UPDATED. See below.
After a vague, unexplained standoff that has seen Randi Rhodes absent from her syndicated Nova M Radio show for the past week, without explanation, her future at Nova M Radio is unclear.
From Nova M's site:
To all of Randi's listeners;
You are all correct - I have not had the option to disclose what has been happening between Randi and Nova M...
You see, it's in her contract that she has total control, but, after Wednesday night, I want you all to know that Nova M has done everything we can to get her back on the air.
All this is her choice; if she wants to tell you all what the issue is, then I hope she does, but I can't according to her contract rules.
But I can tell you this - I have wanted her back on the air. She's an amazing talent and needs to be heard.
Thank you all for all of your support.
Randi now has to make her decisions as to what she must do with her career...
Anita Drobny
There are conflicting stories (and a heck of a lot of rumors that have popped up in my email box but I won't disclose at this point) regarding the motives behind Rhodes' absence. However, the consensus is that her flagship station, Clear Channel-owned WJNO in West Palm Beach, FL, has been making preparations for her to return to a local-only show. It will likely not be syndicated.
Other rumors claim that Rhodes has cancelled her show until further notice, due to personal issues.
UPDATE 2/15: Rhodes sent out a statement to her affiliates, in response to the Nova M statement. From Green 960's blog:
Nova M Radio has not yet corrected the problem that has kept me off the air despite my strong desire and readiness to broadcast my show. Respecting the employer-employee relationship that has existed between Nova M and me, and expecting the solution to be quickly achieved, details of the disabling event were withheld in good faith. But I can tell you this much: You should not beleive any statement implicating me as being in any way responsible for the disruption in the Randi Rhodes Show. There is no truth to any such message. In fact, I did everything in my power to help Nova M make it possible for me to return.
In light of the most recent developments, my show will be seeking a new home. I would ask for your continued patience and indulgence in respecting my rights during this time. Your unwavering support is cherished. Thank you.
Randi Rhodes
Whatever happens between the two parties, and if and when and if Rhodes returns, it will likely be only via WJNO for the time being.
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Rhodes, Nova M up in the air (updated)
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Eureka, CA 
38 comments:
There is NO WAY most of her affiliates won't find some way to get her back! Where Randi goes, Randi GETS RATINGS. And the cat's already out of the bag: she's NATIONAL! Oh and what about XM?! http://Lu666Cifer.blogspot.com
Boston situation update: Santos may be back at least (maybe Collins too?) acc. to a message he passed on to Robin
of the Save Prog Radio Boston yahoo group. He says tune in Monday for more info.
message from Jeff
my understanding is that Santos will return Monday on WWZN/Boston.
John Manzo brought her into Nova M. Nova M fired John Manzo, who is suing Nova M. This is not likely to make Randi a happy camper.
Now we will get to see if Clear Channel's talk programming decisions are based on money or politics. If it's about money, why make Randi local (again)? Clear Channel/Premier can make money from syndicating her. OK, not as much as they make from distributing West Palm's "other" talk show host but right now CCI is not in a position to turn up their noses at any source of black ink.
Funny, I don't see stations running to take Ron Kuby. Rachel's out. Hartmann's out. Good bye, AAR. I wonder how much those $50 AAR bumper stickers will get on e-Bay?
If Randi were to come back on WJNO and XM that would work for me..... Just being selfish here.
Perhaps she's trying to negotiate a deal with someone but can't seem to stop talking long enough to allow anyone else a chance. Seems to be her biggest problem.
Looks like Nova M has stopped the discussion by shutting down the Randi Rhodes Message Board.
When you click to that site, you are directed to Nova M's home page.
Guess that's the end of that relationship.
WTF!!!!!!! Thanks to BVB catching this. I just confirmed this, Randi's site now takes you to NOVA M'S!!! That is, if you put in the address WITHOUT the "www."! With the triple W's, it gives you that annoyingass "SERVER CANNOT BE FOUND" crap! WHAT. IS. GOING. ON!!!?!!?!!?!
http://Lu666Cifer.blogspot.com
This happened when Randi switched from AAR too. Randi says she owns the message board, so it's puzzling that it redirects to NovaM now.
Don't like Nancy Skinner much. Too much playing up "FOX News" like they're a legitimate news channel.
