Air America vs. Reality - Part 2

Air America reminds me of Hillary Clinton. Why? Because both are so despised by the right-wing media machine that it makes you feel you’re in bed with the theocrat-warmonger zombies just to utter any criticism of either in public. However, there’s a really big difference between folks who put Bush, the Republican party and the cloud being above all logic or morals and everybody else. Some people actually use reasoning skills and have opinions that don’t follow lock-step dogma and aren’t interested in sycophancy to raw Machiavellian power.  And this is a big dilemma for most folks who aren’t on the far right, is that we DIFFER on issues and ideas and that is often used against us.

I’ve never really had much of an opinion of any previous American “First Ladies,” (except a bit of sympathy for Pat Nixon), but the spew of bile from the right against Hillary Clinton during her husband’s administration did make me come to her defense over the years. And when she talked about a “vast right wing conspiracy” that morning on the Today Show I thought she was brave to say it. (Read David Brock’s “Blinded By The Right” to hear how right she was from one of the actual “conspirators” of that era). But since that time, her election and subsequent cowardice in not standing up to the Iraq War in the Senate has changed my mind completely. Rush Limbaugh is obviously a scumbag, but no matter how much he trashes Clinton I’m no longer a fan. And NOWI read that ultra right-wing ultra media mogul Rupert Murdoch is hosting a goddamn fundraiser for her re-election to the Senate in July. Ouch.

If Mrs. Clinton happens to get the Democratic nomination for the Presidency in 2008 I may likely hold my nose and press her lever (and I pray it IS still a lever), but I do hope that’s not the choice we’re given.

And if you’ve followed the news stream on Air America over the last couple years, there’s been a disturbing trend in the criticism of the network, ESPECIALLY online. Instead of just denouncing content, or questioning the opinions offered on Air America, there’s always been a loud choir of voices in the media predicting (and cheering for) the demise of the network. And some wingnuts, like Bill O’Reilly, have even called for the arrest of Air America hosts and/or employees. You know, just the fact that these morons hate Air America so much they want to destroy it tells you Air America MUST be doing something right.

And Air America has done a number of things right. First off, they’ve offered a “patch” of sorts on the post-Fairness Doctrine talk radio environment. Before the launch or Air America there were hundreds of stations featuring right wing talkers and not one commercial talk outlet offering liberal talk programming through their broadcast day. Now there are dozens, with new “progressive talk” stations coming online all the time. And to the surprise of many, Air America’s biggest partner in the spread of the lefty talk format across the country has been Clear Channel Communications– a corporation that owns plenty of conservative talk stations as well AND some of the biggest right-wing programs in the U.S. (including Limbaugh).

Enter Randy Michaels. The former head of Clear Channel hasn’t missed the rapid growth of the liberal talk format fostered by his old company. If you had to pick one word to describe Mr. Michaels, “opportunist” might best fit the bill. Other adjectives that accurately describe Michaels– tenacious, outrageous, and except for falling from the Clear Channel throne– very successful. Although Air America continues to bleed cash, their strategy of cultivating left-wing talk stations across the country isn’t necessarily a losing proposition. If Randy Michaels has staked his career comeback on the format, there’s probably a lot of money yet to be made in progressive talk radio.

You can be sure of one thing, snatching WLIB away from Air America was a brilliant and strategic move for Michaels’ new company “Product First.” Certainly purchasing “The Ed Shultz Show” (now the most popular liberal talk show in the U.S.) immediately put his new progressive talk radio enterprise on the map, but taking control of Air America’s flagship station (and their only outlet in the biggest radio market in the country) puts P1 in an incredibly favorable position in a number of ways. And when it comes to the radio business, there’s no one better than Randy Michaels at sizing up the competition and then audaciously destroying or assimilating them. (For a good example of Michaels’ lack of mercy, check out this timeline on how quickly Jacor’s “Power Pig” dispatched Tampa’s Q-105 in a matter of months in late 1980's.) And when it comes to lefty talk, Air America is the ONLY competition for Michaels to destroy or absorb. And in one swift move he’s put his one competitor, which is already in trouble, into a much weaker position AND provided his company with a New York City radio outpost. Amazing.

