Allred and Taylor Disagree--Agreeably

The angry white male may be a political anachronism these days, but it remains a staple of talk radio, even in left-leaning Los Angeles.

But what about the angry white female? It’s a fair description of feminist attorney Gloria Allred, who, after years of hosting shows on the fringe of local radio (nights and weekends), has moved into the early afternoon (1 to 3 p.m.) weekdays on KABC-AM (790).

In the past, for the most part liberal females have stood as good a chance of being elected mayor of Montgomery, Ala., as of hosting a radio talk show in the medium’s prime hours. So it comes as no surprise that Allred’s promotion to daytime is tempered by her pairing with (hold the drumroll) a conservative while male, albeit one who seems to keep his anger in check most days.

That would be Mark Taylor, who has followed a Rush Limbaugh-like path into the talk format, starting off as a deejay, most recently at KBIG-FM (104.3). Politics was in his blood, however, and, even after a quarter of a century on the other side of the dial, Taylor was itching for AM.

But his background made him a tough sell as a solo talker, just as Allred’s politics kept her from having her own weekday show. In short, he needed credibility and Allred needed, well, softening, in the words of KABC program director Erik Braverman, who paired the two as fill-ins on the station’s morning show last summer.

“I had heard them both individually, and something was missing, particularly in the case of Gloria, whose style can be rather tenacious,” said Braverman, of the attorney probably best known recently for client Denise Brown, sister of Nicole Brown Simpson, whose gruesome killing led to a criminal and then civil trial against her ex-husband O.J. Simpson. “I wanted someone who could sort of tame her style and give her some more credibility as a radio person.”

Granted, Allred’s style would play well on AM if her politics were more to the right. “The nature of AM radio is that more of the listeners are conservative males, and they want to listen to someone who espouses their views,” Braverman said.

That trend may be changing, though, particularly with a new administration in charge of the White House. Dissent always plays better on the air, according to Braverman.

“We have conducted field research that shows listeners want to hear different perspectives,” he said. Besides Allred, Braverman also made overtures to former KABC host (and self-described progressive) Michael Jackson, although he opted instead for a morning slot on KLAC-AM (570).

The “he said, she said” pairing of Allred and Taylor may not be revolutionary, but ratings have been on the rise since their show premiered in November. It’s the conservative Taylor who credits their success in part to a more welcoming attitude toward liberals.

“There’s a liberal element coming back to this station, and I like it,” he said. “I hear more liberals calling in KABC than anywhere else. I think all-conservative talk is dated.”

Allred sure hopes so. Although she’s not hurting for work (maintaining her law practice and appearing almost ad nauseam as a guest on the all-news cable channels), radio remains a frontier she has yet to conquer.

“I disagree with the conventional mind-set about liberals, that we can’t be entertaining or provocative,” Allred said. “And I also don’t buy the premise that most of the listeners are conservative white males. I’d argue that callers may not always be reflective of who the audience truly is.”

As evidence of her determination to succeed on the air, Allred is all smiles as her cohort describes her as playful and fun-loving, the way Regis Philbin used to talk about Kathie Lee Gifford. Those who have followed Allred’s career know that about the only thing she has in common with Gifford is that each was a subject of parody on “Saturday Night Live.”

“We’re seeing a side of Gloria that you didn’t see when she was by herself on the air,” Taylor said. “And this is more true to the person that I know. When I first met her, I didn’t expect the warmth and humor that I’ve come to appreciate. And my conservative friends were in disbelief when I’d tell them that we really do get along. Don’t ask me why, but we’ve had a natural chemistry from the start.”

A softer Allred is in keeping with the tone of their show, which is lower in decibels than, say, CNN’s “Crossfire” or Fox’s “Hannity and Colmes.” Does that signify yet another changing trend in radio?

“I think so,” Taylor said. “The days of shouting over one another [are] passed, I think.”

Adds Allred: “We’re more interested in calmly discussing issues than trying to win an argument. I think that’s helped us get where we are today.”

And their journey may not stop at KABC. Both freely admit that they would like to take their show to a wider market. “There’s other [media] we can shine on, and we’re exploring those,” Taylor said.

Allred mentions syndication, noting that there are no progressives on the national airwaves. And Taylor senses a potential television presence for the duo.

“There’s no show like ours on TV now, one with a male and female offering differing viewpoints,” he said.

The more immediate challenge remains locally, where Allred knows she still has something to prove.

“This isn’t just about me; it’s about promoting more women on talk radio,” she said. “You’re talking about women in a nontraditional area. And in the industry at large, a lot of the decisions have been made by men. There’s been a bias against strong women on the air, and maybe it is audience-generated. But the sample is small. I mean, not many women have even been given the chance.”

Well, there is the notorious Laura Schlessinger who, coincidentally, airs opposite Allred-Taylor on KFI-AM (640).

“Popcorn for the mind,” said Allred dismissively.

* Gloria Allred and Mark Taylor can be heard weekdays from 1 to 3 p.m. on KABC-AM (790).