Brit: "Air America is truly terrible, amateurish and sometimes downright embarrassing"
British person Andrew Stephen of the New Statesman lives near the White House but is barely able to tune in to the local Air America affiliate. Overcoming that hurdle (perhaps via one of their podcasts or on the internet or something) he tuned in recently, and he informs us that he's come to "a sad conclusion - that the middle and left are incapable of producing radio that can compete with the daily outpourings of the right."
He goes on to note the fact (previously covered here) that AAR's NYC listenership on WLIB is now less than when they were a Caribbean station. Then:
...I can reveal at least part of the reason for all this: Air America is truly terrible, amateurish and sometimes downright embarrassing. It sounds like University Radio Essex did in my student days - paved with good intentions, but lacking in technical expertise or professional flair. Limbaugh, by contrast, is a brilliant performer who instinctively understands the rhythm and pace of radio. His show crackles, while Air America sounds as though it is struggling for air. Even the ads seem to scrape the barrel, with Franken wretchedly recommending some brand of mattress...
He ends up by spending three paragraphs telling us that AAR's problems are because Americans are dumb.
Posted at 05:48 AM | Comments (4)
Taking on Air America's bourgeoise patriarchal hegemony for the people!
Our counter-reactionary sources have drawn our attention to this article that was published at the Portland IMC. In "Commercialized Progressive Talk Radio Shows Its True Colors", comrade Jen Amos educates:...I can no longer listen to three hours of the most entertaining, progressive radio. The new CEO of Air America thought it best to replace Unfiltered with three hours of -- drum roll please - Jerry Springer. Yes, the same Jerry Springer who's ads for re-runs of his TV show run side-by-side with ads for "Girls Gone Wild"...(Via this)
In fact, progressives can listen to men - mostly white men - for the majority of the time on this "progressive" station -- save for the respite of the Randi Rhodes show and the Majority Report which is co-hosted by Jeanne [sic, it's actually Janeane, or as I call her, Mmmmm Janeane] Garofalo. But be prepared to hear Garofalo chastised about proper etiquette by her co-host Sam Seder...
...You can take you're big boy toys and play with yourselves as you've shown me that you have no balls. I'll go back to finding women's and African American voices on Pacifica radio, Internet streams, and the print media.
Posted at 02:16 PM | Comments (0)
"All-left radio is lacking the right stuff for success"
David Shaw of the L.A. Times listened to an entire day's programming of Air America, all 17 hours of it: "It may have been the most boring day of my life."
More:
...In a country in which 64% of the public say they attend weekend worship services at least once a month, mocking religion might not be the most effective way to win converts — and yet, on Good Friday no less, that's exactly what the various Air America hosts repeatedly did.
Two of the hosts gratuitously announced that they're Jewish, and one — Marc Maron of the network's "Morning Sedition" program — went on to make fun of Easter and Christmas rituals. Then, in a segment he called "morning devotional," Maron began his prayer for divine guidance on behalf of President Bush by saying, "Dear Lord, what the hell is going on up there?"
...I think what ultimately annoyed — and disappointed me — the most about Air America was all the false, aren't-we-funny, aren't-we-smart laughter that virtually all the hosts gave each other. Four of Air America's six weekday programs have co-hosts — and two have three co-hosts apiece, liberal collectives that stand in stark contrast to the individual, every-man-for-himself approach of the conservatives...
(Via LAObserved)
Posted at 10:14 AM | Comments (3)
"Air America a Great Disappointment"
From a contributor to dc.indymedia.org:
...With the Pacifica network struggling to stay afloat and reclaim its audience and funding to stay on the increasingly hostile airwaves, one hoped that Air America would either be a solid competitor to carry forward the torch or even an ally.
Air America is unfit for both. By adopting the same form and the same attitudes [as the evil KKKon$ervatives --LW], these so-called liberals have allowed themselves to be co-opted by the very fascism they are so angry about...
Posted at 01:34 AM | Comments (3)
More blogospheric reaction
Right-Thinking has a review, including the following:
After his interview he gave the expected platitudes about how wonderful it was to have a national left-wing network, then he and the host ran down the list of markets where it is being heard: New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, etc. The guy stated, "Yeah, and as far as I'm concerned that's the real America." How typical of a leftie, to list a handful of big city liberal enclaves and claim that that's the "real" America.
Virtuous Circle has several posts, starting here.
Posted at 09:57 PM | Comments (0)
A first taste of Janeane Garofalo
I've listened to my first 10 minutes of the Janeane show and I haven't heard anything. Who is this Sam guy? Why is he unable to speak... like... a... normal... human?
Sam and Janeane are having to take a short break while Sam explains one of his sophisticated conspiracy theories to her. I'm going to assume Sam thinks we want to pull our troops out of Iraq and replace them with mercenaries. This will make money for Halliburton in some way.
To be continued...
Well, they're back from the break. Unfortunately, they're now introducing David Korn, so we're unable to find out what if anything Sam was thinking.
Mas later...
Posted at 08:19 PM | Comments (0)
"Liberal Radio Network Hits Air With Left Jab"
From Howard Kurtz in the WaPo.
Posted at 08:04 PM | Comments (0)
"Franken's radio debut shy of perfection"
From St. Louis' Star Tribune.
Posted at 02:44 PM | Comments (0)
"like ralph was a pinto and randi rear-ended him"
Titular quote from liberal blogger Skippy. Other posts here, here, and here.
Other blogospheric reaction: Wonkette (2), Hit & Run 1 and 2, John Kerry's blog, Balloon Juice, Crooked Timber, liberal Kevin Drum can't get a signal in deep behind the Orange Curtain, liberal media apologist Pandagon, Phelps has been converted, Begging to Differ has a review and it's not favorable, "[hitherto conservative] Talk radio is a format whose primary job is to disseminate disinformation to the faithful", Lonewacko starting the "displacing Minority Voices" meme since carried forward by Insty, a professional ventriloquist has a review and interesting links, "a liberal alternative to the usual hate-mongering." Finally, Crysta agrees with AA but finds it a bit dry.
UPDATE: Air America's target audience responds: "they made a rush limb song..." Many more comments followed, some semi-coherent.
UPDATE 2: Byte Back doesn't get Rush's schtick. JewView thinks it's MOR.
UPDATE 3: Alert to Finnish readers! Please click here and send me a rush translation.
UPDATE 4: Expat Yank compares it to the Beeb: "in comparison to the BBC, Air America Radio would probably appear a tad conservative."
Travelling Shoes says: DOA.
A DJ has background info on their SF outlet. (Via here).
Posted at 02:42 PM | Comments (2)
"Liberal Air America adds bluster to the blustery talk-radio market"
From the San Diego Union-Tribune:
...Another Air America host, Randi Rhodes, is a hysterical shrieker who never heard a conservative conspiracy theory she found too far-fetched to share with listeners...
Posted at 01:30 PM | Comments (0)
"Franken's shtick shaky in liberal radio debut"
So sayeth the AJC.
Posted at 01:22 PM | Comments (0)
