Air America's Rhodes violently attacked on NYC street

Randi Rhodes, the outspoken afternoon host on Air America Radio, was violently attacked near her Manhattan apartment Sunday night while walking her dog, according to various reports.

Air America's Jon Elliott broke the news on his show last night, claiming that Rhodes was roughed up pretty bad, losing several teeth in the process. Rhodes is currently recovering at her Manhattan apartment and is not being hospitalized. She will likely be off the radio for at least the rest of the week while she recovers. Lionel filled in yesterday.

The attack occurred in the area of 39th St. and Park Ave., not the first place one would think a violent mugging would occur. Being three blocks from Grand Central Station, there's a lot of pedestrian traffic around there, especially tourists, and not the type of place some experienced mugger would assault someone, particularly when that someone was wearing a jogging suit, carrying no purse and walking a dog.

As of yet, no police report has been filed, and no suspects have been apprehended. One rumor claimed two people were involved in the attack on Rhodes, but that is unconfirmed. And with the lack of any suspects, there is no motive. She was beaten up pretty badly, but not sexually assaulted.

Whether this was a hate crime, related to what the always outspoken Rhodes says on the air, is unknown. It would not be out of the realm of possibility. Air America cohort Thom Hartmann reported on his show last Friday that his auto repairman, after installing a new windshield, discovered three bullet holes in his car. In August, gunshots were fired directly into the studio of KPFT, the Pacifica-owned station in Houston that has long been a victim of violent attacks. And of course, we all remember what happened to Alan Berg. But blaming a crazed right-winger in this case, at this early date, would be way too easy, particularly since there are no suspects in the attack as of yet, and certainly no evidence. Best to reserve judgement for now.

Rhodes has never been afraid to venture out into the real world, and has told many stories on the air about rarely being recognized on New York streets, unlike her other home in West Palm Beach, FL where she occasionally converses with listeners at the supermarket. Unlike many, more popular radio talk show hosts, she does not live as a recluse.

Needless to say, we'll be keeping an eye on this, and will pass along any updates. In the meantime, well-wishers can send cards, correspondence, etc. to Rhodes at this address:

Randi Rhodes
C/O Air America Radio
641 6th Avenue
New York, New York 10011

Our thoughts and best wishes go out to Randi Rhodes. We hope and pray for a speedy recovery.

UPDATE: The Miami Herald has more.

The official word from Air America is as follows:

October 16-NEW YORK-On Sunday evening, October 14, Air America host Randi Rhodes experienced an unfortunate incident hindering her from hosting her show. The reports of a presumed hate crime are unfounded. Ms. Rhodes looks forward to being back on the air on Thursday.

For at least today and tomorrow, Sam Seder will be filling in for Rhodes. And hopefully, Rhodes is feeling up to the task of returning by Thursday.

You'll notice that I did not try to assess any blame in my earlier post. Nor claim that this crime was politically-motivated. Let's be real - there is no suspect, and no evidence has been disclosed as of yet. Nobody knows why this happened.

Rhodes was obviously a victim of a terrible crime, but it appears some feel a bit more victimized. I hate to make this entry political, but I cringe at some of what is being said by right-wing bloggers and blog/board commenters. Apparently, only in Right-Wing World would people take a tragedy such as this, turn it around and spin it like a top to make it seem as if they're being victimized. Yes, your favorite righties are jumping all over various left-leaning bloggers, whining that they're trying to blame it on some crazed rightie. Just pathetic. I will give credit where due, though - at least Neocon News is acting with a little class.

The San Diego snowjob

“The music business is a cruel and shallow money trench, a long plastic hallway where thieves and pimps run free, and good men die like dogs. There’s also a negative side.”

Hunter S. Thompson said that famous quote about the recording industry. If he were still among us, he could have easily used it to describe the world of broadcasting. Radio is a very dirty business. It's full of sleazy money-hungry backstabbers, who think nothing of teasing and leading on, only to give the big "fuck you" when they're all done and gotten their jollies.

Well, at least that's the way it seems at Clear Channel headquarters in San Diego.

For almost two months now, the management of progressive talker KLSD have been coy about a proposed change in format to sports talk. Rumors began leaking in August, and since then, there has been a massive groundswell of support, three rallies, the saveklsd.com website, a petition and vague reassurances from program director Cliff Albert that they are indeed trying to save the format.

Sorry, but this kind of tease shouldn't drag on for two months. Especially with a company as big as Clear Channel. Because when all is said and done, it looks like they're going to flip anyways, and AM1360 will become the third sports station in San Diego come November 1.

SDRadio.com reported the rumor Friday. I didn't believe it, since they have already cried 'wolf' too many times. But then the San Diego Union-Tribune pretty much confirmed a talent raid of local sports outlet XEPRS 1090 ("XX Sports Radio"). Bob Bolinger, vice president and market manager of Clear Channel San Diego, confirmed that longtime XX host Chris Ello had been signed to a contract, but declined further comment.

