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Air America Radio advertiser blacklist?
Media Matters for America - a George Soros-funded group that occasionally gets things very wrong and which has deleted several non-abusive, fact-filled comments I left there - has released a supposed [JPEG file] "blacklist" of advertisers who do not want their commercials played on Air America Radio. The main company that requested that is Hewlett Packard, and a list of a hundred others is provided below: Allstate, American Heart Association, GE, Frito-Lay, Office Depot, NYSE, Procter and Gamble, Pier 1 Imports, Red Lobster, the list goes on and on. The letter is dated October 25, 2006 and covers October 30 to December 24. And, it covers all affiliates, not just on AAR shows run on those affiliates.
Our liberal readers should note that this is just a business decision, perhaps relating to AAR's recent bankruptcy filing, and no doubt has nothing to do with politics.
OPCEN AUTH 19: FARGO ALPHA BAKER GO X18 873 Z981
Posted in Meta at 12:45 PM | Comments (1)
Happy Halloween from Mike Malloy and Sheldon Drobny!
He's baaaaaaaaaaaaaack!
This site will be offering limited live-blogging of Mike Malloy's return to the radio waves, assuming that I can get their streaming to work.
UPDATE: After just a few minutes of listening, Malloy has already unearthed some gems, like:
[These Republicans] are all predators... they will grab your [list of family members] and try to do them.
Posted in MikeWho at 05:42 PM | Comments (0)
When will Air America shut down?
Take the poll:
UPDATE: Hola amigos! Que tal? Blogpoll seems to be having some problemas because that's not the poll I made, but let's roll with it! Pretend the first choice is November 8, the second is November 9, the third is "never", and the fourth is a mystery choice.
Posted in Satire at 04:29 PM | Comments (0)
Mike Malloy interview
What if you were sitting in a Hollywood donut shop at 3am when you asked a fellow customer to pass the sugar and they replied:
"Yes. We should get this country back in the hands of people who do not HATE America-- Republicans, conservatives, right-wingers, these religious, greedy people who hate this country. They want to turn this country into some kind of fascist theocracy. If my program has any point of view, it is to see this country get back in the hands of people who love this country, who respect the planet, who believe there is a better way to do things than just clubbing people into submission. We don't have a real "mission" on my program. But there's a part of me that believes that people can still redeem themselves.We can still find a way out of this fucking mess. Because if we don't, then surely, the human race's time is over. And this hell on me, because I have kids. I have grandkids and a two year old and my interest in the future is deep and abiding."
Posted in MikeWho at 11:31 AM | Comments (0)
Springer show "horrid", did "a lot of damage"
WPUL-AM 1590 (Daytona Beach, Florida) switched from gospel to "liberal" a year ago, but not the "Air America" brand of "liberal". Rather, they have a constellation of Jones Radio hosts as well as others: Bill Press, Stephanie Miller, Al Sharpton,And, so you don't get confused:
Jones Radio is not to be confused with Air America, a liberal radio network that has filed for bankruptcy. Both networks began syndicating liberal radio shows in 2004. WPUL began carrying Jones programs in September 2005.
Jones is not exclusively progressive. It also produces the conservative Neal Boortz show, which plays on local station WNDB.
[Amy Bolton, the vice president of news and talk for the Jones Radio Networks] said Jones does not use the same "flawed business model" which doomed Air America.
Her network allows local stations to pick the programming they want, while clients of Air America have to take all of its programs, which means Al Franken, as well as Jerry Springer.
"Springer's show did a lot of damage," Bolton said. "His show was horrid."
Posted in PureClass at 05:36 AM | Comments (0)
Air America: a campaign finance workaround?
