American Forces Radio: Objective view of the home front?
From Tom Foreman
CNN
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Over the thunder of the tanks Rush Limbaugh's voice is heard for an hour Monday through Friday in Baghdad.
His conservative talk show has been a staple of American Forces Radio for a decade. And when the Iraqi prison abuse scandal broke, he compared it to a fraternity prank.
"This is no different than what happens at the Skull and Bones initiation and we're going to ruin people's lives over it and we're going to hamper our military effort," Limbaugh said on the air.
Such talk infuriated his critics, including U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin.
"This sends all the wrong signals to the troops," says Harkin. "Rush Limbaugh has a point of view. I mean, a dedicated, right wing point of view. That's fine. That's fine. But you should balance it on the other side also. Especially when it's being funded by other people's money."
American Forces Radio was created during World War II to inform troops about the war's progress and to boost morale.
Today, the Department of Defense says it provides a touch of home to soldiers, with sports, financial reports, science shows and 1,200 radio programs, including National Public Radio, which some consider liberal. There is no liberal talk show to counter Limbaugh.
"It's not about conservative or liberal. It's about the full selection of radio programming which is based on popularity here in the States," says Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Allison Barber.
Still, Howard Stern has millions of fans and his show is not sent to the troops.
Barber explains, "His issue is one of content that is not appropriate."
So noted liberals, such as Al Franken, who also has a talk show, keep talking louder.
"If you hear, day after day, liberals are rooting against armed forces, that is eventually going to have an effect on soldiers and troops who are actually going to believe that and it's wrong," says Franken. "It's just wrong."