Let's face it, Ello, Hacksaw Hamilton, Dave Palet and whoever else they've tapped aren't being hired for the FM music stations the company owns. And they aren't being hired for the cluster's conservotalk stations either. All fingers point to AM1360. Sorry KLSD fans - you've been had. You've been chewed up and spit out, treated like a Tijuana hooker.

Keep in mind, this same company couldn't make the sports format work when they programmed it on XETRA (690), at 77,000 watts one of the most powerful AM signals in North America. For over ten years. And now they think it will work on the little peashooter that is 1360.

Now, this isn't all about the flip to sports. Formats change all the time in radio, especially on underpowered AM stations owned by mammoth corporations with low patience and itchy trigger fingers. It's the way they're doing it that's just plain shitty.

Here's the latest scribe from Program Director Cliff Albert, via the KLSD website:

Thanks for your support to keep the progressive talk voice alive. As I told our listeners at the Friday morning rally where I tried to directly address their concerns, their feedback has had an impact, even if sports talk were to move onto 1360.

In fact, the strong support from our listeners over the last several weeks prompted us to look into several alternative ways to keep the progressive talk format alive in San Diego. While various options are under consideration, final decisions are still being made.

However, we do expect a decision and an announcement very soon about the future of our Progressive Talk format in San Diego.

Thanks again for your support. We will keep you informed.

Cliff

So, if one were to read between the lines of this directive, they would derive that Albert already knows what's going on, and probably has for some time. And the "several alternative ways" and "future of our Progressive Talk format" basically means that, as rumored, that stuff's going to HD Radio, on the subchannel of one of their FM stations. At least that's what I get out of it, and what some, including Ed Schultz are already saying.

Keep in mind that a move to HD means that anyone desiring to listen to it will have to shell out $200 for a radio that may or may not work. Want to listen in the car? Better be prepared to install an aftermarket deck. Regular radios won't get it. And Stacy Taylor? An HD station won't have local talent. Likely, it will be a straight feed of Air America, with maybe Schultz's show thrown in. And for all of this, Clear Channel San Diego has pulled off the tease of the century. A big middle finger thrown out to their devoted listeners. Gee, how nice.

In the world of radio, stations usually just up and switch formats with little to no warning. Sometimes, they give a little time to say farewell. But I don't ever recall a long drawn-out period where they tease a 'will they or won't they' move, publicize support rallies on their own websites, put supporters of the format on the air, and even asking inane poll questions on the site asking, "are rallies helping?" Especially if they already know the answer. Stacy Taylor and others at the station have denied time and time again that this was all just a cynical ploy. I even gave them the benefit of the doubt. But all of this smacks of the biggest, sleaziest, cruelest tease that I have ever seen committed by a radio entity. And believe me, I've seen some pretty nasty stuff done in the name of our nation's airwaves.

Keep in mind, I don't blame Taylor for this. He's done a lot to help save the format, at the possible risk of his job. I don't blame the rank and file working at the station. It seems that the format has had a lot of support inside the building. As for Albert, I don't know. He's claimed time and time again that he's fighting to save the format. But this big long tease has been a major slap in the face to the many that fought so hard for them, and gotten nothing out of the deal but a crappy HD channel few can conceivably listen to. And even as he claimed as recently as Friday that no decision had yet been made. That means he lied. And that's sleazy.

So a middle finger right back at 'ya, courtesy of yours truly, and likely many of your devoted listeners. Thanks for nothing.

The word of the day is 'Godless'

Didn't think I'd start off Year Four of LTR getting theological on all of you. But I have done crazier things here. So here goes.

Mark Green, president of Air America Radio, is either a marketing and publicity genius, or is just plain nuts.

Either description could be applied to the network's recent decision to add a show to their weekend lineup, Freethought Radio. It's referred to as "the first nationally broadcast radio show from the secular point of view." The weekly one hour show, which premiered on the network last weekend and airs on Saturdays from 1-2PM, is hosted by Dan Barker and Annie Laurie Gaylor, co-presidents of the Freedom From Religion Foundation. The objective of the show is to offer programming for nonreligious listeners, and to "counter the religious right domination of our public airwaves." Segments of the show include "Theocracy Alert," Dan's "Pagan Pulpit," "Freethinkers Almanac," and music and interviews with authors and activists.

Yes, this is a show by and for atheists, agnostics and nontheists.

"We think it's a good show," Barker said. "There's a gap, there's a place for it. With all this religious broadcasting, there's nothing specific for atheists and agnostics."

