What? Can that be true? According to Michelle Malkin, Radio Equalizer and Media Week, Air America is losing its flagship station, WLIB, in New York City, on Aug. 31:
Air America Radio will lose its New York flagship station, WLIB-AM, on Aug. 31. While the left-leaning radio network’s original lease for the Inner City station ran out March 31, AAR managed to get an extension which only lasts until Aug. 31, according to an informed source.
Through an agreement with ICBC, WLIB will be operated as a joint venture and programmed by P1, a company run by former Clear Channel and Jacor Communications executive Randy Michaels. Michaels is expected to program a progressive-talk format, but replace AAR’s network programming with more local programming. A likely addition to the new lineup: Ed Schultz, the left-of-center talker syndicated by P1.“To be clear, Air America will not go silent on the New York City airwaves. We do not, however, comment on hypothetical speculation,” said an AAR spokesperson.
From Brian’s March 3, 2006 report:
In a development sure to rip the heart right out of the liberal radio network’s already ailing body, it appears extremely likely their leased New York City flagship station WLIB-AM will soon abandon Air America programming.
Even worse, litigation looks probable over the station’s lease.While the network’s last day on WLIB isn’t known for certain, an internal source providing backing documentation points to the end of March. At this time, Air America parent Piquant LLC has no firm back-up plan for where in the nation’s largest radio market its programming will now air.
Some inside the firm are already referring to WLIB in the past tense.
Without WLIB, Air America faces an immediate, crushing blow. Worth perhaps 100 small markets combined, an on-air presence in New York City is absolutely vital to the company’s survival. If an immediate and suitable replacement isn’t found, the consequences would be dire.
Will the Gloria Wise Boy’s and Girl’s club be paid back or will Al get his salary?
PCDick…
Bernard Goldberg has his own serious case of the bias:
“In “100 People Who Are Screwing Up America”, Goldberg ranks President Jimmy Carter (number 6) above the Unknown American Terrorist (number 23).”
My question to Bernard and to you “liberal bias” alarmists is: Why do you see the splinter that is in your brother’s eye, but don’t consider the log that is in your own eye?
“Why do you see the splinter that is in your brother’s eye, but don’t consider the log that is in your own eye?”
That’s a Biblical quotation, and as an Atheist, you’re not entitled to use it.
Nice dodge there Robert.
I can use whatever I want to make a point – just because I don’t believe in the crap, doesn’t mean I don’t think a lot of the writing is poetic.
Maybe that’s the difference between people like you and me.
Just because I don’t believe in something, doesn’t mean I instantly write it off as garbage.
Sf, because you the one that is so blind, but demands everyone else be as blind as you are.
Man, I never realized how scared repugs are of AAR. I guess it’s because they know that right wing radio started out with alot of help from rich backers and took a while to take hold. They fear that liberal talk is being born the same route. Actually, AAR is on 86 stations currently and many of them are 50,000 watt Clear Channel outlets. I don’t like alot of their A-List hosts but obviously their is a need for political balance on the airwaves.
The best AAR programming is on the lesser-known shows.
What other network would air the creative, revolutionary drug-induced hipster comedy of Marc Maron? What other network would carry the genius brain that is housed in Thom Hartmann’s body? Or have the guts to air the hate-spewing Mike Malloy. Like them or not, they sell to a growing market that no one else serves right now.
55, Nice name calling, flower. Too bad you can’t debate and you spew talking points mindlessly. AAR just got thrown out in Atlanta and will be off the air by August in NYC. AAR had to scam the Gloria Wise Boys & Girl’s club for hundreds of thousands of dollars. AAR didn’t pay the money back so Gloria Wise closed, leaving the kids on the street.
Yeah, tell us more lies about AAR otherwise known as ScareAmerica. I’ve got more, and the the Radio Equalizer airs AAR’s dirty laundry daily. The truth is out there, much to AAR’s hate.
What Flowerchild said has some — some — validity. Conservative Talk Radio did get started with financial backers, rich ones at that.
But then so did AAR.
The difference? Ratings. Assuming Flowerchild is correct on the assumption there’s a need for ‘balance’ (and compared to ABC, CBS, NBC, NPR, CNN, NYT, et al that’s a stretch), it either comes down to lack of air talent OR lack of anyone wanting to listen to the message.
So take your pick: all this time and they can’t attract enough good talent to sustain their message, or no message is being put out that people want to hear.
It’s one or the other.
#55: “Actually, AAR is on 86 stations currently and many of them are 50,000 watt Clear Channel outlets.”
Uh yeah, right. Name ‘em. Out on the west coast, they are all crappy little local or regional stations, 5kw max.
They’ve even lost “WLIB”. Now that’s got to hurt; in the New York market, Liberal nirvana, even WLIB drops them?
Bwaaa ha ha ha ha!
I can’t even find them in Philly….. are they on? Does anyone care? If a liberal talks and no one is there to hear it, did they even say it?
SF? Help?