SILENT AL (Franken) No Response To Investigation, Socialist Gets Contribution

While it may not seem easy to keep Al Franken quiet on virtually any subject, we may have found a way: on national television, expose his outrageous compensation demands and watch him instantly clam up.

One week after our report appeared here and was discussed on the O'Reilly Factor, Franken, his fellow staffers and Air America Radio itself haven't said a word about it. Nor have nonstop FOX-bashers such as David Brock's Media Matters even mentioned our documented findings.

Included were revelations Franken made an increasing series of demands of the liberal radio network, at the same time it was struggling to figure out how to repay $875,000 in taxpayer funds it received from the Bronx-based Gloria Wise Boys & Girls Club. He insisted, for example, that his entire 2005 base salary of $1,725,000 be paid upfront. By 2008, it increases to a whopping $3 million, whether or not the show ever proves to be a real success.............snip............

I'm trying to figure out, in all seriousness, how Air America is still on the air.

They're on what, 60-70 stations? None of those stations air their programming without being paid. In other words, they're a 24/7 infomercial. Their primary funder is Paul Glaser, head of Real Networks and that Real Player on your PC/Mac is their biggest consumer product. Hey, his money, his to do what he pleases; including flushing it down the toilet. Now please note, he is not using corporate funds to fund Air America so no talk of stockholder revolt. However if he doesn't make money... well you get the idea.

Compare this to Rush Limbaugh who regularly commands six or seven figure payments annually for stations that carry his show in major markets. Sean Hannity can't be terribly far behind. Doubtful he has any seven figure payments coming to his syndicator but definitely multiple six figure deals.

What I'd LOVE to see, more than the Boys and Girls Club thing coming to an ugly end, is a complete facutal accounting of how much advertising revenue Air America has collected since it began its long long failing process.

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