Air America Ceasing Live Programming This Afternoon

[swag]

Source: Air America

It is with the greatest regret, on behalf of our Board, that we must announce that Air America Media is ceasing its live programming operations as of this afternoon, and that the Company will file soon under Chapter 7 of the Bankruptcy Code to carry out an orderly winding-down of the business.

The very difficult economic environment has had a significant impact on Air America's business. This past year has seen a "perfect storm" in the media industry generally. National and local advertising revenues have fallen drastically, causing many media companies nationwide to fold or seek bankruptcy protection. From large to small, recent bankruptcies like Citadel Broadcasting and closures like that of the industry's long-time trade publication Radio and Records have signaled that these are very difficult and rapidly changing times.

Those companies that remain are facing audience fragmentation as a result of new media technologies, are often saddled with crushing debt, and have generally found it difficult to obtain operating or investment capital from traditional sources of funding. In this climate, our painstaking search for new investors has come close several times right up into this week, but ultimately fell short of success.

With radio industry ad revenues down for 10 consecutive quarters, and reportedly off 21% in 2009, signs of improvement have consisted of hoping things will be less bad. And though Internet/new media revenues are projected to grow, our expanding online efforts face the same monetization and profitability challenges in the short term confronting the Web operations of most media companies


Read more: http://airamerica.com/

[MinneapolisMatt]

1. What a shitty week.

:grr:

[peacetalksforall]

30. My exact thoughts. I can't take much more.

[mzmolly]

31. Totally.

UGH.

[totodeinhere]

43. Well, maybe it's better to get all of the shitty stuff out of the way in one week,

rather than stretching it out. I know that's scant consolation.

[CLANG]

102. You are such a uplifting totodeinhere!

Either suck it up, or give up! I've been the latter, and the former is ultimately so much better! I empathize with all my fellow liberals, but we have no choice other than persevere, or surrender our children's futures to the winds of fascism, with no more than a whimper.

[keysersoeze]

83. Why?

You actually expected AA to survive?

It's a miracle (or an immense waste of money) it lasted THIS long.

[CLANG]

103. I hope your pizza tastes really shitty.

[bdamomma]

149. it's been a shitty 22 days of the new year.

[geiger]

2. RIP. eom.

[Bragi]

3. Any other bad news out there?

Let's make this the worst week since Nov. 2004.

[Kolesar]

10. You are still here

How's that?

[onehandle]

4. Ed Schultz, Thom Hartmann and others are still doing well.

Air America's bad programming choices and Al Franken moving on ended my listening a long time ago.

[regnaD kciN]

11. Hartmann is Air America...

...although he owns his programming and syndicates it through them, so he might be able to find a new syndicator.

I'm wondering what will happen to local progressive stations like AM1090. Over the years, they had shifted more and more of their programming from AAR to Jones (Stephanie Miller, Schultz, Norman Goldman) and others (Mike Malloy) but they still have Hartmann and local host Ron Reagan in major blocs. If they can't get programming from AAR for those, I have no idea what they'll do.

[onehandle]

20. No, He left last year.

'On March 1, 2009, Hartmann moved syndication of his show from Air America to the former Jones Network, now owned by Dial Global (which also syndicates Neal Boortz, Ed Schultz, Michael Smerconish, Bill Press, Stephanie Miller, and Clark Howard). Starting in the summer of 2009, Hartmann's show also joined the Pacifica Radio network for syndication to non-profit and community broadcasting stations, and is now carried on Pacifica affiliates across the US, in Europe, and on the African continent.'

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thom_Hartmann

[keysersoeze]

73. No, They Are Not

Schultz and Hartmanns ratings in major markets pretty much suck. They're in the middle of the pack at the very best. Even in the most progressive cities like New York, DC and Chicago, neither of them gets a fraction of Limbaugh's audience.

GRieve all you want, but don't resort to self-depeption. Liberal talk is failing badly.

[crazyjoe]

76. oh boy, here we go.

[keysersoeze]

79. Um, care to elaborate?

Or do you have a problem with inconvenient facts?

[zonkers]

135. Air America is kind of like the ABA of Political Radio and Ed Schultz is Doctor J.

[Robb]

5. I thought they had declared bankruptcy once before?

Ech.

[regnaD kciN]

8. That was for reorganization...

This one's Chapter 7 -- i.e. turning off the lights and going home.

[24601]

115. Not sure, but that might have been Ch 11 for reorg instead of total

liquidation under Ch 7.

[wuushew]

6. Does this mean ALL the local affiliates are likewise shuting down?

I can't stream Malloy in the car.

[regnaD kciN]

22. Not necessarily, but who knows?

The "local affiliates" are almost always independent entities or subsidiaries of other companies who license content from AAR, the Jones network, etc., etc. Theoretically, they should be able to survive. However, who knows whether their owners might decide "this proves there's no market for progressive radio" and switch formats?

For example, my local station (AM 1090 Seattle) is owned by CBS radio, and airs a mixture of Jones and AAR programming. Ominously, though, I just called them to ask if they were going to continue as a progressive talk station, and the first person I spoke to couldn't say for sure. She forwarded me to someone in programming -- but that person was "in a meeting," and all I got was his voice mail. (So far, they have nothing on their website about it -- but AAR's demise would leave them with several large blocks of dead air to fill.)

[totodeinhere]

41. I'm not sure if AA owns any of their affiliates outright.

But any affiliate that they don't own, and that might be either all or most of them, can stay on the air but they would have to find other programming.

