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CNN Live At Daybreak

Liberal Network Air America Debuts Tomorrow; Coffey Talk; Baseball Begins in Japan

Aired March 30, 2004 - 06:30   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: It will be on the air in four cities tomorrow. So, will it fly?
Joining us this morning with some insight, Neal Boortz, who has a syndicated radio show that airs in 34 states across this great land. Am I right?

NEAL BOORTZ, TALK SHOW HOST: Thirty-four.

COSTELLO: Thirty-four.

BOORTZ: I guess.

COSTELLO: You're way up to 34 now, Neal.

BOORTZ: I'm up to 34. Where is the party? And I wasn't invited.

COSTELLO: You weren't. Isn't that always the case when you're the host of a show?

BOORTZ: I mean, there's a launch party for this lib radio tonight?

COSTELLO: There's a launch party.

BOORTZ: Oh, I'm sure Hollywood will be there in style.

COSTELLO: I'm sure part of it will. That's for sure.

Now, we have to get things straight with the audience from the get-go. You're a Libertarian.

BOORTZ: Yes.

COSTELLO: And you're a conservative. Would you call yourself a conservative?

BOORTZ: Libertarian-conservative.

COSTELLO: OK. So, do you think that this new Air America, this liberal radio show, will it fly? And are you scared?

BOORTZ: (A), I hope so; (b), no, I don't think it will. And no, I'm not scared.

COSTELLO: Why?

BOORTZ: Well, I'm not competition. And the reason I hope -- there are two reasons I hope it succeeds. No. 1, it will bring new callers to talk radio, new listeners. And if new listeners come to talk radio, then maybe they'll sample other shows and maybe they'll hear something in me that they like.

No. 2, if it fails, the left is going to find -- they're going to look for a legislative solution to conservative talk radio, and they'll try to...

COSTELLO: Do you think so?

BOORTZ: Oh, sure. A fairness doctrine or a campaign finance act or something. They'll try to find a way to put it out of existence if their experiment fails.

COSTELLO: Before we go on, I want to play something for our audience that Al Franken said. Listen to what he says about his new radio show.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

AL FRANKEN, COMEDIAN, AUTHOR: The only political talk radio has been Rush, and we are going to -- we're going to try to do ours drug- free. I don't know if that's ever been before, but we're going to try. And I hope that a lot of people who've turned in to Rush -- or tuned in to Rush because there's nothing else on will try us.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Of course, he could have said you, too, because, you know, the interesting thing here is Al Franken says that he and other radio hosts on Air America will use humor to sell their points. Will that work?

BOORTZ: Oh, you mean like that incredibly funny "we're going to do our show drug-free" comment? Well, I mean, I'm wore out. I just slapped my knee. It's dislocated now on that one.

Isn't it instructive that the Democrats, the liberals, they go out, they start a talk radio network, and the first three people they hire are two comedians and a rap artist? Does this tell you something about the message that they have to deliver?

COSTELLO: Well, they would say that a liberal audience wants humor. They don't want meanness as conservatives on the radio spew every day. That's what they would say.

BOORTZ: Every audience -- every audience wants humor, but let me tell you why, again, I think this is going to fail. Let's take an editorial writer and Al Franken. An editorial writer writes an editorial, the rich don't pay their fair share of taxes. Al Franken says on the radio, the rich don't pay their fair share of taxes. Fine. The editorial writer goes back to the office. The phone may ring, but he doesn't have to answer it. Al Franken has to answer that phone. The first person that goes on the air and says, hey, Al, the top 1 percent earns 17 percent of the income and pay 38 percent of the taxes. Tell me why that's not a fair share?

COSTELLO: Well, I think Al Franken will...

BOORTZ: And credibility down a notch.

COSTELLO: Not if he uses humor and educated talk as well.

BOORTZ: You're in the top 1 percent. Do you think that's funny?

COSTELLO: Now, let me go on with this. In fairness, to the liberal side of this debate, this is from Ms. Garofalo. You know her well.

BOORTZ: Oh, yes.

COSTELLO: She said: "Over the past 30 years, the American people have been conned into thinking liberal is a dirty word." Because of liberal reforms, we enjoy things like desegregation, child labor laws, environmental protection, seat belts and birth control."

Why has the word "liberal" become such a dirty word?

BOORTZ: Let's see. Desegregation. You know, I thought the Civil Rights Act was passed over the objections of the Democrats in the Congress of the United States. You see? Janeane, pull that line on the air. Go ahead.

