Breaking news: bankruptcy and a suicide attempt at nova m

 According to Brian Maloney at Radio Equalizer Nova M, syndicators of Randi Rhodes and Mike Malloy are folding,

(photo: Sheldon Drobny)

and co-owner Sheldon Drobny, has attempted suicide and is hospitalized.

Malloy's program is in question as well.

Maloney received this from Randi Rhodes' attorney, Robert V Gaulin of New York:

Randi Rhodes’ on-air home for less than a year will shut its doors. In an email message of February 17th from counsel for Nova M Radio, Inc. to Randi’s entertainment attorney, Robert V. Gaulin, the company is said to have been advised to file for bankruptcy protection next week. All payroll deposits were reversed on Tuesday, leaving Nova’s employees unpaid for the past two weeks.

On Sunday, Nova received a letter from Mr. Gaulin asserting that the contract with Ms. Rhodes was terminated due to material breaches and other reasons. Ms. Rhodes had not broadcast for over a week prior to this time, a situation which was diplomatically referred to as a “problem” that was solely within Nova’s control to solve. A few days earlier, Sheldon Drobny, founder of Nova M, and a co-founder of Air America Radio, attempted suicide and is hospitalized in Chicago.

Drobny is a wealthy Chicago businessman, who with his wife Anita are well-known $upporters of progressive causes. In 2004, they helped co-found Air America Radio. After failing to reacquire control of Air America in 2006, the Drobnys founded Nova M Radio as a competitor to AAR in producing and syndicating progressive talk radio programs. The company distributes Mike Malloy and Randi Rhodes.

Comments

[Coiler]

weird, Malloy referred to his show last night as the "I don't know who I'm working for" So I guess no more Malloy for awhile as well.

[joanie]

On Second Thought.... a new company formed? Seems like somebody wants this to work. I'm sorry for Randi. Her Florida station is no longer an option. I wonder how much the economy has devastated the Drobnys? Maybe Randi could sign with On Second Thought.

What a time it is. Everybody is hurting so very, very much.

Wish Nolan's post could be moved here.

[chucks]

What have I been telling you guys about pictures? Hmm?
It probably didn't help naming the network after an old Chevy.
Beyond that, I hope that Drobny gets past his depression and gets well. That part sucks.
Reversing payroll is mega crappy.

[sparky]

That is terrible all around. I will tune in to see if Mike is on tonight..or if they have pulled the plug on him too. But I am sure they will both resurface..satellite radio is still an option.

[Basque]

Nova M, syndicators of Randi Rhodes and Mike Malloy are folding,
and co-owner Sheldon Drobny, has attempted suicide and is hospitalized.

Liberal talk radio is sound enough to succeed if only given the chance! It's not that the off-kilter and those with no business sense are running it, it's that they're being blocked out by a right-wing conspiracy! Gummint regulations will-a fix that right-on up, ol' boy!

[Basque]

Censor-happy Democrats plot to bring speech regulation to radio, internet, sidewalks, handbills, everywhere --

This is great news! I plan to be first in line when they're looking to sign-up new gummint finks. I've been worried 'bout my neighbors criticizing the gummint and lookin fawad to the chance to report them to the legitimate police authorities and the Tonton Macoute -- er, I mean le Milice de Volontaires de la Sécurité Nationale ...

I now be glad our boy Obama lied to us and voted fawh immunity for warrantless wiretappin' and his courts department is backpeddlin' and stoppin those pesky FOIA reqs from those unpatriotic reportah's dead. Those reportah's are troublemakers. They best watch themselves, a reckonin' is comin' soon, fawh sure, hehe! (Line dose pesky reportahs up against the wall and aim high, boys!)

[Puget Sound]

"According to Brian Maloney at Radio Equalizer Nova M, syndicators of Randi Rhodes and Mike Malloy are folding,

and co-owner Sheldon Drobny, has attempted suicide and is hospitalized."

Most importantly, lets hope that Mr. Drobny gets the necessary treatment and is able to recover. Suicide and attempts at Suicide can be devestating for both the victim and the family/friends.

And lets also note that once again the Radio Equalizer has been out front on this story. Good reporting, Brian.