The name of Michaels’ new company is telling. Air America came out of the box as a massive experiment, hitting the airwaves with a half a dozen shows at once, most featuring hosts with no radio experience. It was a big splash in the radio industry back in 2004, and a lot of the buzz was generated by putting TV comedy talent on the air like Al Franken and Janeane Garofalo. However, out of the original Air America lineup only one program was a proven radio product with a radio vet as host-- The Randi Rhodes Show. In other words, politics and TV comedy came first for Air America, and the hope was that because they believed themselves to be on the right side politically (and they were going to have lots of witty funny bits) would naturally prove itself viable in the market place. The product itself did not come first. Hope did. And in the scheme of things that hasn’t worked out so well.

Losing WLIB is going to drag Air America into the cold harsh light of reality and it’s going to hurt. The challenge of a radio brute like Randy Michaels is either going to force Air America to realign their vision and adjust their business model toward profitability or it may be the beginning of the end.

If you had been listening to WLIB here in New York over the last year, you wouldn’t have to read all the internet rumors and allegations to figure out Air America was in big financial trouble-- Putting the yuppie idiocy of ABC’s Satellite Sisters in place of Air America’s late night angry man, Mike Malloy, and selling their weekend day slots on WLIB to shows about sports, food and money management. These were obviously stopgap measures to slam together enough cash to keep the rest of their programming on WLIB. Although Air America had a long term agreement with Inner City to camp out on WLIB’s frequency for years, it was undoubtedly the fact that they weren’t able to make their payments to the owners of WLIB that gave Michaels his opportunity to step in.

As I said last week, the one option nobody has mentioned is the possiblity that Air America might somehow join forces with Michaels. However, this would mean that the cold calculation of the former head of Jacor and Clear Channel would drastically alter Air America programming. But if they keep bleeding cash, it’s hard to see how they’re going to have much choice if they’re going to survive at all.

I don’t know how this is all going to pan out. And I’m certainly only guessing that Air America might consider handing over control of the network to Michaels in some way. But I'd bet something like that is on the table right now. The only official statement from Air America is a bit cryptic. A rep told the Daily News that the network "will not go silent on the New York City airwaves." Whatever happens, I have a feeling that over the next few weeks the course of talk radio history will take a turn behind closed doors somewhere on the island of Manhattan.

Meanwhile, as long time observer of the talk radio scene, as well as a fan of some the programming Air America has put out over the last couple of years, I offer the network my personal suggestions on what could be done to tighten and tweak their programming, and actually put the “product” ahead of the purpose. And if Randy Michaels actually gets his hands on the helm of Air America, I wouldn’t be surprised if one or two of these suggestions actually come to pass. However, I’d bet he’ll be less charitable.

1. Ease Out Al Franken

That’s right. I know it’s blasphemy, but despite Franken’s success as a liberal author the rubber faced comedian doesn’t cut it on the radio. What’s worse is how expensive it is for Air America to keep the TV funnyman as their mascot. It’s been reported that Franken drains between one and two million bucks a year out of the Air America coffers, and with his production staff, writers and researchers the total cost for the Al Franken Show accounts for over half of Air America’s programming payroll. Bringing in a left-wing radio legend like Neil Rogers would have cost only a fraction of that amount, and obviously would have been a much smarter move. And now Air America has invested in a Minnesota studio for Franken as he explores a possible Senate run there in 2008. Why blow all that cash on somebody who’s likely to split in a year or two anyway? It’s absurd.

Outside of his books, nothing Franken’s done on his own has been overtly successful? Ever seen that Stuart Smalley movie? Me neither. However I have heard Al repeat the same lame jokes literally DOZENS of times on his show. While Franken has a great roster of regular guests, it’s still not enough to carry the show. The idea of putting a well-known TV comic turned lefty author on the radio might have looked good on the drawing board, it’s hasn't created much good radio and to be honest it’s not been all that funny either. And without Katherine Lanpher to keep things rolling and hold Franken’s expansive ego in check, it’s been a painful listen at best.

