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The progressive network Air America tonight scoops up the slings and arrows it aims at President Bush and moves them to its new home a few blocks downtown. Starting tomorrow, Air America will be heard on WWRL (1600 AM), ending a 29-month run at WLIB (1190 AM). -snip- The move to WWRL will reduce Air America's coverage in some parts of the metropolitan area, since WWRL's signal isn't quite as strong as WLIB's and there are areas where it is hard to pick up. Questions continue to circulate about the financial health of the network, which has experienced cash crises...

WLIB (1190 AM) is switching from the liberals to the Lord. After 29 months as the flagship station for the progressive talk network Air America, WLIB will become a full-time black gospel music station on Sept. 1. It will be "music-intensive," says Vinny Brown, operations manager of sister station WBLS (107.5 FM), "but will not exist in a vacuum, just playing songs. It will be heavily involved with the community, because in many ways the church is the community." Vice president/general manager Deon Levingston says while the "Praise and Inspiration" format will not have talk shows "per se," some shows...

NEW YORK, Aug. 3 (UPI) -- The liberal radio network Air America is moving to a weaker AM signal in New York due to down ratings and shaky finances, the New York Post reported. The talk radio network failed to renew its two-year lease with the owners of WLIB (1190 AM), forcing left-wingers such as Al Franken to broadcast from WWRL (1600 AM) -- which has a weaker signal -- beginning Sept. 1, the newspaper said. "Air America" executives had previously run into trouble at WLIB after the station's owners -- Pierre Sutton and his father, former Manhattan Borough President...

THE liberal Air America radio network is going to be harder to hear in New York. Next month, it is switching stations - to a weaker AM station, WWRL (1600 AM). Al Franken and his lefty colleagues are leaving WLIB (1190 AM) apparently because they couldn't come up with enough cash for the owners, former Manhattan Borough President Percy Sutton and his son, Pierre. Starting Sept. 1, Air America will be on WWRL, at the top of the dial where AM signals are weakest - especially at night, when greater FCC restrictions apply. As The Post reported last March, the...

This just in! Err America radio, who has been paying WLIB-AM for 100% of its airtime, has lost its home. They found a new station, WWRL, has a transmitter located in New Jersey and is a 25kW datytime, 5kW nighttime station. The directional antenna patterns are very tight to the Southeast to cover NYC, with a lobe to the NW towards Paterson, NJ during the day that is eliminated at night. WLIB is 30 kW daytime and 10kW nighttime, its daytime pattern similar to WWRL's but not as tight and with a lobe to the east that gets it into...

*** Exclusive To The Radio Equalizer - Part One ****** Updated With Breaking News Below *** It has long been reasonable to characterize Air America Radio as having an every man- for- himself work environment, where the name of the game is to see who grab the most cash before the whole mess finally comes crashing down. Add to the mix a nearly- constant stream of financial support from Real Networks honcho Rob Glaser and billionaire currency raider George Soros and the greedy temptation to push for obscene salaries, perks and benefits simply becomes too great to resist. Central to...

Air America Radio will lose its New York flagship station, WLIB-AM, on Aug. 31. While the left-leaning radio network’s original lease for the Inner City station ran out March 31, AAR managed to get an extension which only lasts until Aug. 31, according to an informed source. Through an agreement with ICBC, WLIB will be operated as a joint venture and be programmed by P1, a company run by former Clear Channel and Jacor Communications executive Randy Michaels. Michaels is expected to program a progressive talk format, but replace AAR’s network programming with more local programming. A likely addition to...

Remember all the media hype for Air America when it first launched a couple of years ago? Before even the first broadcast, the MSM gave us adulatory stories about how Air America would give conservative talk radio, namely Rush Limbaugh, a run for their money. Actually make that NO MONEY. Air America has had such LOW RATINGS that they have to rely on either leftwing moneybags like George Soros to come up with their revenue or raid Boys and Girls Clubs charities to pay for Al Franken's inflated salary. In fact, this year Al Franken demanded his years salary...

Local progressive talk format to launch August 31st. Radio Business Report: Quote: Randy gets a New York stick Former Clear Channel Radio CEO Randy Michaels is set to return to operating a major market radio station. RBR has learned that Michaels will take over programming of WLIB-AM New York when Air America Radio's current LMA expires August 31st. The station will continue to have a Progressive Talk format, but Michaels will replace Air America's network programming with a series of new local talk shows with a liberal bent. Michael's deal with licensee Inner City Broadcasting won't be an LMA, but...