Now comes this John Lott/Bradley Smith column entitled "Special treatment for Air America". It makes a rather curious claim that all AARologists should immediately spot:When is a campaign donation not a campaign donation? Apparently if you spend the money to run a radio program instead of paying for campaign ads that run on that same program. Just look at Air America. With $41 million in losses since 2004, and $9.8 million owed just to Robert Glaser, RealNetworks chairman, Democrats who bankrolled this "company" weren't so much investors as campaign contributors. The losses are seen as simple business ineptitude,but Air America effectively, and perhaps intentionally, cleverly avoided the campaign finance limits which Democrats had worked so hard to pass.Of course, AAR is completely innocent of all charges: this is clearly not such a "vehicle" because many of AAR's listeners were not people but cows in fields in Crystal Lake IL or Karnes City TX. And, even they weren't able to listen at night.
With McCain-Feingold's "hard money" donation limits of $2,000 per candidate and "soft money" limits to party campaign committees of $57,500, there is no way that Mr. Glaser or other wealthy Democratic donors could have legally given such large sums directly to Democrats. But Air America provided a vehicle for their multimillion-dollar political campaigns...
Given all of the money they invested in AAR, Rob Glaser et al could have started a foundation to find workarounds for campaign finance reform, bought hundreds of TV ads, rented the Goodyear blimp to fly over the Superbowl (twice), and still have enough left over to send Al Franken a nice gift from Shinder's.
Posted in Meta at 04:57 PM | Comments (0)
Air America not in big White House tent
Given their history, is it any surprise that Air America wasn't invited to the Big Tent On The White House Lawn from which a couple dozen radio hosts broadcast the other day? Says Rachel Maddow:
"Nobody from Air America was invited... We've been calling and they didn't return our calls."
She reached a WH staffer while on the air who said she'd get back to her:
Later, she said she was told the lineup has been set "for weeks," but if there were a late cancellation, she might be able to take that slot... As of yesterday afternoon, said Air America, no offer had arrived.
Maybe next year. Oh, sorry, I forgot. Maybe next year Nova M will be the one trying to get an invite.
Posted in Meta at 07:10 PM | Comments (1)
Air America silences Green Party voices
While the Green Party doesn't receive many votes, all Democrats must acknowledge the influence that party's positions has on the Democratic Party. To many Dems, they are that party's conscience, the ideological rudder in the sea of liberalism.
Thus, it's quite disturbing to say the least to read the news that the Green Party candidate for governor of New York, Malachy McCourt, has been given the cold shoulder by his ideological allies, and they won't allow him into their debates:
I've been getting the run around from the Brian Lehrer Show, I've been getting run around from the Amy Goodman show, I've been getting the run around from Air America and even those folks are on our side so I don't know what the hell is going on here....
Can it be true that AAR has become part of the "mainstream" media, and refuses to acknowledge their cousins in the Green, Working People's, Socialist, and Revolutionary Communist Party?
Posted in Meta at 01:02 PM | Comments (1)
"Credible alternative to Air America" begins (Talk USA Radio)
Mr. Debbie Stabenow aka Tom Athans - previously the head of Democracy Radio (spawnplace of Ed Schultz and Stephanie Miller) - is starting a "credible alternative to Air America" called Talk USA Radio. After shuttering DR, he became an executive vice president with AAR.
Just in case you missed it the first or second time, he says:
"Progressive Talk Radio is a viable format that has great commercial potential... There simply needs to be a credible alternative to Air America to ensure that Progressive Talk has a chance for success... For progressive talk to expand beyond its current audience, programs need to be developed with experienced broadcasters as hosts that focus on entertaining an audience first and informing second. With a strong offering of entertaining and compelling programs, progressive talk can grow and thrive despite the overwhelming presence of conservative talkers."
He hopes to launch at the start of the year, and he presumably hopes not to shut down shortly thereafter.
