Air America 2.0 - Day One

Today is the day that Stephen and Mark Green officially take the reigns at Air America Radio, and will also be the beginning of what they call "Air America 2.0."

Under ownership of Green Family Media, majority shareholder Stephen L. Green will serve as Chairman of the Board, and his brother, New York politician Mark Green, will be President, with Scott Elberg staying on as COO. Terry Kelly's Progressive Radio Group and Rob Glaser's Democracy Allies will be minority shareholders.

"We’re obviously thrilled and relieved that the Green family will now take control of Air America and help take it to a new level," said Elberg. "We look forward to expanding our audience and continuing to give a voice to the progressive movement in this country."

"Air America is a great idea and iconic name, but it’s also been an underperforming asset with unrealized potential," said Stephen L. Green. "We intend to stabilize its structure, programming and balance sheet – and then to turn it around by next year. I’m a businessman used to making money, and Air America will be no exception."

"We plan on a two-step turnaround to make this great brand Air America 2.0," added Mark Green. "First, we'll make sure our programming stays informative, sharp and entertaining – so that it's appealing to a growing audience and advertisers alike. Second, we’ll be thinking outside the radio box by creatively distributing great content across many platforms in the next years, including the web, video, mobile and broadband. We intend to become a must-hear content site for all people interested in truth, justice and the Air American way."

To commemorate the changing of the guard, Mark Green submitted an op-ed to Huffington Post, and is enthusiastic about the challenges that lie ahead.

Some highlights from the article:

Green feels that "if progressive values were a stock, now is the time to buy."

Air America was a large, smart idea to counter the near-monopoly on talk radio by the far (f)right. But like most start-ups, the business plan collided with reality. Six CEOs over its first three years - and various missteps and misspending - sent it into Chapter 11.

The twin goals are to make it profitable and influential. One without the other won't work. If it's not a business, it'll go out of business.

The new Air America will aggressively cover national politics and policies in ways that will be informative, opinionated and entertaining. All three. We'll be full of news and views.

Speaking personally, my brother and I are excited by this important challenge and look forward to working with the Air America professionals - in front of the mic and behind it - who have held this dream together. Steve Green has been a very successful businessman accustomed to making money -- and he doesn't intend for AAR to be an exception. I've been an author, public interest lawyer and the NYC Public Advocate. For me this feels like a continuation of so much I've done in the progressive movement over three decades. Air America is like a public advocate for the country, exposing problems and offering solutions.

Today, will contact the New Hampshire Republican Party. Since the Democratic Party of Nevada actually invited Fox News to host that state's Democratic debate, I asked if Air America could host the first Republican debate in New Hampshire, assuring them that "we too can be fair and balanced."

We have many fresh ideas for programming, for technology, for partnerships with sister organizations. But it's this conversation called democracy that's the cornerstone of Air America 2.0. We intend to listen to our listeners. To increase our listeners. To hope they will join our journey to better content, better programming, and a better country. To tell them that it's your America, and your Air America.

You can read the entire article at Huffington Post.