Nothing has been disclosed publicly about how exactly Freethought Radio came to the network. It started as a little weekly show on WXXM in Madison, WI, an Air America affiliate.They self-syndicated to a few non-commercial stations. What likely happened next, like with Politically Direct, Go Vegan, EcoTalk and other minor Air America shows, is that FFRF found sponsors and funding for the show, so the network cleared it.

Now, my questioning of Mr. Green's motives are not based on anything dealing with religion. Far from it. I'm a believer in the Almighty, but I often find myself jaded by what passes for organized religion these days, which seems to be more about pointing fingers, lining pockets and exerting personal power. So, along comes this new show, Freethought Radio, and Air America's embrace of it is a move that will be subject either to mountains of publicity, praise for gutsiness, or loads of criticism about "dem Godless libruls."

I learned to ignore those holier-than-thou so-called fundamentalist conservatives long ago. Many of these people wield religion as a cold blunt weapon of hate and tyranny. The religious right movement seems all too often to be a breeding ground for hypocrites - sexually frustrated, homophobic, violent racists and control freaks who are really set not too far apart from other devoutly religious types, such as the ones who would hijack jet airliners and fly them into skyscrapers.

Air America should be ready for heaping piles of scorn from the rabid right. After all, the "War on Christmas" won't begin for another month or so. Time for them to get warmed up.

And boy, are the wingnuts up in arms. Bloggers are already drooling over this, as if there's some kind of connection that proves in their eyes that liberals are all 'Godless.' And just the other day, the big GOP propaganda juggernaut that is FOX 'News' Channel, has gotten in on the act. On America's Newsroom, co-anchor Bill Hemmer teased a segment about Air America's recent programming move by asking, "Is this the new war on religion?" And further proving that the people at FOX Nuisance are really out of touch with the times, the on-air graphic is of Al Franken, with the on-screen text reading: "War on God?" Keep in mind that it's been about eight months since Franken ended his Air America show.

Hemmer picked it up in the next hour, teasing the same segment by asserting: "Also, do you think religion is a sickness? If you think so, the radio guys at Air America have ... got one heck of a show for you. Straight ahead: on the air and godless." Again, the on-screen image was of Franken and the words "Godless Programming." Wonder how much Franken's Senate challenger Norm Coleman paid for that?

In the next hour, religion correspondent Lauren Green, who has actually worked in television in Franken's home town of Minneapolis, noted that Franken is "not actually -- not really working for Air America anymore." Okay, so someone there got it right. The on-screen crawl: "Godless Radio: Air America Radio Launches New Show on Atheism." Gee, talk about subtlety!

Not surprisingly, FOX Views milked the whole Freethought Radio story like a golden calf. Jon Scott on FOX News Live even interviewed Mark Green about it, while the on-screen text read, "Shocking Show." They also brought back their religion correspondent, who spouted some unproven and massively spun statistics about how many atheist college professors there are teaching your children. In addition, Scott was quick to add that he won't be listening to the show. Like we care.

FOX Noise and their ilk love to attack anything that smacks of liberalism, and that includes Air America. However, the show is not an Air America creation. Actually, it's been airing on WXXM in Madison, WI since April 2006. Yes, its those Godless heathens at Clear Channel Communications who started it. Those same heathens who own Premiere Radio Networks, the company that syndicates Rush Limbaugh's show. So, in FOX Noise's view of the world, does that mean Rush Limbaugh's handlers are engaged in a 'War on God?' Guilt by association seems to work for them, right?

I find it highly ironic that FOX News would even 'go there' in regard to morality. After all, this is a 'news' channel that comes from a media empire created on a mountain of some of the most lurid, sleazy and violent content ever foisted on the mainstream masses. Rupert Murdoch boosted circulation over the last four decades by putting pictures of topless women in his newspapers. When they entered television by creating a 'fourth network,' FOX had to do something to get their foot in the door. Hence, their inaugural Sunday night slate on April 5, 1987 included the extremely raunchy Married...with Children. Another early show was called Women In Prison. The Parents Television Council has often criticized FOX for the content of their shows. They still air the outrageously raunchy Family Guy, which seriously stretches the boundaries of FCC standards for what's suitable for early prime time viewing. And it's a cartoon!

In the process of establishing a fourth network, FOX encouraged their affiliates to start up local newscasts. To attract viewers, the affiliates upped the ante in delivering heavy coverage of murders, fires and other various violent stories, combined with other lurid stories. Hotels in Miami refused to pipe in the local FOX affiliate, as Channel 7's heavy-handed coverage of violent local stories was bad for tourism. The network's news fare, or what loosely passed for it at the time, was heavy with coverage of dangerous criminals, police busts, animal attacks and dangerous car chases.

