Nick, check out the Nova-M radio network. It’s got programming on in Phoenix, San Francisco, Sacramento and a (scant) few other cities. After Air America fired him for being too radical, Nova-M picked up Mike Malloy, who’s like firewater compared to Al Franken’s dishwater. His tag line is “Have I told you tonight how much I hate these people?” when he’s talking about Bush fascists. If Air America does go under, I hope Nova-M will fill that market niche, although I will miss Randi Rhodes.

Aside from boring and far too moderate (I mean liberal not progressive or radical) Al Franken, Air America in its final two months hit a fine streak, especially Tom Hartman, Stephanie Miller, Rachel Madow, and Stephanie Rose with withering and hard hitting attacks on the vulgarian fascists who have taken over the United States. Why can’t some progressive multi-millionaires start another progressive network, this time under sounder management?

Air America cancelled Mike Malloy because of his interview this summer with Webster G. Tarpley, the foremost expert on false flag terror.

On Malloy’s show Tarpley laid out the details of the 9/11 coup: 1) textbook scenario: inept patsies, protective moles, expert executioners, a compliant media; 2) Pentagon & POTUS security stripped; 3) “Angel is next” threat; 4) POTUS’ capitulation; 5) and finally the call to Putin to report US post-9/11 Middle East attack and occupation plan and warn that Russia had better not interfere. Media insiders know all this. “Angle is next,” was even reported by NY Times’ William Safire, but not followed up on.  Virtually none within the corporate media are genuinely free to do so - job-loss threats, or worse, make 9/11Truth the media 3rd rail.

As for AA, since they’re only willing to be a bit less dishonest than the “mainstream” corporate media, they won’t be much missed. One option might be to search for some real guts and mettle: stand up for 911Truth and throw a hail Mary - help bring down the madman, neo-con cabal before they start WWIII. What’s to lose?

Hell, same goes for everyone, when the nukes start flying, job security, or even shattered credit, will be the least of your worries. But no doubt some will be literally dying to hear Al Franken make a joke of it.

I have only listened to Air America once and I found their sense of humor boring and I really don’t like trying to make everything a joke. Comedy Central is also often boring as well as right wing.

I listen to Democracy Now and occasionally WBAI Pacifica and WAMC, NPR.  That’s about it.  Under a capitalist system those who have the gold rules and there is no way of getting around it.  If you want to defeat capitalism you have to invest in guns, not radio stations.

Some people are confusing ratings with funding. There is a reason Air America got decent ratings, and there is a reason they get little corporate funding. Don’t let the right wing confuse the two.

Chas: Al should NOT be doing liesels! If he holds O’Lielly and other blowhards to the standard of truth, he should do the same. Smart people can deal with the truth.

One of the problems I see with trying to advertise on a station that attracts smart people (liberals) is that they don’t fall for advertising. You have to be a bit gullible (i.e. Republican) to be swayed by advertisers’ claims. What advertised on AAR except for Ovaltine, the “Impeach Bush” game The Nation. (All unavailable here, plus on podcasts they eliminate the ads.)

As for criticising Israel, one AAR talker did—Mike Malloy on the late night show. But he got fired two months ago…

As a regular listener to Air America, I’m saddened but not surprised by this news. When the network first began issuing denials of its filing for Chapter 11 last month, I assumed that they were just whistling in the dark, hoping against hope that some sort of restructuring deal could be worked out with their creditors. In short, I wasn’t exactly optimistc about the outcome. It sounded like they hanging onto the raft for dear life before the final plunge over the waterfall. (And, yes, for the record, I did support a number of their aadvertisers.)

Air America needs to tighten the format of some of its shows. It’s been noted that there’s too much dead air on several of its programs. That’s not a problem you find on, say, Loathsome Limbaugh, whatever your feeling about the content (or lack thereof) of his broadcasts. One of Air America’s most entertaining hosts, Stephanie Miller, is actually syndicated through Jones Radio Network. Same for Ed Schultz.

Progressive radio is in much the same position as progressive politics. Many hearts are in the right place, but for progressive agendas to prevail, good hearts need to be balanced with good heads---clear-thinking, resourceful, and pragmatic---as well as with open pocketbooks.

I’m sitting in Melbourne (NOT the one in Florida) listening to Air America at the moment. My wife and I download podcasts. It’s sick, but we have a fascination with listening to the death throes of democracy in the homeland we fled last year. Perhaps soon we’ll have to stop doing that.

The financial strangulation of Air America is another sign of corporate fascism in the U.S. The fascists don’t need soldiers with guns to choke freedom of speech. They can do it with dollars. Businesses refuse to buy commercials on the station, or new owners buy stations that carry AAR and can the format (as happened in Phoenix and Atlanta.) Kills off opposing media viewpoints almost as effectively as the missiles the U.S. military shot into al-Jazeera’s offices in Kabul and Baghdad.

The U.S. is not the land of free speech. It is the new USSR. I give thanks to sites like Truthdig, but if you get too big, the fascists will find a way to shut you down too. A long dark night is creeping over the “shining city on a hill.” Last person out, please turn off the radio…

i don’t listen to air america

a) they’re boring—if you think al franken’s funny, i have a bridge to sell you

b) they never criticize israel for making palestinians live like dogs in a kennel or for carpeting lebanon with american-made cluster bombs—in sum, they undermine america’s standing in the world by being pro-war

They didn’t really deny it last month. If you listen to Franken and understand his humor, it was obvious they just barely avoided a chapter 11 filing and he was making a joke of taunting Think Progress and O’Reilly for their premature reports of a filing - “In your face!” Etc.

It was actually not denial but fake bravado as humor. A leisel.