I just want, in the interim, a linking place where we could keep up regarding where & when we will get to hear her again. I am not interested in the extremes of her personality one way or the other, I just know that I can get the actual best detail of every bill, situation, or article out there and confirm it with direct links...I just do not know anyone else that does that!?! Hell, Even Keith and Rachel seem informed by her show on a day to day basis. She is important & I am missing out without the benefit of my my political PA. Randi operates as a Political Britannica for a lot of people. So, if people get chewed out for calling her, then they shouldn't call her. As long as we get the rest of her show...and frankly even the phone tension is entertaining. I need an affiliate out there somewhere to get her on somewhere I can link to online in some way, period.
This is exactly the kind of BS that has kept progressive talk in the dumper. I have no idea whose fault it is, but it makes the whole genre look bad.
Thom Hartmann is going to be having his show syndicated by Dial Global (or whatever the fuck it is!) starting March 1st, right?! That IS a done deal, right?! So...y'all thinking what I'M THINKING?!?!?!?!?!?!?!
Dial Global has Bill Press (I disagree, he is NOT a HACK Randi! That motherfucker handed Pat Buchanan his ass on a platter every night on Crossfire, if you're like me and old enough to remember it!), Stephanie Miller & Ed Shitz. So SNIFF SNIFF, is that more money I smell?!!??!!?
http://Lu666Cifer.blogspot.com
http://BestTalkNews.blogspot.com
>>Where Randi goes, Randi GETS RATINGS.<<
No, she doesn't, outside of West Palm Beach and maybe a couple of other markets -- and I've heard that she has the lowest rated show on her home station (WJNO).
There's a reason she was on only 27 stations at the time of her latest crash and burn. Syndicators aren't usually interested in hosts with such a lousy track record.
And yes I know that she makes a big deal about having beaten Limbaugh in the local ratings years ago in Southern Florida, but that WAS years ago when she did a local show and he did a national one.
We are lucky to have Christiane Brown as the only progressive talk show host in Nevada, right here in Reno. Her show is called THE SOLUTION ZONE and she has filled in for Randi a time or two following the Democratic convention in Denver where she met Randi on radio row. Christiane, like Randi, does her homework,too.She has done more to educate the politicians and citizens of Nevada on the vulnerability of voting machines,and the bogusness of "clean coal technology" than anyone.Being a teller of truth is not easy,and it would be terrible if Randi was not accessible to all of us. I hope things get worked out and we hear her again soon.
Randi claimed that she owned her message board. Randi does not own a damn thing. NovaM shut down the Randi Rhodes message board.
No, she doesn't, outside of West Palm Beach and maybe a couple of other markets -- and I've heard that she has the lowest rated show on her home station (WJNO).
No, YOU are wrong. In addition to which, you completely contradicted yourself! Either she gets ratings in WPB or she doesn't. Make up your mind! And for the record, this is FACT, she IS the HIGHEST RATED SHOW on 1290 WJNO, thank you very much, and if you wish, I will GLADLY take the time to find you dozens of Palm Beach Post articles to back it up. Not to mention, she was put right back on the air on approx. 2 dozen other markets THE VERY FIRST DAY that Nova M started her?! Oh yeah, cuz I guess those stations wanted shitty ratings!!! What a joke!
There's a reason she was on only 27 stations at the time of her latest crash and burn. Syndicators aren't usually interested in hosts with such a lousy track record.
See above. And, did you ever happen to think that the stations that did not put her back on had contractual obligations to keep whatever Air America had to replace her?!
And yes I know that she makes a big deal about having beaten Limbaugh in the local ratings years ago in Southern Florida, but that WAS years ago when she did a local show and he did a national one.
BWAAAAAAAAAAAAHAFUCKINGHAHAHA! Talk about shooting yourself right in the foot dude! That's EXACTLY RIGHT: she was a local, and oxyRU$Hitler Limpnoodle was national, and she was ALWAYS #1 with 10 to 12 SHARES; meanwhile, the Pig Man came in somewhere between 20th and 25th place!!!
http://Lu666Cifer.blogspot.com
From
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/search/content/local_news/epaper/2008/05/09/m1a_talk_radio_0510.html
Talk radio is big business for big mouths By CHARLES PASSY Palm Beach Post Staff Writer, Friday, May 09, 2008.
