''The Ed Schultz Show'' was a
progressive talk radio
Progressive talk radio is a talk radio format devoted to expressing left-leaning, liberal or progressive viewpoints of news and issues as opposed to conservative talk radio. In the United States, the format has included syndicated and independe ...
program hosted by
Ed Schultz
Edward Andrew Schultz (January 27, 1954 – July 5, 2018) was an American television and radio host, political commentator, news anchor and sports broadcaster.
He was the host of ''The Ed Show'', a weekday news talk program on MSNBC from ...
. It was formerly broadcast from
KFGO KFGO may refer to:
* KFGO (AM), a radio station (790 AM) licensed to Fargo, North Dakota, U.S.
* KFGO-FM, a radio station (104.7 FM) licensed to Hope, North Dakota, U.S.
* KRWK, a radio station (101.9 FM) licensed to Fargo, North Dakota, prev ...
in
Fargo, North Dakota
Fargo ( /ˈfɑɹɡoʊ/) is a city in and the county seat of Cass County, North Dakota, United States. According to the 2020 census, its population was 125,990, making it the most populous city in the state and the 219th-most populous city in ...
. It was heard on a network of over 100 stations, including seven of the ten largest radio markets. It was also on
XM and
Sirius satellite radio
Sirius Satellite Radio was a satellite radio (SDARS) and online radio service operating in North America, owned by Sirius XM Holdings.
Headquartered in New York City, with smaller studios in Los Angeles and Memphis, Tennessee, Memphis, Sirius ...
.
Schultz's radio show moved to New York City in May 2009, a relocation brought on by the launch of his new television show, ''
The Ed Show
''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...
'', on
MSNBC
MSNBC (originally the Microsoft National Broadcasting Company) is an American news-based pay television cable channel. It is owned by NBCUniversala subsidiary of Comcast. Headquartered in New York City, it provides news coverage and political ...
.
History
Schultz launched ''The Ed Schultz Show'' on January 5, 2004. Created and financed by
Democracy Radio Democracy Radio was an American nonprofit organization founded in 2002 by Tom Athans and Paul Fiddick, which aimed to address what its founders saw as political imbalance on American commercial radio. The concept was to develop and incubate progr ...
and distributed by
Jones Radio Networks
Jones Radio Networks & Jones Media Group were branches of Jones International before being sold to Triton Media Group. JRN and JMN provide local radio stations with satellite-delivered formats. They also offer other services to local radio such ...
, the show started in two markets (
Needles, California
Needles is a city in San Bernardino County, California, in the Mojave Desert region of Southern California. Situated on the western banks of the Colorado River, Needles is located near the Californian border with Arizona and Nevada. The city is a ...
and
Langdon, North Dakota
Langdon is a city in Cavalier County, North Dakota, Cavalier County, North Dakota, United States. It is the county seat of Cavalier County. The population was 1,909 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Langdon was designated as the count ...
) and quickly grew, signing another dozen stations in smaller, mostly upper Midwest markets. For a while, Schultz continued his ''
News and Views'' broadcasts, though by February 2005 it was announced that
Joel Heitkamp, a North Dakota state senator, was taking over that show. On February 1, 2007, Ed Schultz returned to hosting the ''News and Views'' show.
After growing to approximately 95 affiliates, Democracy Radio sold its majority stake in ''The Ed Schultz Show'' to Product First in June 2005, a company started by
Randy Michaels Benjamin Homel, known professionally as Randy Michaels, is an American broadcasting executive and a former member of the National Association of Broadcasters TV Board.
Biography
Michaels has been involved in large market radio broadcasting since th ...
and Stu Krane, who had previously been involved with launching
Rush Limbaugh
Rush Hudson Limbaugh III ( ; January 12, 1951 – February 17, 2021) was an American conservative political commentator who was the host of '' The Rush Limbaugh Show'', which first aired in 1984 and was nationally syndicated on AM and FM r ...
's radio show. Distribution continued with Jones Radio Networks and subsequently by its successor,
Dial Global
Westwood One is an American radio network owned by Cumulus Media. The company syndicates talk, music, and sports programming.
The company takes its name from an earlier network also named Westwood One, a company founded in 1978. The company w ...
.
Schultz's flagship
KFGO KFGO may refer to:
* KFGO (AM), a radio station (790 AM) licensed to Fargo, North Dakota, U.S.
* KFGO-FM, a radio station (104.7 FM) licensed to Hope, North Dakota, U.S.
* KRWK, a radio station (101.9 FM) licensed to Fargo, North Dakota, prev ...
dropped ''The Ed Schultz Show'' between January 2006 and February 2007 due to an apparent conflict with the station's management which new ownership cleared up. Fargo's
KQWB aired the program in the interim.
In 2009, ''Talkers'' magazine rated Ed Schultz as the 18th most important talk show host in the United States.
During his show on May 24, 2011, Schultz called
Laura Ingraham
Laura Anne Ingraham (born June 19, 1963) is an American conservative television host. Gale Biography In Context. She has been the host of ''The Ingraham Angle'' on Fox News Channel since October 2017, and is the editor-in-chief of LifeZette. ...
both a "right-wing slut" and a "talk slut". Feminist organizations, including the
Women's Media Center
Women's Media Center (WMC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit women's organization in the United States founded in 2005 by writers and activists Jane Fonda, Robin Morgan, and Gloria Steinem. , called for his suspension. The following day he issued an apology, saying he "used vile and inappropriate language when talking about talk show host Laura Ingraham. I am deeply sorry, and I apologize. It was wrong, uncalled for and I recognize the severity of what I said. I apologize to you, Laura, and ask for your forgiveness," and offering an indefinite self-suspension without pay.
