Al Franken seems to be really struggling on his own

[Walt Starr]

He needs a sidekick to do his job well. This is so sad.

[MnFats]

1. I was thinking the same thing. He may yet find his legs...

...But I wish he'd get a fireball sidekick....dunno who though.

[Marr]

5. He's great with Joe Conason.

[wildflower]

33. You're right, he might come into his own. Remember Sam?

I remember the first time Sam Seder had to do the show without Janeane Garofalo last year. He was really sweating it, and was so thankful when she returned.

But now, Sam's quite good, and funny, riffing on his own. And comfortable. I first realized how comfortable he'd gotten on his own when he started taking over for Randi when she was out.

wildflower

[smoogatz]

2. What happened to what's her name?

I stopped listening to Al months ago.

[MnFats]

3. Katherine Lanpher left to write a book

at least, that's what they said...

[USA_1]

52. ... stopped ...

So did I. The guy stammers too damn much and is a crashing bore. While I agree with much of what he says, he takes forever to make a point and puts you to sleep with that goddamn stammering. Can't he ever learn to speak forthrightly and to act as if he actually believes what he's saying?

While I do try to spend some time listening to AAR, I find that most of their hosts either stammer, mumble, shout, complain, but that they offer too little in the way of constructive suggestions to end the Bush regime and to bring about changes in society.

The one exception is Big Ed Schultz {Jones Radio} who speaks his mind, speaks forthrightly, believes what he is saying, and offers meaningful suggestions for society's good.

Why can't all AAR's hosts do the same thing???

[emulatorloo]

4. Katherine kept him on track and moving along:he needs a Radio Professional

EOM

[CountAllVotes]

26. too bad AirAmerica doesn't hire GUY JAMES

Guy James could do the show without any help whatsoever. He doesn't need a "side kick".

:kick:

[Swamp Rat]

40. Guy James

:kick: for Guy James!!!

[nadinbrzezinski]

6. Been listening to hartmann for months now

but they need soembody, personally make Al Joe Conason's side kick, then I woudl go back to Al

[Armstead]

8. Thom Hartman needs a sidekick too

I like Hartman, and he frames everything exactly the way it should be framed.

However, his presentation sometimes is a bit too pedantic for my tastes. It almost seems more like going to class rather than listening to the radio.

I wish he'd get some kind of sidekick who could loosen up the show a bit.

[nadinbrzezinski]

11. Maybe I have no problem with him

because I am used to that way of talking,

;-)

But yes he could use one at times

By the way my left leaning birds like Hartmann, when I leave, I leave teh radio on... that is their electronic nanny

[acmejack]

29. I like Thom just fine in his present format

Apparently a substantial group of listeners agree...

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

15. Being a perennial student, I love having Thom as my teacher! I don't

think he needs a sidekick at all. I stopped listening to Franken for many reasons, and one of them was because of Catherine. I also don't care for his schticks and he's way too DLC for me.

[Armstead]

21. Probably because I agree with Hartman so much it's preaching to the choir

Even though he smarter and better informed than I am, I realized aftrer listening for a while that Hartman shares my opinions exactly. That's his appeal to me.

But I also listen to the radio for either stimulation and/or irritation and entertainbment. I like Morning Sedition because Maron is so off the wall, for example.

I just think if Hartman had sonmeone to bounce off of and lighten it up a bit, it'd be more entertaining.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

24. I agree with Thom most of the time too, and yet I am forever learning.

My favorites to listen to are Randi Rhodes and Mike Malloy, whom I am more politically attuned to.... both are without co-hosts, although occassionally Mike's wife will speak up.

[otohara]

7. No He Doesn't

turn it off if you can't handle day 2 of Al Franken getting used to being by himself.

[Walt Starr]

10. If I turn him off

it's for good.

[rainidame]

13. Wow, how unnerving to see that attitude from one on our side.

:shuddering:

[Walt Starr]

14. I get used to whomever I listen to

If I switch off Al to some other liberal talk radio show, I'll stick with whomsoever I find.

