R.I.P. Air America 2004-2010

[FORD]

It is with the greatest regret, on behalf of our Board, that we must announce that Air America Media is ceasing its live programming operations as of this afternoon, and that the Company will file soon under Chapter 7 of the Bankruptcy Code to carry out an orderly winding-down of the business.

The very difficult economic environment has had a significant impact on Air America's business. This past year has seen a "perfect storm" in the media industry generally. National and local advertising revenues have fallen drastically, causing many media companies nationwide to fold or seek bankruptcy protection. From large to small, recent bankruptcies like Citadel Broadcasting and closures like that of the industry's long-time trade publication Radio and Records have signaled that these are very difficult and rapidly changing times.

Those companies that remain are facing audience fragmentation as a result of new media technologies, are often saddled with crushing debt, and have generally found it difficult to obtain operating or investment capital from traditional sources of funding. In this climate, our painstaking search for new investors has come close several times right up into this week, but ultimately fell short of success.

With radio industry ad revenues down for 10 consecutive quarters, and reportedly off 21% in 2009, signs of improvement have consisted of hoping things will be less bad. And though Internet/new media revenues are projected to grow, our expanding online efforts face the same monetization and profitability challenges in the short term confronting the Web operations of most media companies

When Air America Radio launched in April, 2004 with already-known personalities like Al Franken and then-unknown future stars like Rachel Maddow, it was the only full-time progressive voice in the mainstream broadcast media world. At a critical time in our nation's history — when dissent on issues such as the Iraq war were often denounced as "un-American" — Air America and its talented team helped millions of Americans remember the importance of compelling discussion about the most pivotal events and decisions of our generation.

Through some 100 radio outlets nationwide, Air America helped build a new sense of purpose and determination among American progressives. With this revival, the progressive movement made major gains in the 2006 mid-term elections and, more recently, in the election of President Barack Obama and a strongly Democratic Congress.

Laws have changed for the better thanks to this revival.....but all the same our company cannot escape the laws of economics. So we intend a rapid, orderly closure over the next few days. All current employees will be paid through today, January 21. A severance package will be offered tomorrow to full-time current employees with more than six months of tenure.

We will strive to assist affiliates and partners in achieving a smooth transition. Starting at 6 pm EST today, we will provide our affiliates, listeners and users a selection of encore programming until 9 pm EST on Monday, January 25, at which time Air America programming will end.

We are proud that Air America's mission lives on through the words and actions of so many former radio hosts who are active today in progressive causes and media nationwide. In the years ahead, as we look back, we should all be proud of our passionate determination to assure that our nation's progressive voice would be heard loud and clear. Through the hard work and dedication of current staff, and those who preceded you, a lasting legacy was forged which will now continue through other voices and venues.

Thank you.


Truth is that the only original show left in their line up was the weekend show "Ring of Fire", and the only worthy replacement show was Ron Reagan. Hopefully they can make a deal with Dial Global, which is the syndicator that carries Thom Hartmann, Stephanie Miller, and Ed Schultz. They seem to be somehow immune to the problems that plagued Air America and Nova M.

Fucking Mark Green killed the real Air America the day he took over, immediately stabbed Mike Malloy in the back, and turned the network into Hillary Clinton DLC campaign headquarters.

A goddamn shameful ending for a network that originally held such promise. :(

[LoungeMachine]

Ron Reagan's show is great....

Thom Hartmann is the brightest person on radio today.....

Stephanie Miller's show has become a borefest, more about her eye and her move to New York than anything else.

I care Fuck All what happens to "the network" at this point.

So long as I can find Ron and Thom somehwere on the dial, or the internets, I'm fine.

And before you Repukes yukk it up, remember the FAUX network lost $100 million dollars before it turned a single dime in profit.

:gulp:

[jacksmar]

Well, Mel can't stay young forever!:biggrin:

The best part was seeing Burt Kwouk in the movie. He was excellent with Peter Sellers.

Air America was good entertainment even with Robert Downey.:cry2:

[LoungeMachine]

Were you one of the 3 people who saw that flick?

:gulp:

[jacksmar]

That's funny, and I know funny.

[chefcraig]

Were you one of the 3 people who saw that flick?

It was shown on one of the Spanish language channels here a few weeks ago. Believe it or not, it made more sense to me that way, even though I speak about 5 words en Espanol.

[hankster]

I can't say that I am happy that air america is gone, but at least I don't have to constantly hear about how al franken made that damn network, Fuck that scumbag :-)

[FORD]

Al Franken had nothing to do with making that network. Mike Malloy and Thom Hartmann were both part of the original founding team, though both declined to be part of the official management. They just wanted to do what they did best, talk radio.

Maybe, in retrospect, they should have accepted the offer. Either or both would have done a better job running the network.

[Unchainme]

Ron Reagan's show is great....

God the Reagan family is weird as hell, was curious one day after reading about Ron being on Air America

Ron is like, the complete opposite of what his dad was. But I guess he may/may not have had good relations with his folks.

Patty posed nude for playboy and her view points are, like her brother, not in line with her dad

Maureen I've not heard apparently was on the right before she died

And Micheal, who isn't even biologically related, auctually shares the same viewpoint as his dad.

I do Wish I could have have gotten around to giving Ron a listen, I had heard Michael once when I was playing around with Sirius.

[Va Beach VH Fan]

Rachel will carry on Air America's spirit.... She's fantastic....

[Kristy]

I hope this means the end of Alan Combs.

[FORD]

I hope this means the end of Alan Combs.

Alan Colmes was never on Air America. His radio show is syndicated by FAUX. And while he's hardly comparable to Hartmann or Malloy, he actually shows more spine on his radio show than he ever did when he did the TV show with the babbling idiot Hannity. Which was a horrible display of cowardice.

[Unchainme]

Can I say something about why I think Air America didn't survive?

In terms of ratings it's sort of a more difficult audience to get, generally the people that listen to talk radio are businessmen who travel a lot and truck drivers, both of which usually lean conservative nine times out of ten. Thats an easy demographic to pitch to. Red State to the max.

Is there an audience for liberal talk? Sure, this board is proving it.There's ALWAYS going to be an audience for someone that supports an opposing view on one thing, it just dwarfs in comparision to the Becks and Limbaughs of the world (not that I agree necessarily with people listening to them), thus I would assume it would be a bit more difficult to attract advertisers.

[FORD]

Can I say something about why I think Air America didn't survive?

In terms of ratings it's sort of a more difficult audience to get, generally the people that listen to talk radio are businessmen who travel a lot and truck drivers, both of which usually lean conservative nine times out of ten. Thats an easy demographic to pitch to. Red State to the max.

Is there an audience for liberal talk? Sure, this board is proving it.There's ALWAYS going to be an audience for someone that supports an opposing view on one thing, it just dwarfs in comparision to the Becks and Limbaughs of the world (not that I agree necessarily with people listening to them vesus, thus I would assume it would be a bit more difficult to attract advertisers.

It's media ownership. The majority of radio stations are owned by Clear Channel, CBS/Viacom, or Entercom, all of which are right wing corporations. They established Limbaugh and other right wingers in thousands of affiliates nationwide, and corporate advertisers bought in because the right wing rhetoric supports their interests.

Clear Channel eventually wised up to the reality - they do own some Liberal talk affiliates now, in major markets like Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Portland. And CBS owns the progressive talk station in Seattle. But these are all known "Liberal" West Coast markets. They are still reluctant to take a chance on the format elsewhere. While hypocritically STILL keeping right wing stations going in the "liberal" markets where they will never gain a majority audience.

Fact is that Thom Hartmann beats Mush Limpdick in the ratings in the markets where both are allowed to compete. If more independent radio stations existed, more of them would go with the progressive format.

The problem with Air America itself was not the format, and certainly not the great pool of talent in the original lineup. It was the shitty management, especially in the Mark Green era. That son of a bitch could bankrupt an air conditioner franchise in Hell.

