sputters after 2 days
Host quits show, saying he couldn't be funny, provocative doing 'infomercial'
Posted: December 10, 2003
1:00 a.m. Eastern
© 2003 WorldNetDaily.com
An attempt by Democrats to provide an alternative to what they consider is conservative-dominated talk radio flopped after just two days when the show's host quit.
Jeff Gerbino, a comedian who hosted "High Ground" on Minneapolis' WMNN for the first two days of the show's existence said the former Democratic candidate who created the show was forcing him to make it a "shameless plug for the DFL," according to the Star Tribune newspaper. DFL is the abbreviation for what the Democratic Party is called in Minnesota, the Democrat-Farmer-Labor Party.
Despite the false start, Janet Robert, a wealthy attorney who ran unsuccessfully for the U.S. House last year, warned not to judge the show by the first two days. She told the paper the program was designed to be centrist and independent, and that "Jeff was the one that was trying to push us too far to the left."
Gerbino, however, claims Robert was scheduling only Democrats on the show. Indeed, on the show's second day, Nov. 25, one hour's guests included: Sen. Mark Dayton, U.S. Rep. Jim Oberstar, Attorney General Mike Hatch, a professor discussing the Democratic presidential field, state Rep. Tom Rukavina and author Al Franken – all Democrats, the paper reported. Gerbino described the hour as a "donkey telethon" and said Robert criticized him for not "gushing" enough over Dayton and Oberstar.
Turning the show into an "infomercial for the Democratic Party" would ring hollow for the audience and he couldn't be funny or provocative in such a format, Gerbino told the paper.
The Star Tribune reports a Democratic investment group is close to buying radio stations in five major cities to broadcast liberal talk radio and is considering hiring Franken as a host.
"High Ground" continues to be broadcast from 1-3 p.m. Central each day as guest hosts are auditioned to replace Gerbino, the report stated.
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