Where's Randi?

Message boards and blogs were buzzing over the weekend about the whereabouts of Randi Rhodes, who was AWOL from her show last Thursday and Friday. On Thursday, Nancy Skinner was called at the last minute to fill in.

Typically, taking a day or two off is no big deal in radio. Happens all the time. But some are wondering if it has something to do with her syndicator, Nova M Radio. There have been some rumblings that the network was having some financial difficulties, but that's all speculation at this point.

Some have also started crazy rumors about Rhodes getting reprimanded for criticizing Clear Channel, which owns her flagship station, WJNO. Then again, when hasn't she criticized Clear Channel?

A producer, Joe Campbell, posted the following on her message board:

Randi says she's sorry, she can't be on-air today.

She wanted to let you know this is a Nova M issue and nothing of her own making.

Nancy is kind enough to fill in today. And *cross fingers* we'll be back tomorrow.

And that "Nova M issue"? A technical one. There, now you can relax.

Now, I hesitated to post this one the other day. All too often, panic ensues and weird rumors fly all over the place. As of right now, nobody's saying anything about what's going on, aside from Brian Maloney and his ridiculous rumormongering, in his neverending campaign to rid the radio airwaves of all liberal talk. The guy got his 'scoops' for the story from message board posts, for cryin' out loud! Most of his 'news' comes via his own rectum, when his head isn't buried in it. Or from Rush Limbaugh's rectum, when Maloney's lips aren't fused to it.

To sum it all up, we'll know officially what's going on with Rhodes when the people in the know say what's going on. In the meantime, chill the heck out and stop spreading crazy rumors.