The last thing I wanna do is throw my lot in with the knuckle-dragging hoards of Franken haters. I hope he keeps writing books and fighting the good fight. He's still capable of some funny TV moments, and he might even make a good Senator. But really-- Air America should invest all that cash into the development of new programming and paying off their debts. If he’ll take it, give Franken a weekend yuk-it-up talk show and a drastically reduced salary, or cut him loose when the contract allows. Have mercy.

2. Put Thom Hartmann Into The Regular Network Lineup

The obvious replacement for Franken. Hartmann continues to grow as a talk host. He’s brilliant, knowledgeable, and runs a tight fast-paced show. Hartmann puts current events into historical perspective, and has an amazing memory and a sense of fair play that makes him the perfect foil for the challenges of right wing callers. Air America now owns his program, but offers it in syndication outside of their regular lineup. It’s always a pleasure (and often a relief) to hear Hartmann fill in for other hosts on the network. I’ve always assumed that the syndication deal put him in the bullpen to fill the next gap in their weekday schedule. I hope that’s true.

3. Cut Randi Rhodes Down To Three Hours, Please

From what I’ve heard, Rhodes has been the biggest ratings success so far on the network. That’s great. Before Air America existed, I listened to Rhodes on the internet and was happy to hear her taking on the right wing noise machine loudly and proudly. I’m not convinced that she’s actually changed, and perhaps my ears are burned out, but I don’t have the patience to take in her show every afternoon these days. And FOUR hours! That's just TOO much Randi.

Yes, she’s usually quite up to speed on current events and the issues and impassioned to be sure. But she’s also shrill and repeats her points so many times in one program that your brain can go numb. And no matter what the issue or topic, it becomes tiresome to hear Randi talk all about Randi whenever she gets a chance. She never mentions the 2000 election without noting that she was ACTUALLY in Florida during the vote controversy there. And if she’s ever met a politician, she’ll be sure to tell you about it every time their name comes up. And if some event coincides with some special day in the life of Randi, you’ll hear about it. Whether it’s a penchant for bragging, or just insecurity, it’s tough to hear Rhodes blow her own horn so loudly everyday. At least it is for me. I’ll admit, she is a pro, but I don’t need her to remind me anymore. C’mon, four hours is just plain overkill.

4. Make “The Majority Report” A Weekly Show, Or Just Get Rid Of It

When I first heard Sam Seder and Janeane Garofalo host this show, it hurt. I mean, it was basically a spasmodic rendition of a college radio political opinion show. I wanted it to get better. It hasn’t.

Okay, I kinda like the new wave-punk bumper music, and the fact that they feature some high-profile lefty bloggers and occasionally have interesting musical acts. But when the content isn’t formed around a good guest, this show is just a lot of panting and spewing and snarky repartee that never seems to grow up. An hour or two in a weekend slot could be bearable, but for the life of me I can’t understand why this show has lasted over two years like this.

5. Give Marc Maron A Prime Night Slot, Now!

Maron was the ONLY non-radio talent who really grew into the medium in the great experiment of Air America’s opening programming lineup. Morning Sedition, the show he hosted with Mark Riley evolved into a funny and unpredictable talk show that covered important issues, made you laugh, and never took itself too seriously. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, cancelling Morning Sedition was a bonehead move.

However, the HUGE internet wave of anger over this decision didn’t go totally unnoticed by Air America. No doubt that’s the only reason Maron got his own program at the Air America affiliate in L.A. And now The Marc Maron Show is not only the best weekday program in the Air America lineup, and it’s also the only one that's only on ONE radio station. The network keeps promising to put him on their network roster, but several roll out dates have passed and Maron’s not happy that he's left languishing on one California station. Read the latest here.

