Air America Goes Belly Up!

[vox populi]

The left is not imploding. It simply can't. Imploding implies that an object caves in upon itself, and the American left has lacked for nearly 40 years now the sort of stable center that would allow for the creation of anything like a black hole. We've long been far more fractured and ad hoc than the republican right simply because we have no universal rallying cry (like money or propinquity) to galvanize supporters. It's much easier to tease people with the promises of riches or to segregate them from others by demonizing dissenting voices as immoral, profane, and ungodly than it is to convince disparate groups of people that their personal advancement depends upon their ability to temporarily bracket their personal concerns for the sake of more distant advances (like demanding a living wage for service industry and retail workers or insuring that indigent families get access to health care and education).

Some of the people who have responded to this thread are absolutely correct that Air America's biggest failure was to create a cartoon version of the sort of ludicrous inanities that people like Laura Schlessinger, Rush Limbaugh, and Don Imus piss forth daily on the radio. Al Franken, as much as I appreciate his sincerity, should have been far more straight-forward and far less a clown in order to sell his point of view. But Air America itself should not have depended as heavily as it has upon someone like Franken to put forward a counterweight to conservative oversimplifications and jingoist bullshitting if only because all that clowning diminshes the seriousness of the problems at hand for anyone who does not have a stock portfolio or even a healthy 401K plan.

Let's also not be so stupid as to identify the American left with the well being of Air America Radio. People like Amy Goodman and Greg Pallast are still ready and willing to muckrake and shame conservatives along with the sleazy underlings of our corporatocracy whenever they can. An American leftist media infrastructure is also coming to fruition through the work of numerous bloggers and watchdog websites like Media Matters, the Progressive States network, and the Center for American Progress among others. Leftist and liberal voices are beginning to take the same sort of Maoist approach to media that the republican right (and its parasitic evangelical offspring) has been bleeding dry for 20 years.

Sorry to disappoint anyone, but with or without Air America, the battle rages on.

 

[Nokturne]

Um no. Air America isn't going anywhere -- even if they do decide to file. In fact, they just released the new line up of talent. They've switched up a few time slots and got rid of a few radio personalities. Unfortunately Malloy did get a bum deal -- but they've also yanked Springer too (thankfully).

6 - 9 Turks
9-12 Seder
12-3 Franken
3-6 Randi
6-8 Maddow
8-9 Bender
9-10 ?

 

[vox populi]

In the course of all this discussion of Air America versus the clear channel thinking of the right, I forgot to ask: what the fuck is a "Moon Bat idea"? What in hell is that supposed to mean?

 

[smelter]

And if conservatives were right about more than 12% of what they spout, perhaps they'd have reason to be 'certain of themselves' as well...

This reminded me of the line in Al Franken's book, Rush Limbaugh is a Big Fat Idiot: "If you ask me, the man who has the easiest job in America is Rush Limbaugh's fact checker."

 

[ipippini]

hmmm.... so I am confused. According to my count, i have heard on 6 seperate occations that air america had gone bankrupt and was closing. But it still exists. but i am that this time, THIS TIME is definately the one! This time it is actually true and not just a load of bullcrap, right? so next week if I turn on my radio and air america is still there, all of you who are saying it is bankrupting will go cliff diving in the grand canyon, correct?

 

[wentworth]

Liberal syndicated talk show, Air America is going through a major re-organization to include bankruptcy. Five employees are being let go. I didn't know they actually had five employees to let go!

So why has this happened? Are the Moon Bat Left ideas so unpalatable to the American public? I've listened and it really is quite depressing. They have nothing nice to say about this country. Or, are they just really abysmal business people?

Cheer up, there's still NPR!

http://thinkprogress.org/2006/09/13/air-america-bankruptcy

Hahaha....
(Maaan, you just don't care, do you?)
You just looove to get dirty don't you?
I've got to hand it to you. You came into the belly of the beast (this forum) and stirred up fire directly.

Some of us have been wounded for far less.
Haha. More power to you.

 

[wentworth]

I never thought it was a good idea. I listened to it once, on the first day it was on the air, as I drove to NYC. On that day they seemed to be trying to imitate conservative radio, kind of a bizzaro world reflection of Bill O'Reilly. It just didn't work.

There is no liberal ideology, liberals are not struggling to justify fondly held myths and prejudices, we don't need to propagandize ourselves, they can even handle contrary opinions. What "liberals" want is the facts and the truth so that they can make up their own mind, they don't need 24/7 thought reinforcement.

Radio is not a good medium for thoughtful, rational people. It is no accident that the right favors "hot" or low participation media like radio and written polemics, very little thought required.

Now that's hilarious!
For linerals, all contrary opinion is "hate speech".