COSTELLO: But that's not what I'm asking.

BOORTZ: Well, I know. I know, but this is...

COSTELLO: I'm saying that liberal has become almost a curse word.

BOORTZ: Liberal is a derogatory term to somebody that believes in the individual, in freedom and economic liberty. It is a derogatory term, because liberals are anti-individual, they are anti- economic liberty...

COSTELLO: OK, I don't want to get into politics.

BOORTZ: Well, there you go.

COSTELLO: Because we're only talking about Air America.

BOORTZ: You asked why. I'm telling you, yes.

COSTELLO: Neal Boortz, it's been fun.

BOORTZ: I hope they succeed. I really do. And I can't wait to be a guest on Al's show. COSTELLO: Do you think you will be?

BOORTZ: No.

COSTELLO: You could ask him to be a guest on your show.

BOORTZ: Anytime. Listen, I've asked him to host the show when I go on vacation.

COSTELLO: Really?

BOORTZ: Yes, but they won't do it, because we won't give him control over the phone calls.

COSTELLO: Well, no kidding. Neal Boortz, you're going to come back next Tuesday. We appreciate your being here.

BOORTZ: With bells on.

COSTELLO: All right, thank you, Neal.

BOORTZ: OK.

COSTELLO: Well, let's move on to legal matters of the morning. A sexual molestation case that's certainly playing around the world is back in the spotlight this morning, as is the gesturing juror in the Tyco case.

Time for some "Coffey Talk" now. Our legal analyst, Kendall Coffey, live on the phone from Middlebury, Vermont.

Good morning.

KENDALL COFFEY, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: Hey, good morning, Carol.

COSTELLO: Let's start with the Michael Jackson case. A grand jury has been convened. His young accuser may testify. What will that be like?

COFFEY: Well, it's obviously going to be something that they'll try to shelter as much as possible; hence, the controversy over the unwillingness of authorities to even tell the media where the grand jury is deliberating. Great sensitivity for a young accuser.

Meanwhile, Carol, this whole process is going to enable the prosecution to strengthen up the case, which many had thought in recent months had more than a few holes in it.

COSTELLO: How much evidence, Kendall, needs to be presented for this to go to trial?

COFFEY: Not a lot, because it takes 12 of the 19 grand jurors, and they're still not using a reasonable doubt standard.

But here's what's going to be critical, Carol. They will now have the ability to subpoena end witnesses who might be reluctant to testify against Michael Jackson. Present perhaps and former employees, and the accuser from over 10 or 11 years ago, who is probably under a confidentiality agreement but could provide some of the most important and damaging testimony of all if, in fact, this accuser -- now apparently 24 -- comes in and testifies, one, that something very similar happened to him in 1993, and, two, he got paid $20 or $25 million to keep quiet about it.

COSTELLO: It should be interesting.

Let's move on to the Tyco trial now. Jurors name -- a jury member's name made public, possibly she gestured to defense attorneys. The judge says mistrial declared. But should there have been a mistrial declared?

COFFEY: Close call. I think that there is going to be a big issue on appeal if, in fact, there is a conviction. But here's what we should watch for in the next day or two. If, in fact, right after the judge had spoken to that juror, the jury had come back unanimously convict, it would have been seen as something that was coercing the jury. But if we get notes, if we get another day or so of what appears to be thoughtful deliberation, then I think there could actually be a guilty verdict that survives on appeal.

COSTELLO: Really?

COFFEY: Still a very close call.

COSTELLO: Do you think it will be a hung jury?

COFFEY: Well, the sense most people are predicting is a hung jury, but never forget, it went 10 days of deliberation in the Arthur Andersen obstruction trial. Obviously, a close case there, too. The jury came back with a guilty, and whether it's 8 days, 9 days or 10 days, the guilty still means the same consequence. In this case, it would mean a lot of jail time for the former executives of Tyco.

COSTELLO: All right, Kendall Coffey, many thanks to you -- live from Vermont this morning.

We want to take a short break. We'll be back with much more on DAYBREAK for a Tuesday.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Godzilla has a first hit, Jason Giambi knocked the first homer out of the big egg, and baseball is under way.

Far, far away from home, joining me and Chad to talk about baseball's opening day in Japan is veteran sports announcer, Tony Schiavone, who is currently -- he currently works on Atlanta Braves broadcast. We hear you all the time, and welcome to DAYBREAK. We appreciate you being here.