[Puget Sound]

From the Radio Equalizer, possible Malloy-Rhodes discord? hmmm, that's not nice!

"UPDATE: Mike Malloy's producer - wife has issued a strong denial of indications it will affect his program:

"This also brings Mike Malloy's syndicated program to an abrupt end as well, at least for now."

Kathy Malloy here. Randi Rhodes' lawyers have no information about our broadcast status. Our program is most definitely NOT coming to an abrupt end, now or in the future. This is completely untrue. We have intact and continuing affiliate relationships that may be harmed by this lie on your website. I strongly suggest you remove it now.

Kathy Bay Malloy
Executive Producer
The Mike Malloy Show
www.mikemalloy.com"

[The Other Kevin]

The Drobny's have always seemed a little weird. Randi isn't the only one who has had gunfights with them. Not that I would want to wish anything but sympathy for the wife who must be going through hell.
At least Hood usually gives credit where credit is due, Puget. You don't always see that on these blogs.

[Jakob]

Brian Maloney? The failed radio host?

[Puget Sound]

The Other Kevin
I agree with you.

[Puget Sound]

i had forgotten how nutty randi and mike were. recall those fires down in southern california back in 2007? brian maloney, aka radio equalizer has it here:

"RHODES: I started just doing Google searches to try and figure out. You know, arson, arson, it was like crazy trying to figure out why is that being downplayed? Why is that, you know, just a small part of the story? And you know, every time I look for it what comes up, believe it or not, is that Blackwater wants to move to San Diego and build this giant complex in San Diego right where most of the evacuations are taking place and you know.

You just know wherever there is fire, this administration will be out there doing what it does best and that is fanning the flames, you know. It just spooks me, I can’t explain to you how creepy this whole thing is that you know, you’ve got these fires. Some of them are thought to be the work of arsonists and in the same breath you’ve got a community that’s on fire that just recently protested Blackwater West.

Just recently said no to Blackwater and apparently you don’t do that. I mean, I don’t even know what to think. You know, nobody is saying Blackwater set the fires, that is nobody that doesn’t want their house burned down. Nobody is saying that, but it is all so bizarre that this is America and you have to sort of sit there and wonder … arson, same place Blackwater West wants to be, people protesting. And then you find out that some of the guys that used to work for Blackwater are now in Schwarzenegger’s administration. It’s all so creepy.

Radio Equalizer then interjects:
Finally, not to be outdone, our old pal Mike Malloy took his own rhetoric miles above the previous day's, now blaming the "Bush Crime Family" for actually starting the fires (!!) as a way to divert attention away from other matters:

MALLOY (23 October 2007): It's being manipulated, we're all being manipulated, we are being shifted, refocused, not to minimize what's going on in California at all. But you know, the thought hit me today, God help me for this, or somebody help me, but the thought hit me today, um, all those fires, I had a thought, what the hell is causing the fires? They're all over the place, they're 40, 50, 60, 100, 150 fires, boom boom boom boom, what's causing that?!

They're not having electrical storms out there, they're not having any storms at all. What's causing it? But then the answer popped into my head, as easily as the answer about torture. The fires are being set, the fires are being set by elements of the Bush crime family. It's a great distraction, it's a wonderful distraction. And then I thought to myself, Jesus God! Did you really have that thought?! And the answer came back - yeah, loud and 'effing clear."

Sure explains where ph(J)oanie gets her nutter crap. you can't make this shit up!

[Jakob]

Puget Sound: Michael Savage called for the gassing of 100 million Muslims, and he has a MUCH LARGER AUDIENCE than Randi Rhodes and/or Mike Malloy. Why aren't you upset about Savage? Why isn't the failed hate radio host Brian Maloney upset about Savage? Because you're both hypocrites.

[chucks]

Bet that is not the real joanie.

[joanie]

You win another big one, chuckS! Thanks.

Seems like whenever one Kevin is around, there's big T TRouble!

[Puget Sound]

"Puget Sound: Michael Savage called for the gassing of 100 million Muslims, and he has a MUCH LARGER AUDIENCE than Randi Rhodes and/or Mike Malloy. Why aren't you upset about Savage? Why isn't the failed hate radio host Brian Maloney upset about Savage? Because you're both hypocrites.