[keysersoeze]

75. It Does Not.

Air America owns no stations. It was a syndicator. All of the local affiliates can keep on going any way they want.

THe problem is, most of them will likely drop "progressive" talk, becuase it's just not making it in the market. Even Schultz and Miller are doing pretty poorly, although Schultz's overhead is so low he can turn a profit no matter what.

You'll likely see a lot of stations going the way "Obama 1260" in Washington DC did; first dropping AA and adding some conservative shows along with Schultz, and then dropping Schultz. Conservative talk radio makes a lot of money; progressive talk is doing very badly.

[Strelnikov_]

91. There is a lot of money to be made in servicing the needs of the power elites

Speaking truth to power, on the other hand, not so much.

[keysersoeze]

99. So let me get this straight

You thought *Air America* spoke "truth to power?"

They were no different than Limbaugh and Hannity, with two exceptions:

1) They agreed with us, and

2) they sucked.

[Strelnikov_]

101. Yes. Limbaugh, Hannity et.al. are propagandists on the payroll of the power elite

They have large numbers because of the number of stations they are on. They are on many stations because of the corporate power elite funneling money to their bought and paid for propagandists through advertising buys.

Sorry, but thats the way it is.

Conversely, hosts Maddow, Seder, Malloy, Rhodes spoke truth to power daily.

[keysersoeze]

112. So what you're saying is...

...that "power elites" and their spending are what forces people to listen to Limbaugh et al?

And their high revenues are a result of their number of stations - but Limbaugh and Hannity also get better audience numbers per station, as in *many times better*, than any liberal host.

Please explain how "power elites" control listening habits.

"Sorry, but thats the way it is."

Well no. But saying it is certainly easier than confronting the fact that Air America was an inferior product.

[Strelnikov_]

152. When the oligarchs saturate the airwaves with their propagandists

It is hard not to have large numbers.

Yes, many do listen because they like the content. Racism, misogyny, fear, and economic elitism appeals to 30%+ of the population. Those types have always been there, and will be for the foreseeable future.

But to advance the proposition that there is no market for liberal talk is, well, idiotic. We are a 40-20-40 nation, and that is being liberal giving the knuckle dragger's 40%. So, with a 40/40 split, does it make sense that nearly all talk is right-wing? Ok, I can buy that the format may appeal to reichproles more than liberals, and that they have a few talented radio hosts. But nearly all to nearly none? Sorry, there are other forces than the 'market' at play here.

I'm sure talk radio in the Soviet Union also had a lot of listenership, and some probably even liked it.

[toopers]

169. Sorry, but there are too many choices on radio . . .

to support your theory. The correct theory is that we do not need to listen to people to form opinions. However, most repugs can't think on their own and need guidance to accomplish the most mundane tasks (use the bathroom, put food on fork -- put fork in mouth, etc.).

[PBass]

142. Obvious troll here ^^^

You think Hannity doesn't suck? It sounds like he's reading everything he says (and reading badly). For all I know, he IS reading because he's dumber than a box of rocks. Hannity basically parrots the Wingnut talking points, he adds no insight of his own.

Rush is a genius in comparison to Hannity and is a good radio host, even though his politics and personality are repulsive.

Enjoy your stay at DU.

[OffWithTheirHeads]

7. Then why am I listening to Randi right now?

Here?
http://www.green960.com/mediaplayer/?station=KKGN-AM&action=listenlive&channel_title=

[regnaD kciN]

12. Randi Rhodes hasn't been with AAR for years...

She had a falling-out with them in 2008, and moved on.

[Illuminated]

34. Sure that wasnt a falling down? /rimshot

Thanks, I'll be here all week. Try the veal.

[LiberalEsto]

50. She's on the Washington DC AA station

AM 1050.

Our soon-to-be-former Air America station.

:cry:

[keysersoeze]

71. Attention, Numbnutses

NOT ALL PROGRESSIVE PROGRAMMING IS AIR AMERICA.

Randy Rhodes and Thom Hartmann LEFT AIR AMERICA years ago.

Ed Schultz and Stephanie Whatsherface never were on AA.

Some of you people are stupid enough to be Bush voters.

[LiberalEsto]

153. There is no need to be rude

Randi Rhodes (she spells her first name with an i) did a daily show on the Washington DC Air America station, AM 1050, even though she left the Air America network. I've been listening to her show for months.

If you can't be civil to others, maybe you shouldn't be on DU.

[mopinko]

14. randi hasn't been aar for a while

she may be on an affiliate, but she was canned by the flagship.

[mopinko]

15. i can't believe the number of democratic candidates that DIDN'T run ads on

aar. starting with john fucking kerry.

[cadmium]

78. If you mean 2004, AAR was not on the air when

Kerry was running. They started after that election. Anyway Kerry 2004 campaign manager Shrum totally mishandled his radio presence. They botched that. Kerry is very good on the radio, but even Imus had a hard time getting him on during the campaign.

[keysersoeze]

80. Sorry, but that's incorrect.

Air America started in March of 2004.

[cadmium]

84. you're right. I had no

ability to listen to them until soon after 04 election - so my memory was off. I do know that Kerry had very little input into what he did or didnt do with radio. That was a campaign manager decision--he was being jetted around the country constantly -- I imagine if a campaign staffer asked him if he wanted to advertise on AAR he probably would have said yes. It is ascribing a lot of power to the candidate to say that he would come up with this on his own.

