Posted on 03/07/2006 11:04:21 AM PST by Daytyn71
March 7, 2006 -- AIR America is close to losing its New York flagship station - knocking Al Franken and his liberal colleagues off the air on their second anniversary.
The network has a two-year lease with WLIB (AM 1190) that is reportedly set to expire April 1 - and at least one reliable report says it is "extremely likely" the deal will not be renewed.
Losing its New York outlet would be a serious blow to the fledgling liberal radio network. "Radio Equalizer" blogger Brian Maloney - who blew the whistle on questionable loans to the lefty network last year - published the first report that WLIB was on the verge of evicting Air America some time soon.
Air America's options for a new home are not promising. All of the city's other strong-signal stations are spoken for, leaving only weak-signal "fringe" stations that do not cover the entire city and suburbs.
Air America parent Piquant LLC has reportedly been paying Inner City Broadcasting - controlled by former Manhattan Borough President Percy Sutton and his son, Pierre - $2.5 million a year to air Franken and others.
An Air America spokeswoman told The Post, "It's business as usual," and declined further comment.
Air America got unwanted headlines last year when it was learned that previous management had received what investigators called an "inappropriate" $875,000 loan - since repaid - from a Bronx charity.
Calls to Inner City execs were not returned.
The leading contenders to take over the WLIB lease are former Clear Channel exec Randy Michaels, who syndicates competing lefty talker Ed Schultz, and the new Radio One black-focused talk network that includes Rev. Al Sharpton.
(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...
Lefty loosers lose again.
(Denny Crane: "I Don't Want To Socialize With A Pinko Liberal Democrat Commie. Say What You Like About Republicans. We Stick To Our Convictions. Even When We Know We're Dead Wrong.")
Gee, can't they steal some money from some charity to keep it afloat?
I'm having a Shadenfreud(?) moment here...
I think the normal situation is that the station has to pay the program if they want to air it.
Doing it this way is more like giving them a bribe.
Sounds like a good fit for their programming.
LOL
That is for syndicated programming. For network programming on radio or TV, the network buys the airtime from the local affiliate and then collects the advertising revenue.
You mean to tell me that seething rage, raving lunacy and blatant stupidity are not what Americans want to hear on the radio?
Horrors!
(sarcasm)
Even in D.C., an area loaded with lefties, AirHeadAmerica's rating didn't even register - literally. Maybe they'll tell us the problem was their programming wasn't "lefty" enough. Or Karl Rove was jamming their signal?
No, just a very few lost souls with their heads up their @*#$%$.
The will do what every leftist says when they lose, "We were just too intelligent for the masses".
What's the problem then?
Could it be that they don't collect enough advertising revenue to cover the cost?
Why don't they (the program) just raise the amount they are paying if the station needs more money?
Why don't they just embezzle some more money from under privileged kids? Or lobby Congress to support them in the interest of "Fairness and Balance" - not that they will have to present the other side or anything.
I'm suprised it took so long.
No wait, Air America doesn't have that many listeners now.
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