Liberal Talkradio Network To Launch March 31

[MtnBiker]

Wed Mar 10 2004 13:15:26 ET

Air America Radio, a progressive talk radio network, announced today it will hit the airwaves on March 31st. "Air America Radio is launching in the top U.S. markets with leading talent that will provide compelling and entertaining programming on the radio, on satellite feeds, and on the web," said Mark Walsh, Chief Executive Officer of Air America Radio. “We aim to build an important new media franchise that delivers results.”

The network’s on-air personalities represent today’s top political and popular satirists, commentators and activists. Comedian, and best selling author Al Franken, who was recently taken to court when Bill O’Reilly and Fox News were seeking an injunction to halt distribution of "Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them: A Fair and Balanced Look at the Right," and is known for fact-based, drug-free satire, will host a weekday show on the network called “The O’Franken Factor.”

“I’m so happy that Air America Radio will be on in three battleground states, New York, Illinois and California….no wait…those aren’t battleground states. What the hell are we doing?” said Franken.

Air America Radio has signed actress and comedienne Janeane Garofalo, hip hop icon Chuck D, radio personality Randi Rhodes, and political humorist Sam Seder to join Franken at the network. Environmental activist Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., “The Daily Show” co-creator Lizz Winstead, and business-of-the-media analyst on the public radio program “Marketplace” Martin Kaplan will also join the network.

The network has unveiled its current weekday and weekend line-up:

Monday-Friday
Uprising: 6:00-9:00am

This is a fast paced morning show that will entertain and engage audiences with wit and political satire. It will feature the latest news, offering up to-the-minute interviews with newsmakers, analysis and strong opinions.

Host: Marc Maron
Co-host: Sue Ellicott
Co-host: Mark Riley

Unfiltered: 9:00am- 12:00pm
Air America’s midmorning program is a showcase for conversation about the political and cultural state of the union. Unfiltered introduces listeners to fresh new voices not available in mainstream media today.

Co-host: Lizz Winstead
Co-host: Chuck D
Co-host: Laura Flanders

The O’ Franken Factor: 12:00-3:00pm
Relentless, pure satire, delivered by the leading political humorist of this generation. With his partner, longtime radio host Katherine Lanpher, this will be three hours of fearless barbs, sketches, and interviews with newsmakers and characters who have lived, up until now, only in Al’s fertile imagination. He’s no policy wonk, but this best-selling author and veteran of Saturday Night Live, is devoting his energy to fighting back against rightwing propaganda with hard evidence and facts.

Host: Al Franken
Co-host: Katherine Lanpher
Producer: Billy Kimball

The Randi Rhodes Show: 3:00-7:00pm

Randi Rhodes has spent the last 20 years burning up the airwaves in southern Florida with her pointed and provocative brand of talk radio. Combining live interview, call-in and commentary, Randi engages her audience with a passionate presentation.

Host: Randi Rhodes

So What Else Is News? : 7:00-8:00pm
Based in Los Angeles, this is a one-hour program showcasing the intersection of politics, media and popular culture. This program will feature analysis and reports from the presidential campaign, as well as a daily reporters’ roundtable on how the news of the day is affected and reflected by the media. Marty will also cover the spinning of the news with a regular segment called “The Corrections.” This is also the place to hear the political voice of Hollywood, with celebrity guest interviews from the entertainment industries.
Host: Marty Kaplan

The Majority Report: 8:00pm-11:00pm

This program will introduce new, younger voices and opinions, with live guests from the world of politics, the arts and entertainment. Host: Janeane Garofalo
Co-host: Sam Seder

Saturday and Sunday

Air America Radio’s weekend line-up will offer more original programming, like Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. and Mike Papatanio’s “Champions of Justice,” a program that brings a fresh and entertaining perspective to talk radio from the top legal and social issues focused minds in the country. Additional programming will include Best-of Air America Radio and Best-of-O’Franken Factor as well as other original programming to be announced soon.

“Air America Radio will be available immediately in top markets across the country, and our distribution channels will continue to expand in the coming months via affiliation agreements with partner stations across the land,” said Air America Radio President Jon Sinton. Air America Radio will debut its programming on radio stations WLIB (AM 1190am) in New York, WNTD (AM 950) in Chicago and KBLA (AM 1580) in Los Angeles and a station in San Francisco to be named before launch.

Air America Radio’s partnership with WLIB owner, Inner City Broadcasting Corporation, is a complementary agreement that builds on the goals of each organization – to bring new energy and new immediacy to messages, issues and audiences that deserve a place in today’s media marketplace.

“We are excited about the diverse and important voices Air America Radio is bringing to the airwaves, both on our own WLIB signal and others,” said Pierre Sutton, Chairman of ICBC. “This strategic partnership allows both companies to combine our resources and deliver relevant messages to a broad and diverse audience. Our talented Mark Riley joins new and exciting co-hosts throughout the broadcast day in multiple major markets to open the airwaves to opinions and entertaining commentary that Americans can hear nowhere else.” Live streaming of Air America Radio shows, along with show archives, will be available on www.airamericaradio.com. Air America Radio is in negotiations with satellite television and satellite radio providers. These national services will allow potential listeners to tune in anywhere in the country. The details of these partnerships will be unveiled soon.

“Our success to date proves what we have known all along: a progressive radio network can be entertaining and engaging while also being a successful business venture. We have made a lot of progress…and more is to come. We expect to deliver valuable listeners to our advertising partners,” said Evan Cohen, New York-based investor and Chairman of the board of Air America Radio.

link

Whoa, here it comes.

 

[Avatar4321]

Any bets how long this lasts?

 

[musicman]

Originally posted by Avatar4321
Any bets how long this lasts?

I didn't see Phil Donahue anywhere on the schedule. What can they be thinking?

 

[rtwngAvngr]

Are any of these call in shows? It's hard to tell from the descriptions. I bet they don't take calls from conservatives, if they even take calls at all. I can't wait to get that phone number.

 

[MtnBiker]

Franken: Lib Network will Take Bush Out

Republican-hating humorist Al Franken promised yesterday that he'll be bashing President Bush relentlessly when the liberal radio network he's headlining gets underway at the end of this month.

"We're going to put it to Bush," Franken told reporters on Wednesday. "Bush is going down in November."

After his radio network - bankrolled by Democratic Party fat cats - supposedly drives Bush from power, the frothing-at-the-mouth funnyman said he plans to "put it to the right-wing media."

In a dig at his nemesis Bill O'Reilly, Franken said he was calling his show "The O'Franken Factor" and promised, "We're going to be baiting him as much as we can."

The Democrat Party's official radio network will also feature Iraq war critic-comedienne Janeane Garofalo, who explained last year that she never protested any of President Clinton's military actions because "it wasn't hip."

Billing itself as "Air America," the network will begin airing the Democratic party line on March 31, hitting the airwaves on New York's WLIB, KBLA in Los Angeles and WNTD in Chicago.

But so far the effort doesn't exactly have radio conservatives quaking in their boots.

"They're hoping - they're praying - that they can take us out," number two national talker Sean Hannity told his audience yesterday, in quotes picked up by the New York Post's John Mainelli. "And [the liberal media] is going to do everything they can to help them."

But Hannity predicted that audiences would soon tire of radio broadcasts that sound too much like bought-and-paid-for party propaganda. "How could I be as intellectually honest as I am on this program -- criticizing Republicans when they're wrong -- if the Republicans funded my show?" he posited.

"Already it's not truth in advertising," GOP consultant Kellyanne Conway told Mainelli, adding, "I guess the name 'hot air radio' is already taken."

The Democrat Party's official radio network will also feature Iraq war critic-comedienne Janeane Garofalo, who explained last year that she never protested any of President Clinton's military actions because "it wasn't hip."

Democrat Party's offical radio network? Oh brother another subsidized democratic program.

