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Ranking talk show hosts using differing methods, two lists are making big waves today. Al Franken can't possibly be happy with the just-released 2005 Lycos Top Radio Hosts list, where he fell all the way out of the top 20, after ranking 10th in 2004. Each year, Lycos ranks radio personalities based on Internet search enquiries. While that's certainly a novel approach to ranking popularity, it probably doesn't tell the whole story. Oddly, while Franken vanished, Air America co-conspirator Janeane Garofalo made this year's list, in 12th place.

Countering Air America's recent success claims by Al Franken over Bill O'Reilly, the Radio Equalizer yesterday heard from a talk radio executive with additional information on this supposed battle. As part of recent internal company research on the strength of various syndicated hosts, the programmer learned that while O'Reilly's radio success varies somewhat nationwide, he's a powerhouse in Boston. Heard in the Hub on Boston's WTKK-FM, O'Reilly turns out to be one of the market's strongest national programs, crushing competition from Air America's two area stations, WXKS-AM and WKOX-AM.

Providing a fascinating media bias case study, watching Al Franken's The Truth (With Jokes) struggle to stay slightly ahead of Michelle Malkin's Unhinged underscores the extra push liberals need to win the Amazon wars. As of 11am, Franken and Malkin are still neck and neck, with the former's release in 16th place and the latter's ranked 18th. After two full weeks of Frankenfluffy newspaper reviews, however, think about Franken's added advantage. With more published just today, each seems to further push the idea of Al The Nice Guy. What kind of boost does this steady succession of partisan reviews provide?

If a liberal radio network falls in the forest (hitting a few spotted owls on the way down) and there isn't anyone around to hear it, does it make a sound? After a second letter begging for help, that seems like a fair question today. Sent to supporters on Halloween, it makes more suspect claims and again paints a misleading picture of Air America Radio's overall health. To the Radio Equalizer, however, the real story is that few seemed to notice this second appeal to the network's remaining faithful diehards:

As of today, Unhinged is ranked 18th in book purchases at Amazon (click the box in the upper-right-hand sidebar to see the latest rank and "reviews"). That may be why they're so angry: assuming it would flop, liberals immediately proclaimed it a failure, while trumpeting Al Franken's The Truth (With Jokes). After peaking in the top five, it's now sitting in 10th place. In coming days, Malkin could very well surpass Franken. That's despite a huge number of mainstream media Frankenfluffy reviews, while Michelle's book is largely ignored (as are most by conservative authors). She doesn't get to appear on...

Since May, we've had a lot of fun examining Rev. Al Sharpton's would-be, could-be talk radio career. Because announced plans never seem to pan out, it's mostly involved a lot of head-scratching. With a new deal now reportedly signed, the Sharpton saga takes an especially puzzling turn: he's apparently a talk radio two-timer! That's right, with the Boston Globe's Clea Simon revealing his new agreement, he's got a bit of a mess on his hands:

What is it about Michelle Malkin that so quickly works liberals into a frenzied state? All it takes is a television appearance, published column or radio interview to enrage so-called "progressives". Why, reserved for her, these particular heapings of vitriol? Certainly, ethnicity and gender must play a role, as liberal anti-Malkin hate closely resembles that of serial Condi-bashers. For non-conformity to leftist cultural expectations, both experience routine partisan media punishment. And as can be imagined, some of the meanest attacks come from liberal Asian-Americans, who seem to feel there is some ethnic mandate to follow Democrats off the cliff's edge....

While we certainly don't expect news outlets in ultra-lefty Portland to ask book-tour hypocrites tough questions, today's Oregonian interview piece officially takes the Frankenfluffy cake. (Hello Kitty/Franken picture) For that rare honor, the Radio Equalizer rolls out ace interrogator Hello Kitty, fresh from Git'mo, who we think can hold Al Franken's feet to the fire much better than the Northwest's puff-piece-churning "journalists".

For liberal talkers, still failing to carve a significant niche in a fiercely competitive media environment, today apparently won't bring their hoped-for "Fitz-mas". Yes, that's how they describe the elusive ratings windfall indicted senior Bush Administration officials might (in a Rhodesian fantasy world) bring to floundering "progressive" talk shows. Al Franken used the term (which refers to special counsel Patrick J Fitzgerald) during a Wednesday CNN interview, as have his radio counterparts, repeatedly. As the New York Times is now reporting, however, Karl Rove is not likely to face charges for now, if ever. Can "Scooter" Libby alone save liberal...

While Al Franken continues to have his pick of cable and late night television interviews, there may be signs some are leery of his creepy Rove/Cheney/Bush "execution" rhetoric. Appearing on CNN yesterday, Franken's American Morning interview segment seemed abruptly cut short as soon as he brought up this supposed "joke". Were producers ready and waiting to pull the plug? Interviewer Zain Verjee became visibly uncomfortable as soon as Franken mentioned the "E" word. Was that the planned segment end, after just three minutes?