[keysersoeze]

85. True.

And in all honesty, the decision not to buy time on AA had (I suspect) nothing to do wiht AA hosts going off the reservation, and a lot more to do with the fact that the network got no ratings, and even THOSE numbers were preaching to the choir. Think about it; if there was anyone listening to AA, they weren't going to vote for a non-progressive anyway. Why advertise to them - the whole network was exactly that.

[mopinko]

106. he did interviews. he knew all about them.

if he needed bob shrum to tell him that he needed to support independent media, when he was on it, then......

[w4rma]

86. Welcome to DU, keysersoeze! (nt)

:hi:

[mopinko]

105. no. wrong.

they were totally on the air, well before the election. i have been pissed about this since then. they were struggling, and johnny deep pockets could have made a big difference. but i never heard a peep. and i don't mean interviews. those he did. i mean ads.
no other candidates that i recall, either.

[jillan]

9. I cannot believe there isn't some liberal billionaire out that doesn't invest in Progressive Radio.

It makes no sense to me - maybe someone could explain it to me.

This is all we have. Why do the repigs own the radio stations?

[PHIMG]

18. They did...Mark Green's brother.

Mark Green's brother...he had a show on the network...he's big in Manhattan real estate....if not a billionaire then close. He bought AAR and tried to turn it around.

I think this is more a case of a bunch of people trying to make it big in radio and failing. They didn't treat thier talent well and made bad decision like hiring Lionel who has a voice that makes my skin crawl. The launch lineup was very good but one by one they alienated thier talent.

AAR will be remembered for launching the national career of Rachel Maddow and that's about it.

[regnaD kciN]

23. What? As a charity case?

Several "liberal billionaires" (or at least millionaires) have owned/funded AAR for years...and all of them have wound up walking away.

[naaman fletcher]

29. Nobody invests with bad management..

The fact that Rhodes, Schultz and others have had success on other stations proves that the concept is viable, but that management sucked.

[GreenTea]

45. The reason they are billionaires is they don't make silly from the gut emotional business decisions

[w4rma]

90. Rev. Moon has "invested" in the never once made a dime of money Washington Times, forever. (nt)

[keysersoeze]

92. Moon breaks even...

...or close enough to it that the losses are acceptable.

[bagimin]

104. What ISN'T an accecptable loss

for a zillionaire cult leader? Murdoch's deep deep pockets allegedly kept faux news
afloat for many moons.

[PBass]

143. Keyser Soeze: OBVIOUS TROLL here ^^^

The Washington Times loses MILLIONS of dollars a year.

Not only are you a troll, you're a dumbass too.

[HillGal]

160. Why are people trolls when they post something that people disagree with? NT

NT

[Codeine]

72. Because right-wing radio is popular

and makes a shedload of money. Progressive talk doesn't. I listened to AAR some and found it teeth-grindingly bad.

Radio ain't as easy as people make it out to be.

[keysersoeze]

93. Wrong on many levels

For starters, republicans don't "own" all the radio stations; quite a few are liberals. But for the most part they keep their politics out of their business decisions; turning a profit is the only belief that matters. And conservative talk turns profits. Progressive talk doesn't, never has, and probably never will (outside perhaps Ed Schultz, and you can't build a whole station much less a network around one show).

Don't go blaming fantasies; focus on the real problem. Progressives are terrible radio entertainers.

[w4rma]

97. You are wrong, keysersoeze. Randi Rhodes is quite popular and money making.

To name one. There are many more as most people here know.

[keysersoeze]

114. Rhodes...

...did adequately in some markets. She got killed in many others. If she were popular and made money, she'd be syndicated as widely and successfully as Schultz and Miller.

Look, believe what you want. Weeks like this past week are at least in part due to the fact that progressives are masters at persuading themselves that something that walks, talks and smells like a duck, is a goose.

[Xenotime]

136. Why doens't Warren Buffett take it over?!?!

He is the richest lib out there.

[LTR]

139. Because throwing money into anything radio-related in 2010 is like tossing money down a sinkhole

The business is doing terribly right now, and I'm surprised AAR stuck around as long as it did.

[paulsby]

166. warren buffett is a "value investor"

i've read his book on investing, as well as his mentor, graham.

why would a value investor invest in a risky, unproven investment with little value?

seriously.

[NeeDeep]

13. Thank you Air America

I remember well when Air America came to Phoenix Az, it was a like cool spring day in the desert, so refreshing to hear the truth. There was nothing available for us antiwar types and it was a rally point for the station when Katrina hit with hundreds of donations that we stacked to the ceiling. What a shame, I am sad.

[newtothegame]

16. Let's work on this rationally.

Of course, most of the posts will be about the conspiracy against liberal radio, media conglomeration, "corporate america," etc.

I truly believe this can be a beneficial learning experience though. Our product wasn't selling. The American people were not buying what we were selling. Why? And what can we do about it?

[izzybeans]

24. The model wasn't right imo. The shows were the same all day long.

So the built in audience was divided up among their favorite hosts. By the same I mean the topics they discussed were pretty much the same. If tuned in to learn something new, one show or two in the morning and you pretty much covered the full range of topics that would be discussed during the day. It dilutes the programming and forces people to turn it off and look for something else to do while they wait for their favorite host to come on.

You need to keep people listening most of the day and that requires more diversity...and I don't mean ideological diversity, I mean including other things progressives want to hear and learn about (music, art, international news, education, etc).

[newtothegame]

27. very, very true. n/t

[KoKo]

67. People listen to Rush Limpballs...for HOURS EVERY DAY...They can't get enough!

So what was wrong with AA unless it was our OWN DEMS wanting it to Shut Down?