Posted in Meta at 01:16 PM | Comments (0)
Zogby backtracks; Horn flacks; Drobny attacks
It's a "Zig-Zogby", as pollster John Zogby has sent special people (but not us) an email clarifying that his new show ("Pulse of the Nation") on the "Nova M Radio Network" will be a "nonpartisan discussion". He stresses that his company is "independent" and is "not tied to the Democrats or the Republicans". And, the title of the email was... "Zogby Radio: A Fair and Balanced Look At What People Are Really Thinking".In other news, Variety's article on the new network has nothing you don't already know, except for a couple interesting quotes. This one from Air America Radio spokeshole Jamie Horn made my day:
"Their attempt to start this company only validates Air America's mission and the need for a progressive voice in this country."And, Sheldon Drobny gets a few digs in:
"Air America had a 'Field of Dreams' concept -- if they build it, they will come... The Chapter 11 filing speaks for itself."And, there comes the news that Nova M will fight the power, whatsoever the power may be:
While Air America has positioned itself largely as an anti-President Bush network, Nova M Radio will be positioned as antiestablishment.
"They don't have to be left or right wing -- they just have to be truthful," [Drobny] said. "We want to be a balance and represent what the fourth estate should be doing to who's in power."
Posted in Meta at 08:32 PM | Comments (0)
Nova M Radio Network issues statement
Sheldon Drobny's new radio network has issued completely voluntary statement.
It includes this "quip" from Mike Malloy, their top star:
"Yikes! That was close. To not be on the air during perhaps the most critical election in modern U-S history would have been a real bummer. But, we're back and here it is: The Nova M Radio network. Another crack in the wall of right-wing drivel that saturates the airwaves. Join me nightly, truth-seekers and goodbye Air America - hello Nova M!"
And, we're informed that the one-hour per week show from "renowned pollster" John Zogby will be a fun game:
At the end of each show John will reveal the secret results of the poll and each listener will then know whether or not they have their finger on "The Pulse of the Nation"!
Perhaps they could give away tote bags and bumper stickers to the winners.
And, we're informed that another host will be Peter B. Collins, "San Francisco-based syndicated talk show host [...who's a] veteran radio personality".
Caught in an off moment, CEO & Chairman Mike "Doc" Newcomb M.D. stated:
"We will continue to build upon the foundation laid by our predecessors and will work tirelessly to fulfill our fiduciary responsibilities to our investors. Equally important, we will with the millions of faithful progressive listeners uphold our vision to promote freedom, social justice, economic justice and peace worldwide."
Or, as an alternative, they'll crash and burn just like Air America.
Posted in Meta at 01:58 PM | Comments (0)
Drobny, Malloy, Zogby, Trippi launch own "network"
Former Air America Radio co-founder Sheldon Drobny has since bought a couple stations that carry that network, and he recently tried and failed to buy AAR before it went into bankruptcy.
Leaving those failures in the past, Shelly has now decided to start his own network to syndicate "progressive" yakkers, starting with former AAR host Mike Malloy. The only station so far scheduled to carry the new "network" will be one that Shel owns, 1480-AM KPHX Phoenix, and it will kick off the day before Halloween.
The CEO of the new venture is Dr. Mike Newcombe, who has/had a show on that station. They also have a "strategic partnership" with Joe Trippi and Associates. He made millions off Howard Dean's ad buys. John Zogby, president and CEO of Zogby International, will be providing a one-hour per week show.
Note that Malloy's timeslot is given as "9PM -12 Midnight (EST)", which is a bit odd since I think they're refering to Phoenix, Arizona. That latter state refuses to use standard times like everyone else in the country, meaning that that could be either starting at 6pm or 7pm local time. In any case Malloy should provide relaxing dinner-time chat for those who tune in.
Posted in Sheldon Drobny at 11:27 AM | Comments (3)
Air America's real enemy identified!
Is the real enemy of Air America not The Conspiracy - aka the VRWC or "Jim's Bunch" (X9-OP) - nor their creditors, but centrist, "third way" Democrats like "strategist" Laura Schwartz?The latter dares call herself a Democrat while not just dissing Air America, but supporting Rush Limbaugh, Taylor Marsh reports. Why, there's even video of the incident from Fox News. This activity of Schwartz' should encourage Party leaders to investigate her other activities.