Air America Radio will lose its New York flagship station, WLIB-AM, on Aug. 31. While the left-leaning radio network’s original lease for the Inner City station ran out March 31, AAR managed to get an extension which only lasts until Aug. 31, according to an informed source. Through an agreement with ICBC, WLIB will be operated as a joint venture and programmed by P1, a company run by former Clear Channel and Jacor Communications executive Randy Michaels. Michaels is expected to program a progressive-talk format, but replace AAR’s network programming with more local programming. A likely addition to the new...

If you read the New York Sun or the New York Post, you might be under the impression that WLIB, Air America Radio's New York City affiliate, is going under. Last night, I attended a fundraiser for Al Franken's new political action committee, the Midwest Values Pac (MVP). The goal of MVP is to raise money for progressive candidates in Franken's home state of Minnesota as well as progressive candidates in other states, including Vermont's Bernie Sanders (for more on MVP, check out this BuzzFlash interview). Franken gave a hilarious speech, but took a serious tone when he discussed the...

New York Arbitron RatingsWLIB - Air America RadioSummer 2004: 1.6 Rating Summer 2005: 1.2 Rating Down 0.4 or 25% from last Summer.

WLIB-AM Wi'05 - 1.2 Sp'05 - 1.0 Su'05 - 1.2 Fa'05 - 1.4 Wi'06 P1 - 1.4 Wi'06 P2 - 1.2

Liberal Talk network Air America Radio's CEO Danny Goldberg issued a memo to his staff denying published reports that the company had lost its N.Y.C. flagship, WLIB/New York, and was facing financial challenges, reports Radio & Records. In the memo, Goldberg stated, "In almost all cases, the people who say bad things about our company's business are conservative ideologues who have a particular interest in damaging Air America for one reason and one reason only: the political opinions expressed by our on-air talent." Of AAR's financial status, Goldberg said, "Our board continues to be very supportive of our company, and...

Air America found itself on the defense for the second time this week following reports in both the New York Post and New York Daily News today (March 7) implying that the liberal talk network was about to lose its New York flagship station, WLIB-AM. The Post, in particular, seemed to offer a sensationalist slant to its reporting of the alleged loss of WLIB. Reporter John Mainelli wrote, “Air America is close to losing its New York flagship station, knocking Al Franken and his liberal colleagues off the air on the second anniversary. Losing its New York outlet would be...

March 7, 2006 -- AIR America is close to losing its New York flagship station - knocking Al Franken and his liberal colleagues off the air on their second anniversary. The network has a two-year lease with WLIB (AM 1190) that is reportedly set to expire April 1 - and at least one reliable report says it is "extremely likely" the deal will not be renewed. Losing its New York outlet would be a serious blow to the fledgling liberal radio network. "Radio Equalizer" blogger Brian Maloney - who blew the whistle on questionable loans to the lefty network last...

WLIB, Air America, New York City, ICBC, Randy Michaels WORST CASE REALITY Air America Appears To Lose Flagship Station Exclusive To The Radio Equalizer By Brian Maloney While Air America Radio's loss of two affiliates in Phoenix and Missoula, Montana is generating news this week, the company itself probably hasn't been able to give either city a second thought. Why? In a development sure to rip the heart right out of the liberal radio network's already ailing body, it appears extremely likely their leased New York City flagship station WLIB-AM will soon abandon Air America programming. Even worse, litigation looks...

While Air America Radio's loss of two affiliates in Phoenix and Missoula, Montana is generating news this week, the company itself probably hasn't been able to give either city a second thought. Why? In a development sure to rip the heart right out of the liberal radio network's already ailing body, it appears extremely likely their leased New York City flagship station WLIB-AM will soon abandon Air America programming. Even worse, litigation looks probable over the station's lease. While the network's last day on WLIB isn't known for certain, an internal source providing backing documentation points to the end of...

All Access confirms Malloy will not be getting cleared in New York but not because of ABC's "The Satellite Sisters." Inner City Broadcasting, owner of WLIB, is reclaiming Malloy's hours and will be broadcasting Caribbean music. WLIB had a full-time Caribbean format (with somewhat better numbers)prior to AAR's launch and has continued to broadcast Caribbean programming during the overnight hours (AAR has leased the station from 5 am to 12 midnight). The third hour of Mallow's show has never been cleared in New York. So, far the Satellite Sisters weekday show airs only on XM Radio (12 pm to 3...

While conservative news-talk stations begin to dig out of their giant post-election ratings hole, Arbitron trends released late Monday reveal more bad news for the troubled liberal Air America Radio network. From New York, Long Island, Los Angeles and Chicago, there wasn't one piece of good news for Franken and Friends, according to figures posted at Radio & Records.