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Liberal talk radio: A failure from the get-go
WorldNetDaily ^ | 6/5/04 | Les Kinsolving

Posted on 06/06/2004 4:42:38 PM PDT by wagglebee

Rarely in its century of existence has the somber, solemnly serious and matter-of-fact business section of the New York Times been funnier than on May 31, when it dealt at length with Air America, the new liberal talk-radio network.

Under a photograph of this network's star Al Franken – who looks in absolute shock (without his customary smirk or open mouth) – there is a memorable quote indeed from this fellow:

"We've had some bad management. Then we got some good management. It's a little fuzzy to me exactly who's in charge."

Why Al – we thought you were!

The Times reports:

"The fledgling talk-radio network has replaced five top executives, been taken off the air in two of its top three markets and lost several crucial producers. By late April, current and former executives said last week, the company was perilously close to running out of money. It has since received an infusion of cash, though it has not disclosed how much or from whom."

Ladies and gentlemen, is it possible that this life-saving infusion of cash came from the Democratic Party?

Well, the Times goes on to report:

"The turmoil has shed light on the network's corporate culture, laying bare a mismatched collection of managers and investors, including Democratic Party fund-raisers, Internet entrepreneurs and radio veterans who, as it turned out, did not get along especially well."

Why have the Democratic Party fund-raisers not gotten along with all the others?

And is the John Kerry For President campaign going to put up for long with all the money that is being spent on this disastrous attempt to compete with primarily conservative talk radio?

With the extensive list of former officers and directors who have come and quite suddenly gone, Mr. Franken is quoted in a really memorable statement:

"Imagine how we're going to do when we know what we're doing."

Think about that, ladies and gentlemen.

How often in broadcasting history has the star of any new network ever admitted that 1) We don't know what we're doing, and 2) "It's a little fuzzy to me exactly who's in charge"?


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Editorial; Government; News/Current Events; US: New York
KEYWORDS: airamerica; liberalradio; liberaltalkradio
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To: cyborg

Mastercard?


21 posted on 06/06/2004 5:28:54 PM PDT by Old Professer
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To: Old Professer

the ultra platinum version to pay those bills hehehe


22 posted on 06/06/2004 5:31:04 PM PDT by cyborg
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To: wagglebee

"The turmoil has shed light on the network's corporate culture, laying bare a mismatched collection of managers and investors, including Democratic Party fund-raisers, Internet entrepreneurs and radio veterans who, as it turned out, did not get along especially well."

I've said it before and I will say it again - Air America is being sabotaged - by the Democrats. While the leftist radicals are in love with it, the leadership Demos realize it is disastrous to actually have liberals out there espousing what they truly believe. Look how fast Dean was taken out.

We know what DU stands for, but if mainstream America were to truly understand, the party would go under.

One good afternoon of making fun of the pope, or saying that Bush killed Reagan for the election or Wellstone for the Senate - well, we pay attention and see them do it all the time. But many oblivious sheep are unaware of this, as yet. And the Democratic leadership sure doesn't need some stupid radio station enlightening them.


23 posted on 06/06/2004 5:32:29 PM PDT by I still care
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To: I still care

Post 23: Dead on accurate. The last thing the Clintons, John Kerry, and the rest of the democrats want is for the public to be aware of who they really are.


24 posted on 06/06/2004 5:36:10 PM PDT by FormerACLUmember (One man in the right makes a majority!)
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To: wagglebee
The rats business model for "Err America" probably follows along these lines:

1) Line up a bunch of liberal suckers to finance the network

2) Bring aboard high profile liberal idiots to create controversy

3) Rely on liberal media outlets to stir up hype and free press

4) Ruthlessly loot and pillage the 40 million dollar cache saved up to finance operations, even to the point of denying employees thier payroll

5) Get more liberal suckers to finance operations

6) Shut down "Err America", claim it is due to ruthless, evil conservative conspiracies and competition

7) Scream and demand that the "fairness doctrine" is implemented to ensure that liberal propaganda gets a "fair chance" to be aired so that evil conservatives cannot monopolize airwaves

25 posted on 06/06/2004 5:37:35 PM PDT by Caipirabob (Democrats.. Socialists..Commies..Traitors...Who can tell the difference?)
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To: Caipirabob
The business model for "Air America" should be easily recognizable to anyone who's ever seen Mel Brooks' "The Producers":

1. Raise far more start-up capital than you need.

2. Produce the worst-possible product, guaranteed to anger and disgust any potential customers.

3. Loot the company safe and flee to Tahiti.

The only difference between "Air America" and "Springtime for Hitler" is that "Springtime for Hitler" surprised everybody by turning out to be entertaining.

26 posted on 06/06/2004 6:11:25 PM PDT by HHFi
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To: wagglebee

Honesty in advertising would require that they change the name of their "network" to Hot Air America.

Can't wait for this turkey to disappear over history's horizon.


27 posted on 06/06/2004 6:18:49 PM PDT by Rocky (Kerry cannot decide what style of empty suit he should be)
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To: wagglebee

"Imagine how we're going to do when we know what we're doing."

Is he talking just about Hot Air America here, or liberalism in general?


28 posted on 06/06/2004 6:20:27 PM PDT by Sofa King (MY rights are not subject to YOUR approval http://www.angelfire.com/art2/sofaking/index.html)
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To: cyborg

Ya think VANITY FAIR will do one of their "hard-hitting" investigative reports?