 

[OtterJoq]

Now that's hilarious!
For linerals, all contrary opinion is "hate speech".

linerals???

 

[wentworth]

linerals???

Haha...I was worked up with laughter; what can I say?

 

[NickCole]

I stopped listening to Air America because it bored me listening to essentially the same viewpoint all the time. I like to hear both sides of an argument because it forces both sides to defend their positions.

Any radio or tv show dependent on advertising dollars is going to have to be sensationalistic to some extent, and, generally speaking, the more sensational, the more successful. Clearly, right wingers enjoy listening to someone repeat inflammatory talking points with lots of spittle and derogatory catchphrases about opponents. Seems that liberals are less attracted to rage and nastiness. Right wing radio calls those with opposing views unpatriotic and un-American. Fascists love that kind of rhetoric but it just won't play with liberals.

And what the hell is a Moon Bat, some derogatory term coined right wing radio?! Maybe Rush came up with it while he was on oxycontin?

 

[jkirk3000]

Rush may be a right-wing drug abusing wingnut, but he sure is a rich right-wing drug abusing wingnut!

And presumably it's his ratings that have made him rich. Something Air America was never able to attain. It does make you wonder though - was the programming that poor that they couldn't reach their target audience, or does the target audience not listen to talk radio? I wonder what kind of marketing survey they did before they even started up. Whoever did it should be fired(which is a mute point if they go under)!

 

[Homoaffectional]

Brent Budowsky Bio

10.15.2006 The Fall Of Air America and A Bold Prediction For The Future (15 comments )

READ MORE: Warren Buffett


Disclosure: I have never had any business relationship with Air America, do not have any such relationship today, know various financial players who might participate in its future, and readers should consider that I reserve the right to possibly have some future business interest.
The Hosts: I have written hyper-critically in the past about the management, ownership and corporate governance of Air America and have made suggestions publicly and privately that obviously were not taken up.


However, these criticisms have never been directed at the hosts, many of whom do a fine job, some of whom are outstanding, all of whom are collectively well above the average of political talk radio. Some of my own favorites include Randi Rhodes, Al Franken (who has received some criticism I personally believe is unfair), Laura Flanders, Thom Hartmann, Sam Seder, Mark Riley (the best morning show in the biz), Rachel Maddow, Robert Kennedy Jr. and Pap. Anyone who has not heard them, should check them out on the dail.
Next, regarding the departure of Mike Malloy. Mike and I have had some differences, but the manner of his departure only proves that those who call themselves liberal can be just as unprofessional, self-destructive and rude as those who call themselves conservative.
Mike is a bit further to the left that I am, but his voice is a voice that deserves to be heard, and his stature in the industry alone, should have demanded far more respectful and more professional treatment than he received, which reflected larger problems with the way Air America was run.
I am very confident that this note will find its way to the bankruptcy judge through one means or another. And I intend to write to the judge directly to offer some views at length, either as part of a financial group taking a role, or independently offering an informed opinion and suggestions going forward.
For now, some summary points:
1. It is an absolute disgrace that going into an historic national election Air America has been mired in management and ownership myopia, self-indulgence and ulterior agendas. Air America should have played a far more powerful role, and this far more powerful role should have been good for business as well as good for America.
2. I believe in progressive talk radio and I absolutely predict that when this is over, Air America or its successor will emerge in a far more powerful and strong position than ever. To use Warren Buffett's term, the numbers I have seen publicly, dramatically understate the intrinsic value of what Air America should be worth as a going concern, with the proper business plan, management and governance.
3. Absolutely no new money should be offered or committed under any circumstances, beyond keeping the hosts on the air, without aggressive and extreme reforms of corporate governance based on commonly accepted, highly professional and totally transparent "governors" and "rules of governance".
4. Absolutely no new money should be offered or committed under any circumstances, beyond keeping the hosts on the air, without a first rate management team with clear CEO leadership with a proven track record, clear marketing and public relations expertise and plans led by executives with experience and records of success.
5. Absolutely no new money should be offered or committed under any circumstances, beyond keeping the hosts on the air, without a clear, visionary, aggressive, comprehensive and transparent business plan that integrates progressive talk radio and its audience, with other elements of the progressive communities in win-win entertainment, transactional and financial relationships.
6. Specifically, for progressive talk radio to be a truly viable and successful business model and going concern, there must be strong integration between the audio world of radio progressives and the internet world of on-line progressives. These win-win relationships would increase the audience and eyeball power of both progressive radio and the progessive blogs and create mutually beneficial revenue streams for both.
7. Never again should hosts be expected to run around like beggars with tin cups seeking their own sources of sponsorship and capital. This is demeaning, absurd, unprofessional and ridiculous. Air America must reach out to a larger audience, and have both internal and vendor capacities to attract advertisors and sponsors. The host's job is to host; while the management's job is to manage.
8. There should be a comprehensive corporate culture of reaching out to potential large new audiences such as Hispanic, African American, labor, progressive religious denominations and military families receptive to new ideas and new sources of radio support. With these new and larger audiences, there should be corrolary new win-win relationships with their media, including African American and Hispanic television and radio through joint projects and audience cross- promotion and cross-marketing.
There is downside and upside to Chapter 11 and the Debtor-in-Possession formula. The downside is that it is slow and cumbersome at its worst, the upside is that the Court will try in good faith to do the right thing, from a professional point of view, and those with the most egregious ulterior motives and agendas are, I predict, in for a rude awakening while those with the most effective and viable new business plans will have the advantage. What has happened is a shame, but what is done, is done. I predict the future of progressive radio is greater than ever, based on the strategies mentioned here, and would welcome any and all public comment and, I suspect, private reactions.