I say it’s simple. Give Maron the Majority Report slot. What are they waiting for? The money would be better spent to pay out Garofalo for the rest of her contract then to let her psychoanalyze right wing losers and discuss the liposuction on her chin or the trying tooth bleaching procedures TV roles require. Please.

While I’ve got more notes in front of me on changes I’d like to hear on Air America, I think I’ll cut it off here and wait to see what happens with WLIB in New York this summer. While I don’t particularly like commercials themselves, even in this era of deregulation and mega-mergers there’s still something exciting and vital about commercial radio which is almost impossible to find in public and community radio. Commercial radio HAS to prove itself viable in the marketplace, one way or another. If the radio product itself isn’t powerful, efficient and appealing in some populist way, it will not last. The Air America brain trust needs some of what makes a guy like Randy Michaels tick. I wonder if they can figure that out before it’s too late?

Part one of this post can be found here.

Comments

[torr]

I agree that Randi Rhodes' show should be cut down, she rambles and whines and is kinda annoying in anything but small doses.

I agree that Marc Maron has gotten better and better and deserves to have a daily show that is on every station.

However I disagree completely with your assesment of Al Franken and Majority Report.

Yes Franken covers a lot of the same issues and jokes frequently but that's because his show is intended to mainly be for the fence-sitter who would never listen to more than an hour or so of any talk radio a day. He's so damn reasonable and I love it. And if you think he has a huge ego you're just not udnerstanding his sarcasm. And I think the show got better when Katherine left, her NPR-style formal approach never sat well next to Franken. Frankly (no pun intended) they've gotta keep Al around because there's no one else in the lineup who the average joe has ever heard of, besides Springer.

And as for the Majority Report, it's my fav show on the network. It's good with both of them instudio, or with just one of 'em. They're hilarious and it's perfect for people in their mid 20s like me. However I bet Janeane will leave soon, she seems a better fit for Democracy Now network. And I think Sam is being groomed for the Franken slot after '08.

You failed to mention Rachel Maddow, she does a great morning show and I can't wait till she gets to move to a better timeslot where her show can be less todays-news centric. Mark Riley is also good and deserves a better timeslot.

[Bill E. Ous]

Rachel Maddow does an extremely fast-paced, witty 2 hours in the morning. I think she makes a gret morning host, but I suspect that Ed Schultz will be shoved in there in the near future (assuming he doesn't bump Randi Rhodes out of the afternoon drive-time slot). Give Maddow a cable TV simulcast!

Your Radi comments are spot on. Her 4th hour mostly seems to consist of takig phoe calls and burning down the last minutes. 3 hour show a good suggestion.

Jerry Springer: lame radio that sounds like he's teaching junior high students.

Sam Seder: self-deprecating, entertaining, most improved as he's soloed on TMR and guest-hosted for carious AA hosts. Even Garofolo (who's been away with acting gigs) seems aware that she pales when she's in the studio w/ him, which has led to here on-air suggestions that they only spend one of their 3 hours together, with each taking an hour solo.

Garofolo is strident and generally unfunny and uninformed. Lately she's taken to bringing in a Scientology-backed health group for uncritical interviews. Air America owners: push her out, please.

Mike Malloy: dark, rude, funny and often illogical -- as we see when he confronts his own listeners disagreeing with him about Israel or illegal immigration. Still, lots of fun, nasty times for those needing their Ids to come out of their stereo speakers.

[Tim Buczak]

Hi,

I really want this network to succeed. They are at a turning point much like Working Assets Broadcasting was a few years ago. They started out strong, but they need to be able to reinvent themselves.

Al Franken: Don't get rid of him, He's the only professional sounding one. He's funny and intelligent. Bring back the co-host.

Cut:
Randi Rhodes: She's was better before, but she's gotten me to turn it off during her show. I like the idea of 3 hours.

Drop:
Majority Report: Awful awful awful
Springer on the radio: I like him, but he's boring.
Mark Malloy: Over night, He's the bizarro savage. I turn him off because of the name calling.

