Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

LIB-eral talk network draws community's ire
NY Daily News ^ | 3/31/04 | David Hinckley

Posted on 03/31/2004 4:43:28 AM PST by jimbo123

The progressive talk network Air America kicks off today, hoping to give nonconservatives a daily place to roast their ideological opposites.

Just the way conservatives do now.

Air America can be heard locally on WLIB (1190 AM), over XM satellite radio or by Internet at airamericaradio.com.

While the network hopes to stir controversy, it already has some here that it probably doesn't want.

A community rally is planned tomorrow night at 7 at the Abyssinian Baptist Church, 132 Odell Clark Place, to protest the loss of WLIB's talk and Caribbean programming. The Coalition of Artists and Activists wants a boycott of the new network.

"Air America is in no way offering a satisfactory substitute for local community programming," says Bob Law, a veteran radio personality and long-time activist.

He says the Coalition has two major concerns: "the scapegoating of the black community" for the financial problems that led WLIB to make a lease deal with Air America, and the way he says Air America has taken advantage of a situation created by racism.

"We have no doubt WLIB isn't making money," says Law. "But that's not because the community isn't listening. It's because Arbitron does not record that listening and because advertisers won't pay what they should to reach those listeners.

"It's a system that leaves AM stations like WLIB vulnerable, and Air America is taking advantage of that vulnerability."

The least Air America should do, says Law, "is hire a prominent, respected, forceful host from our community."

He also says that if WLIB ends up being sold, "It should be offered first to buyers from our community."

Air America's lineup includes Marc Maron, Sue Ellicott and WLIB's Mark Riley, 6-9 a.m.; Lizz Winstead, Chuck D and Rachel Maddow, 9 a.m.-noon; Al Franken and Katherine Lanpher, noon-3 p.m.; Randi Rhodes, 3-7 p.m.; Marty Kaplan, 7-8 p.m.; and Janeane Garofalo with Sam Seder, 8-11 p.m.

Chuck D is reportedly signed for the first three months.

WLIB will carry local programs midnight-5 a.m. Nationally, Air America will be heard in about 20% of the country, including Chicago and Los Angeles.


TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: airamerica; frankenstein; garofalo; liberal; liberaltalkradio; nyc; wlib
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-73 next last
To: FreedomPoster
At least Vernon Jones has a name.

I do not want McKinney back in, But I simply doubt that a non-Democrat movement like the one we saw last election could be mobilized.
21 posted on 03/31/2004 5:13:48 AM PST by Guillermo (Your own personal Konservative Klick-Guerilla)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]

To: FreedomPoster; jimbo123
Libs fighting libs....just wait until the ability to identify a "gay" gene is realized, if that turns out true. The left will implode once the first abortion to avoid having a gay child occurs. Gays, using the threat of extinction and using words like holocaust, will fight for the rights of unborn gay-gene-identified feti. The feminists will be forced to take the opposing position or else acknowledge that any gay fetus and by extension all feti do have rights...bye-bye RvW....or Hello to the newly Conservative pro-life gays.

As for Bob Law, this is sour grapes. He's as liberal as Fidel Castro. WWRL, the outlet over which he broadcasts, is even smaller than LIB. LIB is owned by inner-city, a broadcasting conglomeration founded by Percy Sutton with folks like David Dinkins and Jesse Jackson on board from the beginning.

Black politics in NYC is split into two long-fighting camps, Brooklyn and Harlem. There are generations of bad blood between the two camps which is why NYC is not another Atlanta or Detroit. Bob Law and his protege Gary Byrd (an incredibly self-absorbed idiot who was fired by LIB) are in the Brooklyn camp.

Mark Riley is a sophomoric boob who is worse at follow-up than Sean. Riley's typical response to any statement that should lead to a line of further questioning is "Hmmmm, interesting". He will impress nobody.

Lib radio has one goal and it is not long term survival. They need, in their plan, to be around only until third week November.

22 posted on 03/31/2004 5:14:29 AM PST by wtc911 (Doesn't matter if your head is in the sand or up your a**, the view is the same.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: SwatTeam
"I find it hilarious that the libs named their network Air America. Wasn't that a CIA cover during the 60's? Are they showing some subtle humor here?"

Yep, Air America is short for Air Head?
23 posted on 03/31/2004 5:15:31 AM PST by Loyal Buckeye ((Kerry is a flake))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 17 | View Replies]

To: mware
I know, it took me months to get them straight, you never knew who was on which side of what. ;-)

You know, it might have been Loftus that he had on.

24 posted on 03/31/2004 5:16:15 AM PST by StriperSniper (Ernest Strada Fanclub)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 20 | View Replies]

To: wtc911
Hey, don't compare ATL to Detroit. There's actually a mayor who's trying to clean things up down there, and there is still have a substantial white residential presence in the city limits.
25 posted on 03/31/2004 5:17:35 AM PST by FreedomPoster (This space intentionally blank)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 22 | View Replies]

To: jimbo123
I agree with them: they need voices from the African American community. They can start with Larry Elder, Walter Williams and Thomas Sowell (Sowell actually grew up in Harlem, IIRC).
26 posted on 03/31/2004 5:19:21 AM PST by Pharmboy (History's greatest agent for freedom: The US Armed Forces)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: StriperSniper
By the way did you ever hear why they dumped Paul Alexander from the show???
27 posted on 03/31/2004 5:20:21 AM PST by mware
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 24 | View Replies]

To: StriperSniper
Yeah, but then Batchelor had on the guy who wrote the House of Bush and didn't challenge him, and THEN he had on someone from The Nation magazine.