Posted by: Jakob | February 17, 2009 at 06:32 PM"

first off, i think michael savage is an asshat. i've said that many times.

now be that as it may about savage it sure doesn't change the fact that rhodes and malloy are nutters.

[Jakob]

Then why is your hero Brian Maloney always defending him, Puget Sound? You mean telling me that a liberal radio host on 30 stations is more threatening than a right-wing neo-Nazi on 300 stations?

[Puget Sound]

wow, you mean i think savage is an asshat and maloney doesn't think he's an asshat. hmmm.

america, what a wonderful country.

you'll have to ask maloney why he supports savage.
me? i turn savage off when he comes on the air. it's real easy.

but be that as it may, in your guts you know that randi and malloy are still nuts.

[Jakob]

No, Brian Maloney doesn't think that Michael Savage is an asshat. Savage could be caught downloading child porn like Bernie Ward did, and Brian would still be kissing Savage's jackboots.

As far as you not liking Savage - good for you! I'm merely pointing out Savage as an example that the right-wingers have a much larger audience than the liberal radio talkers, and that they say way worse things.

[Puget Sound]

hey jakob
i gotcha and i largely agree with what you wrote in the second paragraph. but i would only state that while the right wing talkers are more effective in hitting large numbers that the tone and content of a savage is pretty much what you'll get with malloy. the difference being that not as many people will hear it.

[KS]

Sometimes I like Savage and other times, I think he has lost it - he is probably bipolar but is brilliant.
He can tell it like it is, but he is not endearing - in his favor - he disdained Bush. He has made a number of outrageous and even bigoted statements and has been called on the carpet for it more than once. Still, he has almost always clarified what he meant and apologized if it was called for.

He has also been misquoted numerous times by the left who loves to do it in the hopes of getting him off of the air, but most of the time he ends up playing the entire quote and proving them to be liars. The court case he had with CAIR was over misquoting him, in which he countersued them and ended up drawing last blood as they ended up having to pay their attorney's fees as the judge ruled against them.

[joanie]

OFf-topic, but ...listening to nancy skinner (because I couldn't find anything else on the way to the store - even on NPR I heard another nasal voice and å screeching woman calling for someone to come to the door - I think), I heard a fellow talking about the auto industry. He was saying that the Big 3 automakers simply had bad timing.

If their troubles had come out just a bit later - when it became clear that all the automakers, foreign and domestic, were in trouble - they wouldn't be going through this begging for the money. He said the Big 3 sell over 50% of the cars sold in America and that's pretty good. Five-to-six out of ten is holding your own very nicely.

But he said that the people who make the decisions - Congress mainly - are ignorant of the reality and that some of these hoops the Big 3 are jumping through will only serve to make what was a viable industry and a needed industry in this country do less well.

I've never been a fan of the Big 3 mostly because I've never been fan of overpaid American CEOs regardless of the industry.

But Im even more disgusted with the lack of understanding on the part of a bunch of politicians who second guess everything as if they have a clue about anything.

Our country is broken. He said if the auto industry goes under, every single person in this country will feel it. That's not hard for me to imagine at all.

And Patty Murray's little pork is very debatable in terms of its goal of making jobs. The further this goes, the more hopeless I get.

Obama gave me hope but took it away again with his choices of Clintonesque money men who helped get us into this mess to begin with.

[joanie]

If you go to Nova M website,it is already a hybrid of ON Second Thought/Nove M. Have we caught them in mid stream...? Check it out.

http://www.novamradio.com/live/

[Coiler]

I would of rather had a Kuchinich as he stood up to the interests that wanted to sell Cleveland's power company and was voted out but was vindicated later on. Obama did motivate people like nothing since Kennedy. The corporate interests will have to be crushed in this country before we see more change. If we have a prolonged recession or depression it will only show how dependent we are on 'happy motoring' as a culture as Kuntsler says.

[sparky]

Jakob, when The Weiner and Rush, et al, do it, they are just being "entertaining." Or so I am told.

[sparky]

Mike Malloy suggests everyone quit speculating on what is "really going on" since none of us knows for sure.