Add to the line-up:
Thom Hartmann: He's brilliant. Add him to midday instead of springer
Mark Maron: Please, He was brilliant. I don't know how many times I spit out my coffee listening to him in the mornings. Replace him for Majority Report.
Peter Werbe: Add to overnight instead of Mike Malloy. Brilliant progressive. I love it when he subsitudes for folks.

To Consider:
Bill Press: Good satellite show on Sirius, consider him in the mornings.
Young Turks: Consider it as a replace Majority Report.

[zach]

I've heard a few shows where Garofolo was great and they've all been solo. On one episode that I have in mind, she had Devendra Banhart and Sander Hicks as her guests and she handled each very well. I think she would be great as the host of a two hour friday night talk show. She could have an in-studio musical guest and interview fellow celebrities about teeth bleaching (don't think that Franken doesn't drone on about that stuff too.) It would be perfect for friday primetime because she's never around more than one or two days a week anyway and she's horrible next to Seder. Neither should be on a radio show without a cohost who knows what they're doing. I would pair Seder with Dum Dum and Garofolo with Kenny G (that would teach them a thing or two about what it means to do PROFESSIONAL radio!)

[The Contrarian]

We all know why 'ol Rupert wants Hilary to become the Dems' 2008 Presidential nominee: It'll send FOX News ratings through the roof as the network fabricates - er - investigates all sort of Hilary-related misdeeds. GWB has not been good for the network's bottom line.

[Greg Greene]

Surprised no one else has suggested a potentially brilliant hire: Stephanie Miller. She brings the funny in a way no one on Air America ever has, w/ the possible exception of Marc Maron. Plus, she has all the on-air intelligence that Janeane Garofalo gratingly lacks.

Sam Seder, I actually kinda like, except when he starts rambling when he gets to a subject he doesn't know much about. If you cound sever him from Garofalo, he might merit a couple of hours of programming.

Springer? Unlistenable. Bah. And props to the people who say it's time to either get Franken another cohost or send him off.

[Billy K]

You forgot "Get rid of Springer." I love the guy and he tries hard, but he's not a radio host.

Have you heard Paul Hackett sub for Jerry? Hackett is great. Give that guy a show!

[The Professor]

You're right. I've already said it two or three times here, but it bears repeating-- GET RID OF JERRY SPRINGER! My god, the man may be boring as hell on the radio, but he doesn't appear to be stupid. Of course, Air America should know better, but by now Springer himself should have a grasp on the fact that his radio program is a waste of time for all concerned.

[js]

randi rhodes is the flip side of the same limbaugh/o'reilly coin. not that she is the antithesis of that format, which would be great, but she is a mirror image of those angry, annoying, monotonous monsters. i agree with just about all her politics (aside from her being a complete and utter apologist lapdog for what is essentially a mirror image of the republican right, the republican lite (democrats). she is horrible. i am surprised so many people like her. blecch! she turns me off from air america in a big way. amy goodman is where its at. also, jello biafra has a podcast now... "batcasts" at www.alternativetentacles.com. heres to a TRUE alternative.

[Zen]

Confused liberals taking jabs at confused conservatives. I hope neither wins.

[Jill]

Thank you for these articles. I've been an AAR listener almost constantly since its inception, and losing it in NY is going to leave a serious void in my home. Right now we have 3 radios tuned to WLIB in my house even as I write.

Of course I agree and applaud your view that Marc Maron should get a prime-time slot. He's shown that he is MADE for radio, and while I'm not as crazy about the Marc Maron Show as I was about Morning Sedition (mostly because the curmudgeonly Jim Earl isn't as good a sidekick as Mark Riley), he has a gift in this area and needs more exposure.

I have no problem with Randi Rhodes having 4 hours. She can be shrill, but she IS a radio pro.

Majority Report is awful, but that's mostly Janeane Garofalo's fault. Sam Seder is actually very good, and I think he should have his own show.

I just fear that this is going to be AAR's death knell. And frankly, Stephanie Miller and Ed Schultz just aren't going to do it for me.

I may have to get XM Radio after all.