Aired March 30, 2004 - 06:30   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: It will be on the air in four cities tomorrow. So, will it fly?
Joining us this morning with some insight, Neal Boortz, who has a syndicated radio show that airs in 34 states across this great land. Am I right?

NEAL BOORTZ, TALK SHOW HOST: Thirty-four.

COSTELLO: Thirty-four.

BOORTZ: I guess.

COSTELLO: You're way up to 34 now, Neal.

BOORTZ: I'm up to 34. Where is the party? And I wasn't invited.

COSTELLO: You weren't. Isn't that always the case when you're the host of a show?

BOORTZ: I mean, there's a launch party for this lib radio tonight?

COSTELLO: There's a launch party.

BOORTZ: Oh, I'm sure Hollywood will be there in style.

COSTELLO: I'm sure part of it will. That's for sure.

Now, we have to get things straight with the audience from the get-go. You're a Libertarian.

BOORTZ: Yes.

COSTELLO: And you're a conservative. Would you call yourself a conservative?

BOORTZ: Libertarian-conservative.

COSTELLO: OK. So, do you think that this new Air America, this liberal radio show, will it fly? And are you scared?

BOORTZ: (A), I hope so; (b), no, I don't think it will. And no, I'm not scared.

COSTELLO: Why?

BOORTZ: Well, I'm not competition. And the reason I hope -- there are two reasons I hope it succeeds. No. 1, it will bring new callers to talk radio, new listeners. And if new listeners come to talk radio, then maybe they'll sample other shows and maybe they'll hear something in me that they like.

No. 2, if it fails, the left is going to find -- they're going to look for a legislative solution to conservative talk radio, and they'll try to...

COSTELLO: Do you think so?

BOORTZ: Oh, sure. A fairness doctrine or a campaign finance act or something. They'll try to find a way to put it out of existence if their experiment fails.

COSTELLO: Before we go on, I want to play something for our audience that Al Franken said. Listen to what he says about his new radio show.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

AL FRANKEN, COMEDIAN, AUTHOR: The only political talk radio has been Rush, and we are going to -- we're going to try to do ours drug- free. I don't know if that's ever been before, but we're going to try. And I hope that a lot of people who've turned in to Rush -- or tuned in to Rush because there's nothing else on will try us.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Of course, he could have said you, too, because, you know, the interesting thing here is Al Franken says that he and other radio hosts on Air America will use humor to sell their points. Will that work?

BOORTZ: Oh, you mean like that incredibly funny "we're going to do our show drug-free" comment? Well, I mean, I'm wore out. I just slapped my knee. It's dislocated now on that one.

Isn't it instructive that the Democrats, the liberals, they go out, they start a talk radio network, and the first three people they hire are two comedians and a rap artist? Does this tell you something about the message that they have to deliver?

COSTELLO: Well, they would say that a liberal audience wants humor. They don't want meanness as conservatives on the radio spew every day. That's what they would say.

BOORTZ: Every audience -- every audience wants humor, but let me tell you why, again, I think this is going to fail. Let's take an editorial writer and Al Franken. An editorial writer writes an editorial, the rich don't pay their fair share of taxes. Al Franken says on the radio, the rich don't pay their fair share of taxes. Fine. The editorial writer goes back to the office. The phone may ring, but he doesn't have to answer it. Al Franken has to answer that phone. The first person that goes on the air and says, hey, Al, the top 1 percent earns 17 percent of the income and pay 38 percent of the taxes. Tell me why that's not a fair share?

COSTELLO: Well, I think Al Franken will...

BOORTZ: And credibility down a notch.

COSTELLO: Not if he uses humor and educated talk as well.

BOORTZ: You're in the top 1 percent. Do you think that's funny?

COSTELLO: Now, let me go on with this. In fairness, to the liberal side of this debate, this is from Ms. Garofalo. You know her well.

BOORTZ: Oh, yes.

COSTELLO: She said: "Over the past 30 years, the American people have been conned into thinking liberal is a dirty word." Because of liberal reforms, we enjoy things like desegregation, child labor laws, environmental protection, seat belts and birth control."

Why has the word "liberal" become such a dirty word?

BOORTZ: Let's see. Desegregation. You know, I thought the Civil Rights Act was passed over the objections of the Democrats in the Congress of the United States. You see? Janeane, pull that line on the air. Go ahead.