[CountAllVotes]

28. I did that months ago - can't take Franken

I found Franken to be rather stoic and boring. I don't listen to him any longer and that woman, Laura Flanders I never liked at all - a "twit" for all practical purposes, not a "side kick".

So Walt Starr you aren't alone here on the DU.

:kick:

[iconoclastNYC]

9. Al Franken should be the COLOR commentator....

And it' shouldn't be his show. I understand they need a big name but the quality of the product is poor. They need to do something. The guest can't carry the show forever.

[Walt Starr]

12. He was just talking to somebody in the studio

and that was good.

Al is at his best interacting.

Maybe he should take more callers.

[rocktivity]

16. He needs a partner, not a sidekick

Katherine was more of a nanny, keeping everything tidy and ensuring that Al never went too far. He needs someone he can have a Garafalo-Seder type relationship with, if his ego could stand it. Rachel Maddow would make for an excellent stopgap measure--she could break up Al's parade of think tank interviews, and say what he can't now that he's officially contemplating running for public office.

:headbang:
rocknation

[TheCutter]

43. Rachel Maddow is a great idea............

She and he would be great together I think.


She deserves to get out of the time slot she's in at the moment and back on the air when people are awake...she too valuable to keep hidden.

[newyawker99]

49. Hi TheCutter!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[rocktivity]

50. Welcome to DU, Cutter!

:party:
rocknation

[benburch]

17. He's not very good at radio.

White Rose has several people on our lineup who could do better radio than Al Franken and still not cost a million a year.

[NYCGirl]

19. They would also not get ratings. NT

[benburch]

25. Oh, but you are wrong.

First, anybody on AAR at that hour will get tried out by the listeners.

Second, good radio sells itself.

[NYCGirl]

27. My expertise is not in radio (in TV and film), but you and I both know

that name recognition is VERY VERY important to a startup.

Edited to add: The publicity that Al Franken has given to AAR (and will continue to do during his upcoming book tour) has been worth EVERY PENNY they pay him.

[benburch]

34. Name recognition only opens the door.

If the product isn't great, the door closes quickly.

I'm not saying Al Franken is terrible, but he doesn't have the pacing for radio, and doesn't seem to really understand the medium.

TV and film are very different from radio in many ways.

[NYCGirl]

35. Hasn't closed yet, and likely won't for quite a while, if ever. NT

[obnoxiousdrunk]

18. Other than the

name recognition there's not much in the show. It's mostly the uhhhh ummmm uhhh ummmm show.

[TreasonousBastard]

20. This is true-- as bright as he is...

he just doesn't "get" radio or not working from a script. Never has from when he started out not knowing that when you eat on air every chew and mumble goes through the microphone

From day one, Katherine kept the show rolling. She salvaged blown interviews, stopped him when his schtick wasn't working, filled dead air, and covered the eternal "ummm..." And made a joke out of his chewing and mumbling. Too bad he's the "star" they've been pushing. I enjoy Hartmann when he's filling in, and Rachel Maddow, if I'm up for the 5AM graveyard they stuck her in. And Garofolo, when she's not making a movie or TV show.

Me, around midday I listen to "Talk of the Nation" on NPR where Ray Suarez has great guests and knows how to interview them.

[DemNoir]

22. AAR programming needs some tweaking

For all of Al's virtues he just plain stinks on the radio. He has been at it for over a year and he is no better than he was on his first day.

So between him and Springer that 6 straight hours of terrible radio voices.Neither of them are good enough to hold the microphone for Rachel Maddow or Laura Flanders.

[fasttense]

23. That's funny, because I like him better by himself.

He doesn't come across so disjointed and unorganized. I can't say why but I like him better now.

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

30. Al is a very funny, extremely intelligent guy, but radio is just not his

thing.

If you want Al at his very best, IMHO, read "Rush Limbaugh is a Big Fat Idiot". Good in terms of facts, and HILARIOUS too. This kind of humor suits Al best.

I like that his style is low key, it's a good contrast to Randi and some of the others, but it's really TOO low key.

[Mira]

31. Al Franken has come a long way - and yes - Kathryn was a big help

but give him a break. It is only his SECOND day without her

[Kingofalldems]

32. Stephanie Miller should take his place

Her show is the best liberal talk on radio. LOL funny. Just what AA needs.

[AlCzervik]

36. I heard her show for the 1st time today, AAR is being moved around

in Sacramento so we aren't getting them back until next month, at least thats the story so i heard Miller today and she was funny as hell.

[Nimrod2005]

37. Who Is Stephanie Miller?

What market?

[Nimrod2005]

38. It is too difficult to articulate

a message if you can' t talk...I don't know why he can't talk, it is going to be awefully hard for him to become a politician, but again didn't MN elect a wrestler?

[NYCGirl]

41. Do you know Al's on the advisory board of Wellstone Action?

He does a lot in politics ALREADY.

http://wellstoneaction.com/index.aspx

[NYCGirl]

39. I download her shows from iTunes and I like them, but I think lots of

people here would think her show is lacking in substance. She's even lighter in tone than Al Franken.

[rocktivity]

51. I can't get Stephanie's live stream on my compuer at work

So I download her podcasts, burn the first two hours onto CD and listen to them in my car instead of Morning Sedition, and e-mail the third hour to myself to listen to at work. She's got me laughing so much I'm worried about being pulled over for driving while impaired!

:headbang:
rocknation

[bullwinkle428]

42. I made the switch to Thom Hartmann today - talk about a night

& day difference!! TH is so incredibly well informed on a range of issues. Al is a terrific humorist, but carrying a 3-hour per day radio show requires a unique skill set that I'm afraid Al doesn't completely grasp. I'm still proud to have him on our side, but I prefer listening to TH...

[KamaAina]

44. Where do I send a demo?

I used to do noncommercial radio in both New Haven and -- wait for it - New Orleans. The highlight of my brief stint at WTUL was when I got a request from a well-known local bar on Tchoupitoulas St. (it's radio, so I didn't have to spell it :-) ) The idea that, of all the sources for great N'Awlins music, this famous place had turned to me was a bit overwhelming, actually.

[NYCGirl]

45. I believe a demo has to be sent through an agent.

If they are accepting them, that is.

[DearAbby]

46. I dunno, it's only the first day. give the guy time to get his

footing, It has to be extremely dificult for him as well... then again they may be on the look out for another person to make the team.

[KharmaTrain]

47. Al's Not Radio...Katherine Was

Imagine how boring Stern would be without Robin Quivers to keep him someone human, or for Chicago listeners how much better Steve Dahl was with Garry Meier than since they've split. There's a chemistry that develops, but one that requires the right type of people.

Like Robin, Katherine is "regular radio"...she the one with the eye on the clock...playing traffic cop to make sure the show stays on time and flowing. This is no easy trick...especially when you're trying to pump out as much stuff and shtick as Al tries to do. She was able to jump in where needed to pull the show off the siderails every so often.

Al's a writer...a long-form guy. He likes to tell the stories rather than the punchlines. He enjoys fleshing out something rather than a quick rejoiner. Katherine could get his to "shorten up his stroke"...now without her, he's really not sure where that edge is.

Also, remember that one hour of this show is recorded for Sundance, thus it's being micromanaged by radio AND TV people...a major distraction that Al's getting full force the past couple days. It's always those little things and Al's not quite the "tidy" type.

IMHO, 3 hours of Al and others a day is a bit much. There are so many voices that could/should be heard. Two hours is fine...but my bets are Al could fit everything he needs to say, including his regulars, in a one hour format and trim a ton of fat.

Peace...

[mitchtv]

48. It was sad on her last day. Al had something stuck in his teeth

and kept sucking and picking for a good 10 minutes. I don't know if you radio listeners caught it but us Sundance viewers were cringing.