When liberal talk radio host Randi Rhodes returned to the airwaves last month after her well-publicized departure from the Air America Network, she knew her loyal listeners would be relieved. But even she didn't anticipate the fevered response, evidenced by sacks of mail and hundreds of calls. Not to mention a suitcase worth of Mary Kay cosmetics hand-delivered by a fan to the West Palm Beach studios of WJNO-AM 1290, where Rhodes' afternoon drive-time program now originates under a new syndication deal. "There was, like, a room full of stuff!" said Rhodes, whose weekly audience of 1.5 million-plus listeners positions her among the top echelon of talk hosts on radio.
Gee, I'd say that's bloody well AWESOME for being on LESS THAN 30 STATIONS!!!
http://Lu666Cifer.blogspot.com
Lu,
The top echelon of talk hosts?
Talkers Magazine, the bible of the talk show business, knows a lot more about that business than some local yokel in West Palm Beach.
As you'll see on the linked chart below, there were 35 talk show hosts with larger audiences than Rhodes, including five other progressive talk show hosts. Ed Schultz's audience was three times as large as Rhodes' and Limbaugh's was more than fourteen times as large.
As for Rhodes beating Limbaugh in West Palm Beach many years ago, everything else being equal a local show will always beat a syndicateed show. New Yorker Rhodes appealed to many of the transplanted New Yorkers in the area, especially since she could talk about local issues and Limbaugh could not.
As for her more recent ratings on WJNO, everybody on the station gets decent ratings, but Rhodes' ratings have been worse than several other hosts.
http://talkers.com/online/?p=71
I have mixed feelings about the latest Randi Rhodes drama. I always try to give her the benefit of the doubt because I value the quality of the research she presents on her show. If she is "on strike" in support of Mr. Manzo, more power to her. If not, she's starting to look like a diva - and that really upsets me.
For all those that question the performance - she and other liberal talk radio shows do well when they have a decent radio signal. They may not be No. 1, but it's hard to compete when you have three stations in one market all owned by the same company or person and all playing the same conservative shows. Of course, 3-4 radio stations in the same media market all playing Rush Limbaugh - even on crappy signals is going to give Rush higher ratings than someone like Ed Schultz on one weak signal.
Congress needs to address media market ownership and not the exact programming on the radio. If the market ownership becomes more diverse, so will the programming.
Good luck Randi, I wish you the best.
>The top echelon of talk hosts?
Uh, yeah. Accurate so far.
>Talkers Magazine, the bible of the >talk show business,
Ok, this is where you just shot any last drip of cred you had to pure re-fried SHIT! Talkers is a RAG. You hear me, RAG. And it's published by people who have an agenda which is FAR from liberal friendly.
>knows a lot more about that >business than some local yokel in >West Palm Beach.
So now you're going to insult the people of West Palm, which has a population of 1.1 MILLION. That's JUST Palm Beach County. Wanna throw in another 3.5 MILLION from Miami & Ft. Lauderdale, and another 500,000 from the Treasure Coast?! This ain't 1950 any more, case you haven't noticed.
>As you'll see on the linked chart >below, there were 35 talk show >hosts with larger audiences than >Rhodes, including five other >progressive talk show hosts. Ed >Schultz's audience was three times >as large as Rhodes' and Limbaugh's >was more than fourteen times as >large.
Ed Shitz! Please don't make me laugh. He's nothing more than a phoney progressive; a wolf in sheep's clothing, so to consider him a REAL Liberal is like considering Cln. Sanders as a member of PETA!
>As for Rhodes beating Limbaugh in >West Palm Beach many years ago, >everything else being equal a >local show will always beat a >syndicateed show.
Are you forgetting that oxyRU$Hitler's HOME MARKET is WEST PALM BEACH?!?!!?!?!?!?!?
> New Yorker Rhodes appealed to >many of the transplanted New >Yorkers in the area, especially >since she could talk about local >issues and Limbaugh could not.
You've contradicted yourself yet AGAIN! First you slam West Palm as being nothing more than gooberville, now you're saying it's The 6th Borrow! Care to do a coin toss on this?! Heads = hick town; Tails = New York With Palm Trees. Let us know how that works out! And please use either a FL or NY quarter when you do this.