[Coiler]

Yes, amen

[joanie]

I am listening to Nova M on their site and hearing Nancy Skinner again but a different part of her show. She sort of moderating a debate between a liberal BLogger/MSNBC contributor and a female conservative talk show host. It is interesting.

The talk show host is parroting every talking point from freddie mac and fannie may right down to the "socialism" word. She's got all the labels and none of the understanding. A woman who is eighty years old just called in sort of told her and all Republicans off.

What do you do with people who are in such denial of the facts behind their beliefs?

[Nevets]

Question

"What do you do with people who are in such denial of the facts behind their beliefs?"

Answer

Give them a guy named Barrack Hussein Obama to vote for and bring hope to a nation.

[joanie]

Baaa-rt?

I see, Steven, you had your usual difficulty comprehending my post. :)

[thothman]

As a Son of someone whom committed suicide when I was 2, I will tell U that the tv theme song to MASH-Suicide is painless, Is DEAD Wrong. The repurcussions of suicide are far reaching. Please do not make light of anyone who is so depressed that they try to take their own life. Having said that, I must say that Nova M had the writing on the wall when all they had to offer was 2 hosts that ranted nonstop about the Bush administration. Problem is that that target is gone from the mainstream lexicon right now and people are looking for positive leadersheap. The kind that Rhandi and Mike cant provide. I hope that they are replaced by intelligent peeps with constructive ideas.

[joanie]

Rereading: Kucinich would have had the moxie and the history to stand up to corporate America. As you say, he did it before and is a hometown hero for saving the energy grid in Cleveland.

Why couldn't he have been our Lincoln?

For Sparky:
Jindal may reject recovery package money.»
Louisiana faces a possible $2 billion budget shortfall next year, and the state is being hit hard by unemployment. Yet Gov. Bobby Jindal (R), rumored to be a future presidential candidate, said this weekend that he may turn down the roughly $3.8 billion for the state in the economy recovery package, which is expected to create 50,000 jobs:

This guy is betting the farm (his constituents) in favor of his future Presidential prospects.

[sparky]

If he does that, not only wont he ever be President, he probably wont be governor much longer.

[Habu]

The wino opined: What do you do with people who are in such denial of the facts behind their beliefs?

Perfect example of pot-kettle!!!!!

[joanie]

Listening to the opening comments by Dori - is he becoming hard-of-hearing? He constantly shouts. When did that start?

Time to switch stations.

BTW, he's playing the audio of the chimp attack. Gruesome.

[chucks]

Off Topic
How are you feeling there joanie. My bride relapsed yesterday and had to leave work early. I took her back to the Dr last night. He injected some kind of hormone for her lungs and gave her a new anti-biotic and cough meds.

[joanie]

Each day gets a little better. Lots of slow draining and continued coughing. But my energy increased significantly today. I've been soooo tired.

I hope your bride does well. As I get older, it seems harder to shake. Don't know if that's me or the damn viruses. She's lucky to have a soft shoulder, chuck.

[NABNYC]

Randi Rhodes' attorney is a sleazoid bucket of crap. He's just trashing the Drobnys, trying to disclose personal information, maybe untrue, as a nasty tactic to try to gain some litigation advantage against Nova. He's really despicable. I hope that the Drobnys will sue him for invasion of privacy, false light, intentional infliction, and anything else they can think of. He's really scum. Doesn't speak well of Randi Rhodes that she would allow her attorney to be this despicable just so she can try to gain some negotiating advantage, or maybe try to make herself look better. After all, this is the second station in less than a year that she has left on bad terms, which suggests the problem lies partly with her. Maybe she's trying to walk on the Drobnys to salvage her own reputation. I hope this attorney is among the many New York attorneys being thrown out of work. He should shining shoes, not issuing press releases. (Apologies to the shoe-shiners of the world).

[don]

The song "Suicide is Painless" does not mean what you think it does. It's an ironic commentary on the thoughts of a suicidal person. Most people who commit suicide are in pain, emotional, physical, etc. They see suicide as a way of being free of this pain, in other words, death is less painful than living. Of course it may be painful for the survivors, but to that person, all that matters is ending their own internal pain.

[chucks]

A permanent solution to a temporary problem.