Posted on 05/14/2004 9:21:40 AM PDT by KentTrappedInLiberalSeattle
Air America, the tottering monument to liberal hubris in the talk radio industry, may be about to change hands again, according to the Chicago Tribune. Its internal state of chaos is so great that employees, who had the cost of health insurance coverage deducted from their paychecks, were apparently never enrolled in a health insurance plan.
This must certainly be an oversight, rather than fraud. The devotion of liberals to health care coverage for all is so well-known that it is inconceivable that this could be deliberate. Incompetence, not criminality, must be at work.
Major hat-tip to Michael Nadler, who points out that while intent is critical to asessing criminality in a case like Air America's failure to pay for health insurance, if Air America also neglected to pay the I.R.S. the withholding taxes it deducted from employees' paychecks, as they did with health insurance, they would be "toast."
Having lost its two most important affiliate stations, bounced paychecks, laid off staff, closed advertising sales offices, and fired its two top officers, not to mention putting out an embarrassingly tedious and sophomoric programming product, the company may now return to the hands of its two original founders, Democrat donors Sheldon and Anita Drobny.
As a privately-held company, the public may never learn the details of the ownership odyssey which saw at least two changes in majority control after the Drobnys unloaded their controlling block of shares. According to the Tribune’s source, the Drobnys have an outside investor’s money to work with in their negotiations to re-assume control.
Strangely enough, the left-leaning press outlets like the New York Times, which devoted enormous attention to Air America when it was a pending venture, are curiously uninterested in the troubles being experienced in the actual operation of the business. Usually, liberal journalists take delight in business scandals. Imagine the headlines if an Enron or Halliburton pocketed employees’ health insurance deductions without actually covering them with health insurance!
Good for you. Business is business and poitics shouldn't interfere.
They ran their radio station finances just like they run the US Govt and State finances....into deficit.
(Sniffle) Gosh, liberals are (sob) so tolerant and compassionate (bawl). Some crass conservatives might say that AA pocketed that money and used it for liberal fun stuff like buying condoms, abortions, valium and vodka and maybe cases of purple Kool-Ade. But I Am Positive AA did not pocket the money (sniffle) No way. AA sent the money to the needy, to those who need it most (sob) ........the DNC.
Yawn. Just another day in Liberal La La Land. So what else is new?
I'm not sure that is true. They were paying radio stations to be on the air, which quality programming never has to do. In fact the top shows get paid by the radio stations.
Combine this expense with ordinary overhead and typical startup costs and woosh $30M is gone.
So this means that without a(creative/manipulative/vocal)n outlet, we'll be subjected to even more trolls. Pest control products must be in great demand :)
Way too many people have been lulled into thinking radio is 'easy'...it's not, it's very difficult. Rush makes it look easy. It isn't true to say they don't have a market...they do...but it's already being served.
The first time I heard Rush I couldn't believe it...someone was giving voice to my thoughts. His program stood out from the noise. The people who listen to Air America have heard every thought, idea, joke and rant before - on every t.v. network, movie and radio show...and even ravings of some Congresscritters.
There's no reason to listen to AA...you've heard it all before.
My Dad's favorite saying is 'if two people always agree, one isn't necessary'.
AA isn't necessary.
Seems like AA took every "insider" joke the libs toss around while sipping Cristal at A-list parties in Malibu and the Hamptons and recylced them for airing.
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