>As for her more recent ratings on >WJNO, everybody on the station >gets decent ratings, but Rhodes' >ratings have been worse than >several other hosts.
Well, you made the claim, you back it up. I backed my shit up: 1.1 MILLION LISTENERS, dude. Doth that counteth XM *AND* INTERNET listeners?! I doubt so.
And, WINZ 940 from Miami is 50,000 WATTS during daytime operating hours. Therefore, Randi UNDOUBTEDLY gets a nice chunk of listeners in the Palm Beaches (have you made up your mind yet if it's nothing but yokels or NY'ers?!) and it's not as if WINZ's ratings in the WPB market from 3 to 6 PM weekdays are going to MAGICALLY be moved by Arbitron over to WJNO!
http://Lu666Cifer.blogspot.com
Hey Nolan -
Do you have access to the Arbitron breakdowns? If not, how do you base your information.
I've seen some actual numbers that contradict your claims.
Next time, if you look to make claims, make sure you have some cold, hard facts handy.
I've been trying to find the blog on which I saw the information about
WJNO, but haven't been able to locate it. Maybe LTR could post a link to his information. In any event, the question seems to be moot since WJNO has chosen to move Sean Hannity into Rhodes' old spot.
BTW: Talkers Magazine's rankings aren't all that scientific. They seemingly pull it all out of their asses.
Oh, and is 'Nolan" the new name for "FSL"?
Rush is in Palm Beach county Duh, It's a liberal county.. It has never voted gop..
Lu Cifer -
Stop using this blog to attack people. Otherwise, I'll have to moderate all comments and delete yours.
Take a chill pill, pal. And play nice.
Oh, and that goes for Lu's doppleganger too. Keep this nonsense outta here.
It was NOT my intention to attack. Nevertheless, myself and at least a dozen others, have been systematically harassed by this NUTJOB (everything from email impersonations, inbox floodings, hackings, AND DEATH THREATS) and I for one will NOT put up with it any longer. There HAS to be some cyber-stalking laws or whatever to put a LONG needed END to this guy. And one more thing to that LOSER: RANDI *WILL* BE BACK ON THE AIR! I just had to ad that since hopefully it'll remind him of just a few months ago how quickly she rebounded, and maybe he'll consider ordering a copy of "FINAL EXIT: The Practicalities of Self-Deliverance and Assisted Suicide for the Dying" and TAKE IT'S ADVICE!
Oh and as Han Solo in the 1st Star Wars said best: "Sorry about the mess..."
The requests to stop this little flame war goes for all parties involved. And that goes double for your 'friend'.
Let's keep things civil here. And it wouldn't be a bad idea to lose the caps. Nobody likes shouting.
Randi has absolute contempt for her fans. She keeps them all in the dark about this NovaM debacle despite Anita Drobny's announcement that it is Randi's prerogative to explain to her audience what's going on. Randi enforces secrecy reminiscent of the old Soviet Union. Remember when she smashed her face on a NY city sidewalk? She never came clean about that. And what about the thousands of dollars her friend Bev Harris scammed out of Randi Rhodes listeners? Where is the accounting for all that cash?
Typically, the reason we all have to toss rumors around is that the parties involved are under gag rules. Usually involves contracts, lawyers from the other side or their own lawyers telling their clients to keep their yaps shut. Let's face it, Rhodes, more than most people, is pretty forthcoming when it comes to her professional dealings. Yet she didn't talk about Air America until she was officially done there. It's all legal stuff.
This is why we often hear nothing from these parties, and where rumors get started. Nobody wants to get sued for running at the mouth, or have things they say held against them. Otherwise, they'd be pretty direct about what's going on. And we all know Rhodes is being suppressed even more. Otherwise, she'd definitely say some things that could come back and bite her.
As for Bev Harris, I do have an MP3 somewhere where Rhodes took Harris to task directly (in a phone interview) for some of her questionable dealings. A lot of people were supposedly suckered by Ms. Harris.