[GAR]

Rachel will carry on Air America's spirit.... She's fantastic....

yeah fantastically pathologically psychotic..

[LoungeMachine]

yeah fantastically pathologically psychotic..

The term: takes one to know one comes to mind...

But considering SHE has a Ph.D and you can't spell Ph.D........

:gulp:

[Nitro Express]

The term: takes one to know one comes to mind...

But considering SHE has a Ph.D and you can't spell Ph.D........

:gulp:

She's a Rhoad Scholar. I don't agree with Rachel on everything but she is smart. I agree tottaly with her on the Supreme Court ruling regarding corporation campaign spending. It's a huge mistake to give corporations the same constitutional rights as people since corporations can be multinational, mostly owned by foreigners (including our enemies). We are a Constitutional Republic based on protecting INDIVIDUAL rights and not corporate monopolies which crush individual rights.

Rachel is right when she said we are in a battle between the individual and the corporation. She correctly called the merging of corporate interests and government fascism.

[Nitro Express]

We desperately need anti-trust legislation again. From the sound of Obama tonight, he might be leaning that direction regarding the banks. I wish he would go back to Glass Steigal because his plan has a loophole where the commercial banks still can do hedge funds for clients. Commercial banking and investment banking should be completely separate.

[Blackflag]

SHE has a Ph.D



you can't spell Ph.D........

That's awesome.

[LoungeMachine]

She's a Rhoad Scholar. .

From Wiki:

A graduate of Castro Valley High School in Castro Valley, Maddow earned a degree in public policy from Stanford University in 1994.[13] At graduation she was awarded the John Gardner Fellowship. She was also the recipient of a Rhodes Scholarship and began her postgraduate study in 1995 at Lincoln College, Oxford. In 2001, she completed her Doctor of Philosophy degree (DPhil) in politics from Oxford University.[14] Her doctoral thesis is titled HIV/AIDS and Health Care Reform in British and American Prisons. She was the first openly gay American to win a Rhodes scholarship.[15][16]

:gulp:

But Rush Limbaugh got out of Viet Nam for hemmoroids!!

[Va Beach VH Fan]

yeah fantastically pathologically psychotic..

I'm fairly confident you have no fucking clue what you're talking about...

[FORD]

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

Jan. 23, 2010 |

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?

Failure isn’t an option. The Supreme Court has just opened the door to unfettered corporate cash in our political system. You think thwarting the influence of special interests is difficult now? Wait till lobbyists begin openly threatening already timorous lawmakers with multimillion-dollar attack-ad campaigns. Dissatisfied with the weak attempts to rein in the depredations of the private health insurance industry? Before long, giving up the public option will look like a profile in courage. Time to get cozy with your preexisting condition. Angry with President Obama for squirming away from some of his campaign promises? Think you can teach him and his party a lesson by voting Republican in the next cycle -- or not voting at all? Say hello to President Palin and her secretary of state, Glenn Beck.

Obama came to office pledging to reform not only healthcare but the entire way business is conducted in Washington. But to reform a system you have to expose it. Names must be named, shady practices revealed; the money must be followed. That’s a tall order, and it’s far from clear that the president, for all his brains and eloquence, can fill it. That’s why progressive media outlets are so important. Without them, where would you hear the contrary (and, more often than not, correct) economic prognostications of Joseph Stiglitz and Dean Baker? Who will call out the most egregious lies of the right? Where will it be revealed that the opponents of marriage equality for gay Americans cannot identify a single concrete harm that would befall our nation should their bigoted efforts fail? Or that the new strategy for Afghanistan makes little rational sense?

Air America was not alone. The voices of progressive media figures like Rachel Maddow, Keith Olbermann, Ed Schultz, Thom Hartman and Randi Rhodes can still be heard. Off the airwaves, there's still Salon, Talking Points Memo, the Huffington Post and the vital progressive blogosphere. With a bit of luck, I and some other Air America hosts will be back on the air before long. Let’s hope so. Progressives -- and the rest of America -- can use all the help we can get.

-- By Ron Reagan