I have to admit that I've been scratching my heads about Air America hiring Montel Williams as their first (finally) solo black talk radio host (after how many years?) I mean, with the Black Eagle, Bev Smith and other decades-long black talk radio veterans out there, it does seem a bit "corporate hackish" to hire a TV guy, just because of his name. Then again, this is the same Air America that hired mostly stand up comedians as its first round of talk hosts, and put the very talented Sam Sedar in the second chair to radio clueless, though quite humorous, Janeane Garafolo (along with firing Randi Rhodes for not being sufficiently loyal to the Clintons.)
Honestly, having watched the "Montel Williams Show" here and there, I had no idea he was even a liberal, let alone a talk radio guy! And not to hate, but my initial reaction, and the ones after that, has been "huh???"
So when I came across this winger post about the whole Montel thing, I was intrigued. Said the "Radio Equalizer":
Apparently hoping to succeed where Jerry Springer failed, fellow TV trashmeister / celebrity huckster Montel Williams is giving liberal talk radio a try. And despite his lack of experience in the medium, Air America Radio has jumped at the chance to give him a show.
No, not that part. That's the winger talking points. I mean this:
How did Montel gain street cred with the lefty set? It appears to have originated with a widely-disseminated conspiracy theory that his sleazy TV trashfest was cancelled as a result of a political rant delivered during a Fox and Friends appearance just over a year ago. From the DailyKos smear site, January 2008:
For just over three minutes on Saturday morning, TV talk show host Montel Williams owned the hosts of Fox and Friends. A former Marine and Naval officer, Montel lectured the stunned hosts on the stupidity of spending air time on the death of Heath Ledger, rather than covering the war in Iraq. It was a spectacle rarely seen on live cable television, as Montel exposed and condemned both tabloid "news" shows and much of American culture for what they have each become: shallow and greedy.
Three minutes into this awkward segment on Fox, one host cut off Montel in order to go to a commercial. Montel did not return after the break. Four days later, after 17 years as a television host, Montel lost his job.
"Smear site?" Dude, you sound like Bill O'Reilly ... moving on... the video of said "owning," which I admit I knew nothing about, follows:
Was that enough to get Montel a show? Or do I just need to sign on with his agent?