:shrug:

[keysersoeze]

74. What was wrong with it...

...is that progressive talk acts like evangelists, while conservative talk acts like entertainers. AA's big problem was that they were all - every one of them - awful to listen to.

[CLANG]

107. You mean...

Progressive talk speaks to the reality of the issues, and the conservative seditionists lie through their teeth, right?

[keysersoeze]

116. I mean...

...that progressives talk radio is usually very condescending and nannyish.

I got insulted listening to an endless series of hosts - Maron, Rhodes, Malloy, Garofalo, even Franken sometimes - that sounded more like fundie preachers than radio hosts. They were dull, shrill and yes, boring.

If they were conservatives, they wouldn't have lasted a year.

[CLANG]

117. I have to wonder why you felt insulted.

You use a lot of republican talking points.

[keysersoeze]

119. If you'd like to take the easy way out...

...and call them "Republican Talking Points", that's your choice. I happen to know the industry. You can delude yourself by retreating into fantasy, or you can shoot for learning the truth.

What's it gonna be?

[CLANG]

122. I already know the truth - about you.

[izzybeans]

132. .

:rofl: and rightwing talk isn't condescending. That's all they do, all day long.

[Yupster]

133. I thought Franken did a good job and was pretty thoughtful

I couldn't listen to Garafolo though I tried many times. Her arguments were wholly lacking in logic. I found myself arguing against her in the car even though she was agreeing with my position.

She just did it so illogically that I would end up disagreeing with her -- and hence myself.

Since that didn't make any sense I started just turning her off.

[izzybeans]

131. People who listen to limpballs have nothing else going for them.

That's why his rhetoric is so attractive for them.

[bullwinkle428]

25. They treated their talented voices like shit, so they went on to success

elsewhere and left AAR to wallow in their own incompetency.

[cadmium]

95. Aside from Ron Reagan Jr. It was mostly just a

libertarian antiestablishment station in the end with a few bones to progressive/liberal positions.

I'll miss the Ron Reagan show a bit. That was useful to throw in the face of my Reagan worshipping right wing cousins.

[mzmolly]

33. Why? Because many of AAR's hosts started turning on Democrats

perhaps?

[newtothegame]

37. Astute observation. n/t

[cadmium]

81. totally. It is like the alternative

free papers. They start out progressive then they get taken over by shadowy conglomerates that take the easy anti-establishment libertarian approach to bash anyone in government. It is a formula for deteriorating liberal media for yrs

[CLANG]

108. We shouldn't confuse AAR with liberals/progressives in general.

They had a megaphone, but not a movement.

[Bluenorthwest]

44. I reject your premise. Their product wasn't selling.

We, the target portion of the American people that they needed, were not buying what they were selling. Their failure had nothing to do with the content of their programming, and much to do with who they hired, who they fired, power trips, a resistance to new ideas and new talent, a desire to emulate their rivals in ways that dictate the form and style of their programming, greed, bad tax advise, and all of those things and more which are subsets of 'the did not know the radio biz'.
What they were selling was ad time. And that was the product they could not move. Many here will marvel that candidates did not advertise on AAR, but that is a crazy idea, their on air talent could not be trusted.
And about that talent. Well, as bad as management was, that whole lot of people ranged from hacks to high talents, but none of them were in it for anything but themselves. Franken excluded. And others but in general, it was all about getting on TV, all about getting more money.
So sorry, but they were a train wreck, in a purely business way.
They made every mistake in the book, as if they were following a list of mistakes, checking them off, just to get them all in before the moving vans eventually came round....

[mzmolly]

48. Honestly, I had shit reception in a major metro.

I'm not sure how that would attract investors. :crazy:

[jgraz]

17. It could have been so great

It was strangled in the crib by a series of incompetent CEOs.

[Kolesar]

19. And Bill Moyers Journal and Now are being dropped from PBS TV

Liberal alert! Write to PBS!!

[KoKo]

68. Our Dem's Pattern....Fund, Use and Abuse, Take Away Funding and

once Repugs get "Upper Hand" ...say that Dems just aren't popular and no one wants to listen to them.

Shut down all Dem Sites...go over to MSNBC to put a few Straw Dogs out there and VOILA! You have Dem/Progressive Media!

And, BTW...make sure you fund PBS/NPR when Repugs are in Power...and then CUT OFF THE FUNDS once DEMS take POWER.

It's been a "winning situation" for UNREGULATED MEDIA since the REAGAN REVOLUTION.

SAME OLD CRAP WE DEMS LIVE WITH...I shouldn't say DEMS ...but the "Party that's to the LEFT of DEMS."

CUT US OFF AT THE KNEES...saying we have no VOICE...but that's AFTER we VOTE FOR DEMS!

[CLANG]

109. Goddess, I couldn't agree with you more! n/t

[drm604]

21. They lost my interest years ago,

but it still is sad.

As another poster said, what a shitty week.

I should be happy right now, I finally found a job, but I feel like the rest of the world is falling down around me.

[CLANG]

110. One battle at a time, my friend. You have given me some inspiration.

We truly have to "keep hope alive".

[WoodyD]

26. Radio's a tough business these days

My hubby's been in radio for over 25 years. He's lucky to still have a job, but it's tough. Just this month his company dropped its insurance plan, which was the only benefit the employees received. Advertising is way down. Just a couple of years ago the station group was quite profitable. Now it's a month-to-month struggle to keep the stations on the air.

