As if there weren't enough sharks left to jump

After alienating many of their listeners after firing Mike Malloy and suffering through some badly mangled PR related to their financial issues and upper management squabbles, Air America Radio might trump all of that with a new rumored move.

The Hill, by way of Wonkette, is floating a rumor that Air America is considering syndication of right-wing radio flack and former Bush Administration paid propagandist Armstrong Williams, currently toiling away with liberal co-host Sam Greenfield in morning drive at their New York City affiliate WWRL.

Air America struck a deal this summer to move its New York home from WLIB to WWRL. The source said that as part of the deal, WWRL wants the Sammy and Army show syndicated on Air America radio. Such a deal would bring in more cash to WWRL, and word is that Air America is on board. But Air American does not want to syndicate the Williams show before the elections, which would presumably rile its liberal listeners (gee, you think?).

WWRL Program Director Rennie Bishop was mum on the topic. Asked when he would comment, Bishop said, “Call me after the elections.”

Williams, recently paid $34,000 to settle his case with the Department of Justice on his controversial payments from the Bush administration for touting the No Child Left Behind law, basically because he didn't peddle enough propaganda, said, “I keep hearing the rumor it’s coming and it couldn’t come any sooner because they need a little diversity there.”

Williams’s business card has “Air America radio” already on it because of his affiliation with WWRL (oh, the irony!).

Air America spokeswoman Jaime Horn said, “We have no plans to syndicate Armstrong Williams at any time.” Well, I guess we'll just have to wait and see what happens.

Of course, it's likely that if AAR were to, in fact, syndicate Army and Greeny (or whatever they call themselves), it would be dumped on their secondary syndication feed along with Jerry Springer and Thom Hartmann.