It's ok LTR, I'm cool. Especially after I do my rasta dance, err I mean, no comment! I had my caps on?! Oh sorry, freakin, this keyboard is like 190 years old! I try my best to avoid caps cuz of that, and only use it for emphasis. I tried italics, but it's probably just my eyes, and I can't read it worth a damn! Anyways, if you wish, I will gladly email you off list (or whatever ya call it!) with every last detail I can think of off the top of my head as to why that certain cretin is the rightwing psycho nutjob pile of human waste (sorry to be redundant) that left me with no choice but to by my first gun back in 2003, or was it my 3rd like Malloy would say.
Oh gods, Bev Harris, seesh, there's a name I haven't come across in an ephoch. I'd have thought she croaked. And really folks, we GOT to stop jumping the gun everytime someone farts about Randi! If it's about money and she wants more, all I have to say is, WELL? WOULDN'T YOU?! RANDI RULES AND ALWAYS WILL! SO ALL YOU REICHWINGTARD NAZI JACKASSES OUT THERE CAN SUCK IT UP AND LICK ON IT!!! I'd be lyin' if I said I was sorry for using the caps that time!!!
http://Lu666Cifer.blogspot.com
This is a great opportunity to bring in Stephanie Miller; a woman who is amazingly witty, intelligent and knows how to let people other than herself speak.
Did you ever hear of the Fairness Act. You know that there are only 5 media corps. I don't care who you are they run the show whether they tell you, you have free speech or not. Randi is caught up in their normal fascist shenanigan's. My thoughts and love go out to Randi and hope that she succeeds in her endeavor to incorporate democracy in progressive radio just like the right wing has for so long.
I really do not see the Fairness Doctrine making a comeback. However, the issue that MUST be addressed is MEDIA OWNERSHIP! THAT is truly the problem, and why liberal talk radio is SUPPRESSED in this country!!!
The Fairness Doctrine will never return. No need for it. There are over 30 nationally syndicated progressive radio programs. In addition, there are hundreds of blogs, message boards, electronic newsletters, newspaper websites and internet broadcasts that promulgate politically liberal points of view.
For the record, I place about 80 percent of the blame for Randi Rhodes' demise on YOU. Yes, you, ltr.
It all started with that bs about Rhodes being the "number one progressive talk show host in America." We both know that this wasn't based on any objective measurement (she was never on the most stations, never had the biggest audiences, etc) but just your desire to give her something. Your a fan. Okay, fine. But actions have consequences.
The stupid part was, Randi "Rhodes" Robertson started believing it. She constantly used bumpers declaring herself as the number one talk show host in America. She had Nova-M put it on her website. She bought her own hype - the hype that you created.
So of COURSE, thinking that she was really that big a deal, she would start making demands for things suitable to a person of her incredible stature! Demands that no one could meet! The end was inevitable.
The truth is that the overpaid Ms Rhode's show lost money every day it was on the air. If she had understood her true worth she would have tried to negotiate a pay-cut that would have brought her show's cost in line with the revenue it generated.
But since she actually believed that she was the biggest thing in talk radio in America, she couldn't see that.
Ms Rhode's show was not killed by some right wing conspiracy but by her own overinflated ego ...and you.
Congratulations.
Whoa, Pagani!
I most certainly can't take any of the blame for this. What did I do?
First of all, I don't recall ever claiming that Rhodes is the "#1 progressive talk host in America." That's her claim, and perhaps that of other bloggers (who I can't speak for). Hey, I never believed she was #1. Far from it. In the three year-end polls that I have done, she never finished at the top. Go ahead and look it up (the first entry in the past three Januarys).
Plus, if Rhodes and her people actually read my blog (which I assume they have at one time or another), they've never told me about it. Aside from John Manzo and a few others at Nova M, I have never communicated with her camp via email or other means.
And quite frankly, I don't see how anyone is to blame for all of this. It all comes down to Rhodes. Now, she was right in reasserting authority over her show (she has been known to be very protective of it). And Nova M was basically screwing her, from what I understand. Not sure why she's still off the air. My guess would be some legal wrangling in regard to her Nova M contract, and some real messy lawyer stuff.
But putting the blame on me? That's funny.
It was another blog that claimed that Rhodes was the number one progressive talk show. Randi continued to quote that blog, even though the blogster hasn't posted anything else for more than a year.
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