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Air America Gasping For Air
By Matt Margolis | May 7, 2004
Things continue to look bleak for the liberal talk radio network:
The chairman and vice chairman of Air America Radio have resigned, dealing the latest setback to the fledgling liberal radio network headlined by comedian and author Al Franken.
The departures of Evan Cohen and his investment partner Rex Sorensen came just one week after the company said that co-founder Mark Walsh had stepped down as CEO to take a smaller role at the company. Last week the company also said it had forced out David Logan as head of programming.
Cohen declined to discuss the reasons for his departure Friday but confirmed that he was stepping down both as chairman and as a member of the company’s board. News of the departures, which occurred Thursday, was first reported in the Chicago Tribune.
Cohen also said Sorensen was leaving the company’s board. He declined to say what he and Sorensen planned to do with their stakes in the venture. Jon Sinton, president of the company, did not immediately return calls seeking comment.
Whether the left wants to admit it or not, doggone it, this is not a good thing for Al Franken’s wet dream called “Air America.”
The continued management turmoil marked the latest growing pains for Air America Radio, which launched on March 31 with a slate of left-leaning political satire and current affairs commentary.
Just two weeks after the network went on the air, a dispute with a business partner led to the network’s signal being pulled from stations in Chicago and Los Angeles. The signal was later restored in Chicago, but the company said it was looking for a new business partner there.
In addition to Franken’s show, which is dubbed “The O’Franken Factor” in a jab at Fox News host Bill O’Reilly, the network also carries shows hosted by Janeane Garofalo, Florida radio personality Randi Rhodes and Lizz Winstead, a co-creator of “The Daily Show.”
How much longer do you give Air America?
Topics: General |
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May 7th, 2004 at 10:49 pm
I give it just as long as Al Franken’s enormously inflated ego (Rush has nothing on him) can keep it afloat.
May 7th, 2004 at 11:50 pm
i think they’ll find a way to keep it on until the election. even if through private funding.. which woudl be really sad…
May 8th, 2004 at 10:16 am
Who cares? I never listened to Air America. Besides, Howard Stern’s ratings are going through the roof since he turned anti-Bush, and those stations that the Bush administration forced to drop Stern are plunging in the ratings.
May 8th, 2004 at 10:56 am
Jay,
I really have no idea where you this delusion that Bush anything to do with howard stern..
who the hell cares about howard stern?
May 8th, 2004 at 5:00 pm
Obviously Bush cares about Stern. Howard comes out against Bush and 3 days later he gets dropped by the six stations owned by Clearchannel, which is owned by a personal friend of Bush and which orchestrated the whole Dixie Chick debacle last year. Now the FCC is threatening to fine Stern $500000 for each thing THEY deem offensive (i.e. something against Bush). Note how Hoard got dropped in markets that are key battlegrounds for Bush–Pittsburgh and Orlando. Howard Stern is becoming the radio host liberals never had, and his listeners are the REAL WMDs –white male defectors. Stern fans are middle income guys in their 20s 30s, and 40s who generally lean conservative. Now they are leaning towards Kerry, and it’s because Bush won’t tolerate dissent, just like Bush supporters in general don’t like anybody having any fun.
May 8th, 2004 at 5:15 pm
yeah… something like that jay. you keep telling yourself that..
live in your dream world…
May 9th, 2004 at 3:29 am
Jay - about your comments about Bush basically controlling the media: I think what you have here, if anything, is a group of people in media who are probably aligned with the same set of beliefs Bush has. The fact that Bush has an association with them might lead to the possibility you brought up, but I seriously doubt it. Also (not that it leads to the validity/invalidity of the issue), it would be bad for anti-Bush people if you were right - this kind of scheming and controlling of the media cannot be carried out by the kind of individual anti-”Bushies” has painted the president to be. It’s anything but a bumbling moron who somehow got elected President!
Secondly, on your comments about Stern’s listeners - I think you may be right. I can imagine that listeners of any show like the host because their beliefs are aligned with theirs. But if the host changes views, it’s hard to tell how people would react - but there would definitely be some who would nod their heads in agreement. I like Phil Hendrie’s attitude (he frequently goes on Middle-East rants on his show), who just basically says “Hey man, I’m only a radio show host, don’t listen to me”.
May 9th, 2004 at 8:57 am
all right wing bullshit! franken will have double rushs ratings by 5/31!
May 10th, 2004 at 12:54 am
Um Idiot, care to put something up backing up your convictions? It doesn’t have to be major stakes… How about $50 bucks from you to Bush’s campaign if you are wrong and $50 bucks from me to Kerry’s campaign if you are right. Whatcha say?
May 10th, 2004 at 12:57 am
Cannon is a rascist!
May 10th, 2004 at 7:22 am
I think the plastic in Um Yeah’s pickle suit is giving him a toxic reaction. He seems to be getting more inane with every post.
May 10th, 2004 at 11:30 am
Elephant Man is a facist! Will you sponcer me to join the Klan
May 10th, 2004 at 1:05 pm
David–I should clarify my original post. You are right, I don’t think Bush HIMSELF is telling Clear Channel to drop Howard Stern or Sinclair Broadcasting to not run Nightline’s memorial to the war dead. I do think that there is a perception by the right wing media that being patriotic and doing what Bush says are synonymous.
May 10th, 2004 at 2:24 pm
Ok Um Idiot ya got me. Anyone thinking about donating to the kerry campaign even on a bet is racist. After all just look at his inner circle of supporters. Lily white. My mistake, thanks for pointing it out.
Actually Um Idiot if you really want to join the Klan, I am sure Senator Byrd could get ya in with no problems.
May 11th, 2004 at 11:28 pm
Hey Um Idiot, how can you support Kerry’s racist campaign?
“He is generally surrounded by white folks, and sure that concerns me, sure,” said Representative James E. Clyburn of South Carolina.
White ticket holders only need apply:
is really behind the “progressive” Kerry. I mean having minorities for Secretary of State, National Security, Secretary of Education, Secretary of Labor, and Secretary of Transportation is insignificant compared to 2 of the top 15 on Kerry’s staff who are minorities:
(emphasis mine) bandwidth use Matt. Um Idiot needed his head handed to him on this issue.
May 11th, 2004 at 11:31 pm
ack well that comment format didn’t work out well. Thrust of the post should have been: (At least the links came through, go ahead and check them out.)
Take a look Bush’s actions with respect to race compared to Kerry’s mere words. Who comes out better?