View the schedule for Friday, May 20

Thursday, May 19 

UO Portland

8:45 a.m.:  The program starts with coffee and biscotti in the atrium of the University of Oregon in Portland at the White Stag Block, 70 Northwest Couch Street.

9:00 a.m.:  Move into the Main Event Space and participate in a live broadcast of Oregon Public Broadcasting’s “Think Out Loud,” a hybrid radio/online talk show hosted by Emily Harris.

10:00 a.m.:  Listen to the first panel discussion of the day, featuring syndicated talk show host Lars Larson  (who calls his right-of-center show “Your Dog in the Fight”) and veteran war correspondent Terry Phillips.

11:30 Lunch:  Portland is noted for its foodie culture, so lunch is a treat: a fusion of left and right, during which conference hosts Turnbull Center Director Al Stavitsky and James Wallace Chair in Journalism Peter Laufer – both radio talk show hosts at times themselves – continue probing the conference question with a panel of experts and the invited audience.

In addition to Emily Harris and Terry Phillips (Lars Larson will leave to host his own broadcast from studios nearby), the cast includes:

Bicoastal Media CEO Ken Dennis, his company’s stations include KPNW in Eugene which broadcasts Rush Limbaugh, Lars Larson, Glenn Beck, and Michael Savage.

Drew University Professor Scott Bonn; his recent book, Mass Deception, deals with moral panic.

Former Clear Channel Program Director John Scott who managed both the company’s right-wing and left-wing talk stations in San Francisco.

University of West Florida Professor Randy Bobbitt who analyzes talk radio trends in his recent book Us Against Them.

By mid-afternoon, expect plenty of answers to the question, Why Talk Radio Skews Right.  Or be ready to follow the lead of one of talk radio’s first stars, Joe Pyne, and, as he told listeners with whom he disagreed, “Go gargle with razor blades!”

3:00 p.m.: Adjourn