I tried to post this following comment on the Youtube link above, but so far the NeoCon Lites at the DLC - apparently working with Youtube - have blocked my thoughts:
That "Democratic Party" "strategist" is so, so wrong. Air America Radio *is* the Democratic Party. Sure, Randi Rhodes had a little problem with an XMas tree a while back. But, she's a supporter of LIHOP. And, Al Franken is good friends with "independent" Bernie Sanders, someone who's basically a real Democrat. And, of course, there's (former host) Mike Malloy with his truthseeking and all like that.I am going to be expanding this comment for a future post at my DailyKos diary, so keep your eyes peeled.
Air America is the Democratic Party, and the Democratic Party is Air America!
In other news, Brent Budowsky - as ever - has ideas.
And, Sheldon Drobny has pictures of the perpetrators of the AAR bankruptcy.
UPDATE: Sheldon Drobny now comments on Taylor Marsh's piece, informing us that "[w]e got no help from any power brokers and strategists either in the DNC or DLC." However, he also says that the "success of Countdown with Keith Olbermann is another example of alternative programming that is taking market share away from Fox." Of course, that "success" is relative, and Olbermann's average viewership is equivalent to everyone in Fontana, California tuning in to watch his rantings.
Posted in Meta at 05:59 AM | Comments (0)
Air America Radio goes bankrupt (for real this time)
It's official, and Air America Radio has finally declared Chapter 11 bankruptcy. They have assets of around $4 million and liabilities of around $20 million. The list of people they owe runs over 20 pages. It is unclear at this time whether members of AAR's "Associates" program bear any fiscal liability in this matter.
One of the people they owe is "Alan Franken, Inc." You can call him "Al", except when making out a check. They owe him $360,000, which is probably two months' worth of salary. His executive producer Billy Kimball is owed the relatively modest sum of $84k.
Like "liberalism" itself, Air America is all about the "little guy". That's why supposed former employee Betsy Goldman is going to have to fight with Rob Glaser to get the $720 she's owed. Amy Winslow is only out $204.92.
Question: Could John Conyers could push through an Air America bailout bill? Sign the petition!
Others they owe will be listed below:
INVESTORS:
Rob Glaser: almost $10 million + $475k (page 21)
Mike Papantonio: $582k + $100k (page 19) (also a host)
Eugene Keilin: $294k
Doug Kreeger: $378k
Terry Kelly: $360k +100k (page 23) (info)
Citibank: $2.5 million (?)
"TALENT":
ChuckD's Creamwerks company: $10k
Michael Piazza of the Bronx: $306.01 (the Mike Piazza? page 8)
Mike Malloy: $114k
Young Turks: $6.9k
"EXECUTIVES":
Gary Krantz $245k (former president)
Danny Goldberg: $133,333.32 (current vice chairman, former CEO)
Eileen Quigley: $29k (this: "Chief of Staff to the Chairman of the AAR Board")
Jackson Hole Group: $220k; their Jim Wiggett was named Acting CEO; apparently it didn't work out
BUSINESSES:
Arbitron: $161k
Clear Channel's KTLK Los Angeles: $558k
Diamond Broadcasting's KSAC Sacramento: $500k
Coffee Distributing Corp: $2k (they should have tried something stronger)
ICBC Broadcast Holdings: $293k (owners of WLIB)
Multicultural Radio Broadcasting: $550k (settlement of the suit over their first stations)
Press Association Inc.: $16k (the AP?)
Real Networks: $85k (run by Rob Glaser)
Shinders: $398 (site: "Minneapolis' largest collectibles retailer") (maybe a gift from/for Al Franken? Call Sheldon Drobny!)
SOS Locksmith Corp: $270 (changing the locks after Janeane left? Did Al Franken lock himself out of the studio?)
Wade Welch & Associates: $17k (the lawyer who filed the motion to keep AAR on the air... back in 2004. Such gratitude! Such irony!)
Talkers Magazine: $3600
Tri Tech Office Building in St. Paul MN: $5268
UNKNOWNS:
Delusions Inc.: $43k (page 6)
Gregory P. Berenson, who appears to be better known as Paul, a "colorist" and host of a Santa Barbara "progressive" radio show. The figure given is $0, but that's followed by another $0 amount for a Claim Representative from the CA Labor Commissioner...
