Does anyone know why Randi is complaining so openly about

[wanpete]

how Air America doesn't support her? She said something to the effect today that her working conditions are horrid and she only does the show out of her committment to her listeners.

What's going on there? Is she setting us up for a possible jump from AA to some other progressive outlet?

Just wondering....:shrug:

[Mr_Spock]

1. This isn't the first time she's complained about the situation there

I wonder why she is so unhappy?

[jsamuel]

2. I have been silent for a while about this and the truth is that she is

letting her ego get a hold of her. It really took when a christian caller (who didn't like curse words and wouldn't listen to any other host on AAR) praised her like she was the second coming. A person with good self checking would have reminded themselves that they are not any better than anyone else. However, Randi went to commercial and ever since has been a positive part of the "team", but has let her ego start to overflow the cause. She has been talking over guests on OUR SIDE more and more recently not even allowing those to make a point because she wants to make it for them (not on purpose, but because she gets too excited).

[KittyWampus]

3. what a diva... and how unprofessional. which is ironic cause she touts

herself as being such a professional.

[cascadiance]

4. Maybe she misses us folks from Sirius!

Sirius still needs to fill it's new progressive channel. We can only hope!

[cloud75]

5. She has been complaining since day one on AAR...i think she has a

rivalry with Al Franken...he gets a lot more pub than she does...i hope she doesn't leave she IS awesome.

[getmeouttahere]

6. There's nothing I hate more than when these radio hosts...

talk over callers. Don't fucking take calls if you're going to do that. You're no better than any of the RW fucks if you do that. Especially since they wouldn't do that to their RW buddies.

[etherealtruth]

20. Agreed

[Cleita]

7. She said they need a business plan and

on a more mundane level, she said she needed air conditioning. I understand New York can be really hot in the summer. I hope they solve their business problems. I find AAR keeps me sane. I wonder why Al isn't complaining. Does he have a different arrangement?

[LoKnLoD]

12. I used to listen to her in Florida way back

Before she was doing political stuff, she complained back then too. It's just her personality.

[NYCGirl]

14. He's in a different studio, provided by the Sundance Channel,

so they can film him and Katherine for the show every day.

[Liberal In Texas]

15. Ooooh, yeah. Al built himself a new studio in ANOTHER building.

This may have something to do with Sundance and the requirements for the lights and cameras etc. I'll bet AAR didn't pay for it.

[Tinksrival]

8. What happened to Tim? the sidekick?

Just wondering?

[jane_pippin]

9. It seems like it's about promotion/advertising...

As in she as a radio vet isn't given as much as Al or Janeane who are not radio vets, or that Air America itself isn't being properly advertised/promoted. She put a lot of herself into AAR so she might have a valid complaint. I don't know that on the air is the best place to lodge it.

I hope it gets worked out.

[Jane Austin]

21. She has a different kind of contract from the others, IIRC.

Seems like she has outside contract with Clear Channel or something like that.

Maybe AAR thinks they should share the publicity or something.

Just a thought.

[jane_pippin]

25. Now that you mention it I do recall her talking about that.

I get the impression that she thinks neither are being promoted as agressively or with as much savvy as they should and could be.

Maybe AAR/Clear Channel isn't holding up their end of the bargain? :shrug:

I wish I lived in a city that got her show on the radio so I could judge for myself how she and the other shows the station carry are promoted.

[wanpete]

10. I will admit that it seems she has some type of competitive rivalry

with Al Franken because she references him all of the time and how he has "people" and she is just a staff of 4 or 5.

I also agree that she talks over caller WAY too much. So often, callers are on our side and trying to make wonderful, passionate points and she just talks all over them and does not allow them to get in a word edgewise. I know that part of her personality is that she can be brash. But if she doesn't ever want to let callers make points, she should just stop taking calls. But taking calls gives others a chance to make useful informative points about the various topics of the day.

Maybe she is becoming a victim of her own Divahood....

[Talismom]

13. I've been thinking that for a while now. She's bright and with it but

when a caller, particularly another female, agrees with her and starts to make a statement she hardly ever lets the caller get a full sentence out without interrupting. It's been getting me so frustrated that as I'm walking down the street listening, I've been yelling out, "Damn, would you let her finish a sentence please!" When I realize that it's getting to me, I switch stations or turn it off. It's just too frustrating. I've called in to Morning Sedition and Mike Malloy and had very warm and funny conversations and felt respected, but I would never subject myself to Rhandi's treatment.

