Air America is entering bankruptcy, according to Think Progress. As I understand the situation, the problem isn't ratings (which are pretty good) or the on-air talent. Management is bloated and overpaid.
I have my own minor beefs. I don't object to the number of commercials (any more than I object to any other necessary evil), but AAR has been running the same few commericials for many months and they have become intolerable. The online option had technical problems about half the time. And much as I love Randi Rhodes, I wish she'd interview authors and experts instead of taking calls from "average" people who...uh...uh...uh...uh...they, er, um, y'know? They um, uh...er...uhm...it's like, I mean, you know, uh...uh...uh...
Bottom line, though -- I'm glad that AAR is there, and we should support it.
UPDATE: Sam Seder just said that no decision has been made on bankruptcy.
6 comments:
I haven't listened much to AAR since they fired Mike Malloy because of money (he was the lowest paid). Al Franken just gets more boring but I catch part of Randi sometimes. I have heard rumors (maybe more than that) that Clear Channel has operators in management so I wonder if that is factoring into the problems. Rachel Maddow announced this morning that she is moving to afternoons, so I don't know whether that will be Randi's spot or Sam's. Something is going on, that's for sure.
I have enjoyed Air America, especially Mike Malloy. I do not listen to Al Franken nor Randi Rhodes (she is too nasty at times). I like Sam Cedar also but since Mike is gone.....so long AAR..
I subscribe to Air America podcasts, and I hope that they pull through this - even if they do file for bankruptcy, they could still continue to operate. We'll see. I do think that there is a market for liberal radio, but AAR has been plagued by horrible management from its inception. Regardless, the best show on AAR is the Thom Hartmann Show - the man knows everything - and that will continue to air with or without AAR.
I subscribe to Air America podcasts, and I hope that they pull through this - even if they do file for bankruptcy, they could still continue to operate. We'll see. I do think that there is a market for liberal radio, but AAR has been plagued by horrible management from its inception. Regardless, the best show on AAR is the Thom Hartmann Show - the man knows everything - and that will continue to air with or without AAR.
Mike Malloy was their most fearless, outspoken Host who would not - and will not - be silenced. So naturally, the Clearchannel moles said he had to go.
Al Franken is beyond boring, Rachel Maddow is somewhat interesting on a good day, and Randi Rhodes is no Mike - but she is the only reason I still listen. However, her tendency to morph into a DNC spokesperson at any given moment is greatly annoying.
Having said all that, I'm fervently hoping for and internal revolt there - By Whatever Means Necessary - because we need AAR. We really do.
Kim in PA
Kim in PA
Air America Stiffs Franken
LIVING ON AIR
... Calls to Air America executives weren't returned, but star talk-show host Al Franken confirms that, once again, the troubled network is facing a serious cash crunch.
"I don't know if that's true or not," Franken tells Radar when asked about the bankruptcy report. "We do know that there have been cash-flow problems. I haven't been paid in a while. Like, there's no cash flowing to me."
It's not the first time Franken has gone without a paycheck. Air America ran out of money promptly after it launched in 2004, after disgraced former chairman Evan Cohen inflated the amount of money he had raised to fund the network. Since then, Air America has seen a litany of troubles, executive departures, talent shuffles, and lawsuits. Six months ago, the network was booted from its flagship station in New York City, WLIB, to a much weaker signal that doesn't cover the entire city, and it laid off five staffers on September 11, according to the New York Post.
Franken isn't the only person Air America is in hock to. Last year, the network settled a multi-million-dollar lawsuit by Multicultural Broadcasting, the owner of its Chicago and Los Angeles stations, for its failure to pay for rented time. But according to Multicultural's attorney, Randy Mastro, the network still hasn't paid up. "It involved a structured settlement over time," Mastro says. "There is additional money owed. If it's true [that they're filing for bankruptcy], we'll have to do something about that."
Norman Wain, a Cleveland-based former radio executive and investor in Air America, says he hadn't heard about any financial difficulties. "I know nothing about it," he says. "They don't communicate with investors very well. They only come to us when they're looking for more money." The last time that happened, he says, was "three or four months ago."
If bankruptcy is imminent, the timing couldn't be worse for Franken: His new movie, Al Franken: God Spoke, opens today in New York. In a statement, an Air America spokeswoman said "no decision has been taken to make any filing of any kind."
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