Posted in Meta at 12:34 PM | Comments (1)
Get out your Kleenex: $100 million plan includes Air America
You're going to need your Kleenex and not for crying as you read this splotch of effluvia from WebTV subscriber and HuffPost contributor (which is worse?) Brent Budowsky: "November Proposal: A $100 Million Democracy Venture Fund To Change America".
I couldn't quite figure it out without the accompaning PowerPoint slides, but it apparently involves raising a large amount of money using identity politics/Gramscism. The group would be lead by a Soviet of three "names you know". Some form of MLM seems to be involved. They would then divvy out the proceeds to far-left groups, including the one that we hold dear:
Next: this venture fund could negotiate a direct investment in Air America and weld in, to Air America's business model, a hard alliance with the progressive blogosphere and new revenue streams from increased audience and super-empowered e-commerce revenue sharing.
AAR has a "business model"? Does anyone really want a "hard alliance" with DailyKos or, even worse, ThinkProgress, MyDD, or, worst of all, JaneBrainFireDogHamsherLake? And, is "super-empowered" even a word? Someone please close the door, Brent would like a little privacy as he finalizes his plan.
Bonus: it's been almost a month since award-winner Sheldon Drobny penned his last screed for Arianna's site. Did X3nu come to take him away?
Posted in Meta at 09:37 AM | Comments (1)
Finally! An "Al Franken: God Spoke" review you can trust
As three, maybe four of you may have heard, there's a new documentary out called "Al Franken: God Spoke". While I don't usually recommend trusting much to be read in the Weekly Standard, I'm going to consider this Louis Wittig review the Gold Standard:
...[The directors' cinema verite technique] works great when there's story, and it can work without story--when the subject is deep. It would be the perfect technique for making a documentary about, say, Bob Dylan. Here it is less well suited...
Posted in StuartSmalley at 05:30 AM | Comments (0)
Katherine Lanpher: still an isolated Midwestern outsider in the Big City
When last we met up with Al Franken's former sidekick Katherine Lanpher in February, the NYT was doing a "country mouse comes to the Big City and isn't that cute" piece on her. At the time she was writing a book and the NYT discussed her Midwesterness and, for instance, how she observed a smashing party from the balcony of her wonderful City apartment (she didn't attend the party, just observed it).
The lonely observations have apparently continued in the ensuing months, including her wandering around her charming neighborhood watching things happen and even taking a Big Bus Ride along the length of the island (presumably Manhattan). And, as "Katherine Lanpher's midlife move" reports, her book "Leap Days: Chronicles of a Midlife Move" is now available. She considers the West Village her new home, and the cosmopolitan local parochialists appear almost ready to welcome her as one of their own.
Posted in AlsoRans at 12:17 AM | Comments (0)
Swiffering Janeane Garofalo spins; liberal radio can work!
Any article from an NYC-based site that starts out "While Swiffering her city apartment, Janeane Garofalo takes a moment to chat with Metro..." immediately grabs my attention and holds it long enough to read Janine offering a pro-Air America talking point more often associated with Al Franken:
"...Air America was the fastest growing talk radio station in history, 18-35 demo. Sam [Seder] and my show consistently beat out long-standing, right-wing, regressive radio. The problem was we got conned in the beginning by some shysters. It was difficult to recover from that. Then we were plagued by "who's going to run this thing and do it for no pay?" We've never gotten back on our feet from those financial debacles. The myth is that liberal talk radio doesn't work or can't work. That's crap."
Posted in Janeane at 11:39 AM | Comments (3)
Mystery building in Secaucus only has Air America repeater
The Hudson Reporter reports:
A whitewashed building sits on Radio Avenue in the north end of Secaucus, surrounded by low-lying wetlands and a series of high-spiraling white and orange antennas.Some locals blather on and on, speculating that it houses a radio repeater for WWRL, Air America Radio's new sinking New York City flagship. And, some even complain about the signals coming from the building bleeding into their TVs and telephones. AAR won't confirm whether it's their building or not:
Its juxtaposition next to single-family homes is startling, and the building itself remains a mystery to residents because it provides not a single sign or word on it explaining its use...