[Joseph Goebbels]

America must not lose the insigtful cutting(and yes humorous) talk of Air America.
Withoutthis precious resource of patriotic dissent how would America know that Bush is a Doo-Doo head?
A drunken,cocaine addled doo-doo head who is the Stupidest Man to ever graduate from Yale,
learn to fly fighter jets,get a Harvard MBA,beat Ann Richards, Al Gore and John Kerry.
Would America know his daughters are hypocritical little christian whores?
If not for AA who would know that BUSH LIED!!!!!!! YES BUSH LIED!!!!!HE IS A STUPID EVIL LIAR!!!!!! gODDESS BLESS AIR AMERICA!!!! For telling it like it is.

P.S. KILL WHITEY!!! CUT UP MEN!!!! WE'RE HERE! WE'RE QUEER ! GET USED TO IT!!!!!
And there is absolutely NO connection between Iraq and Al Qaeda despite what that CIA stooge Zarqawi says.

[tom]

Let's start at daybreak...

Get rid of Mark O'Reilly. I get it. He's a veteran. But he's awful. He's not good at delivering straight news, much less jokey bits. He is a bit killer. I would rather see Wayne Gelman get his own show. Actually, an early early Wayne Gelman show would be really cool.

Give Rachel Maddow a buddy. She is whip smart and easy on the ears, but she needs someone to bounce her thoughts off of. Her producers are not cutting it. Her strong showings on the Tucker Carlson show say to me that it would be really interesting if AirAmerica paired her with a conservative co-host. (Not Carlson, he's an ass)

Jerry Springer goes. What were they thinking???

I agree. Give Franken a weekend show. That's all he has the energy to write for anyway.

I love Randi, although she sometimes messes up her facts, and she screams down people she should be debating. But she is certainly not AirAmerica's problem right now, so cut her an hour or leave her alone, I don't care.

CUT THE MAJORITY REPORT!! It is PAINFUL.
They obviously can't perform together. It is SO uncomfortable to listen to them the issues get totally lost. Jeaneane only shows up half the time anyway. CANCEL THIS DOG. Give Seder his own show. He's good whenhe's focused. Garafolo's a waste.

THE SATELLITE SISTERS SUCK!! THEY SHOULD BE CANCELLED AND DIE. (they don't actually have to die. I just don't find them at all entertaining or informative. They are like relatives that I tune out during the holidays.)

BRING MALLOY BACK TO NYC!! I don't have the stomach for him every night, but I love the bastard. He's good. He's cathartic. I miss him.

Tom Hartman. GREAT idea, give him the Majority Report slot. Or give him O'Reilly's slot. Just make him a regular.

Speaking of regulars, GIVE LAURA FLANDERS a weekly show!!! She is AWESOME, MUCH better than most of her counterparts. I would love to see her take the Majority Report slot.

I would also love to hear more from RING OF FIRE. Kennedy and Pappantonio are great.

Other than that, maybe just add the Car Talk guys...

[puffer]

Indeed, Professor, thanks for your continuing thoughts on AA. I, too, want to see this network succeed if only because I worry about our country without it at this point. I more or less agree with all your assesments, though I've only listened to some of the shows in passing, some not at all, but I really like those that I listen to. I even subscribe to the podcast because I know that this is a commercial enterprise and I know there is a bottom line to be met.

I agree with other comments that these shows aren't necessarily meant to be heard in toto, but rather in chunks, and I find most of just fine for that. Yes, more than a half hour of Rhodes or Frankin can be challenging but in small doses they are interesting enough; and I always write the repetition off to the fact that they know a lot of people listen as such.

But Merrin, indeed, worth listening to regularly. And I think Maddow's show is just about perfect. A good alternative to NPR. She smart, funny, and seems to have a good team. A cohost is a terrible idea. And at 2 hours you can absorb to the whole show.

But thanks for writing these.

[torr]

Whoever just said that AAR should scoop up Bill Press has gotta be crazy. Have you heard his Sirius show? He devotes entire segments to American Idol multiple days of the week! And when he does talk politics it's always just the same old questions to a congress member, never any author interviews about in-depth issues.