Link.

 

[JayHawk]

Air America just couldn't attrack the audience numbers they needed.

Right wingers need to be told what to think, who to hate, who to vote for, so talk radio really works for the audience's authoritarian needs. Progressives and moderates think for themselves and don't need that sort of stuff.

SO thats why they can't come up with one clear voice. The party of the stubborn jack ass. ALways wanting to go different directions.


Air AMerica failed cause it was nothing more than hate speech and whining. People get that from their jobs or their kids, they can't shut those down the meal ticket or the family so the radio station has to change.

Side note: Air America wasn't a upstart. Sorrows(sic) paid for its existence.

 

[JayHawk]

hmmm.... so I am confused. According to my count, i have heard on 6 seperate occations that air america had gone bankrupt and was closing. But it still exists. but i am that this time, THIS TIME is definately the one! This time it is actually true and not just a load of bullcrap, right? so next week if I turn on my radio and air america is still there, all of you who are saying it is bankrupting will go cliff diving in the grand canyon, correct?

It has been in the tank that many times.

George Soros keeps it afloat each time.

BTW United just emerged from bankruptcy. Bankrupt isn't closed in America. It is protection from collection.

 

[JayHawk]

Now, now, enough with the derogatory comments and so-called "Value judgements." It's just these kinds of statements that make our right-wing patriots get 'tho up 'thet, why, 'tho up 'thet that they start threads titled, "Why You Are Not Posting in Politics?"

It's unfair to suggest Mr. Limbaugh is a drug user, much less a drug addict. I think he's an UltraPatriot and HE LOVES AMERICA! Mr. Limbaugh enjoys a wide audience with our Right Wing Gay Patriots and I just don't think it's wise to offend them.

HEY EVERYBODY! LET'S LISTEN TO RUSH! LET'S GET OUR TRUTH INJECTION FOR THE DAY!
​

This flag approved by Joe Lieberman​

ALPO! Did you not take your meds this morning?

 

[OtterJoq]

Air AMerica failed cause it was nothing more than hate speech and whining.

If that were true, Limbaugh, Coulter, O'Reilly, Hannity and (Michael, not Dan) Savage would be unemployed.

 

[Homoaffectional]

If that were true, Limbaugh, Coulter, O'Reilly, Hannity and (Michael, not Dan) Savage would be unemployed.

EXACTLY!!! Thanks for calling them on their hypocrisy.

 

[OtterJoq]

EXACTLY!!! Thanks for calling them on their hypocrisy.

You're quite welcome, but to be honest, today's GOP almost makes it impossible to NOT expose their hypocrisy.

Thank God the polls show that America is finally wising up. The numbers in MN look great; the RNC has all but abandoned its support of Mark Kennedy, once considered an "easy win."

The Grand Old Pedophiles' house of cards is crumbling fast...and I couldn't be more amused.

 

[JJFlame]

Would you rather listen to whining or attacking for hours on end?

Lefties whine about how bad the righties are fucking up the country.

Righties attack and mock lefties for thinking differently than they do.

Both sides tend to do alot of bitching and moaning actually, which is why I stay away from talk radio.

 

[Homoaffectional]

Would you rather listen to whining or attacking for hours on end?

Righties attack and mock lefties for thinking differently than they do.

Both sides tend to do alot of bitching and moaning actually, which is why I stay away from talk radio.

Perhaps. Sometimes it does even get too much for me, and I only tune in occassionally. I would personally be happy to endorse the shutting down of *all* talk radio if the wingnuts across the nation would give up their hours of propaganda, courtesy of fat-ass drug addict Rush Limbaugh, closet gay Michael Savage, perpetually annoying Sean Hannity, and the rest... good luck with that, though.

Unless a progressive course is charted for both the executive and legislative branches of the federal government (not to mention the judicial branch), I could see Air America being simply a predecessor to another liberal radio network.