So I wasn't hallucinating when I turned on Chicago 950AM yesterday morning to find several people talking in spanish instead of liberal talk radio station Air America. I knew 950AM was a spanish station before Air America bought its airtime, but I didn't think they would be pulled after so little time.
Well, yeah, they did get pulled from the Chicago Market, and the L.A. Market as well. Air America finally got around to releasing a statement blasting the station owners for doing this; the Majority Report blog says that the same people own the Chicago and LA radio stations, and want more for LA, and are using Chicago as leverage. The radio owners said that Air America bounced a check for a million dollars, and aren't paying their bills. It was fun while it lasted. Here's the injunction Air America filed to get back on the air.
To be honest, besides Franken and Garafalo's shows, the rest was mostly filler at best. I think it will be better if they can pool their resources on developing those two shows and have them fight it out on the networks each on their own (like, ya know, every other editorial talk show, including Hannity and Limbaugh) instead of trying to create an entire network out of thin air; if you listen close enough you can hear the money going down the toilet while the godawful Randi rants, or Lizz Winstead and Rachel Maddow sort of make logical arguments while Chuck D sleeps.
Liz says:
I'm afraid I agree. As much as my idealistic little heart wants this endeavor to succeed and be fabulous and a beacon, I'd rather those two shows get individual play on OTHER stations, instead of hiding out on the communist/homosexual/terrorist radio network.
mike says:
I can't even imagine the money they are throwing out trying to buy out radio channels airtime rather than selling programs to already running radio stations.
You either own the radio station or you should own the radio program. Owning both (especially when you don't know what you are doing or brand new) is bad news.
Erik says:
It is sad, but it could be said that part of their problem is the simple fact that basically no liberals listen to talk radio. I mean, if you weren't an avid talk radio listener to begin with, you probably would not start listening regularly just because Al Franken was talking.
I honestly think that it is no coincidence that the "liberal media" is largely print while television and talk radio is almost entirely conservative dominated.