Tom Blumer at Bizzyblog thinks the blogosphere is cutting into the talk radio audience:

I believe the blogosphere has been taking listeners away from talk radio, and that the pace of this shift is accelerating. I believe it’s true on the left and the right, as Air America, having gained no meaningful traction during the election season, has fallen back as well.

The logic behind the decline is simple:

* Five-plus years ago, people listened to Rush, Liddy, and the rest to learn things the mainstream media either would not report, or would not emphasize.

* Today, those who follow the blogs have 24-7 access to alternative information. Many of us can predict what Rush, Hannity, Franken and the rest are going to talk about even before the show starts, and we can feel pretty confident that we won’t learn much that is new. So, why listen? Since the left-of-center blogosphere is just as active, one would expect that many of them feel the same way about Franken, Imus (whose program has gone through a steep decline), et al.

Speaking only for myself, I can say that almost all of my current talk radio listening occurs in the car and not in the office. Five-plus years ago, the ratio was about 50-50. Even in the car, when I get the sense that a topic I’m current with is going to beaten up, I turn the radio off.

I sense I am not alone in this. Perhaps more than one tipping point has been reached.

Blumer has links to recent news that bolsters his case. Interesting read.

Update: James Joyner has more on the D.C. talk radio scene.

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