MSNBC
MSNBC (originally the Microsoft National Broadcasting Company) is an American news-based pay television cable channel. It is owned by NBCUniversala subsidiary of Comcast. Headquartered in New York City, it provides news coverage and political ...
issued a statement saying that it had accepted Schultz's offer to take one week of unpaid leave.
In May 2014, Schultz announced he was replacing his three-hour weekday radio program with a one-hour program, and shifting to a Web format. Schultz continued to host his ''Ed Show'' television program, which was then aired on weekdays at 5 p.m. ET.
Show features
Ed Schultz may be best known for his pro-labor reputation, because he was one of the few remaining pundits who still frequently featured labor issues and promoted the
labor movement
The labour movement or labor movement consists of two main wings: the trade union movement (British English) or labor union movement (American English) on the one hand, and the political labour movement on the other.
* The trade union movement ...
, associating the health of "
labor
Labour or labor may refer to:
* Childbirth, the delivery of a baby
* Labour (human activity), or work
** Manual labour, physical work
** Wage labour, a socioeconomic relationship between a worker and an employer
** Organized labour and the la ...
" with the health of the
middle class
The middle class refers to a class of people in the middle of a social hierarchy, often defined by occupation, income, education, or social status. The term has historically been associated with modernity, capitalism and political debate. Commo ...
.
Ed Schultz often brought Los Angeles lawyer
Norman Goldman
Norman Maurice Goldman (born March 17, 1959) is an American attorney and a former political talk radio host.
Goldman first broadcast nationally as a fill-in host for ''The Ed Schultz Show'' in 2006, as well as creating colorful segments as th ...
to his show for legal analysis, thus given the title of "Senior Legal Analyst" by Schultz. Goldman filled in on the radio show when Schultz was traveling or on vacation. Reliably holding Schultz's high ratings, Goldman now produces his own nationally heard talk show
[The Norman Goldman Show, http://normangoldman.com ] during the 3-6 PM West Coast time slot. Tony Trupiano also filled in on Schultz's show when Schultz was absent.
The third hour of every Friday show was dedicated to "recession busting" where small business owners called in to promote their business for the hour.
Like other popular polemic, political radio shows, Schultz used humorous, often somewhat derogatory nicknames for a number of public figures. These included "Slant Head" for conservative commentator
Sean Hannity
Sean Patrick Hannity (born December 30, 1961) is an American talk show host, conservative political commentator, and author. He is the host of ''The Sean Hannity Show'', a nationally syndicated talk radio show, and has also hosted a commentar ...
, "the Druggie" or "the Drugster" for
Rush Limbaugh
Rush Hudson Limbaugh III ( ; January 12, 1951 – February 17, 2021) was an American conservative political commentator who was the host of '' The Rush Limbaugh Show'', which first aired in 1984 and was nationally syndicated on AM and FM r ...
, "
Shooter
Shooting is the act or process of discharging a projectile from a ranged weapon (such as a gun, Bow and arrow, bow, crossbow, slingshot, or Blowgun, blowpipe). Even the acts of launching Flamethrower, flame, artillery, Dart (missile), darts, ha ...
" for
Vice President
A vice president, also director in British English, is an officer in government or business who is below the president (chief executive officer) in rank. It can also refer to executive vice presidents, signifying that the vice president is on t ...
Dick Cheney
Richard Bruce Cheney ( ; born January 30, 1941) is an American politician and businessman who served as the 46th vice president of the United States from 2001 to 2009 under President George W. Bush. He is currently the oldest living former U ...
, "Rotten Rudy" for former Republican presidential candidate
Rudy Giuliani
Rudolph William Louis Giuliani (, ; born May 28, 1944) is an American politician and lawyer who served as the 107th Mayor of New York City from 1994 to 2001. He previously served as the United States Associate Attorney General from 1981 to 198 ...
, "The Mittster" for
Mitt Romney
Willard Mitt Romney (born March 12, 1947) is an American politician, businessman, and lawyer serving as the junior United States senator from Utah since January 2019, succeeding Orrin Hatch. He served as the 70th governor of Massachusetts f ...
, and "the pizza man" for
Herman Cain
Herman Cain (December 13, 1945July 30, 2020) was an American businessman and Tea Party movement activist within the Republican Party. Born in Memphis, Tennessee, Cain grew up in Georgia and graduated from Morehouse College with a bachelor's d ...
. Schultz himself was perhaps best known by the nicknames "Big Eddie", and the "Big RedHead"
See also
*
Jones Radio Network
Jones Radio Networks & Jones Media Group were branches of Jones International before being sold to Triton Media Group. JRN and JMN provide local radio stations with satellite-delivered formats. They also offer other services to local radio such ...
- syndicators of ''The Ed Schultz Show''
*
Sirius XM Left
SiriusXM Progress is located at channel 127 on Sirius XM Radio and carries a progressive talk radio format. The channel is programmed by Don Wicklin.
America Left (2004–2005)
Channel 167 originally started out as America Left, a channel dedicat ...
- XM radio channel 127
References
External links
''Ed Schultz Show'' website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ed Schultz Show
American talk radio programs
Mass media in North Dakota
Fargo–Moorhead
Radio programs on XM Satellite Radio