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AIR AMERICA: THE SAGA CONTINUES (Al Franken Makes Outlandish Salary Demands)
Michelle Malkin ^
| January 25, 2006
| Michelle Malkin
Posted on 01/25/2006 1:50:20 PM PST by PJ-Comix
Last year, I was privileged to work with Brian Maloney of The Radio Equalizer on an ongoing blog investigative series about beleaguered Air America radio's finances. Brian has continued to dig and dig deep on the story.
He has a new report here and will discuss it tonight on The O'Reilly Factor.
Brian asks: "Did Al Franken's outrageous salary demands hamper Air America's ability to repay the Gloria Wise Boys & Girls Club in 2005?"
Excerpt:
During the same mid-to-late 2004 period when Air America parent Piquant LLC was quietly considering how to resolve the still-undisclosed scandal, Franken was demanding everything, including the kitchen sink.
A June, 2004 Wall Street Journal investigative report on Air America stated Al was making "over $1 million a year". That was accurate, but not for long.
Despite mixed reviews, low ratings and a perpetually shaky cash outlook, Franken was handed a virtual blank check by Piquant. Even as the extent of the Gloria Wise crisis became clear to an ever-changing series of managers, Franken pushed ahead anyway with an eye-popping 2005 compensation package.
Included was a staggering base salary boost to $1,725,000, plus fringe benefits and potential bonuses, after less than a year on the air. Nor was his bloated staff left out. The result: what is quite likely talk radio's largest-ever and most overpaid entourage, mostly from the ranks of Al's Harvard research team.
The kicker: Franken successfully insisted the entire base sum be paid in advance, during the first week of January, 2005...
Read the whole thing.
TOPICS: Front Page News; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: airamerica; alfranken; brianmaloney; bronx; bush; ca; california; dems; doi; fox; foxnews; frankencrook; frankenfraud; frankenthief; gop; liberalradio; liberals; liberaltalkradio; malkin; michellemalkin; msm; ny; nyc; oreilly; oreillyfactor; sf; talkradio
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To: PJ-Comix
61
posted on
01/25/2006 6:13:57 PM PST
by
reagan_fanatic
(Darwinism is a belief in the meaninglessness of existence - R. Kirk)
To: reagan_fanatic; All
To: ajolympian2004
63
posted on
01/25/2006 7:42:05 PM PST
by
nutmeg
("We're going to take things away from you on behalf of the common good." - Hillary Clinton 6/28/04)
To: StarFan; Dutchy; alisasny; BobFromNJ; BUNNY2003; Cacique; Clemenza; Coleus; cyborg; DKNY; ...
Yeah, Err Amerika is still on the air ping!
Please FReepmail me if you want on or off my ‘miscellaneous’ ping list.
64
posted on
01/25/2006 7:43:28 PM PST
by
nutmeg
("We're going to take things away from you on behalf of the common good." - Hillary Clinton 6/28/04)
To: PJ-Comix
FRANKEN: I don't care how many poor minority kids go to bed hungry....I'm a star damn it!
65
posted on
01/25/2006 7:55:07 PM PST
by
Doctor Raoul
(Raoul's First Law of Journalism: BIAS = LAYOFFS)
To: PJ-Comix
Franken = $1,725,000
Rhodes = Free Clinic
66
posted on
01/25/2006 7:56:40 PM PST
by
Doctor Raoul
(Raoul's First Law of Journalism: BIAS = LAYOFFS)
To: nutmeg
The result: what is quite likely talk radio's largest-ever and most overpaid entourage, mostly from the ranks of Al's Harvard research team. Oh, this guy is beautiful!
To: nutmeg; cgk
Michelle Malkin ping please...
To: PJ-Comix; All
From The Political Teen -
Brian Maloney appeared on The O’Reilly Factor this evening to discuss Air America’s financial woes. For the first time, the salary of Air America host Al Franken was released to the public. Franken makes over $2 million a year and his producer makes a salary of $600,000. Air America has to pay their New York affiliate over $2 million a quarter to broadcast the station to the local airwaves. Maloney did some investigating on how Air America is able to afford these costs when they make 1/10th to 1/20th compared to amount other stations rake in.
Musing Minds has the transcript.
DOWNLOAD - .WMV
DOWNLOAD - .MP4
PREVIOUS: Maloney and Malkin discuss Air America stealing money from boys and girls funds on The O’Reilly Factor.
Maloney discusses Franken’s lies on David Letter.
To: PJ-Comix; All
To: Alouette
bupkis=Yiddish for "farts" Really? I looked it up in Leo Rosten once and found that it really meant something like "goat pills". Slightly more substantial, but still not much. Metaphorically, it means "nothing".
71
posted on
01/26/2006 7:29:44 AM PST
by
thulldud
("Muslim Community Leaders Warn of Backlash from Tomorrow's Terrorist Attack")
To: PJ-Comix; Shortstop7; Cicero; chasio649; 4Freedom; sirjohn; Candor7; ezoeni; concretebob; ...
Malkin ping!
Please FReepmail me if you would like to be added to, or removed from, the Michelle Malkin ping list...
72
posted on
01/26/2006 8:03:48 AM PST
by
cgk
(I don't see myself as a conservative. I see myself as a religious, right-wing, wacko extremist.)
To: ajolympian2004
Thanks for the head's up! :)
73
posted on
01/26/2006 8:04:13 AM PST
by
cgk
(I don't see myself as a conservative. I see myself as a religious, right-wing, wacko extremist.)
To: pcottraux
LOL - Good one, Coe-true.
74
posted on
01/26/2006 8:04:50 AM PST
by
jla
To: ajolympian2004
This "kid" has a great blog!
To: jla
Yeah, that was an old one from my early days.
76
posted on
01/26/2006 10:48:51 AM PST
by
pcottraux
(It's pronounced "P. Coe-troe.")
To: sinkspur
Rhodes is a pedigreed gutter rat. She has such a hateful personality that she makes Franken look like Mister Rodgers. If you want hateful, you should check out Mark Marron's (sp?) show. I can only pick up Air America late at night (considering that I live 20 miles from New York City wouldn't you think they would transmit a stronger broadcast?) and they replay his show.
Don't get me wrong, I have many issues with Pres. Bush, but the hate eminating from this guy is outright depressing.
77
posted on
01/26/2006 11:32:55 AM PST
by
jmc813
(John Shadegg for Majority Leader)
To: ziggygrey
Once heard her show - she was making jokes at AA's expense.. lead me to believe that all is not harmonious over there.. she claims she's on Clear Channel stations? Hadn't heard that before.. Also claims in the largest markets she is outdrawing Sean Hannity - haha
78
posted on
01/26/2006 7:31:29 PM PST
by
p23185
(Why isn't attempting to take down a sitting Pres & his Admin during wartime considered Sedition?)
To: jmc813
Rhodes is a pedigreed gutter rat. She has such a hateful personality that she makes Franken look like Mister Rodgers. If you want hateful, you should check out Mark Marron's (sp?) show. I can only pick up Air America late at night (considering that I live 20 miles from New York City wouldn't you think they would transmit a stronger broadcast?) and they replay his show. Hellooo - have you tried Mike Mallow or Rachal Maddow? They make Raunchy Rhodes sound like a Sunday school teacher! I personally don't know how anyone can listen to Al - he is soooo boring, and not really funny.
79
posted on
01/26/2006 7:37:47 PM PST
by
p23185
(Why isn't attempting to take down a sitting Pres & his Admin during wartime considered Sedition?)
To: TexasCajun
Yeah, I agree. 'The Political Teen' is the best video blogger out there. He is "ianschwartz" here at FR.
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