuels Tax (my new name for the carbon tax), I truly believe it would be our salvation and that’s why I’ve been so aggressive in pushing it.
Marketing would not have helped Hal. How many left wing talk shows are still on the air and selling advertising? Remember Air America?
I don’t know that what you call a carbon-tax makes much difference. However, the public may by now be attuned to the meaning term “carbon tax”, and that is important. I feel the public is ready to accept such a tax, especially if the funds collected in large part go to infrastructure improvements, but with significant amounts also going towards alternative energy sources and efficiency improvements.
I’m certainly for phasing in such a tax, but feel increases should be incremental and based on what environmental improvements actually begin to occur and how the economy in general reacts. I can’t get behind the idea of a fossil-fuel tax that attempts to instantly restructure the entire U.S. and/or world economy and then “fairly” redistribute the wealth collected on a massive scale. Even if such an idea wasn’t politically DOA (which of course it is), placing all our eggs in such a basket would invariably produce many unanticipated negative results. My motto on this subject is “In all things moderation”, though as I said in our conversation with Herb, I recognize that burning fossil fuels for our energy needs is unsustainable & that it therefore needs to be dramatically curbed as soon as economically possible.
Hal, I can’t believe you “woosed” out cause you can’t bring yourself to to “urge” people to vote for Hillary! What you are doing is a perfect example of why we progressives have such a hard time getting further ahead, we simply give up too easily! While those freaks “across the isle” will bull ahead even in the face of defeat! Just like they did after the 2012 election! Maybe you really did convince yourself that Bernie would pull it off, and didn’t leave yourself any room in that “man brain” of yours to stay open minded! I did as much as I could to get the word out on Bernie, but I knew it just wouldn’t be enough to over take the “establishment candidate”. You are really going to continue “imply” that the shameful and utterly embarrassing “hot mess” the CONS have to offer is a better choice than Hillary? ! Really Hal?! You need to pull your head out from under your armpit and realize that on Hillary’s absolute WORST day, she is still 200% better than that dam orangutan on the other side! And I am not a dam Hillary fan! ! ! ! ! ! Much love 😉
Thanks Gabby. I fought the good fight for over 10 years. I need a break and to make money. With Sanders out, I do not feel enthusiastic enough to do a 3-hour daily show. I will vote for Hillary rest assured.
In terms of what might still happen this political season, you may be guilty of what they dub in the stock market as “buying high & selling low”. There is still a fair chance that before the election scandal will wash out Hillary, Trump, or both, and this might well result in something to be enthusiastic about. However, even just Hillary and Trump both vying for the Bernie contingency is going make for a very interesting political season.
before the election, scandal will wash out Hillary, Trump, or both…
I doubt that!