By the way, I'm the same age she is and have been following politics closely for just about as long as she has. Even though I've learned a lot from her, I have had some insights of my own, but wouldn't risk the aggravation.

[Synnical]

11. Randi isn't going anywhere

I'm a long time listener - I'm in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. She's complained about her studio in NYC since she moved there. But, she's pushed and wanted to be syndicated for years.

Other posters mention her "ego". Criminy, she's always had it. One has to have one to stand four hours a day of live talk radio. That's twenty hours a week of intense (national) conversation. Notice most other hosts on AAR only do three hours a day and many have co-hosts.

Randi is Randi. Don't like her? Turn her off.

I applaud her efforts. She IS "Fact Based" and totally honest. She admits when she is wrong and apologizes when she offends.

Yes, she steps all over her callers. That's Randi. Don't like it? Get your own show. (Good "luck" with that.)

My biggest complaint with Randi is that she repeats herself over and over and over again. Since I've been listening to her for years, sometimes, I too, have to switch channels.

My two cents. But, I gotta say, I love her.

-Cindy in Fort Lauderdale

[wanpete]

16. Randi is totally fact based and knows her stuff no doubt

and Lord knows we all know how long it's taken to even get the progressive voices on the airwaves after years of listening to wingnuts everywhere.

But I do sense that there is a consensus that Randi needs to let her callers make their points. Obviously, she has to keep the repugs that call in check and smack them down when they try to start stupid stuff. But there have been countless callers who want to make points that I, as a listener, really want to hear and she WILL NOT allow them to talk.

If she is so happy to finally be syndicated, show some appreciation for the listeners who put her there and listen to them for a change.

[Jane Austin]

17. The way she speaks about her colleagues is

really unprofessional.

Makes me cringe and change the station.

[bonzotex]

18. Randi's shtick is that she isn't neutral about anything

She complains about a million things big and small and she praises the hell out of other people and actions. She rambles, she tirades, she rants and she gushes and adores certain people and things. It's talk radio. She talks over callers just like the wingnut blowhards. It's her show. Don't read more into it than that.

People think AAR has to be some perfect vehicle for liberal causes and it's not and never will be. Right wing hate radio doesn't really do as much for the Repugs as people think either.

Randi is ok with me and I think AAR in general is doing a great job. Don't expect too much from it though. Best it can do is get people thinking and provide a dissident voice to counter the wingnut radio domination. Randi and the other AAR shows are doing that pretty well.

[walldude]

19. On that HBO special about AAR

it looked to me like she was treated like a redheaded step-child. Until she started getting the ratings. I worked 16 years in the same job before I had had enough of their bullshit to quit. Who knows whats going on behind the scenes.

[justgamma]

22. I think Randi is upset

because her show is the only show that is broken up on most stations.

[SouthernDem2004]

23. Sirius is forming a new Left stream. Hmmmm maybe? /nt

[Rainscents]

24. You listen to every talk show host, every one them complains!!!

So please, don't pick on Randi!

I sometime think people here DU complain to complain! If it wasn't for AAR, we would all be fucking complaining about how we wish we had liberal radio. Now we have liberal radio station, we still complain!

[Mr_Spock]

26. No, her complaints are rather personal and make you feel uncomfortable

I know what you're saying about DU attacking people (only people with a complaint post), but her complaints ON AIR seem to be heartfelt and personal and they make me feel uncomfortable.

[wanpete]

27. nothing ever wrong with constructive criticism...

isn't part of being a progressive the right to think and have an opinion??

[tinfoilinfor2005]

28. All I know is, when I hear her voice I start to smile.

I just really like to listen to her. Calls are not her strong suite. She probably shouldn't do them because she is genius at just ranting solo. And I think she likes that best anyway.

[AnnInLa]

29. I like her alot....but,

I, too, can't stand the way she talks over everyone. They'll advertise some special guest that she's going to interview, and I think, "Oh great...can't wait to hear him/her." But, I never get to hear what the guest thinks or says, because Randi is always talking. I used to try to listen to Crossfire sometimes, but I'd just grab the remote and change channels when they got so loud and talked over each other, I couldn't stand it! Now, I have to do the same to Randi sometime...just can't stand to listen to her most of the time.

At first, I wasn't too impressed with Springer...but, he grows on you, and now I listen to him all the time. I think he is very intelligent, and I love how respectful he is to his callers. I never thought I'd be addicted to Jerry Springer, of all people...go figure.