A lot of the Air America personalities have moved on. They have their own syndicated shows, they're on MSNBC, or they're kicking ass in the U.S. Senate.

ETA I think Bill Moyers is actually retiring. He'll be missed. He's the best in the business.

[CLANG]

111. Sending love to you and yours!

:pals: :hug:

[Edgewater_Joe]

28. Progressive Talk Is Dead? Long Live Progressive Talk

Air America is gone - but progressive talk outlets and hosts are still out there in various shapes and sizes. The only show that's affected by what I listen to is Ron Reagan - and in a half hour I'll find out what WCPT will do with that time slot (I wonder if Randi will come back there after all ...)

It's sad, but only for a moment.

[Doctor_J]

57. we still have things to listen to most of the day.

I can listen to Steph & Thom & TYT & Malloy

[Nuclear Unicorn]

32. Because SCOTUS Couldn't Kill What Little Voice We Had Left

The monopolies killed this "person".

[1]

35. and the hits just keep on coming...

[jotsy]

52. and a comin'.

[Smashcut]

36. Fuck. I used to love "The Majority Report"

I guess with stars like Garofolo and Franken gone it's harder to attract advertisers.

This sucks.

[paulsby]

167. franken was great imo

but garafolo was terrible.

she does bad radio

[grace0418]

38. And yet fuckwads like Rush Limbaugh make millions. How can that many people

be so stupid? I just don't get it.

[totodeinhere]

42. It's maddening isn't it? n/t

[newtothegame]

49. It probably failed because of attitudes like that.

You're not going to attract anyone to a business if they are "stupid" because they don't like your product. Our arrogance costs us a lot, and not just in radio.

[grace0418]

53. I'm sorry, but anyone who thinks that Rush Limbaugh is worth listening to is either a bigot,

stupid, willfully ignorant, or some combination of each. I'm not talking about the difference between two well-informed but opposing viewpoints on a subject. I'm talking about Rush Limbaugh, who spews nothing but lies and vitriol. I wasn't referring to people who choose not to listen to Air America for whatever reason, but about people who choose to buy the crap that Limbaugh is selling.

[keysersoeze]

77. The previous poster had it right.

This attitude is not only EXACTLY why Limbaugh kicks progressive talkers' asses, but why we are losing elections; that boundless sense of entitlement and superiority. If we THINK we're smarter/better/cuter than conservatives, it's hubris, and it'll backfire.

Just like it did all this week. Because of attitudes like all of yours.

[grace0418]

118. I never said anything about conservatives as a whole, unless you think all conservatives

listen to Rush Limbaugh. And where are you getting that I have a sense of entitlement because I think Rush Limbaugh and his dittoheads are bile-spewing nitwits? What dots are you connecting there? What do I have to feel entitled about in regards to Rush Limbaugh?

I will admit that I do think that everyone with a functioning brain IS superior to Rush Limbaugh and his minions. But I'd like you to point out where I made that statement about conservatives as a whole. Please, show me, because I don't recall writing that. In fact what I did say was that I *wasn't* talking about the difference between two well-informed but opposing viewpoints, but about Rush Limbaugh. There are conservatives that have well-informed opinions, even if I disagree with their viewpoints. Rush's listeners are not those people.

In my opinion, what really backfires all the time for Dems/liberals/progressives is that we back down when people like Rush Limbaugh start filling the airwaves with their lies and their hate and their vitriol. We let them shout us down because we don't call them on their shit nearly enough.

So HELL YEAH, I have an attitude. I have no fucking patience for ignorant bigots and liars.

[RZM]

140. That's just silly

You'd probably be surprised at the number of progressives who listen to Rush, Hannity, or Michael Savage regularly. I know several that do, not because they agree, but because they find it entertaining. Whenever I'm driving long distances I often tune in to Rush myself (particularly when I'm in the middle of nowhere and AM stuff is the only thing I'm getting). I usually get a kick out of it, though that's also probably because I only listen rarely.

It's just my opinion, but I think that painting those on the right (yes, even Rush listeners) with broad-brushes decreases the chances of ever changing minds or working together. I know what you're going to say . . . 'If they listen to Rush, their minds are already made up.' That may be true, but just look at it this way. I'll bet that you are not easily swayed from progressive positions by arguments from the right, just as Rush listeners aren't easily swayed. But are you going to be more favorably-disposed to somebody who respects your beliefs, or somebody who calls you stupid?

[grace0418]

154. I cannot and will not respect the beliefs of bigots. Sorry.

I disagree with you here, but I respect you're beliefs–even though you called me silly, which is one step above stupid, the very thing you berated me for saying.

I don't respect the beliefs of Nazis, or religious fundamentalists who think it's okay to murder abortion doctors, or nutjobs that hold "God Hates Fags" signs outside funerals, or dudes who fly planes into buildings either. There's a difference between differing but valid viewpoints on a subject and viewpoints that are fundamentally wrong. It's simply not okay to think that people of color, women, homosexuals, the poor, etc. are lesser human beings that don't deserve human rights. Worse yet, Rush and Michael Savage and Ann Coulter and the like often call for violence towards those they deem lesser human beings and their followers cheer them on. Blatant lying, sexism, racism, homophobia, and calls for violence are not okay, and those who engage in such do not get a pass from me in the hopes they might change their minds somewhere down the road.