I stuck a CD in instead. They replaced Laura for this guy? :/
28 posted on 03/31/2004 5:21:40 AM PST by Crazieman
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 16 | View Replies]

To: jimbo123
We just heard Bob Marley's "Get Up Stand Up". Now playing "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised" Yeesh. These people are stuck in a time warp. Yawn.
29 posted on 03/31/2004 5:22:48 AM PST by Musket
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: jimbo123
Now, doesn't this make you excited? Look at these faces. TG they went radio and not TV. They look much better on radio.

Drug-Free Radio
Liars beware: Al Franken, co-host Katherine Lanpher and Team O'Franken invite you to spend three hours a day in the Zero Spin Zone.
Weekdays noon-3pm
Repeat: 11pm-2am
The Right has had its say for the last three years. Now, on "The Majority Report", co-hosts Janeane Garofalo and Sam Seder have theirs. Our side just got a little bit louder.
Weekdays 8pm-11pm
Randi brings her own brand of provocative and infectiously humorous talk to Air America Radio.
Weekdays 3pm-7pm
Repeat: 2am-6am
Unfiltered is co-hosted by Lizz Winstead, Chuck D, and Rachel Maddow. This uncompromising program puts politics and culture through the ringer, uncensored and unfiltered.
Weekdays 9am-Noon

30 posted on 03/31/2004 5:23:16 AM PST by TomGuy (Clintonites have such good hind-sight because they had their heads up their hind-ends 8 years.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: jimbo123
Yes, its beautiful when the libs are forced to live in the upside down world they created.

Just so I understand what's going on: 1) the existing radio station caters to the "Carabean community" and is losing money (d@mn those racists at Arbitron),2) so they sold it to a fabricated liberal network which is a wholly owned subsidary of the DNC that has no plans to make money, and 3)the "community" feels that instead of being sold to out of town losers, the local losers should have been given a shot at not making money first.

I'm hoping that the local losers make life extremely hot for the out-of-town losers to the point that the entire circus tent collapses on their collective heads.

All in all this is an excellent way for the libs to piss away valuable campaign contributions AND alienate a sizable portion of their base at the same time. What's not to love?

31 posted on 03/31/2004 5:24:20 AM PST by Pietro
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Loyal Buckeye
Yep, Air America is short for Air Head?

That's a given. I was thinking more like their desire to undermine and sabotage conservative talk radio. But I doubt they have anyone with that type of humor.

32 posted on 03/31/2004 5:24:31 AM PST by SwatTeam
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 23 | View Replies]

To: Musket
Now Marvin Gay's "What's Goin' On". Their choice of music really says it all, they're reliving the '60s. How sad.
33 posted on 03/31/2004 5:24:34 AM PST by Musket
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 29 | View Replies]

To: mware
He was going on the political trail or writing a book or something. It was his decision to move on.
34 posted on 03/31/2004 5:25:36 AM PST by StriperSniper (Ernest Strada Fanclub)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 27 | View Replies]

To: mware
Thanks. Just a couple of minor corrections

Sean's on from 3-6 in NY, The Great One, Mark Levin's on from 6-7, Luara from 7-9, and Monica Crowley from 9-10.

35 posted on 03/31/2004 5:27:59 AM PST by NYC Republican
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: jimbo123
Actually, I think AirAmerica will be a resounding success (as long as you don't factor in things like profitability or number of listeners.)
36 posted on 03/31/2004 5:28:42 AM PST by reagan_fanatic (So you're a feminist - isn't that cute!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: wtc911
Lib radio has one goal and it is not long term survival. They need, in their plan, to be around only until third week November.

You are an astute observer. I think you're dead-on. This whole thing is an arm of the campaign. No other explanation that I have heard makes any sense.

Who is funding this thing?

37 posted on 03/31/2004 5:28:55 AM PST by Riley
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 22 | View Replies]

To: Crazieman
and didn't challenge him,

I know, he never really does, to keep them coming back. But to be fair, he doesn't challenge CATO scholars either. When he has foreign corespondents on, that is when his show is best.

They replaced Laura for this guy? :/

No, Laura does 7-9, he has been on at 10 since 9/11(or 12)/01. Laura is on vacation this week and Mark Levin does her 7 o'clock hour when there isn't a Devils game.

38 posted on 03/31/2004 5:31:26 AM PST by StriperSniper (Ernest Strada Fanclub)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 28 | View Replies]

To: TomGuy
This is going to be like watching the deck hands re-arranging the deck chairs on the Titanic, as it was sinking.

Okay, okay, that's not a nice analogy, but you know what I mean. I need some more coffee...
39 posted on 03/31/2004 5:32:11 AM PST by 7.62 x 51mm (Dogs have masters; Cats have staff.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 14 | View Replies]

To: StriperSniper
I meant replace Laura as in my station.

Although I wonder how the show is doing without Kevin Delaney adding remarks.

Does she still insult Lee?
40 posted on 03/31/2004 5:33:32 AM PST by Crazieman
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 38 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-73 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson