Air America Goes off the Air

[JRScott]

January 21, 2010

Air America Radio is shutting down its operations after company files for bankruptcy.

Air America Radio, a progressive radio network that once aired commentary from Al Franken and Rachel Maddow, said Thursday it is shutting down immediately.

The company founded in April 2004 said it ceased airing new programs Thursday afternoon and will soon file to be liquidated under Chapter 7 bankruptcy. It began broadcasting reruns of programs and would end those as well Monday night.

Air America said 10 consecutive quarters of declining ad revenue and the difficulty of making money on the Internet contributed to its financial woes.

"The very difficult economic environment has had a significant impact on Air America's business. This past year has seen a `perfect storm' in the media industry generally," the company said in a statement on its Web site.

The network had some 100 radio outlets nationwide.

Franken, a Democrat, hosted his own show from 2004 to 2007 before going on to become a U.S. senator from Minnesota last year after a close election. Maddow went on to host her own TV show on MSNBC.

Source: AP
Link: http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment...est=latestnews

[buttercup]

I hate that. It's always good to have two sides to any story available....Rush has a monopoly on the right. Now nothing for the left. Oh well.

[frogger]

It appears that their business model was not too good. Not much different than the business model that we have in DC today.

[BobMango]

If Air America is responsible for bringing us Al Franken, I'm glad they're gone.

[HHM]

I hate that. It's always good to have two sides to any story available....Rush has a monopoly on the right. Now nothing for the left. Oh well.

But if there are no listeners, is there really two sides

[OhioFiler]

I hate that. It's always good to have two sides to any story available....Rush has a monopoly on the right. Now nothing for the left. Oh well.

Nothing for the left? Well, the left has NPR, NBC, PBS, CBS,CNN, Oprah, etal. To claim the right dominates the airwaves is silly.

[momisery]

I think she is refering to TALK/SPIN radio... Where I live I get 5 talk stations and all they do is rant about the left. When Bush was in everything was perfect, even when the economy started crashing down. I my self hate to see one side losing their ranting rights.. but maybe the right listens to that sort of stuff more then the left does. I prefer to listen to the real news. I do not consider the NEWS on NPR as left. While the programing could be, the news/opinon program has two people get on and talk back and forth, and then the host simply thanks them. The host does not take sides, nor rant about anything ... the guests simply talk.. which seems more fair to me.

[qsr]

AAR really got liberal radio jump started. It's still going pretty strong in most big cities. If you don't live in a big city, then you never hear the liberal side. AAR was terribly managed, though, and they've been in decline for years.

[AngelinaCatHub]

Nothing for the left? Well, the left has NPR, NBC, PBS, CBS,CNN, Oprah, etal. To claim the right dominates the airwaves is silly.

LOL. Yes.

Look as in MA, the people voted. One with their right to do so, and the other with their pocket books by not using the advertised products. What is wrong with this? If Rush is so popular, perhaps he has a following? If this company was so good, it would not be out of business. Just as in the "Tonight Show" J. Leno won over Connan O'Brian.

SO far, we still have freedom of choice. The "Progressives" wish to take this choice away with laws like "The Fairness Doctrine", another way to say, we will advise you peon's what to listen to.

Not much difference in what the CC companies told most of us. Ju vill pay us und ju vill like it. Heil!

[banca rotta]

I hate that. It's always good to have two sides to any story available....Rush has a monopoly on the right. Now nothing for the left. Oh well.

Rush is not always right as most of us know, but he knows how to sell his product.

Air America does not know how to sell, hence they're bankrupt!

This goes to show that most Americans are center to right and there are a few extreme left wing folks that make a lot of noise, but still in the minority.

If Ted Kennedy's seat can go to a republican that speaks for itself. Sadly nothing will change until we get a third party, but at least the people are waking up.

I guess a 7 year war and a 2 year old recession, soon to be a depression will "awaken the sleeping giant".

[JRScott]

Nothing for the left? Well, the left has NPR, NBC, PBS, CBS,CNN, Oprah, etal. To claim the right dominates the airwaves is silly.

Hence why Air America failed.

Fox News stellar ratings has little to do with content so much as the fact they remain pretty much the only conservative news source. Whereas the liberals split their viewership over the remaining channels.....

It was a bad business model, you can't enter a saturated market with a product that can be gotten from so many sources.

[OhioFiler]

Hence why Air America failed.

Fox News stellar ratings has little to do with content so much as the fact they remain pretty much the only conservative news source. Whereas the liberals split their viewership over the remaining channels.....

It was a bad business model, you can't enter a saturated market with a product that can be gotten from so many sources.

FOX News wins with content and hot babes.

Liberals don't split their viewership. All good libs watch Olbermann and Maddow. It's the law.

[LimpDisc]

Nothing for the left? Well, the left has NPR, NBC, PBS, CBS,CNN, Oprah, etal. To claim the right dominates the airwaves is silly.

The same old tired argument from the right. It's usually followed by someone trying to convince me that Fox News is fair and balanced.

Fox News - Hannity, O'Reilly, Palin, Huckabee
MSNBC - Olberman, Schultz, Maddow

Air America had nothing to listen to. I thought Rush was bad, but that Randi Rhodes was right there with him.

[OhioFiler]

The same old tired argument from the right. It's usually followed by someone trying to convince me that Fox News is fair and balanced.

Fox News - Hannity, O'Reilly, Palin, Huckabee
MSNBC - Olberman, Schultz, Maddow

Air America had nothing to listen to. I thought Rush was bad, but that Randi Rhodes was right there with him.

Why don't you use facts to dispute my argument? I didn't follow it with any claim about Fox News.

What exactly is so bad about Rush Limbaugh?

[WhatMoney]

What exactly is so bad about Rush Limbaugh?