I guess I'm just not one of those people who think that rabid right-wing views (not general conservative views, but the Rush Limbaugh kind of shit) are opposite but equal to liberal views and should be quietly tolerated. No I'm not easily swayed from progressive positions. Why? Because progressive viewpoints already embrace differences of opinion as long as everyone respects that there are certain lines that should not be crossed. And no matter how stupid/ignorant/bigoted I think and say the views of the right-wing Dittoheads are, I still don't call for their murder and dismemberment like rabid right-wingers do about liberals.

Lastly, I know a few progressives that listen to Rush on occasion too, for entertainment or to find out what his latest lie is, but I have a hard time believing they figure very highly in his ratings numbers. On air ratings are still measured via certain listeners' diaries, like Nielson families without the box. I doubt that if any progressives happen to be ratings people for Arbitron, and happen listen to Rush on occasion, that they would be giving him the satisfaction of boosting his ratings by reporting it in their diaries. Those who listen on satellite radio are measured, but I still don't think they figure very highly. And anyway, any progressive who might read my words about Rush Limbaugh listeners would be smart enough to know I'm referring to those who buy into Rush's bullshit.

[paulsby]

168. i have to agree

i have a relative who is VERY smart, and a big rush fan. frankly, i listened, and found rush boring. i like malloy (in small doses. his schtick gets old), and think schultz is great. rush was ok at best.

but she loves him. and she is NOT stupid.

[CLANG]

113. Maybe cuz you have a working brain?

[grace0418]

120. Well apparently my working brain gives me

a sense of entitlement and hubris that I shouldn't have. Apparently, Rush and his listeners are all on the verge of becoming liberals but my bad attitude towards them is going to make them vote Republican instead.

:eyes:

[CLANG]

123. You got it!

:applause: :beer: :spank: :rofl:

[bdamomma]

150. there is a saying I heard.

Americans are the biggest BS'ers and the easiest to BS, sounds pretty true to me.

[grace0418]

158. LOL! Good one!

:hi:

[peacetalksforall]

39. Air America paid for some of our favorites, not all of them. In some cities

AA was carried by existing stations. And some of the hosts will continue to be heard in some cities.

It may be time to work locally within broadcasting area coverage to ask for more sponsorship for those like Ed Schultz, Randi, and Thom.

I don't think it's all dead for us and there are so many shining stars that were born - just by sitting in for the original stars. Just by local voices becoming national voices. Maybe it is impossible for them to fade away now, but all those thousands of Christian stations are not going to pick up on these people - it is going to be splotchy.

I am very sorry. Very sad. I relied on the shows even though some of the things about the local station that carried them really bugged me.

There is no one live on the station I listen to for the rest of the day, so I don't know the gossip.

I had no clue. When they had the problem before there was a lot of talk and gossip.

Can you all post what the stars say - especially Randi - I am not awake when she is on where I live. Air American doesn't own the station here.

I wonder if the Greens tried to find a new buyer.

I feel like I am suffocating for all the bad news of the week.

Think about all the numbers and stations for the likes of the Limbaughs.

[keysersoeze]

82. Think about it, indeed.

Not only do Limbaugh, Hannity and Beck completely crush progressive competition, but in fact Clear Channel Radio (which indirectly owns Limbaugh, Hannity and Beck) WAS the best distribution deal Air America ever got, playing shows like Franken's as a combo with other conservative programmming.

Ironic, isn't it; if it weren't for LImbaugh's network, Air America probably would have died long ago.

[Go2Peace]

127. Your a freeper. I don't buy the concern troll

Maybe if you had some other posts on other topics. Why is this so important to you to prove?

Limbaugh is a good entertainer? If your a fascist you might buy that. His "schtick" is not much different than liberal radio. And you are full of shit with your comments that it cannot make money, your analysis uses a little truth and a lot of bias, a sign of a conservative troll. Get lost

[CLANG]

147. You pegged the bastid!

[Baclava]

40. Blame Obama

You know you want to

[GreenTea]

46. Good-bye Air America Radio - Next up - Destroying Internet Neutrality!

Republicans are trying to do this by letting their corporations (AT&T Verizon, etc.) do the dirty work for them, by getting legislation passed allowing corporations to charge and untimely control what content will cost and what content they will be allowed on the Internet and the corporations will go along with it because they stand to make huge profits....Just look at how Comcast censors cable & the Internet to their subscribers....is there FSTV (Free speech Television) on Comcast cable? Soon the republicans & corporations hope it will all be law.

Help fight it!
http://www.savetheinternet.com/

[KoKo]

69. Oh Yes...that's Definitely NEXT...On the Agenda the whole time.

What BUSH II didn't achieve ...it seems the "Clean Up Crew" is willing to shovel.

[pstokely]

47. They either fired their best hosts or their best hosts left

Nothing on XM167 is Air America programming. I haven't listened to any AAR shows since they fired Randi. Blame the management

[thereismore]

51. I was just thinking: shit happens in threes: Brown, SCOTUS, and what else? Air America!

Shit shit absolute shit.

[DainBramaged]

54. The pukes win yet again..................

fuck me.

[Joey Liberal]

55. I quit listening when Randi left

It's still a bummer though.

[Xenotime]

137. Where is she now? We need her more than ever.

[RoccoR5955]

56. RIP Air America,

I listened from day zero. So much for a "liberal" radio network.

[Pab Sungenis]

58. The real Air America died ages ago.

It started when "Morning Sedition" and "Unfiltered" were forced out. By the time Randi and Mike were both fired and Rachel's show just became a rebroadcast of television, Air America had essentially become the Terri Schiavo of radio networks.

They should have unplugged it ages ago.

