Jan 30, 2007

Air America back on track to change the country


In the news item of the day the alleged liberal media should be crowing about if that were actually true, Air America Radio announced yesterday in a press release it has “signed a letter of intent to sell its business to SLG Radio LLC, an entity controlled by Stephen L. Green, the founder and chairman of SL Green Realty Corp. (NYSE: SLGPRC) The sale will be accomplished pursuant to section 363 of the United States Bankruptcy Code, and is expected to close by mid-February.”

SLGreen Realty Corp. has been the most profitable office REIT in the country based on a total return to share holders, controlling 27 million square feet of commercial property largely in Manhattan and with a market cap of over $12 billion.

"Because I'm a businessman who enjoys creating and growing companies, I'm purchasing a majority ownership in Air America with the intention of making it a successful business that returns a profit,” said Stephen Green. “To assure that AAR survives and thrives, we'll do three things. First, we'll stabilize its finances. Second, we'll build on its line-up to assure the best radio talent possible, since in the long run content is king. And third, we'll extend this special brand by partnering with other platforms beyond radio to make sure that Air America's content reaches the wide audience it deserves."

"Having been involved on both sides of the microphone at Air America, I understand its huge potential as a voice for progressive patriotism,” said Mark Green. “And with the Democratic take-over of the 110th Congress and prospects in the next presidential election, it's the perfect time for Air America 2.0. If progressive values were a stock, now is the time to buy."

Air America, which does business as Piquant, LLC and is headquartered in New York City, currently produces 19 hours of original programming a day and is heard on 81 affiliates reaching 54 percent of the country. Air America affiliates reach 1.9 million listeners per week, Mon-Sun 6am-12m.

How many times did bill o and sean hatey announced the death of Air America Radio, yet they chose to ignore this story?

The network also announced that Al Franken will leave the station on Feb. 14 to consider a run for U.S. Senate in his home state of Minnesota. He will be replaced by popular fill in host and author Thom Hartmann. I hate to see him go because he’s funny and informative, but I have discovered lots of other liberal hosts that are also very good.

A great line-up would be Stephanie Miller in the morning, Ed Schultz in the afternoon and Rachel Maddow in the evening.

13 comments:

Dan said...

Money talks, and BS walks - and they'll walk soon when they lose more money.

Motor City Liberal Returns said...

Hey Republican,
If I was you I wouldn't want to talk about ratings or losing money. Right wing talk has been in a down swing since 2005.

Communications guru said...

Thanks for posting, Johnny C, and I enjoy your blog. Obviously, after the results of the last election dan and others like him are scared of what liberal talk radio can do and has done. That’s why we are seeing successful liberal formats flip despite good ratings and the fact they are making money.

bluzie said...

Right wing hate mongers have played fast and loose with the facts so long that people are really beginning to catch on.

I am thrilled Air America survives and will thrive.

Anonymous said...

If "Money Talks" why is Dick DeVos sitting at a desk in Ada right now?

gregrocker said...

More than half of the Clear Channel stations which filled out the AirAmer network are profitable. In Los Angeles, there is a listener revolt over the glut of commercials - BMW, Volvo, Bank of America, United Airlines - sometimes 7 in a row. The problem is where the signal is so weak they don't even hire ad sales staff, which was the case with every one of the stations they smothered in the crib right after the election.

Its clear that corporate media intends to keep Am radio slanted entirely to the far right. just for their own survival, the Dem Congress needs to take off the gloves and hold hearings on this to pressure these corps to add some balance as a minimum cost for using the public airwaves rent-free.

An excellent witness in hearings would be Kathleen hall Jameson of the presitigous Annenberg School of Communications at UPenn (funded by the conservative TV Guide fortune) who has been studying the lies of right wing talk radio for a dozen years. Listeners have "false certainty" on almost every issue, and in numbers large enough to swing elections, simply because most cannot believe the radio would be allowed to lie to them so baldly - the very definition of the Big Lie theory.

Senior Dem party statesman and ABC chair George Mitchell should be called in, sworn and asked why he turned over his entire network's stations 24/7 to far rightists who were allowed to lie without challenge for 15 years, took over and wrecked the Federal government. He should pay for this with his reputation at a minimum.

And for fun Fox New's liars can be sworn and tempted to repeat their biggest lies in order to see if they can stop lying long enough to save themselves a Federal perjury charge.

