Jane Fonda, Gloria Steinem, and Rosie O'Donnell are backing a new left-wing radio network that plans to appeal to women listeners and counter the dominance of conservative talk radio and its "male point of view."The new talk-radio network is called GreenStone and will be officially launched on Sept. 12, 2006. Its Web site describes it as "a clear alternative to the polarizing, highly political talk commonly heard on AM radio."
Steinhem, in a recent interview with The New York Times, has also made clear that her network is at war with Rush Limbaugh for audience share.
"We know what women want," says GreenStone's mission statement, "and have the entertainment, political, social and business connections to deliver it . . . Our goal is to build the leading brand for women's talk programming."What women want to hear on the radio, according to GreenStone's Web site list of topics, ranges from plastic surgery to feng shui, and from how to work at home to cooking and spring cleaning tips. "Women are ready for a new kind of talk that speaks directly to them on the issues they care about most," says GreenStone's Web site, quoting research it commissioned. "Women want ‘useful information,' something ‘lighter and more entertaining' than political talk shows . . . " The network says it will offer a "steady diet of entertainment, health and fitness, and relationships – delivered with lots of fun and laughter."