[NecklyTyler]

59. Anyone ever heard of a McDonnell Douglas DC-1 or a DC-2?

The first cut at a successful product does not always achieve wide market share. McDonnell Douglas recognized that their DC-2 had potential, but was not economical viable, so they redesigned it to the remarkably successful DC-3.

Don't give up on Progressive Radio, it is entirely possible to have network by building on the lessons from AAR

[byronius]

60. I almost left when Randi left, but then stayed for Break Room Live.

Which was an awesome show, goddamn work of art, gets my vote for best new media period.

When they canned BRL, I lost all interest. There was just nothing left for me there.

Still, I remember the old days. When they first launched, it was breathtaking. I listened five or six hours a day.

Even to the commercials. And I hate commercials.

[Strelnikov_]

70. When BRL was dropped that was the end for me too.

That was a great show.

[cadmium]

96. break room live (internet only) was a great show -- canceled in July nt

[madrchsod]

61. meanwhile....

http://www.chicagoprogressivetalk.com/ is growing! the station is owned by a long time chicago radio guy that knows the chicago market.

three fm frequencies and a am station. bill press to ron reagan. after ron it`s chicago house music! weekend programming is talk,humor,gardening,and other "Left radio personalities"

the am switches at sunset and where i`m at i get right wing am 820 out of dallas.

left radio needs owners and good advertising sales people....

[Sienna86]

63. Love WCPT

It is my companion for the long commute.

[madrchsod]

66. it`s on the computer,the radio in the other rooms ,and the garage!

then at night i can dance to the house music till bill comes on in the morning!

[LaPera]

62. It was a nice six year run I listened off & on in the six years-I guess they needed steady listeners

AAR went on the air on March 31, 2004 - I'm sorry to see AAR go...we need as many liberals on the air as possible.

[rooboy]

64. If it means the end of Lionel, then good. n/t

[stlsaxman]

145. AMEN!

[Christa]

65. I am just about ready to chew on my wrists

I really don't now how much more I can take - not only is my personal life falling apart but everything else as well.


:argh:

[keysersoeze]

89. Not to be judgmental...

...but perhaps you need to broaden your perspective just a bit? It's just a business going under.

[Name removed]

87. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[alp227]

88. Scott Brown, Citizens United v. FEC, and now THIS.

I'm gonna be sadder than a spoiled white suburban middle school girl limping into a theater to watch New Moon. Oh wait, (rim shot)

Meanwhile, Rush Limbaugh, Michael Savage, Sean Hannity, and other ill-informed conservatives still are motivated by the naivety of the American public and the high ratings to pollute the airwaves and American opinion.

So many thoughts circle my mind. Had Reagan kept the Fairness Doctrine intact, maybe Air America would've still been in business and maybe have been founded earlier. This is the problem with deregulating the media and relaxing ownership caps. The media gets stupider and focused more on corporate profit than informing the public. And pretty soon, PBS's Friday night journalism shows Bill Moyers Journal and NOW will be off the air. This is just one of the many consequences I've seen of limited government. Previously, there were a passive government response to Hurricane Katrina, lead in toys (made with cheap labor by and imported from China), the banks nearly crashing, and a doomed housing market. And now conservative radio will keep enjoying its excessive privilege over the airwaves.

Until the FCC decides to intervene and bring back the ownership caps, radio is doomed. Most of the time, I listen to Talk of the Nation and All Things Considered for my radio diet. Not just liberal (sane) radio but also music radio has been screwed in recent years.

[keysersoeze]

94. Nope

"Meanwhile, Rush Limbaugh, Michael Savage, Sean Hannity, and other ill-informed conservatives still are motivated by the naivety of the American public and the high ratings to pollute the airwaves and American opinion."

that sort of contempt for the opposition is EXACTLY why the Democrats lost in Mass, Jersey, Virginia and all across the talk radio market. Will progressives never learn?

"So many thoughts circle my mind. Had Reagan kept the Fairness Doctrine intact, maybe Air America would've still been in business and maybe have been founded earlier."

Nope. Most station management avoided political talk altogether during the Doctrine. There'd have been NO Air America without deregulation.

[alp227]

98. So are you saying that "contempt of conservative" caused Democrats to lose?

When Democrats have been biting with their gums on health care? All over DU you'll find signs of a Democratic Party that has fallen apart and is not solidly progressive.

Oh and thank you about clarifying radio and politics during the Fairness Doctrine era. So what would be a good, practical solution to ensure opinion expressed on radio is well-informed and balanced? (Err, a better way to term this: Is it possible to balanced smart liberal and conservative opinions, when there can be only one truth?)

[keysersoeze]

100. It's a part of it.

A big part.

"When Democrats have been biting with their gums on health care? All over DU you'll find signs of a Democratic Party that has fallen apart and is not solidly progressive."

Right. That's part of it too. But the contempt for conservatives is *everywhere*; it crosses over into genuine hatred all over the place (all over DU!). IT helped galvanize the response we've seen this past few months.

"Is it possible to balanced smart liberal and conservative opinions, when there can be only one truth?"

The truth is only obtained through vigorous debate. "Balance" is a funciton of whomever makes themselves heard the best.

[CLANG]

121. And there is absolutely no contempt for liberals by conservatives?

Right.:crazy: :rofl:

[Go2Peace]

128. Your complaining because people here hate conservatives? What kind of democrat are you?

[grace0418]

157. No kind.

Methinks.

[Plucketeer]

134. Yoo-HOOOO..

Beck's on now. You're missin' 'im! :rofl:

[fishwax]

124. your lecturing progressives about "contempt for the opposition" when your profile comment is

"taking our nation back from all the assholes"? :rofl:

[Strelnikov_]

125. There be a reek of tea bag n/t

[Go2Peace]

130. That's because the "assholes" he means are liberals. He's a freeper

[grace0418]

156. I noticed that too. When he was lecturing me about my bad attitude towards

rabid right wing nutjobs. :eyes:

[BurtWorm]

126. I loved listening to them in their first two years

but I guess I'm one of the reasons they're off the air now. After Al Franken left, then Chuck D and Liz Winstead and Jeneanne Garafolo and Mike Malloy... they lost me.

[Xenotime]

138. Agreed. They took on bush and called him on all his bullshit.

[bunkerbuster1]

163. True, it became harder to care about what happened to them.

There was a time, though, when it was absolutely essential listening. It made dealing with the second Bush term somewhat less suicide-inducing.

[Adenoid_Hynkel]

129. AAR died sometime between when they canned Malloy and when they ditched Seder for Lionel

The entire founding crew of the network was gone, except rachel - and she has bigger and better things to occupy her time these days, anyway

Most mismanaged company ever.
Our progressive radio station dumped them a while back and went with Schultz and local progressives instead

[beardown]

141. Simple. Entertainment versus education.

I enjoy Portland's Karl (Carl?) in the morning and Hartmann because they have a nice presentation that respectfully challenges conservative guests and do very good interviews and a very good knowledge of the issues. Big Ed is okay some of the time and that's about it.

I think that the difference is that most right wing listeners want to have their beliefs reinforced with simple ideas and simple solutions (Reagan anybody). It's more like entertainment. I think that most left wing listeners want to be informed and that's more like education and school time. It's much easier to entertain a person by bolstering their beliefs with over the top stories, charges, and solutions than it is by pointing out the fiscal effects of a bill, article by article. The more entertaining, the more viewers and the more ads.

Early on after AA's start I said they'd have a tough time. I made the comparison that how many profitable strip clubs for men are there compared to how many profitable ones there are for women? Same basic concept, but with a totally different target audience.

The repubs are good at campaigning because they present simple ideas and solutions that help their voters feel better about their own self serving beliefs and they are very bad at governing because their simple ideas don't work in the real world.

[PBass]

144. Now that they're gone, there is room for somebody else...

I agree with all the comments about mismanagement. It was like they were TRYING to run it into the ground. The last group of clowns (Richard Greene etc) seemed to be totally clueless. Of course, Richard gave himself his own show... what a tool.

Even when they had a great lineup, they were totally mismanaged. Remember their big ad campaign: "Bushed?" Worst ads ever. And they seemed to fire or let go all their best people... Mike Malloy, Marc Maron, Lizz Winstead, Randi Rhodes, Sam Seder. They replaced them with idiots like Jerry Springer and Montel Williams.

Maybe now it's possible for another network, properly managed, to make a stab at it. It's really a dying business though... everything seems to be going to cable (XM or Sirius). The real trick is getting the big advertisers to pay for commercial air time, and of course many of the big corps don't want to support liberal talk radio, because they have conservative values.

[leveymg]

146. Irony is, SCOTUS just opened up the floodgate for corporate political ad revenues for media

which play by the rules of private industry. How come the downturn didn't kill Rush and Faux?

[realFedUp]

148. Sad and awful news. What else can happen this week? n/t

[captain jack]

151. There's no money in the Peoples concerns. Anyway, shouldn't you be working! n/t

[ihelpu2see]

155. I listened from the beginning. So sad to see it shut down... Here in CT

all we get is 1080 the Rush and Hannity show and the morning show is in love with Lieberman and the Idea that Dodd is retiring.... Maybe I'll start my own Pirate Radio.. How would one go about doing that?

[Jefferson23]

159. Sad and sorry to hear this. n/t

[AlphaCentauri]

161. the battle of conscience versus market /eom

[bunkerbuster1]

162. While I was down to only occasional listens via the web

I sure do have fond memories of their early days, and a glorious year of programming here in metro Atlanta. And flashes of greatness endured.

I don't think there will ever be a better radio show than Morning Sedition.

I don't think anyone else will top Rachel Maddow for a news analysis show on the radio.

I don't think anyone will ever eviscerate the Sunday talkshow bobble-heads as did Sam Seder.

I don't think I'll ever forget the great stuff Maron and Seder did in the run-up to the 2008 election.

Bless you for what you did, AAR.

[DeadEyeDyck]

164. k & r

[bunkerbuster1]

165. K&r ing 2

AAR, however you feel about what it became and the business decisions it made over the years, deserves to be recognized for what it contributed to our base in terms of energy and enthusiasm.

[underpants]

170. OY! Franken's show was the best talk radio show by far....ever

Randi was good. I didn't listen to the night time shows at all so I don't know about that-Maddow seems to have done well

They had a bad business model (buying whole radio stations) and out right theft at the beginning

AND

talk radio is built to appeal to angry white guys stuck in traffic and giving them something to lash out at namely "liberals"

Also NPR (Morning Addition is #2 behind Rush in listeners) already existed and reached the market AAR was after as well as right-down-the-middle-moderates. Democracy Now also taps into the left left listeners.

Franken's show was great. Smart, funny, informative.

[karacarina]

171. Rant radio

is tailor-made for dittoheads. It's harder to tap into impotent rage when the people who listen are actually thinking