While the Fairness Doctrine might not be the end product, this would apply pressure to the corporations and hopefully they would get the message and start adding in balance with proven progressive talk players like fall-down-funny Stephanie Miller or good-ole-boy Ed Schultz. The hearings could be ongoing under Senator Franken until the AM radio band pirated by the rightist radio juggernaut is balanced out fairly. Anything less will just enable the continuuing rightwing steamroller of lies.

Anonymous said...

"The hearings could be ongoing under Senator Franken until the AM radio band pirated by the rightist radio juggernaut is balanced out fairly. Anything less will just enable the continuuing rightwing steamroller of lies."

Oh, good Lord. Welcome to life under a Democratic Congress. Welcome to Cuba.

The two scariest words in the English language: "Senator Franken."

I'd like to think the people of Minnesota aren't dumb enough to elect Al Franken their Senator, but then again, they did elect a big-time wrestler as their governor.

Dan said...

The Fairness Doctrine is more like the Fascist Doctrine supported by the typical leftists who hate freedom, hate the Constitution, hate the Bill of Rights, and hate America.

It's just another attempt at big government in an attempt to protect itself from critics since the leftist newspaper and tv media will go out of its way to protect them.

Communications guru said...

What a crock, who-ever-you-are. America will be a better place under a Democratic-controlled Congress. Look what they accomplished in just 100 hours what the republicans could not get off the dime and accomplish in more than a decade.

No, the scariest words in the English language are george bush.

Al Franken is more qualified than gwb ever was to be governor of Texas and then President. Franken graduated cum laude from Harvard with a BA in government, he’s a best-selling author and a political commentator. Tell me how he is any worse or less qualified than Sonny Bono, Fred “Gopher” Grandy or Arnold from kalifona?

Communications guru said...

I know fairness is a foreign word to you and your fellow republicans, but the simple fact is the airwaves belong to the public, all of the public. If they are going to use them for free they should have to follow a few basic guidelines.

The rest of your rant is ridiculous and a lie. I can’t speak for Communists because I don’t know any. But I can for liberals. We love and support the Constitution, the Bill of Rights and America. Many of us have worn the uniform to defend this country. Have you, dan?

The simple fact is for the most part all media is conservative.

liberalshateusa said...

A few basic guidelines. Guru you are a joke. So maybe the Dem controlled congress can come up with a few basic guidelines to control the Air waves like Iran and Cuba do. What country do you live-in? What country do you support? You don’t know any Commies, look in the Damm mirror. Look at your so called Liberal friends, you are the Commies.

Maybe Dan Rather will come on Air America and start a liberal talk show about Bush's National Guard history. After all that was the truth. I sure he would testify before congress. You people a pathetic. If liberal talk radio is so profitable why do you even think that government should dictate that stations be forced to change their format as to allow what liberals think they should be forced to play.
This is America make a good product and people will buy it, if it sucks as Air America does then it will sink. That is the trouble with you Liberals, you want to force your Rose Colored 1967 hippie view of the world down every one else’s throat, if you can’t have it your way then you want the government to get involved and make it so.

Communications guru said...

I truly love getting a hate-filled, rant from you, hate America, filled with name-calling. I know I am on the right track. I would suggest anger management classes, but then I would not get these hate-filled rants anymore.

Have you ever head of the Fairness Doctrine? Why can’t newspapers publish free? They have to pay for ink and newsprint, so why should radio stations broadcast on the free, public airwaves? I don’t know any Communists, but I know lots of good liberals who are trying to change their country for the better.

I do agree with you on Dan Rather. He was correct on shrub’s lack of service.

Liberal talk radio is more than profitable. It helped turned the tide for Democrats during the last election where Democrats took control of the House and Senate, and that’s why it’s under assault. That’s why liberal stations are flipping after the election despite good ratings and bring profitable. The few large corporations that own most of the radio stations know they can make much more money with republicans in control.

I’m not asking anyone to change their format.

Keep posting these ridiculous rants, hate America, and hurry and reply with one of your well-thought out gems.

Anonymous said...

re great lineup, i would have to dissagree-

these are mean times and miller and shultz, especially shultz, get sucked into the GOP framing too often.

sam seder, mike malloy (late), randi rhodes and thom hartman are the best equiped to shed light on the bush crime family and the massive GOP hypocrisy and treason.

miller is too light for these dark bush times. she is funny but her joke fests and celebrity news will be better after bush or for the Am driver caught in traffic.

shultz doesn't do his homework. and he is a moderate.