After Michelle Malkin's scoop on Al Franken's violent promotional video was picked up by a number of major websites, public focus turned to the latter's state of mind. Between the bizarre clip and jokes about executing Bush, Rove and Cheney, has Franken gone completely nuts? Or is it some kind of bizarre book selling strategy? In emails to the Radio Equalizer, readers thought that while it might help his Amazon sales ranking, these antics could hurt a potential 2008 Minnesota US Senate run. In the process of moving back to his home state, Franken has long been mentioned as a...

Yes, your ears were properly functioning during Friday evening's David Letterman show. Did Al Franken really kid about executing the President of the United States? Sure enough, it was loose cannon time for the alleged truth-teller. Not exactly a solid start to Franken's The Truth (With Jokes) book tour. How nice to plug the release on the Late Show With David Letterman, isn't it? Is it that hard to keep from bombing in such a friendly setting, however?

As his The Truth (With Jokes) promotional tour gets underway, Al Franken must be feeling at least some unease. Me TooAfter all, the book's timing isn't exactly red hot, coming just after revelations of questionable dealings and practices at Air America Radio. Since its inception, Franken has served as the liberal talk network's marquee talent. Since our investigative report uncovered proof Franken knew about shady taxpayer-funded "loans" from the Bronx-based Gloria Wise Boys & Girls Club to the liberal radio network, contrary to Al's public assertions, he's avoided the topic. That might be tougher out on the road. So what's...

Evan Montvel-Cohen's Guam homecoming is making big news in the American territory, especially since the former Air America head hasn't exactly made a quiet return..... ....Al Franken's book release seems to have been moved up a few days, now scheduled for October 25. How will the book signings go this time around? Will he be able to avoid unpleasant questions about Air America's many flaps?....

Whether a cosmic coincidence or calculated strategy, something's clearly changed in talk radio. With three major stars giving rare interviews in the same week, listeners are wondering about these sudden, sometimes emotional outpourings. Whatever the reasons, we've gained a bit of insight into what makes Rush Limbaugh, Bill O'Reilly and Michael Savage tick. There's no doubt Sean Hannity got a major boost Tuesday from his candid televised discussion with Rush Limbaugh. Liberal complaints about the absence of co-host Alan Colmes should be met with laughter, since Colmes-bashing has long been a leftist spectator sport. Suddenly, they need him?

For two publicity-craving liberal talk hosts looking to milk recent circumstances, results are so far mixed. Ed Schultz thought he had a deal to broadcast to U.S. soldiers, but the Pentagon now says otherwise.In part one here, Fargo, North Dakota-based Ed Schultz is reaping a mini-whirlwind of press attention, for making unsubstantiated claims against Armed Forces Radio. Possibly in response to a Democrat-led push for greater ideological programming "balance" on global military broadcasts, the Ed Schultz show was, in theory at least, to begin Monday. Instead, his nationally syndicated program was halted before even a single airing. Was it ever...

Now that Air America's chased away nearly every potential corporate advertiser, isn't it fitting the Revolutionary Communist Party (RCP) has emerged as a key sponsorship source? Don't take the Radio Equalizer's word for it, here it is, straight from Pravda (or Revolution, as the party's publication is now called, formerly Revolutionary Worker): Revolution talked with Debra Sweet, National Coordinator of World Can’t Wait--Drive Out the Bush Regime, about building for November 2, National Day of Resistance. Revolution: We’ve been hearing of significant new developments in building for Nov. 2, such as important new signatories to the Call, ads on the...

In one of talk radio's oddest recent moves, the syndicated "Savage Nation" host has made a public call for several new "sidekicks" and even a possible co-host. What in the world would possess Savage to do this, the Radio Equalizer can't imagine. From Savage's Paul Revere Society website:........ (snip) ......As part of its "C-SPAN 25 Years- Viewer Call-ins" series, Air America's Randi Rhodes was teamed up with Salem's Janet Parshall to debate talk radio's influence. Airing Saturday afternoon, it was initially tame. Parshall made a few basic points, while Rhodes had great difficulty getting into the conversation's flow. In terms...

Proving Al Franken and Air America Radio really do believe the radio industry is full of chumps, this ad ran in Thursday's edition of Inside Radio, a trade publication faxed each morning to executives: .... What's wrong with it? Aside from the obvious cracks we can make about "intelligent life" and "Air America" appearing in the same universe, let's look at the blunders individually:

Continuing his Maine Denial Tour, Al Franken has kicked the nerve factor up a notch with a shameless weekend speech to Bowdoin College Democrats. While the young, eager Brunswick-based students soaked up rhetoric faster than SpongeBob SquarePants, Franken somehow still managed to disappoint them, by refusing to answer any questions. Why? As Frank Chi, campus Democrats co-president, explains in the Times Record: