Alan Colmes, 66

[Bryan Styble]

Fox News Channel has announced that former "Hannity & Colmes" co-host and current FNC contributor Alan Colmes has died at 66.

BRYAN STYBLE/Florida

[Jake D Jude]

Post by Bryan Styble
Fox News Channel has announced that former "Hannity & Colmes" co-host and current FNC contributor Alan Colmes has died at 66.

Good.

One less liberal POS to pollute the airwaves.

[That Derek]

Here’s my Alan Colmes story.

Alan Colmes had been a mainstay on NYC radio long before he became the token liberal on the Fox News Channel. In the mid-1980s, he hosted an afternoon drive programme over WNBC, 660 AM – a mix of music, entertainment, and showbiz guest interviews. WNBC-AM eventually yielded to become the US’s first all-sports radio station WFAN.

In 1998, Alan Colmes hosted an evening call-in talk show on the late lamented talker WEVD-AM, “the station that speaks your language,” then owned by the Jewish newspaper “The Daily Forward” (now a sports station allied with ESPN). Yes, this station had a storied past considering that its call letters were derived from the initials of Socialist lion Eugene Victor Debs.

In December of that year, Colmes had the “privilege” of hosting for an hour a great holy grail “get” – legendary radio raconteur/memoirist Jean Shepard. That year, 1998, was the first year that Superstation WTBS would be doing their stunt seasonal programming of 24 straight hours of repeated viewings of the movie “A Christmas Story,” based on Shep’s roman à clef “In God We Trust – All Others Pay Cash.” Shep was making the erstwhile radio rounds for promotional purposes.

Jean Shepard was the most unpleasant and ungracious guest I ever had the misfortune to hear over a radio talk show. Alan Colmes maintained the most professional demeanor while his guest indifferently ambled his way through his answers. Middle-aged callers phoned in to heap praise and great reminiscences upon Shep’s 1960s/1970s programme over powerhouse signaled WOR-AM (heard in many states). One fellow told him that he had felt that Shepard’s radio story-telling was so engaging and proound that he (the listener) considered characters like “Flick” and “Schwartz” who populated Mr. Shepard’s stories (and the Christmas movie, too) were “real” to him. Shepard harrumphed his “yeah-yeah” response. Another caller confessed to having been so tremendous a fan that he actually drove his car every night at 10PM to a lovers’ lane/overlook and park just to listen to Shep at a locale which offered better radio reception. Shep essentially told the caller to get a life.

Later, Alan Colmes inquired of Jean Shepard if Shep would ever consider doing radio again. Shep dismissively told him that he felt that he didn’t feel the need to when he explained that radio was something he had done, had gotten over, and had gotten out of his system. Granted, it was an honest answer, but when Colmes pressed further, Shep totally zapped his credibility when he responded words to the effect of “Well, let me put it this way: everybody has his price!”

Jean Shepard died about ten months later in October 1999. After his death, all sorts of nasty realities came out about him. Apparently, Shepard never had anything to do with his first wife nor the children from that marriage after he went Hollywood when he married his second wife, actress Lois Nettleton.

[That Derek]

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/alan-colmes-dead-fox-news-contributor-was-66-978963

Fox News Contributor Alan Colmes Dies at 66

6:46 AM PST 2/23/2017
by Hilary Lewis

The cable channel announced the news on Thursday morning.

Fox News contributor Alan Colmes has died at 66, the channel announced on Thursday morning.

His wife, Jocelyn Crowley, told the network that he died after a brief illness.

"He was a great guy, brilliant, hysterical, and moral. He was fiercely loyal, and the only thing he loved more than his work was his life with Jocelyn," Crowley said in a statement. "He will be missed. The family has asked for privacy during this very difficult time."

Fox News anchor Bill Hemmer also announced the sad news of Colmes' death on the air. The network then broadcast a tribute package from Sean Hannity, Colmes' former co-host on Hannity & Colmes.

In his own statement, Hannity called Colmes, "one of life's most decent, kind and wonderful people you'd ever want to meet."

"When Alan and I started Hannity & Colmes, there wasn't a day that went by where we didn't say we were the two most fortunate men in all of television," Hannity added, saying that despite their political differences, he and Colmes "forged a deep friendship." "Alan, in the midst of great sickness and illness, showed the single greatest amount of courage I've ever seen."

A graduate of Hofstra, Colmes had a string of successful radio shows on WNBC, WABC and WMCA in New York, gaining a reputation as a hard-hitting liberal commentator. He hosted more radio talk shows on WEVD-AM and WZLX in Boston before landing a national afternoon radio show in 1990.