Young Turks are pretty knowledgeable, but the production of the show is so low-rent it's not even funny. And having the ignorant female with them is just lame.

[ortsed]

1. Run Harry Shearer's Le Show on Air America! Make a deal with him somehow. AAR needs more comedy, not just uptight yabbering. And a show that has skits that are well done would be perfect. and Le Show needs more broadcasting!. http://www.harryshearer.com/leshow/

2. more humor in general. Majority Report can be good, but i get so dissapointed that it just isn't funny most of the time. just a lot of complaining.

3. more music and style.

4. better advertising. the ads they run are these loud-talking brash obnoxious daytime radio ads just like the most obnoxious ads from every other radio station.

[educatedmetalhead]

i think Dave WEmory would ft in perfectly with the rest of the mental ward at Air Ameica.

[stew]

Maybe hire a conservative like Hannity has Colmes and get real diversity of opinion which you folks are always yammering about. BTW, regarding David Brock, Christopher Hitchens described Brock in a Nation article as "incapable of recognizing the truth, let alone of telling it."
http://www.thenation.com/doc/20020527/hitchens

[Webster Hubble Telescope]

I'm one of those "don't be hatin' fans of AAR, and appreciate all the hosts, even Springer to a degree.

What I also appreciate is WFMU. I don't know how I missed it but WFMU was the first outlet for Air America. Tom Sharpling provided a time slot for Sam Seder’s pilot airing of Majority Report in February 2003. Seder actually mentioned it last week on air, and I checked Sharpling's archives and yes indeed it happened, but (unfortunately) no actual recorded archive exists.

[Paula]

You are so right about AAR Broadcasting Thom Hartmann full time. I like Al, but one does get tired hearing the same show over and over again. Jerry Springer has to go, listening to him is like a non-surgical lobotomy, did anyone else hear when he inadvertantly argued Against the minimum wage? They must bring Maron back, with Jim Earl, hell get the whole gang together.
How's this bring back Morning Sedition as it was, dump Springer and put Rachel Maddow in his spot (where she was in the first place), Thom Hartmann in Franken's spot. Leave Randi alone, she gets on my nerves from time to time, but she handles wing nuts well. Majority Report with Seder full time and Garofalo segments, the dime-store psychology isn't bad in small doses, plus she has the courage to disagree with guests. Mike Malloy needs to be on the air in NY.

[Aaron]

A few thoughts from off the wall:

-- I always thought AAR failed to get all the bang for buck from the XM deal. It was a good idea to some extent because it traded the one thing AAR had to offer satellite: Exclusive Content. But they didn't get enough. They should have used the opportunity to set up a national headquarters in the Nation's Capital, to create an anchor show HERE and then syndicate the content to Earth radio, sorta like the O&A deal. I mean, don't you think an entire network dedicated to POLITICS ought to have a presence in WASHINGTON (not counting the affiliate here--you have to be inside the building at their headquarters to receive that signal).

-- I think AAR's ad staff needs to flex its imagination. Easy for me to say, I've never sold an ad in my life. It just seems to me that you could walk through a Whole Foods with a notebook and come up with fifty potential sponsors who would appeal to the typical progressive. Some of the ads they do run, I think, such as purported get-rich-quick or no-money-down schemes, can even be felt as offensive by some liberals. Don't take ads that might alienate your audience. Duh.

-- Your programming suggestions are spot-on. D. Goldberg ditched the best property AAR had to offer, Morning Sedition. The approach you referred to was interesting as hell, throwing a few people into a studio to see if they have the chemistry. Now, with talk that Janeane will leave the Report, the weekly lineup will only consist of one-talker-one-mic mental masturbation fests. Some of them you don't mind listening to them whack off, like Randi, while others, such as Jerry, it's just painful. Regardless, they're all just whacking off, and that gets dull after awhile no matter what. We need some sidekicks and some teams in there damnit jim.