COSTELLO: But that's not what I'm asking.

BOORTZ: Well, I know. I know, but this is...

COSTELLO: I'm saying that liberal has become almost a curse word.

BOORTZ: Liberal is a derogatory term to somebody that believes in the individual, in freedom and economic liberty. It is a derogatory term, because liberals are anti-individual, they are anti- economic liberty...

COSTELLO: OK, I don't want to get into politics.

BOORTZ: Well, there you go.

COSTELLO: Because we're only talking about Air America.

BOORTZ: You asked why. I'm telling you, yes.

COSTELLO: Neal Boortz, it's been fun.

BOORTZ: I hope they succeed. I really do. And I can't wait to be a guest on Al's show. COSTELLO: Do you think you will be?

BOORTZ: No.

COSTELLO: You could ask him to be a guest on your show.

BOORTZ: Anytime. Listen, I've asked him to host the show when I go on vacation.

COSTELLO: Really?

BOORTZ: Yes, but they won't do it, because we won't give him control over the phone calls.

COSTELLO: Well, no kidding. Neal Boortz, you're going to come back next Tuesday. We appreciate your being here.

BOORTZ: With bells on.

COSTELLO: All right, thank you, Neal.

BOORTZ: OK.

COSTELLO: Well, let's move on to legal matters of the morning. A sexual molestation case that's certainly playing around the world is back in the spotlight this morning, as is the gesturing juror in the Tyco case.

Time for some "Coffey Talk" now. Our legal analyst, Kendall Coffey, live on the phone from Middlebury, Vermont.

Good morning.

KENDALL COFFEY, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: Hey, good morning, Carol.

COSTELLO: Let's start with the Michael Jackson case. A grand jury has been convened. His young accuser may testify. What will that be like?

COFFEY: Well, it's obviously going to be something that they'll try to shelter as much as possible; hence, the controversy over the unwillingness of authorities to even tell the media where the grand jury is deliberating. Great sensitivity for a young accuser.

Meanwhile, Carol, this whole process is going to enable the prosecution to strengthen up the case, which many had thought in recent months had more than a few holes in it.

COSTELLO: How much evidence, Kendall, needs to be presented for this to go to trial?

COFFEY: Not a lot, because it takes 12 of the 19 grand jurors, and they're still not using a reasonable doubt standard.

But here's what's going to be critical, Carol. They will now have the ability to subpoena end witnesses who might be reluctant to testify against Michael Jackson. Present perhaps and former employees, and the accuser from over 10 or 11 years ago, who is probably under a confidentiality agreement but could provide some of the most important and damaging testimony of all if, in fact, this accuser -- now apparently 24 -- comes in and testifies, one, that something very similar happened to him in 1993, and, two, he got paid $20 or $25 million to keep quiet about it.

COSTELLO: It should be interesting.

Let's move on to the Tyco trial now. Jurors name -- a jury member's name made public, possibly she gestured to defense attorneys. The judge says mistrial declared. But should there have been a mistrial declared?

COFFEY: Close call. I think that there is going to be a big issue on appeal if, in fact, there is a conviction. But here's what we should watch for in the next day or two. If, in fact, right after the judge had spoken to that juror, the jury had come back unanimously convict, it would have been seen as something that was coercing the jury. But if we get notes, if we get another day or so of what appears to be thoughtful deliberation, then I think there could actually be a guilty verdict that survives on appeal.

COSTELLO: Really?

COFFEY: Still a very close call.

COSTELLO: Do you think it will be a hung jury?

COFFEY: Well, the sense most people are predicting is a hung jury, but never forget, it went 10 days of deliberation in the Arthur Andersen obstruction trial. Obviously, a close case there, too. The jury came back with a guilty, and whether it's 8 days, 9 days or 10 days, the guilty still means the same consequence. In this case, it would mean a lot of jail time for the former executives of Tyco.

COSTELLO: All right, Kendall Coffey, many thanks to you -- live from Vermont this morning.

We want to take a short break. We'll be back with much more on DAYBREAK for a Tuesday.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Godzilla has a first hit, Jason Giambi knocked the first homer out of the big egg, and baseball is under way.

Far, far away from home, joining me and Chad to talk about baseball's opening day in Japan is veteran sports announcer, Tony Schiavone, who is currently -- he currently works on Atlanta Braves broadcast. We hear you all the time, and welcome to DAYBREAK. We appreciate you being here.