He joined Fox News Channel in 1996, serving as the liberal counterpart on Hannity & Colmes, a one-hour debate show, which aired on weeknights from 9-10 p.m. ET until January 2009.

He returned to radio recently, hosting the news-driven late-night talk show, The Alan Colmes Show, which was syndicated nationally by Fox News Channel.

He had taken an absence from the show recently, addressing listeners on Jan. 30.

Fox News' Sean Hannity Declares "Journalism in America Is Dead" (Q&A)

"As I previously mentioned on the show last year, there would be times I would be taking off from the show to deal with a medical issue," Colmes said then, according to Fox News. "This is why I’ve been out recently and will be out this week as well. But I will be back taking your calls as soon as I can."

Colmes' Fox News colleagues have been mourning his death on social media, with Brit Hume and former Fox News anchors Megyn Kelly and Greta Van Susteren all tweeting about him. Other cable-news pundits have also taken to Twitter to remember Colmes.

[That Derek again]

NYC radio personality, while reminiscing about Alan Holmes, made mention that Colmes was married to the sister of conservative news commentator Monica Crowley.

Personally, I'm going to plotz if ever I hear Monica Crowley defend tax breaks for the rich with her bromide "I've never been given a job by a poor person."

[c***@aol.com]

Alan Colmes was a great guy, gone to soon. Condolences to his family.

[t***@iwvisp.com]

Post by Bryan Styble
Fox News Channel has announced that former "Hannity & Colmes" co-host and current FNC contributor Alan Colmes has died at 66.
BRYAN STYBLE/Florida

An example of how cheesy major market radio can be: When Alan hosted the morning show at WABC they billed him, much to his chagrin, as Alan B Colmes.
Get it A B C. His middle name was Samuel. Such marketing genius.

Ray Arthur

[David Carson]

Post by t***@iwvisp.com
An example of how cheesy major market radio can be: When Alan hosted the morning show at WABC they billed him, much to his chagrin, as Alan B Colmes.
Get it A B C. His middle name was Samuel. Such marketing genius.

"That makes me want to tune in!" said nobody ever.

[That Derek]

Post by t***@iwvisp.com
Alan B Colmes.

Get it A B C. His middle name was Samuel. Such marketing genius.

Akin to the 1950s "Dinah Shore Chevrolet Show" when the Ol' Peapicker himself was a regular performer. The Chevy suits decided he could only be billed as "Tennessee Ernie" and NOT "Tennessee Ernie FORD."

Side note: When dramatist Tennessee Williams died, NYC local newscaster Ernie Anastos kept referring to him as "Tennessee ERNIE Williams."

[c***@gmail.com]

Rest in peace he was very kind to my family and was a fine man

[RH Draney]

Post by That Derek
Side note: When dramatist Tennessee Williams died, NYC local newscaster Ernie Anastos kept referring to him as "Tennessee ERNIE Williams."

And David Letterman started referring to Regis Philbin as "Regis LEE
Philbin" to match his co-host...then when that co-host was replaced the
new one became "Kelly LEE Ripa"...I think he even extended the joke to
Strahan before going off the air....

I still have trouble keeping myself from saying "Stephanie Zimbalist
Junior"....r

[Sarah Ehrett's Lesbian Love Interest]

I can imagine Colmes walking through pearly gates and getting settled in. After awhile he wonders, "I didn't think it would be so hot here in heaven. And what's with the smell of brimstone all the time? I didn't think God had horns and a pitchfork, and where's my harp?"

I watched "Fair and Balanced" FOX News when they had conservative Hannity and liberal Colmes debating. I kept thinking, boy this Hannity guy is good, he keeps beating up this Colmes guy, and BTW where's the liberal stuff? When Colmes had his own radio show it was billed as the liberal take on today's news. Must have been different liberalism than most people were used to.

He made liberals look like weak pushovers. He helped convince people progressives couldn't defend their positions. A special place in Hell that's labeled Heaven, but just as hot.

[t***@iwvisp.com]

Post by Sarah Ehrett's Lesbian Love Interest
I can imagine Colmes walking through pearly gates and getting settled in. After awhile he wonders, "I didn't think it would be so hot here in heaven. And what's with the smell of brimstone all the time? I didn't think God had horns and a pitchfork, and where's my harp?"
I watched "Fair and Balanced" FOX News when they had conservative Hannity and liberal Colmes debating. I kept thinking, boy this Hannity guy is good, he keeps beating up this Colmes guy, and BTW where's the liberal stuff? When Colmes had his own radio show it was billed as the liberal take on today's news. Must have been different liberalism than most people were used to.
He made liberals look like weak pushovers. He helped convince people progressives couldn't defend their positions. A special place in Hell that's labeled Heaven, but just as hot.

