Air America Is Changing Ownership

[LTR]

Source: The Huffington Post

Air America, one of the country's more powerful radio networks and a major progressive megaphone, is switching ownership.

Charlie Kireker, a former political official and creator of Pendulum Media will succeed Stephen L. Green, the New York real estate CEO who helped lift the company out of bankruptcy, as chair of the board. The move will be finalized in mid March. Mark Green, Stephen's brother and Democrat activist, will remain as Air America's president.

"We look at what Steve and Mark Green have done as the transition role of saving and stabilizing the business and now we think it is a good opportunity to expand upon that," Kireker told the Huffington Post. "The company has made a lot of progress, we have consolidated operations, and streamlined things to be more efficient. We are yet to profitability but we are heading there."

(snip)

Both Green and Kireker said that the ownership change would have no effect on the network's editorial content. "There are no programming changes at this time," said Kireker.

Read more: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/02/21/air-america-is-changing-o_n_87765.html

---

I'll post more about it on my own blog:

http://ltradio.blogspot.com/2008/02/air-america-gets-new-owner.html

[tularetom]

1. Hope they get rid of some of the godawful shows

Put Malloy back on and run Tom Hartmann and Rachle Maddow each for 8 hrs a day.

[pnorman]

12. AMEN to Hartmann!

I've been paying for XM for the past few years, and Thom Hartmnan is all I really use it for. I have a recording device set up to auto-save Hartmann and Randi Rhodes, but much of the time, I don't bother listening to her.

What I really like about Thom is that he's courteous and ON POINT with ALL his guests, thereby making them behave in return. It even worked with David Horowitz fercrissakes! No matter WHO they are, they can be made to contribute something to the store of knowledge, if they DON'T scream. Thom keeps them from screaming, and the guest leaves in sincere cordiality. Now, Randi .......

pnorman
On edit: I was just reading Thom hartmann's book, "Unequal Protection", and cme across this:

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN CORPORATE INSIDERS RUN THE GOVERNMENT

In May of 2001, the idea of taxation without representation came full circle when a government leader proposed that we shift all tax burden back onto the people, lowering corporate income tax to zero. Paul O'Neill is a multimillionaire who has been a top executive at Alcoa and International Paper, two of the world's largest multinational corporations. At the time of this writing, O'Neill is Secretary of the United States Treasury, appointed by the Bush administration and approved by the Senate.

In May 2001, O'Neill suggested that corporations should be totally exempt from all income tax. He said that the roughly 10 percent of federal funds they currently pay in corporate income taxes to provide for and administer our commons is too much; corporations should be just as tax-exempt as churches and synagogues.

O'Neill also called for the abolition of Social Security, Medicaid, and Medicare for working people because, he told a reporter for London's Financial Times, "able-bodied adults should save enough on a regular basis so that they can provide for their own retirement, and, for that matter, health and medical needs." In O'Neill's opinion, corporations should pay no taxes Land individuals should pay all costs of the federal government while also trying to pay for their retirement and all of their own medical costs.

Social Security is half-paid by the employer. If companies don't have to pay for it, the difference does not pass through to the employee-the worker's total tax burden goes up by another 734 percent of her income, and the employer's labor cost goes down correspondingly.

[saigon68]

14. appointed by the Bush administration and approved by the Senate

You said it all

[peaches2003]

16. Get XM

The answer to wanting AAR is to get XM. They do have Ed on at noon to 3 instead of Thom Hartmann, but they do rebroadcast Thom in the early evening and Mike Malloy for 2 hrs at 10 PM. Lionel is unlistenable and they need to give that 9 AM timeslot back to Sam Seder. Won't talk about Randi, but she is on XM.

[mac2]

18. Great book by Thom

Thom is the Sinclair Lewis of our time regarding corporate thugs and destruction of our democracy. I also like his Jefferson book.

[pnorman]

29. More good quotes from that Hartmann book here:

http://www.thirdworldtraveler.com/Corporations/Unequal_Consequences_UP.html

pnorman

[mac2]

33. Thank you I hadn't see this before

The Constitution and Bill of Rights was an agreement between states (and their citizens) and the new federal government. It details what government can and can't do. It is to protect the citizens of those states from abuse of power by the federal government (like the abuse they suffered under the British).

In a democracy they work for us not the other way around. President Bush and his administration have the tables turned.

It is said that ratification would not have happened if it weren't for the Bill of Rights. Citizens didn't trust big government and power after the revolution against Britain.

The ratification process is very difficult since it is to keep the government from negating it when ever they feel like it. 2/3rds of all states must agree to a change or amendment. Did the founding fathers ever consider it might just be treated "like an old piece of paper" by a future President?

Even Congress has neglected their duty giving the President powers which are theirs. They can't do that without ratification. They have neglected their oath of office too.

The President takes an oath of office to protect "that old piece of paper" against all enemies foreign and domestic. It is a contract between the people and their government. It is our law. So ignoring it is lawlessness and treason.

Of course the Bible is never too old for this President and his theocracy friends.

There are laws that are older than our Constitution or Bible. It is against the law to steal and murder. That is ancient secular law which all law stems from over time. Our leaders have done both.

[zonmoy]

25. could do better than that.

I know of a few programs on local low power nonprofit stations that would be great on air america.

[ckramer]

27. Loved to listen to Rachle Maddow

every morning driving to work...but then the radio station was gone...

[Political Heretic]

45. WEEKDAY LINEUP: Steph, SAM SEEDER, Hartmann, Randi, Rachel Maddow (for 3 hours), MIKE MALLOY

If they did that I would turn my radio on all day every day.

[tishaLA]

49. we get Rachel for 3 hours in Los Angeles

and it's great. She sometimes has to leave the last hour to David Bender, with whom she often co-hosts the last hour. So if you want another hour of Rachel, tune in to KTLK's internet stream.

[eleny]

2. Great blog!

:thumbsup:

[Bluenorthwest]

3. No programming changes?

Too bad.

[Royal Sloan 09]

4. Please have some programming changes

PLEASE, Air America, Remove Ed "WindSock" Schulz, his defending the republicon actions and agendas is sicking and must be stopped on the liberal radio. I have listened to his drivel about John McCain's affair with the Lobbyist and he appears to be drudging the propaganda work for the Repugs again.
Please stop listening, or if you do listen keep in mind his slanted view of the political party he supposely supports. If you find that what he's talking about is not the liberal thinking progressive talker he claims to be, then please join me and other in removing him from the Air America program line up.
He should be viewed as the subversive republican plant inside the radio, with a megaphone for spreading the manure that sprouts forth from his mouth.
Let's work together to remove this festering malignant subcutaneous sebaceous cyst from the air wave before our ears are infected.

[LTR]

5. Schultz isn't on AAR

He's syndicated by another company, but his show runs on many AAR affiliates.

[demigoddess]

41. he is on our air america station. Noon to 3.

seattle area

[RamboLiberal]

43. But he's not an Air America host

He's part of Jones Network. Your station apparently is not 24/7 Air America.

[NoodleyAppendage]

6. Mark Green will stay on. Wonderful to know that AAR will still have a Clinton shill running things.

Mark Green is as unbiased as a senator under K-street lobby control.

J

[Moochy]

42. Mark Green

Even his name is a lie.. because he's actually orange as an oompah loompah.

Just finished watching his slime covered organe and white visage on Hardball.
He was on a split screen with Schulz on Hardball just now, and wow... no love lost between those two guys.

[efhmc]

7. Get rid of that horrible Lionel, He is childish and mind-numbing.

[Political Heretic]

46. I. HATE. LIONEL.

[Doctor_J]

8. Lionel - out; Stephanie - In

Malloy - In (won't happen - he likes working for Shel Drobny). Peter Werbe overnight.

Send Kirker e-mail now.

[LTR]

9. Stephanie Miller won't happen

Syndicated by Jones, same company that runs Ed Schultz and Bill Press

[mac2]

19. I don't think Stephanie Miller is funny

She is so wound up she makes me nervous. She repeats herself.

Air America lost their audience when they kept talking about getting Bin Laden...the war is good, etc. They won't face the truth of 911 or even demand further investigations. People got angry about that.

[Hieronymus]

34. I agree that Stephanie Miller is NOT funny. She sounds like she's on speed.

[mac2]

35. Or nervous that she must be funny and entertaining.

[pink-o]

50. I disagree. I love Stephanie Miller

...Maybe because I'm hyper as well, she's not too speedy for me. But I'll be honest: she is my morning show substitute. I'll never never NEVER forgive AAR for taking "Morning Sedition" off the air! Mark Riley was really boring without Marc Maron (another speedy, hyper person) and Maron's solo show never really found its voice. But together, they rocked!!

Thom Hartman is where I go when I want remedial civics class. That man has an awesome amount of knowledge! I wish he'd been my high school social studies teacher.

[OutNow]

10. Air America - Gone From Eugene as of today

I sure hope the changes taking place will somehow result in Air America getting a new station in Eugene, Oregon. Yesterday was the last day. The station was sold.

[apnu]

11. Bring back SAM SEEDER!

Oh, and get a decent radio station that actually transmits within the city of Chicago.

Sheesh.

[efhmc]

13. No stations left in Texas. I get AAR on xm. Schultz instead

of Thom after Lionel. I go to music until Randi comes on.

[mac2]

15. The night radio stations in Chicago market

are just horrible. Tribune station (WGR) around rush hour has short sentence news and sports talk...over and over. During the rest of the time they talk about movies. Who cares?

95.5AM Smooth Jazz had cowboy music on this morning. Cowboy music!

The new music stations are for the young only. The Classical Station has turned moody and darn right gloomy. Are they trying to sell it because I don't imagine many listen to it.

Guess they want us to pay for radio and TV but want us to pay even more for satellite, etc. The voices are now few and not entertaining. The show hosts are being silenced, work long hours, and underpaid...I can tell you that.

Clinton, Bush, and Powell allowing corporate mergers, etc. ruined our radio. It will soon be silent period.

[Robbien]

21. Air America did change in Chicago to a higher wattage station

The old station am 850 was always overpowered by the religion freak station.

A couple of months ago Air America moved to am 830. It comes in loud and clear now, or at least it does here on the north side. The only drawback is that it is only on from sunup to sundown. Cuts off during Peter Werbe's show.

[mac2]

22. I'd like Mike Malloy on later

This only when people are at work hours is just plain tryanny. It should be the opposite if you want to reach a lot of listeners. DA!!

[ChazII]

30. He is on at 7 pm here in Phx

and his show is on the Air America station. I don't quite understand how this syndication stuff works.
edited to ad the pm to subject line.

[mac2]

31. Mike is not on our Air America station at all in Chicago

They don't program past 6pm. If you want to hear him you have to listen live to the computer or download the program by paying.

[ChazII]

38. Mike

is broadcasted by Nova am via 1480 here in Phoenix. Our station is 24/7 and has great support by local businesses. Mike is coming to the valley soon but right now I don't remember the dates.

[mac2]

44. Strange that Phoenix has such a great market but

Chicago which is larger and liberal doesn't? Our only liberal station is Air America and is only on during the working day...sunrise to sunset.

[mac2]

36. Jeanne Garofolo was better

I liked Jeanne a lot better since she was funny and intelligent. More than Sam. Too bad she was not there to hold up the show in the end.

[Political Heretic]

47. They were both good.

[Iris]

52. I'd love to seem them both back. Together, separate, either way...

[bunkerbuster1]

17. Peter B. Collins belongs in the network.

If you've never heard the show:

http://green960.com/cc-common/podcast/single_podcast.html?podcast=peterbcollins.xml

[RamboLiberal]

20. Hope they make some improvements like bringing

Sam Seder back to weekdays, and send Lionel off to Siberia. And get on more stations.

I'm am totally puzzled by this stupid business. Bush is down below 20%, McCain and the rest of the Repukes aren't setting the conservative world on fire. Meanwhile Obama and Hillary are drawing record numbers of Democratic voters and huge to very large crowds. We have a Democratic congress. Keith Olbermann doubles the ratings of any other MSNBC show. People are abandoning the Repuke party yet all you still hear for the most part on radio and TV is mostly these RW pukes. And radio and TV execs still trot out that tired crap that liberal/progressive talk doesn't get ratings and doesn't sell. How the hell do you know if you won't give it a shot on some bigger stations!

[mac2]

23. An election is coming up...!

They silenced Mike Malloy (WLS and he was the most listened to) in Chicago when the Presidental election of 2000 came up.

Look for more Conservative voices and less Liberal ones.

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

24. Siberia? Isn't there a place more remote they can send his lame ass to? nt

[vireo]

28. And you know RW talk will continue to thrive

under a Democratic administration. I wonder how AAR would adjust to it?

[mac2]

32. The number of religious stations and sports stations

have increased at an alarming rate. The religious ones...are of course free.

[0007]

26. I hate to see this happening.

[mac2]

37. Air America may have been doomed from the start.

They had a agenda not really Liberal but New Democrat.

[0007]

39. I think your right!

[Javaman]

40. Hope they come back to Austin. nt

[Political Heretic]

48. I listen to Nova M right now because it has a better lineup

Stephanie, Thom, Randi, Jeff Farias (he's good), Mike Malloy, Rachel Maddow

[kma3346]

51. Bring back Sam Seder to weekdays!

I listen to him every Sunday and he has the BEST guests, and he's funny, articulate, and fun to listen to. I don't understand how they could replace him with that Lionel (who doesn't hold a candle to him, in my opinion).