29 posted on 06/06/2004 6:26:09 PM PDT by Hildy (...love like you've never been hurt and live like it's heaven on Earth. - Mark Twain)
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To: proudofthesouth
They are incapable of understanding that the vast majority of people in our country are Conservatives.

Well, that certainly explains why Bush got the vast majority of the popular vote in 2000.  Oh, wait a minute, he didn't.
30 posted on 06/06/2004 6:28:35 PM PDT by gcruse (http://gcruse.typepad.com/)
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To: wagglebee

Air America was designed from the get-go to be a dishonest, corrupting influence. It failed because people, even if they are democRATs, don't feel a real need for that.

What we need now is a new generation of honest commentators, ready to campaign to restore a sound currency. Both national parties are committed to a continuation of fiat currency, which is a destructive engine of corruption and illegimate enrichment for a favored few.

It's time to look past the conservative-vs.-liberal polarization, and identify the people and forces in both parties that are profiting from our unconstitutional financial system.


31 posted on 06/06/2004 6:31:16 PM PDT by Tax Government (The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time by the blood of tyrants. - B. Franklin)
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To: cyborg
So why is Air America still on the air?

It is just another scheme by the Democrats to circumvent "campaign finance reform" that they pushed into place.

Err American is not a radio network under any definition. They are simply buying the cheapest air time that they can so they can run 3 hour long anti-Bush radio commercials. They are operating on the same economic model as infomercials on cable TV at 3:00 in the morning.

I expect that they will suddenly find slots on stations in all of major markets shortly before the election and will go off the air shortly after the election. It is amazing what you can do with a few million dollars from George Soros.

32 posted on 06/06/2004 6:31:16 PM PDT by kennedy
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To: cyborg
Ad companies have no shame and will buy time from anyone.

It would be interesting to see how much commercial ad time sells for on Err America, compared with the going price for a similar ad on Rush Limbaugh or Sean Hannity's program.

Does anyone here have those figures?

33 posted on 06/06/2004 6:32:08 PM PDT by GreenHornet
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To: Batrachian
The left has an entitlement mentality. They actually think they're entitled to an audience. It's some kind of right. If conservative radio succeeds then liberal radio has to also, otherwise it's discrimination.

When hotAir America ultimately has its plug pulled, I fully expect to hear that it's all Bush's fault, or "censorship" by the Big (conservative) Corporations that "own all the radio stations"-- anything, anything inane or insane at all but never its own failure to attract a listening audience. Even though I think it was begun purely as a political stunt, the left will use its demise for more propoganda.

34 posted on 06/06/2004 6:33:06 PM PDT by workerbee
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To: HHFi

Air America was never intended to make money. They are simply using it as a vehicle to launder money from George Soros and circumvent the campaign finance limits on running advocacy ads before the election.


35 posted on 06/06/2004 6:34:26 PM PDT by kennedy
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To: wagglebee
Under a photograph of this network's star Al Franken – who looks in absolute shock (without his customary smirk or open mouth) – there is a memorable quote indeed from this fellow:

I was clicking through the TV on Sunday evening looking for tributes to Pres. Reagan when I came across a show with Al-Frankenfraud getting interviewed by Tina Brown.

Franken-fraud had the gaul to claim his liberal radio show was beating Limbaugh.

He claimed Artibrage rating service showed him having more listeners than any other show in his time slot.

Even Tina Brown, the limey twit, had a look of bewilderment on her face.

Of course, she always has a look of bewilderment.

36 posted on 06/06/2004 6:34:57 PM PDT by Edit35
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To: wagglebee
"We've had some bad management. Then we got some good management. It's a little fuzzy to me exactly who's in charge."

Al, you know how you look...
Now give up the w__dream that you can beat Rush, and don't be a schnook!

37 posted on 06/06/2004 6:42:10 PM PDT by AlbionGirl
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To: MojoWire

Here is an additional opinion about Air America. As has been mentioned on the air by such conservative radio personalities as Neal Boortz, Air America has to PAY to be on the air. The typical procedure for putting a radio or TV show on the air is that the show will attract enough of an audience that advertisers will be willing to buy time on the show. That advertising income is the show's revenue stream. That is how the show makes a profit and stays on the air.
Air America is not on the air because there is enough of an audience to keep them on the air. They are on the air because liberals with some disposable income (some of the evil filthy "rich" that liberals are so fond of bashing) have been willing to finance the show. People who are intelligent enough to accumulate wealth are also intelligent enough to know that they cannot finance a losing proposition. Therefore, when this liberal venture fails to attract enough of an audience to sustain itself, ideology or not, these wealthy financial backers are going to pull the plug, and try to get their message out in another format. So, Air America was doomed from the start because it is a bad business model. Every successful talk radio show in America has one thing in common. They do not have to pay radio stations to put them on the air. Before long, the doctors at Liberal General will put away the crash cart and tell the family there is nothing more they can do.


38 posted on 06/06/2004 6:53:34 PM PDT by SALChamps03 (Air America Terminal From the Start)
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To: All

Doesn't look like there is any signs of life left. Even a liberal can't spin this graph showing this perspective. Effectively the only listeners would be going to their website or XM/Sirius radio.

39 posted on 06/06/2004 6:55:41 PM PDT by Blue Highway
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To: gcruse
They are incapable of understanding that the vast majority of people in our country are Conservatives.

Well, that certainly explains why Bush got the vast majority of the popular vote in 2000. Oh, wait a minute, he didn't.

To this day, no one has explained how Gore got 100 percent of the vote in many precincts in Philadelphia, and supposedly in several other cities.

40 posted on 06/06/2004 6:55:42 PM PDT by Edit35
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