Free Republic

(Crain's) — The federal judge overseeing the Tribune Co. bankruptcy case shot down reorganization plans submitted by the Chicago-based media company and a dissident creditor group, threatening to appoint a trustee to oversee the case if they don't resolve it soon. Tribune filed for bankruptcy protection in December 2008 under the weight of $13 billion in debt, a year after the company was taken private in an $8.2-billion leveraged buyout led by real estate mogul Sam Zell, who became its chairman. In a decision that started with the parable of the scorpion that stings the fox carrying him across the...

New details from the Middletown, Ohio Journal: the Merlin Media CEO was bonded out of jail at 5:22am by Bill Cunningham, his longtime co-worker and friend from WLW, Cincinnati. The paper says police "found Michaels in his car between construction cones facing west underneath the overpass of Ohio 122. The vehicle was sitting in water up to its frame." The investigating officer smelled "an odor of intoxicants about [Michaels'] person", and gave him three "field sobriety tests" before transporting him to jail. Michaels (booked under his real name, Benjamin Homel) refused a breathalyzer test, on the advice of his attorney....

Local progressive talk format to launch August 31st. Radio Business Report: Quote: Randy gets a New York stick Former Clear Channel Radio CEO Randy Michaels is set to return to operating a major market radio station. RBR has learned that Michaels will take over programming of WLIB-AM New York when Air America Radio's current LMA expires August 31st. The station will continue to have a Progressive Talk format, but Michaels will replace Air America's network programming with a series of new local talk shows with a liberal bent. Michael's deal with licensee Inner City Broadcasting won't be an LMA, but...

Remember a year ago, when Air America's programming was abruptly yanked off the air in Los Angeles and Chicago, after financial troubles were revealed, including bounced checks? Air America has since gone out of its way to put those unpleasant memories into the distant past. But they're not the only liberal talk radio game in town, with other syndication companies in the mix. The somewhat mysterious Democracy Radio has also been involved in this effort, with ownership of the Fargo, North Dakota-based Ed Schultz show, in partnership with Denver-based Jones Radio Networks. Friday, a bigger question mark emerged:

Love Of Radio Endures For Randy Michaels The former Clear Channel Radio CEO, now President of start-up broadcast company Radioactive LLC, made his first public appearance since leaving America's largest radio-station owner at a TRS keynote luncheon held Saturday. Michaels was honored with the R&R 2005 Lifetime Achievement Award for his role in the development and evolution of Talk radio, and he said radio of the spoken-word variety is still his favorite. "If you want to communicate something that moves people inside, spoken-word communication is they best way to do it," Michaels said. He also downplayed recent attacks on the...

<p>Another shock jock went too far and is no longer on South Bay radio station KSJO-FM, thanks to the dogged efforts of his critics.</p> <p>The ouster of Mikey Esparza -- who offered, on the air, kidnapping tips and satirical songs glorifying sex with children -- may presage tough times for other shock jocks in the stable of radio giant Clear Channel Communications.</p>