Is talk media talking itself out of a place on the air?

Even before President Obama was elected, conservatives were warning that "liberals" were out to kill talk radio. Well, the talkers themselves may have done the job.

In an article titled "Political Talk Shows Talk Themselves Out of Ads," Ad Age magazine (a must-read for journalists) reports on the advertisers fleeing the Glen Beck talk show. They also are leaving, in smaller numbers, other talk shows. The feeling appears to be that the talk shows are beginning to turn off more consumers than they are attracting, especially coupled with radical views like those of Beck.

The question remains as to how much longer it will be before local advertisers pull out of what is all-to-often accurately called "hate radio." As someone who loves real discussions (and believes the nation needs respectful dialog), I'd rather see the talkers change than see them disappear. But, given the inaccuracies and inflamed rhetoric lately, it wouldn't be surprising to see them die out.