Franken and Garofalo to host Liberal Radio

Yahoo ^ | Seth Sutel

[Lizavetta]

NEW YORK - Comedian Al Franken is baiting conservatives again, and this time he's bringing along a bunch of friends to back him up.

Franken will be the lead personality on Air America Radio, a startup venture promising a liberal alternative to powerhouse radio talk show pundits like Rush Limbaugh.

The backers of Air America announced their programming lineup on Wednesday and said they planned to launch the network on March 31 in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and San Francisco.

Franken will be joined by fellow TV comedian Janeane Garofalo (news), both of whom will have co-hosts for their live three-hour shows. Other shows will be hosted by Randi Rhodes, a radio personality from southern Florida, and Lizz Winstead, a co-creater of "The Daily Show" on Comedy Central.

Franken, in a swipe at Fox News host Bill O'Reilly, plans to call his midday show "The O'Franken Factor."

"Bill, I want you to sue us," Franken said on a conference call with reporters, referring to a case last year in which a judge threw out O'Reilly's request to ban Franken from using the slogan "Fair and Balanced" on the cover of his book. The ruling turned into a bonanza of publicity for Franken.

However, it seems unlikely another lawsuit is in the offing. Asked to respond to Franken's remarks, Robert Zimmerman, a spokesman for Fox News said: "All forms of free speech are welcomed in this country. We wish them well."

Franken, who has signed a one-year contract with the network, made it clear that he intends to use his pulpit to pillory President Bush (news - web sites) in the run-up to the election.

"Bush is going down in November," Franken said. "We're not ceding this territory any more. To their credit, the right wing has captured radio. We're going after them, and we're going after them hard."

Mark Walsh, the CEO of Progress Media Inc., the company backing the network, said they have yet to sign any firm deals with advertisers but that several nonprofit organizations and progressive groups have promised to advertise.

He said the company hoped to raise "upward of $30 million" by the time the network goes live, which would allow them to operate for about 2 years before turning a profit. He declined to say how much they had raised so far, but he said "we are well on our way" to reaching the goal.

Reactions to the new network were mixed. Richard Cotter, the senior buyer of local broadcast advertising for MindShare Inc., says Air America could be a "refreshing alternative for listeners," but cautioned that "you never know until it goes on the air."

Robert Unmacht of In3 Partners, a media consulting firm in Nashville, Tenn., said Air America's initial array of stations was "weak."

"They've been far more interested in the thought of creating the network than in the actual business end of it," Unmacht said. "You need to run a complete radio station. You can't just say hey, we're liberal, isn't that great."

Walsh acknowledged that the starting base for the network was small, though positioned in key markets. "We don't expect to get giant numbers right away. This is one brick at a time."

Ironically, the name the liberal radio network has chosen for itself bears a close resemblance to "Air America," a covert CIA (news - web sites) operation in Laos during the Vietnam War. Franken joked with reporters that the radio network was also being funded by the CIA.

[agitator]

ping

[jim35]

Once again the libs show how totally ignorant they are of how the real world works. This should be a "Titanic" success. They're starting with no talent, no money, no stations, and no interest. Yeah, I can see why they're so optomistic. I can't wait to watch them flounder!

[Hillarys Gate Cult]

Air America = Radio of Ipecac. Listen to induce vomiting.

This is just another soft money loophole for the Dems run free campaign ads before the election.

[Euro-American Scum]

Once again the libs show how totally ignorant they are of how the real world works. This should be a "Titanic" success. They're starting with no talent, no money, no stations, and no interest.

This sounds like it will be hilarious. It should be good for a laugh if nothing else.

[Euro-American Scum]

Franken, in a swipe at Fox News host Bill O'Reilly, plans to call his midday show "The O'Franken Factor." "Bill, I want you to sue us," Franken said on a conference call with reporters, referring to a case last year in which a judge threw out O'Reilly's request to ban Franken from using the slogan "Fair and Balanced" on the cover of his book.

If this is all he's got, it should be a short run. Pot shots at O'Reilly should work for Franken for a couple of weeks before people start to tune him out.

[Bob J]

Screening your calls?

[Bonaparte]

...referring to a case last year in which a judge threw out O'Reilly's request to ban Franken from using the slogan "Fair and Balanced" on the cover of his book.

That was Fox News that took this to court, not O'Reilly.

[Nick Danger]

Hi there. It's me, your friendly neighborhood Associated Press salesman.

Perhaps you're wondering why the launch of this particular radio talk show gets full coverage by the AP, whereas you don't remember ever seeing us do this before. Well, it's because these particular talk show hosts are liberals... like we are. As the world's leading wire service, we take pride in our ability to blast our politics onto the news pages of over 1,500 dailies worldwide.

So remember, when you want full coverage of every press release put out by a left-of-center organization or left-wing celebrity, come to the Associated Press.

[White Eagle]

As the saying goes, Al Frannken has a face made for radio. I suppose most of the ads on the show will be for French products. Does Jack Handy have a French accent?

[Dan from Michigan]

Al Franken will fail. He's a little loudmouth girly man who isn't funny. Who will listen to what he has to say?

He's bad enough. He's dumb enough. And dog gone it, people don't like him!!!

[Euro-American Scum]

As the saying goes, Al Frannken has a face made for radio. I suppose most of the ads on the show will be for French products. Does Jack Handy have a French accent?

Maybe they could hire Michael Moore as a pitchman.

[Nick Danger]

Reuters Group today filed suit against the Associated Press, alleging "unfair and baseless claims" by AP that it is the world leader in liberally-slanted news. "Reuters is proud of its history as the loudest and most partisan purveyor of biased news coverage," said Reuters Group spokesman Joseph Goebbels. "We are outraged that Associated Press would claim to be more favorable to left-wing causes than we are."

[tubavil]

Franken will be the lead personality on Air America Radio...
_____________________________________

A take off on "We are not in Laos" Air America?

[Nick Danger]

CNN filed suit today against Associated Press and Reuters, alleging trade libel and malicious defamation by the two wire service companies. "Let's be clear that we are the world's most liberal, most biased, and most shamelessly partisan news organization on the planet," said CNN news director Blitz Woofer. "We will vigorously defend our hard-earned reputation as the place liberals go to hear what they want to hear."

[tubavil]

Okay, I didn't read the last sentence...

[Cindy]

[AdequateMan]

This should be great! The American people LOVE Jeanine Garafolo! We delight in dried up, bitter, unattractive movie stars! This is what we LIVE for! I have always wanted to score with Jeanine Garafolo, because I know that I would be her first. With her attitude, I am positive that it would be a chilling experience for me, and a brand new world for her.
Oh, I forgot to mention that I hate myself and want to die vomiting up my own spleen. That could factor in as well.

[Salman]

What these guys don't realize is that Limbaugh's real competition from a commercial point of view isn't liberals. It's daytime TV. Seen in that light, Limbaugh isn't such an 800 pound gorilla. Does he out-draw Oprah, Springer, and the soaps?

Al Franken is an insult comedian. He's more the liberal Don Rickles than the liberal Limbaugh.

[Salman]

...And Rickles is actually funny at times.