Air America Radio went live on 31 March 2003, featuring hosts like Al Franken and Randi Rhodes. All the right-wing talkers said AAR wouldn't last a week. They did, in fact, they've lasted 3.5 years, now have some 80 markets, and their hosts routinely beat out right-wing idiots like Rush Limbaugh and Bill O'Reilly. But Limbaugh and O'Reilly still say that AAR is going to be gone in two months. (O'Reilly's been saying it for 3.5 years, in fact. But to be fair, he has a medical condition: chronic wrongitis.)
But wait, what was that? Did you hear Air America Radio file bankrupcy in September? Of course you didn't hear it. Two sources reported this, Bill O'Reilly and MediaMatters.org, but since no one trusts O'Reilly, and only those who listten to AAR know about Mediamatters.org, no one is really quite aware of this. I'm okay with that, personally, Air America has enough going against it, and the progressive format doesn't need to be denegrated because the pioneering syndicated station formatted entirely for progressive talk happens to be 3 million in the hole. (However, when you compare that 3 million to the 9 trillion that the United States is in debt for, it's really not so bad.)
'Yeah yeah', you're saying, 'what's your point Rachel? I don't really care about the ins and outs of this progressive talk radio. Get on with it.'
Okay. Well, since declaring bankrupcy, Air America Radio has picked up a popular show, The Young Turks, added at least one station in the Midwest, and put out a book called Air America The Playbook. What better way to work yourself out of debt by putting out a book? In an election year no less!
Air America The Playbook is a collection of essays and transcripts by "left-wing media types" like David Bender, Thom Hartmann, Robert F. Kenedy Jr., Mike Malloy, Sam Seder (the sexiest Jew in radio, imo), and many, many others, (including, yes, Al Franken, and Radio Goddess Randi Rhodes). How can you go wrong with a line-up like that? This book is funny, informative, and offers the average progressive (though let's face it, most progressives are above-average) a few pointers on how to get involved this election season.
It's great to see such a thing sold right up front at mega-chain bookstores (especially when at the same store M'Ann Coulter's book is hidden away on one of the bottom shelves of the politics section). Borders is even offering it for 20% off with your Borders Rewards card. So really, if you've got a spare $20 (and if I do, you do), buy this book. Tell Air America that you want them to be fiscally sound. Tell them that you're listening. (Or, just go to their website and find a local affiliate or stream them online.)
Air America is one of many steps being taken at the moment to try and balance out the right-wing (and primarily right-wing-owned mainstream) media. Balance is good. So is democracy. Buy this book.
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I wonder how much of an idiot Bill O'Reilly can be if he was one of the first people who know about AAR filing bankruptcy. I guess less of an idiot than people who chose to distrust him because of personal bias an d nothing else.
Thanks for the heads up. I'll make sure to look for the book when I hit the bookstores next. As for Bill O'Reillys chronic wrongitis... at least he's not alone with the disease. He has Bush and co right there with him.
Wow, for some reason I just can't read the words "M'Ann Coulter" with a straight face. I can try but, ummph, I, just, pffftthh, can't! Wahahaha! I will definitely try tuning into this radio station, as well as looking into that book. I occasionally attempt to listen to conservative talk radio, and I actually thought about checking out Coulter's latest work, but I couldn't bring myself to do so, mostly because her picture is on the front cover; what a waist.
Well that's probably the only way she's gonna get a laugh.
1. AAR went live on 3/31/2004, not 2003. That means they've been around for 2.5, not 3.5 years.
2. AAR does not "routinely beat" Rush. In one market (Seattle) in one ratings period in one demo, Thom Hartmann beat Rush. Nationwide, AAR averages apx. 2 million listeners. Rush has 20 M. Hannity apx. 10 M. O'Reilly gets about 3 M.
3. While AAR was picking up a midwest station, they were losing another: Dallas. They're only the #5 market. Oh, and they're downgrading their signal in NYC. That'll help.
4. None of this has anything whatsoever to do with the book.