 

[MtnBiker]

Originally posted by rtwngAvngr
Are any of these call in shows? It's hard to tell from the descriptions. I bet they don't take calls from conservatives, if they even take calls at all. I can't wait to get that phone number.

Give'm hell RtwngAvngr.

 

[rtwngAvngr]

People don't want to hear lies, socialist propaganda, and negativism. I don't know why libs still think this is what people want to hear. Their party is heading towards utter destruction.

 

[rtwngAvngr]

Originally posted by MtnBiker
Give'm hell RtwngAvngr.

I would love to verbally bitch slap Ganeane Garofalo. What a twit.

 

[MtnBiker]

The perfect face for radio .

 

[rtwngAvngr]

Does anyone else listen to Glenn Beck?

 

[Avatar4321]

Listen to Glenn? I know the guy. He is alot more fun in person than on the radio.

 

[rtwngAvngr]

Originally posted by Avatar4321
Listen to Glenn? I know the guy. He is alot more fun in person than on the radio.

WOw that's cool. Some of his monologues are genius. His dispatchment of liberal tripe is quite good too.

 

[rtwngAvngr]

Is his personality anything like it is on the radio?

 

[wonderwench]

If the shows are funny, then they have a chance to succeed. The successful conservative talk radio hosts are also quite entertaining. If, however, these shows are just ventings of spleen and hate, then the schtick will get old very quickly.

My prediction is for the latter.

 

[Avatar4321]

WOw that's cool. Some of his monologues are genius. His dispatchment of liberal tripe is quite good too.

Yep deffinately. and he is a bit insane so he is fun as heck.

Is his personality anything like it is on the radio?

Yes. very much so. In fact i think he can get crazier sometimes in person.

 

[rtwngAvngr]

Originally posted by wonderwench
If the shows are funny, then they have a chance to succeed. The successful conservative talk radio hosts are also quite entertaining. If, however, these shows are just ventings of spleen and hate, then the schtick will get old very quickly.

My prediction is for the latter.

Yeah. The conservative shows are live debate on air when a lib calls. And Libs go to the front of the call cues on Sean and Rush. I doubt the liberals will operate this way, and will fail.

 

[wonderwench]

Oh, I suspect a few token conservatives will be allowed through the gatekeepers - and the hosts will just call them stupid. That is the typical Liberal tactic.

 

[Avatar4321]

My question is will these token conservatives really be conservatives or just be pretending? I mean there was that woman who called rush last week pretending to be a lifetime republican (she got caught when she said she was a life long de...republican) so its not like they dont do it. but then i bet there may be conservatives who pretend to be liberals. why they would i dont know.

 

[rtwngAvngr]

Originally posted by Avatar4321
My question is will these token conservatives really be conservatives or just be pretending? I mean there was that woman who called rush last week pretending to be a lifetime republican (she got caught when she said she was a life long de...republican) so its not like they dont do it. but then i bet there may be conservatives who pretend to be liberals. why they would i dont know.

Liberals are pretending to be liberals. They're just acting out talking points they heard somewhere else. They know no reason of their own.

 

[acludem]

I can't wait to listen, that is some top notch talent they have. Did you notice they are putting "The O'Franken Factor" right up against Bill O'Reilly's "Radio Factor" (or at least part of it in my area)? It will be nice to have an alternative to Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Michael Savage and the rest of the far right talk radio shows. What's their slogan? "Need an answer? Blame Clinton!"

I hope this lasts, but it will be difficult for Liberals to be successful on talk radio simply because most listeners of talk radio are hard-core right wing conservatives who won't listen to anyone they disagree with. That's the nature of conservatism. I can just about 100% guarantee you that if conservatives listen and call in they will be treated with far greater respect than liberal callers on conservative shows, who are usually shouted down by the host (I do have to say that Sean Hannity is better about respecting differences of opinion than most of his conservative colleagues).

I see nothing in the original article suggesting that the Democratic Party is in any way involved in the operation of this network, though I'm sure they are happy about its launch. I will have to listen some on the internet. I wish the network the best of luck.

acludem