Holmes considered himself a Moderate. If true, maybe he was playing UP to the perception of a Liberal.

I felt he did a pretty good job on HIS syndicated radio show. On FOX, however, he was clearly the designated loser.

To your labeling point, let's give Rush Limbaugh his due. Over 20 years ago he singlehandedly moved the labels to left by one position:

Crazy Militia gun toters (then Tea Partiers, then Alt. Right) became Conservatives
Conservatives became Moderates (RINOs)
Moderates Clintons, Obamas) became Liberals , and,
Liberals (Bernie and Co.) became Communists

Ray Arthur

[t***@iwvisp.com]

Post by Sarah Ehrett's Lesbian Love Interest
I can imagine Colmes walking through pearly gates and getting settled in. After awhile he wonders, "I didn't think it would be so hot here in heaven. And what's with the smell of brimstone all the time? I didn't think God had horns and a pitchfork, and where's my harp?"
I watched "Fair and Balanced" FOX News when they had conservative Hannity and liberal Colmes debating. I kept thinking, boy this Hannity guy is good, he keeps beating up this Colmes guy, and BTW where's the liberal stuff? When Colmes had his own radio show it was billed as the liberal take on today's news. Must have been different liberalism than most people were used to.
He made liberals look like weak pushovers. He helped convince people progressives couldn't defend their positions. A special place in Hell that's labeled Heaven, but just as hot.

Colmes considered himself a Moderate. If true, maybe he was playing UP to the perception of a Liberal.
I felt he did a pretty good job on HIS syndicated radio show. On FOX, however, he was clearly the designated loser.
Crazy Militia gun toters (then Tea Partiers, then Alt. Right) became Conservatives
Conservatives became Moderates (RINOs)
Moderates Clintons, Obamas) became Liberals , and,
Liberals (Bernie and Co.) became Communists
Ray Arthur

Colmes not Holmes, of course.

[Tim J.]

On Thu, 23 Feb 2017 09:39:02 -0800 (PST), That Derek

Post by That Derek
Side note: When dramatist Tennessee Williams died, NYC local newscaster Ernie Anastos kept referring to him as "Tennessee ERNIE Williams."

Oh, Ernie.

Just keep fucking that chicken.

[c***@aol.com]

Kinda funny Styble that you don't seem to realize that Alan himself no longer wished to do the program and wasn't "deleted." As was made clear in all the obits you saw but didn't obviously comprehend.

[Bryan Styble]

Sorry, Cathy, but that is not what my understanding is of the situation that led to the ending of that show's debate format.

As for the cited obits which you "obviously didn't comprehend", these were VERBAL tributes to Colmes that various fellow commercial newstalk radio hosts issued on their broadcasts; given your apparent disdain for commercial newstalk radio, I doubt you heard many--or maybe even any--of them.

BRYAN STYBLE/Florida

[c***@aol.com]

You should know there's very little common ground between "your understanding" and the facts. Why not work with those instead of what your little mind comes up with?

[Bryan Styble]

It's fascinating that in all the coverage commercial news talk radio has understandably given this obituary, not one I've heard--and that's about a half-dozen so far--saw fit to mention how unceremoniously Colmes was deleted from "Hannity & Colmes" about a decade ago.

Fox News Channel in the process eroded some of its credibility, and sure didn't need another conservative prime-time broadcast; "The O'Reilly Factor" already fulfills that role vastly better than Hannity's annoyingly-ideological program does, anyway.

Though Colmes was never as graceful a liberal broadcaster as Thom Hartmann or a Michael Kinsley, at least the center-left was nightly if not that articulately represented on FNC, whereas now we have Hannity's tiresome fulminations exclusively in that hour. Hannity has never been a strong enough talent to carry this television show single-handededly, although compared to his radio work nowadays, it's downright sterling.*

Hannity should never have elbowed Colmes out.

BRYAN STYBLE/Florida
____________________________________________________________________________
* In the first years of this century, Hannity was consistently Limbaugh's best fill-in host, but that was then. Hannity's own daily syndicated commercial newstalk radio show has in recent years evolved into a self-indulgent, confusing listen featuring loads of unidentified actualities and sound bites, suffers from repeated talking-over by both the host and his endlessly-recycled guests, and is aurally hamstrung by positively grating theme music**.
** Selected because the host is pals with Florida Georgia Line, a country act which is solely (and semi-literately) lacking a hyphen in its name.

