Huffington Post is reporting that liberal talk network, Air America will be bailed out of Chapter 11 bankruptcy after by Manhattan real estate developer Stephen L. Green, brother of erstwhile New York mayoral candidate, Mark Green.
Also, as widely predicted, top AAR talker Al Franken will leave the air to run for the US Senate in Minnesota against neocon Norm Coleman.
(Coleman, feeling the heat from a heated Franken candidacy, has separated himself from the Bush and his war escalation).
Popular Portland progressive pontificator, Thom Hartmann, who's show is already syndicated by AAR, will replace Franken on the network.
But Brian Maloney (rhymes with Baloney), and Bill O'Reiley (rhymes with Loofa) told me last year that they were going bankrupt and would never darken the air waves again after April 2006.
How am I to beleive your report over these two notables?
Posted by: JDB | January 29, 2007 at 11:49 AM
I hope with the infusion of cash, that in the not so distant future they will be able to amp up their signals!
Posted by: sparky | January 29, 2007 at 11:55 AM
AAR doesn't own any of the stations that carry their shows. Nothing about their finances has anything to do with the signal strength of their affiliates.
Now, if their content attracted large numbers of listeners, and if the stations they have were able to attract large numbers of enthusiastic advertisers, and if the advertising produced big returns for the clients, you might find more prestigious stations, with higher power levels signing on with the network.
Guess we'll see, eh?
Posted by: jb | January 29, 2007 at 01:23 PM
KPTK is a 50,000 watter, but the south gets more of a null, especially at night. A more sensitive radio like the Ccrane/Sangean, Grundigs would pull in more of a signal. I get KPOJ better sometimes than KPTK
Posted by: coiler | January 29, 2007 at 02:14 PM
AAR needs to get local shows to be competitive with the others. People want to hear the local stuff. Lord knows Seattle has it's share
Posted by: ballrdboy | January 29, 2007 at 03:25 PM
Try to get it now and then. Can liston to it on my way home from work for about 10 minutes. If I turn it on at the start of a commercial break, no since evan trying. I get on the freeway in Kent, by the time I get to Pacific it is gone. No signal at all when I get home to Parkland.
Oh well, I guess I get all of the knowledge I need from 570, 770 and 710.
Posted by: chucks | January 29, 2007 at 03:34 PM
SOME people, not all, want to hear local programming. Personally, I dont see what is left to be said about the viaduct, the monorail, light rail, traffic, parking, the cost of a latte, the floating bridges and "is Seattle a friendly or hostile city?"
Its a big yawn for those outside of King County.
Posted by: sparky | January 29, 2007 at 04:16 PM
Amen Sparky! I've never really understand the big draw of "live and local".
I would prefer to hear what others, in different parts of the country, are thinking about public figures and issues.
As you stated, we already know, pretty much, how "regional" locals feel about any given issue or politician.
Posted by: adc | January 29, 2007 at 06:14 PM
i stand corrected. lets see if air america can get out of bankruptcy. there must be a market for 'liberal' talk radio and it can only be good if competition is infused in the market place.
but jdb i think your gonna have a hard time proving that maloney was wrong. after all, air america is currently in bankruptcy.
Posted by: pugetsound | January 29, 2007 at 06:50 PM
FOX news had to shell out $11 per cable subscriber to cable companies who refused to carry such filth. They lost something like $84 million the first few years. AAR will be ok, america is ready to see the right wing get their nuts crunched.
Posted by: coiler | January 29, 2007 at 07:00 PM
Who will The Radio Fertilizer get a woody over when Al goes off the air?
Minutes after "comedian" Al-Franken announced that he was leaving Air America for a presumed Senate race, the on-line publication In-tight (sorry, no link yet) reported that Al-Franken attended the Al-Wo-begone Madrassa in middle school in St. Paul in 1958.
It is generally known that Al-Franken is not Christian. In fact, it is reported that he is of Middle Eastern Origin, and has made several trips to Iraq and Afghanistan.
Minnesota Police Chief Marge Gunderson has initiated an investigation based on information that Al-Franken was seen feeding a mysterious object into a wood chipper.
The story has been picked up by Fox News, the NY Post, Drudge, Powerline, Michelle Malkin and the Friar's Club.
(snark provided by Daily Kos)
Posted by: sparky | January 29, 2007 at 07:02 PM
Al Franken is a bitter idiot. He isn't funny.
Left wing radio will never succeed because left wingers have better things to do with their time than sit around listening to a radio all day.
Posted by: Ryder | January 29, 2007 at 09:00 PM
Well I dont know about you, but I have to work during the day, and having the radio on in the background is quite pleasant. Also, when I am driving, I listen to the radio. I listen to the radio when I am cooking dinner and cleaning house and doing laundry.
Posted by: sparky | January 29, 2007 at 09:34 PM
Ryder's got his mom to do all that.:)
Posted by: joanie | January 29, 2007 at 10:04 PM
Why would anybody say that Al Franken is bitter? If you listen to him long, you know he's got a very low threshold for . . . I guess emotional pain.
