Investing in Bad Idea Jeans - Again

Jane Fonda, Gloria Steinem, and Rosie O'Donnell are backing a new left-wing radio network called GreenStone. Haven't we been down this road before with Air America?

I guess "Yes and No" would be the answer to that question. This new network is going to impose their political views in a supposed stealth manner through humor, cooking tips and how I broke that glass ceiling interviews (as opposed to Air America whose plan was to just call anyone who disagreed with their political views a moron). Of course, though, all hosts and guess for the new network will need the Planned Parenthood seal of approval before going on air.

You have to wonder if the investors really have nothing better to do with their money. I guess the investors view this as a worthy cause (and just burning the money on the front lawn would anger the global warming folks). The cause you ask? Why unseating Rush Limbaugh as the king of talk radio of course. Talk about tilting at windmills.

My guess is that these people don't realize that Rush grew his audience from the ground up. It took him 18-years to get the audience he has today. Air America and now GreenStone are looking for overnight success (which is why they will face big-time disappointment). I also don't think that GreenStone has really thought through their target audience.

The big tip-off that these folks are clueless was this quote from Gloria Steinem:

"AM talk radio does not reflect the fact that only 30 percent of the country, at the most, is anywhere near Rush Limbaugh," Steinem said.

30 percent of the country is roughly 90 million people. Rush "only" gets a few million people a day to listen to his show. Steinem must think that because women make up slightly more than half our population that their target audience is really slightly more than 150 million. However if you break it down it spells bad news for GreenStone:

Young Women - they'll be listening to music via their Ipod or somewhere.
Old Women - probably not listening to anything (or maybe Rush)
Women of Childbearing age - if they are childless they will be at work and not listening to the radio. If they have children then they will be listening to The Wiggles or a DVD of Dora the Explorer will be playing in the back seat. When the kids aren't in the car - chances are the mom will have nothing on just to get a few moments of peace and quiet.

Steinem will be sorely disappointed when the audience for GreenStone comes in at the tens of thousands and not in the millions. I wish there was someplace I could go to bet that Green Stone would be an awful failure. The investors would be better just burning their money on the front lawn. It would be quicker.