Air America Radio closing, filing for bankruptcy

LOS ANGELES – Air America Radio, a radio network that was launched in 2004 as a liberal alternative to Rush Limbaugh and other conservative commentators, on Thursday shut down abruptly due to financial woes.

The network once boasted hosts such as Al Franken and Rachel Maddow, but struggled from the outset, including multiple management shake-ups, a bankruptcy in 2006 and sale for $4.25 million the following year.

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

"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 New York-based network said its "painstaking search for new investors" came close to succeeding even this week, "but ultimately fell short."

Carey Curelop, operations director for KPTK-AM 1090, an affiliate station in Seattle, said Air America's launch prompted the station to switch from classic country to a progressive talk format in 2005 in the middle of the George W. Bush presidency.

Although the station's programming was once filled entirely by Air America shows, it weaned itself off nearly completely as the company's financial troubles became public. It will only need to replace "The Ron Reagan Show" from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. and a midnight show called "Clout," but other left-leaning shows are now available from syndicators, he said.

"There was a needed outlet for the left on the air," Curelop said. "We're totally indebted to Air America for launching the network and allowing us to get our feet on the ground."

New York real estate magnate Stephen Green and his brother, politician Mark Green, bought the company out of bankruptcy in March 2007. Messages left for them were not immediately returned.

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

The network had some 100 radio outlets nationwide.

Franken, a Democrat, hosted his own show from 2004 to 2007 before leaving to campaign for a U.S. senate seat in Minnesota, which he won last year after a recount battle decided by the state Supreme Court.

Maddow went on to host her own TV show on MSNBC.

 

I'm getting like dj4monie now. Europe is looking better and better these days.

 

Nope it don´t

we just don´t have a rush limbough.

But our media looks very poor too. It is put the way, that educated people think they get all information and the right information, but that is not so.
I could puke all the time when I read newpapers or listen to stuff....

 

Yeah it do. That you don't have a Rush Limbaugh says it all.

 

Sad Air America had to fold. It was a good network of people on the radio. They would be missed.

 

Well there's always NPR.

 

Liberal (progressive) media is dying. There will be a call to bring back the Fairness Doctrine.

 

The problem is, that our media is ruled by the corporates too, just in germany it is not so easy to put a rush Limboug because of Hitler in the past.

But the normal media is putting the corprate will in a very moderate manner, so people don´t get that their are getting fouled.
It is realy hard to get real information.

For those who can read German, a very nice side is this webside http://www.nachdenkseiten.de/

But I also see that in germany more and more people try to make a diffrence, latly I was talking with 75 year old guy who wanted to do something revoltionary... and he was not stupid or somthing, but truly concered about the way things are being ruled at the moment in Germany.

 

If I was Obama, that would have been one of my first-year goals.

 

Chandarah,where in Germany are you from? Are there any good newspapers where you live?

 

I get my information out of the internet. There is no independend newpapers in Germany as far as i know.
And i live near Frankfurt :smt077

 

too bad.. in the current era, not entirely unpredictable.. Clear Channel "might" operate some "progressive talk" themed stations, as may CBS, Disney/ABC, and the few other radio conglomerates.. generally speaking, the conservative themed outlets tend to be much better funded.. thus, the left has no equivalent to the radio shows by limbaugh, hannity, o'reilly, etc.