He's a liberal. He doesn't hate everybody. I guess we live in a culture that finds hate and anger more comfortable and familiar than understanding, sensitivity and tenderness.
Too bad.
Posted by: joanie | January 29, 2007 at 10:09 PM
Ryder,
Most people don't listen to radio because it is lefty or righty. They listen to it because it is entertaining and engaging. The vast majority of listeners are somewhere near the middle.
The key to drawing audience away from conservative talk is to produce a better product. It has little to do with politics.
Posted by: Goldy | January 30, 2007 at 10:04 AM
Goldy,
I would agree and augment that with this:
Conservative talk does well in the urban archipelago because loneliness in large wingnut concentration breeds radio brand loyalty
Despite their constant crowing about red-state US values, the advert execs & hosts - conservative or not - don't give a rat's ass about
sparsly-populated red-state 'Merica. No people, no ratings, no revenue.
The dominant markets will always be the so-called liberal enclaves - NY, LA, Chi, SF, etc. They have less wingnuts by percentage, but more total numbers, and more concentrated in one area. Easy targets.
Posted by: mercifurious | January 30, 2007 at 10:29 AM
Al Franken's not liberal. Or I guess he is if you considered Eisenhower liberal.
Posted by: rosco | January 30, 2007 at 05:10 PM
he's a fuck of a lot more liberal than norm coleman.
Posted by: morty | January 30, 2007 at 05:53 PM
Huh. Produce a better product. Like Rush . . .
Most of my friends listen to AA . . . but, most of my friends are liberal.
I'm wondering the percentage of people who are curious and like information as opposed to the percentage that will listen to drivel if it is entertaining?
Of course, it has to be entertaining . . . but can't it be entertaining and informative?
I'm trying to think of a conservative talk host that is "entertaining."
Hmm. . . I'm realizing I did like - sort of - Webb who wasn't really entertaining as much as passionate. And Mike Malloy . . . also not particularly entertaining but passionate.
Ross and Reagan? Both informative and entertaining.
What a puzzle . . . I guess I don't find anything on the right "entertaining."
Posted by: joanie | January 30, 2007 at 07:26 PM
rosco - if Franken's not liberal, what is he?
Posted by: joanie | January 30, 2007 at 07:27 PM
I just finished watching the HBO documentary on the Religious Right.....The best part was Ted Haggard talking about dishonest preachers and men who lead naughty lives....
Posted by: sparky | January 30, 2007 at 08:12 PM
Al Franken describes himself as a "liberal".
Posted by: Rick | January 30, 2007 at 08:24 PM
I'll tell you all what Al Franken is. He is both a Bitch and a Bastard.
Posted by: Steve | January 30, 2007 at 11:13 PM
Wow Steve, don't split hairs - tell us how you really feel
I'll tell you all what Al Franken is. He is both a Bitch and a Bastard.
A very sound ad hominem argument. You're really going to go places with that, Steve. Keep it up.
Posted by: mercifurious | January 31, 2007 at 12:29 AM
He's a centerist democrat. For the war in Iraq, for attacking Iran, for keeping the military industrial US empire going, but with some sort of nod to the Constitution and some awareness that something must be done about (say) global warming--as long as it doesn't upset big corporate doners too much.
Now that I think about it Franken isn't even as liberal as Eisenhower -- who didn't intervene in the 56 Arab-Israel war but did intervene in the school segregation case in Arkansas.
Posted by: rosco | January 31, 2007 at 06:59 AM
You're full of caca, Rosco.
Posted by: joanie | January 31, 2007 at 09:58 PM
understanding, sensitivity and tenderness
Way to lead by example, Joanie :)
Posted by: lukobe | January 31, 2007 at 11:22 PM
Frank is particularly sickening tonight with the fatuous, disengenuous laughing, guffawing, and giggling.
Posted by: Tommy008 | January 31, 2007 at 11:41 PM
there is no such thing as caca, joanie.
Posted by: morty | February 01, 2007 at 12:34 AM
Once again T8, I'm with you on the Shudder Shiers commentary.
Ever since his big loss in November, he's been unable to deal with reality... so it's stories about pets, bad Dems, murders, & bad moms
Note: Only one more night of graveyard for 'furious here. I'll be back in the land of the living next week. That glowing orb in the sky will be a strange sight
Posted by: mercifurious | February 01, 2007 at 12:41 AM
Thanks for your insightful analysis of my opinion Joanie.
Posted by: rosco | February 01, 2007 at 12:45 AM
Hey, morty, would you prefer "excrement?"
Posted by: joanie | February 01, 2007 at 08:06 AM
To return to the subject of Franken. I see nothing on his website about removing troops from Iraq, not attacking Iran, reducing the size of the US war budget, climate change, restoring the right of habeas corpus.
Thats the bare minimum for what I'd consider a liberal. His blog and website contain nothing but DLC style pablum.
Posted by: rosco | February 01, 2007 at 08:56 AM