"We would not exactly want people to know what it is," said Adriane Gaines, WWRL's station general manager, "given the current environment that we are in [referring to terrorism]. Radio transmitters and towers are very vulnerable in the current climate of security in America."Like I said, she won't confirm what it's for. And, that's certainly understandable, since AAR is probably right near the top of most terrorists' hit lists, somewhere between al Jazeera and DailyKos.
In any case, rest assured, Secausites! That screeching you hear in your telephones is just Randi Rhodes, and there's nothing going on in that building other than just repeating radio signals. Nothing else goes on there at all.
Posted in Meta at 05:07 AM | Comments (2)
Do you have a personal disappearance plan?
Discussing the recent "Torture Bill/"Detainee Trial Bill"/"Military Commissions Act of 2006" and keying off the article "In Case I Disappear" by "scholar" (her characterization) William Rivers Pitt, Randi Rhodes suggests that everyone creates a "disappearance plan" in case they're sent to Gitmo or even worse places. From the audio here:
Make known what you would like to be done on your behalf if you should disappear. I'm serious. I hate to say this... We don't have to worry about future attacks on America, because George Bush has destroyed pretty much everything we always thought of as America.
In addition to that plan, make sure you've got a and directions to Canada.
Posted in RandiRhodes at 03:19 PM | Comments (0)
Charles Rosen charged in Gloria Wise scandal
Via this we're directed to this report informing us that Charles Rosen - previously called "the Lenin of the North Bronx" and a former executive with the Gloria Wise Community Center - was charged with offenses including misappropriating $1.2 million from the Center. The Center ran the Gloria Wise Boys & Girls Club, which "loaned" $850,000 to help start Air America Radio. That "loan" was only recently repaid.UPDATE: Under a plea agreement (announced by NY's Attorney General Eliot Spitzer), Rosen will reimburse GW for $38,575, and deputy director Jeffrey Aulenbach will pay back $32,363. Both will pay a whopping $5,000 in fines; Rosen will be barred from working for a (NY) non-profit for 3 years. Neither will serve jail time:
...But a source in Spitzer's office said "a lot of what is alleged in the DOI report cannot be proven," which is why Spitzer accepted pleas that didn't include time behind bars.Of course, there's also the possibility that this is because Spitzer is a Democrat or that they thought pursuing this matter would run afoul of local power brokers.
"We believe this is an appropriate punishment for the facts of our criminal case," said Juanita Scarlett, Spitzer's spokeswoman...
UPDATE 2: From "SPITZ CALLS CLUB PLEA DEAL WISE":
"Any agreements that my office has entered into we obviously think are appropriate," [Attorney General Eliot Spitzer], the gubernatorial front-runner, said at the Columbus Day Parade on Fifth Avenue, "given all the various considerations and factors that you weigh: age, magnitude [of the crime] and then other factors."In addition to questioning whether something else was involved in his decision, I have another question: why is "Spitz" celebrating Oppressor Day when he should instead be honoring Indigenous Persons Day?
Posted in Meta at 07:44 AM | Comments (0)
Jeff Gannon: "Randi Rhodes Has No Manners"
Jeff Gannon, aka James Guckert, was scheduled to appear on Randi Rhodes' show yesterday. However, in his quest to only leave an impression and not marks, he pulled out of the appearance at the last second because of the way that she was promoting it.
From an email message personally sent to me by Randi:
...Hear the interview plus the backstory on how it came about through Randi's outrage over gay Republicans rolling over while other conservatives equate homosexuals with sexual predators...
Because of this or something else the ever-wacky Randi said, Gannon now says:
I cancelled my appearance on the Randi Rhodes Show today on Air America Radio because I wanted to be treated as a guest. I objected to the insulting way in which they were promoting my appearance. I really enjoy to debate, but I'm not going to participate in a conversation where I am not going to be accorded basic courtesy even before the show begins...
An example of what he means is not provided; if it's not one of the pictures at the first link it must be something she said on the air. He's probably not refering to the riff-raff in her fora.
UPDATE: This audio clip, titled "Randi Rhodes: Bush's Hooker Chickens Out" and featuring outtakes from her show, may perhaps give us a clue to why he would cancel his appearance.
Posted in RandiRhodes at 02:24 AM | Comments (1)
Air America Dallas support group located
One of the items on my to-do list is to try to start a support group for Air America listeners. In contrast to the one I planned, the one for those who are sad about AAR losing their Dallas outlet is not a joke (or at least intentionally so).
They also link to this photo of Al Franken with a large group of Little Rock listeners.
Posted in Meta at 11:23 AM | Comments (0)
Air America losing Santa Cruz station (KOMY)
Next month, Air America Radio's outlet in Santa Cruz California - KOMY - will be dropping AAR.
Santa Cruz? Isn't that like, you know, a more bucolic version of Berkeley? Beijing by the Bay?
The reason for this has been brewing for a long time: owner Michael Zwerling says he isn't making any money because people don't listen and he therefore can't sell ads. Oddly enough, their twin station which broadcasts conservative talk is doing fairly OK.
Previously:
Air America infomercials: $250 for an hour on KOMY
Air America Santa Cruz still can't sell air time
Advertise to "liberals" in Santa Cruz... real, real cheap.
Posted in Meta at 11:16 AM | Comments (0)
Funds to save Air America Radio almost in mail
In December 2004, a group of millionaires and billionaires - led by George Soros - met in Scottsdale Arizona to start the "Phoenix Group", which has since disbursed tens of millions of dollars to a variety of "progressive causes". However, one of the most "progressive" of causes has not yet seen a dime:
...At the first meeting in Phoenix, Alliance partners agreed that funding media would be a front-and-center priority. Instead, says one early member of the media committee, "it keeps getting shuttled to the back, over and over." Partly that was because at the beginning of the process few members were familiar with progressive media. In time, the media committee developed a plan to fund bloggers, investigative reporting and media reform efforts. Now, in the run-up to Miami, says another media committee member, that plan has been slashed in half. Media Matters did receive an $11 million commitment over three years--but it only tracks right-wing media rather than producing original content. Air America Radio was supposed to receive between $5 million and $8 million from the Alliance, but after months of negotiations it still has received no money. Other efforts, such as The American Prospect magazine and the start-up Progressive Book Club, are also in limbo...
AAR is probably just too shy to come to terms with George Soros' group. What the PG should do instead is fund a series of Boys & Girls Clubs, which will then give "loans" to the ever-struggling network.
Bonus tip: instead of starting a book club, how about starting a progressive Amway distributorship network?
Posted in Meta at 07:51 PM | Comments (0)
Air America The Playbook
Various Air America Radio All-Stars have a new book out called "Air America - The Playbook: What a Bunch of Left Wing Media Types have to Teach you about a World Gone Right", and if, for instance, you do not find the "Campus Progress" post here completely incoherent, buy the book.
Just like AAR itself, it's taking the world by storm. Currently ranked at #2692 on Amazon, it features essays or something by: Chuck D, Rev. Dr. C. Welton Gaddy, Thom Hartmann, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Rachel Maddow, Mike Malloy (contrary to rumors, he wasn't airbrushed out of the book), Mike Papantonio, Randi Rhodes, Mark Riley, and Sam Seder.
Three names are conspicuously absent from that list. Janeane Garofalo was apparently too busy writing "Clear: My Struggle from Comic To Radio Host to Ridding Myself of B0dy Thet@ns". Al Franken does however provide an Introduction to the book. Of course, it might have been written by one of his Harvard assistants; if it's actually funny it's the latter. And, of course, the "Ringmaster" was busy promulgating the AAR lifestyle on television.
Special bonus AAR coverage: a DK blogger discovers that AAR is off the air in Dallas.
Posted in Meta at 10:11 AM | Comments (0)
