Ron Reagan, Salon: Farewell, Air America, when we need it most

[Amerigo Vespucci]

Friday, Jan 22, 2010 20:23 EST
Farewell, Air America, when we need it most
It hurts to lose Ted Kennedy's Senate seat, healthcare reform and a progressive media voice all in the same week
By Ron Reagan

http://www.salon.com/news/media_criticism/index.html?story=/opinion/feature/2010/01/22/air_america



The conservative wing of the Supreme Court has brazenly revealed its corporatist agenda; President Obama may have found a populist voice with which to hector Wall Street; having given away Ted Kennedy’s old Senate seat to a former Cosmo centerfold, Democrats are preparing to roll over on health insurance reform; and without doubt, Rush Limbaugh is making a complete ass of himself. Yet, for the first time in over a year, I won’t be able to talk about any of this on the radio. Air America, the long-suffering progressive talk radio network that carried my show, is no more.

They pulled the plug Thursday afternoon, but the patient was a perennial intensive-care case. From its inception, the network faced an uphill fight. While right-wing talk radio enjoys enormous corporate support, lefty chat has always been a harder sell. Charlie Kirecker, the chairman of Air America Media, did his best to move mountains over the last few weeks, but it’s tough shoveling with a teaspoon. At times it looked as if investors might be found who could accept losses over the midterm in hopes that the company would eventually turn around and show a profit. In the end, though, what Charlie somewhat euphemistically called “a very difficult economic climate” combined with the tenuous prospects of talk radio in general and AA’s admittedly checkered history gave even the most promising suitors pause.

So, just when the left could use it most, a platform for progressive thought and opinion disappears.

These are strange days for the nation, the Democratic Party and progressives in particular. Having elected a fresh, dynamic, forward-thinking young president with a mandate for real systemic change, we’re seeing way too much of the same old same old. Democrats control both houses of Congress, yet seem incapable of overcoming minority party intransigence. Worse, there is growing suspicion they don’t really want to. An anonymous Senate staffer has sent an e-mail to the Web site Talking Points Memo observing that the mood among many elected Dems in the wake of Scott Brown’s victory in Massachusetts is one of relief -- now they have a ready excuse for failure. Are the words "cowardly" and "obscene" floating through your mind?

[Peregrine Took]

1. Ron Reagan - a class act. I hope to hear him in the future. n/t

[gateley]

9. He is indeed a class act. nt

[janet118]

24. I hope he takes the Franken path and runs for office . . .

the networks will never give him any air time. He's too friggin' honest.

[ChicagoSuz219]

25. Ron, move to Illinois...

...& run for Pres. Obama's old seat. It's friggin' golden... LOL

Seriously, I am in love with Ron Reagan. He's sooooooooo smart, actually listens to other people & then takes no prisoners in record time.

If MSNBC doesn't scoop him up, maybe the Obama Administration will.

A great mind is a terrible thing to waste...

[bullwinkle428]

2. Ron Reagan absolutely deserves another opportunity elsewhere.

It would be a damn shame if he didn't get one.

[BunkerHill24]

3. So, just when the left could use it most, a platform for progressive thought and opinion disappears"

Truer words have never been spoken, Sir.

[EFerrari]

4. We need you on the air, Ron!

:(

[gateley]

5. I think he's the only one affected on our local Seattle progressive talk station -

which is ironic since he lives in Seattle. I hope he finds a gig elsewhere - he was good.

The station is owned by CBS, I think - which I would think bodes well for progressive radio. A large corporation like that wouldn't have a station if it didn't bring in an audience, right?

[madrchsod]

15. maybe the guy who owns the company that employs bill,mama,ed,thom

will pick up ron....

[gateley]

20. Hope so -- they'll need somebody to fill that time slot -- why not Ron? nt

[Matariki]

16. I just heard him tonight (in Seattle) on my drive home.

:shrug:

[gateley]

17. I think tonight is the last night of Air America -- that may have been his

last show. :(

[tilsammans]

6. I'll miss Ron

I hope he'll be back somewhere else on radio real soon.

Ron, :yourock:

[rwheeler31]

7. Keep his voice out there it is important.

I hope the other progressive talkers hook him up.

[Terra Alta]

8. Ron Reagan is a decent man.

I would love to see him end up elsewhere...

Replacing Chrissy Matthews on MSNBC perhaps? Ron Reagan/Olbermann/Maddow.. now that would be one kick-ass lineup!

[Sebastian Doyle]

10. Hope he's back on the radio soon

Apparently Ring of Fire didn't miss a beat. They'll be on tomorrow as if nothing happened. Ron was the only other Air America show left worth saving.

[Smarmie Doofus]

11. Might want to consider public service right about now.

When a door closes......?


He'd be a pretty formidable candidate for just about anything.

[EmeraldCityGrl]

12. I am going to miss his show.

My car radio was always tuned to the Air America station. This is all very sad.

[madrchsod]

13. bill press,mama,big ed,and thom are kicking ass...

the left radio in a lot of markets are doing great. according to mama and the mooks air america management`s business model and it`s understanding of talk radio was woefully inadequate.

[Raine]

14. MSNBC should give Ron Reagan Matthew's time slot

Matthews has turned into a complete idiotic asshole, totally unwatchable. x(

[Terra Alta]

18. "turned into"?

wasn't Chrissy always a complete idiotic asshole?

I agree though Ron should get his slot.

[bdamomma]

19. Good idea, I would watch if Ron was on.

[Mike Nelson]

21. Ron Got Me Off...

work every day on time...
like Stephanie Miller got me up.
I sure will miss Ron.
I hope Stephanie stays.

[eridani]

22. I hear he's looking to get his show syndicated elsewhere

It originated on KTPK in Seattle, which is doing fine. Reagan's show is the only major show they have that is still affiliated with Air America. We still have Malloy, Hartmann, Big Ed, and Stephanie Miller.

[defendandprotect]

23. With so much else going on, it's difficult to say how important Air America has been . ..

Listening to the radio in the car is essential --

once you remove that for elite stations and stations only available thru internet

you are limiting the exposure and the information people need.

IMO, Randi Rhodes was fantastically effective in waking up people when she was at

Air America -- she was hard on Democrats -- just as many others rightly are --

from Nader to Jane Hamsher to many here at DU telling truth of their feelings about

the many disappointments!!

I never heard much of Ron Reagan but I liked him -- usually I got to hear him as we

changed over to more daylight and I was out later. Always intereting.

IMO, they worked very hard to get Randi out of Air America -- she suffered a strange

physical attack at one point -- and then a very odd swiftboating over HRC which made

little sense. She was finally for Obama -- but began to talk about how what we had

to do "as soon as we elected Obama and Dems" was to strengthen third parties as

competition to move the Dem Party to the left. Seemed like 3 or 4 months later she

was gone. I don't remember to tune into the station where she is now -- always forget!

When I do, too often there is someone filling in for her. And, too many commercials.

Haven't heard her in months at this point.

IMO, it's also nonsense that liberal/progressive radio can't support itself!

Rather, it is constantly being killed by right wing interests!