[Bryan Styble]

Well, AutoINcorrect strikes again! My double-asterisk footnote should have concluded:

"...with Florida Georgia Line, a country act which is sorely (and semi-literately) lacking a hyphen in its name."

STYBLE/Florida

[Kenny McCormack]

In article <7f7d8a0d-b295-45bd-a927-***@googlegroups.com>,
...

Fox News Channel in the process eroded some of its credibility, ...

How can something non-existent be "eroded"?

As they say, nothing from nothing leaves nothing.

[Wir Munchen Liebschoen]

Post by Kenny McCormack
...

Fox News Channel in the process eroded some of its credibility, ...

How can something non-existent be "eroded"?
As they say, nothing from nothing leaves nothing.

Meanwhile CNN and NBC have spewed out fake news by the bushel. Brian
Williams lost his anchor spot only to get dumped in PMSLSD whose
audience consists of three drugged out hippies from 1969. Dan Rather got
tossed from CBS for fake news. The list goes on and on for the left wing
lamestreams.

FNC on the otherhand has more viewers than all these other channels
combined. Should be fun watching Megyn Kelly and Greta Van Sunburn talk
to crickets.

[RH Draney]

Post by Wir Munchen Liebschoen

Post by Kenny McCormack
...

Fox News Channel in the process eroded some of its credibility, ...

How can something non-existent be "eroded"?
As they say, nothing from nothing leaves nothing.

Meanwhile CNN and NBC have spewed out fake news by the bushel. Brian
Williams lost his anchor spot only to get dumped in PMSLSD whose
audience consists of three drugged out hippies from 1969. Dan Rather got
tossed from CBS for fake news. The list goes on and on for the left wing
lamestreams.
FNC on the otherhand has more viewers than all these other channels
combined. Should be fun watching Megyn Kelly and Greta Van Sunburn talk
to crickets.

These apples taste like oranges...Fox News Channel isn't a news channel,
as they themselves have admitted when there arose a risk of them being
prosecuted for making up stories...they're an entertainment channel (one
that fails utterly to entertain, but that part's just my opinion)....r

[Wir Munchen Liebschoen]

Post by RH Draney

Post by Wir Munchen Liebschoen

Post by Kenny McCormack
...

Fox News Channel in the process eroded some of its credibility, ...

How can something non-existent be "eroded"?
As they say, nothing from nothing leaves nothing.

Meanwhile CNN and NBC have spewed out fake news by the bushel. Brian
Williams lost his anchor spot only to get dumped in PMSLSD whose
audience consists of three drugged out hippies from 1969. Dan Rather got
tossed from CBS for fake news. The list goes on and on for the left wing
lamestreams.
FNC on the otherhand has more viewers than all these other channels
combined. Should be fun watching Megyn Kelly and Greta Van Sunburn talk
to crickets.

These apples taste like oranges...Fox News Channel isn't a news channel,
as they themselves have admitted when there arose a risk of them being
prosecuted for making up stories...they're an entertainment channel (one
that fails utterly to entertain, but that part's just my opinion)....r

You are obviously an asshole. FNC is indeed a news channel. In fact
their programming is aped by all the other left wing news channels and
it still doesn't help them since all their ratings combined are below
that of FNC.

You're just too stupid to figure that out.

[martinjsxx]

I liked him when he was just a radio host and not branded only as a hard left liberal voice.

[Bryan Styble]

"MartinJaxx" expressed what is apparently a tiny minority-opinion about the late Colmes's commercial newstalk radio hosting style:

I liked him when he was just a radio host and not branded only as a hard-left liberal voice.
________________________________________________________________________________________________

Wow!

So I guess I am NOT the only commercial newstalk radio listener anywhere who evaluates a given call-in broadcast properly, i.e., based SOLELY on how the broadcast journalist entrusted with the show conducts that program, rather than foolishly resorting to how just about everyone else decides whether a show is clearly "awesome" or just "sucks": by simple-mindedly determining how much one happens to agree with the views expressed by the host.

BRYAN STYBLE/Florida

[Sarah Ehrett's Lesbian Love Interest]

I'll listen to a person who disagrees with me. But I'll be damned if I would listen to someone I disagree with for the whole commute to work, day in and day out. Rule number one in a carpool, no politics or religion.

Listening to someone I completely agree with, could cause me to fall asleep behind the wheel. Or go completely mad, like the guy next lane to me banging the steering wheel cursing out those damn Mudvillians.

I much prefer to listen to someone who talks about things I didn't know, our POVs that I've never considered. That's why a "fair and balanced" debate between two different sides was so attractive.