But I often gave FOX a pass on that stuff. After all, News Corp.'s media properties never claimed to be fundie propaganda. It was all just trash designed to rake in as much money as possible from the lowest common denominator. The 'news' channel is no exception - it's marketed toward lowbrow viewers who are gullible targets for advertisers. They're more entertainment than news. And at least they usually didn't try to bring The Almighty's name into it. Until now.

I do find it laughable that any News Corp. property would call anyone "Godless." But maybe they only hire church-going Page Three girls to pose for their newspapers.

What's even more ironic is how most conservatives and Republicans casually throw His name around. If one is to believe 'The Seven Deadly Sins,' an early part of Christian teaching, then this creates a real paradox for these guys. For example:

Lust - Limbaugh got busted coming back from a trip to the Dominican Republic, a well-known hotspot for underage prostitution, with a bottle of Viagara. This was illegal, since the pills were not prescribed in his name - a big no-no. Bill O'Reilly got slapped with a harassment suit for telling one of his employees what he'd like to do to her with flaky bread, a surreal scene that sounds like it came straight out of Last Tango In Paris. How about disgraced evangelist Ted Haggard's meth-fueled romp with male prostitutes? Holier-than-thou Idaho Senator Larry Craig's bathroom cruising? This list runs the danger of getting way too long.

Gluttony - Limbaugh. 'Nuff said. Ironically, it likely took a gluttonous addiction to Oxycontin (popping more pills than most people could possibly handle) to help him lose all that bulk.

Greed - Murdoch. 'Nuff said. Okay, that's too easy. How about Pat Robertson's dealings with corrupt dictators like Liberia's Charles Taylor and Zaire's Mobutu Seko, which resulted in bogus 'humanitarian' missions which were merely cover for extracting diamonds and gold out of Africa? Robertson also used a tax-exempt nonprofit organization, called Operation Blessing, for these purposes, then used his influence in the Republican Party to encourage the U.S. government to 'look the other way.' Also spent half a million dollars in church money to invest in a race horse named Mr. Pat.

Sloth - Sloth is basically laziness. And that could best describe the staff of FOX News, who often seem way too lazy to actually report the truth. Or the people who tag guys like disgraced Republican Congressman Mark Foley as a 'Democrat.'

Wrath - Oh, where do I start here? You'll hear lots of right-wing pundits and media goons casually throwing around phrases like "traitor," "helping the terrorists" and "un-American." You'll even hear some demand that someone blow up The New York Times building, like Ann Coulter did. I could go on and on, but isn't it ironic that these so-called God-fearing types so openly advocate the murder of thousands in Iraq? Can't you just feel the hate?

Envy - Could be construed as an intent to commit malice, or harm against another party. Kinda like the smearing of 12-year-old Graeme Frost over the S-CHIP health program. After Democrats chose Frost to deliver the party response to President Bush's weekly radio address, FOX Noise, Michelle Malkin, the National Review and the usual gang of idiots all went after Frost with guns-a-blazin' in an ill-fated smear campaign that came back and kicked them right in the asses. 'Swift-boating' a child? Now THAT'S "Godless!"

Pride - "The most powerful name in news." "Talent on loan from God." "The no-spin zone." Gee, talk about massive egos!

So, at least Air America is being honest. Much more than those fundie nuts who claim to be God's mouthpieces. It appears that Freethought Radio is designed to be a dialogue of sorts, to talk about how religion impacts everyone's lives. Nothing wrong with that. That's stuff that should be talked about. The show sounds like it would be a good fit with another Air America offering, State Of Belief, hosted by Rev. Welton Gaddy, which discusses religion and faith from a progressive perspective. Air America also aired a program called The Time is Now, hosted by Rev. James Forbes, which ended its run this past July. Doesn't sound all that 'Godless' to me.

Truth be told, my mindset on religion and its role in government (or vice-versa) is a very libertarian one - our government shouldn't be meddling in religion and religion shouldn't be meddling in our government. People should be free to believe how they want, if indeed they choose to believe or not believe. And in many ways, I do respect the atheist mindset. At various times, I went searching for biblical citations to bolster arguments, usually against hypocritical tyrants like Pat Robertson. Or I was just looking for deeper meaning from that Really Big Book. Turns out the best and most informative stuff came from - yes, you guessed it - atheist websites! Interestingly, I found that they seem to know more about The Bible than the fundie types that like to throw them at people! Ironic, isn't it? So why is that? Perhaps they see The Bible for what it is - a work started thousands of years ago, and mostly written by scholars and monks, distanced quite a bit from the outside world, who had a very conservative outlook on society. In turn, the things that they transcribed often reflected the way they saw things. Yes, The Bible was the ultimate spin job. After all, those scholars were only human.

Now, before you condemn me to that fiery place run by the guy with the horns, let me just add that I do consider myself to be spiritual. I do believe in a higher power. But that higher power most certainly isn't a bunch of guys holed up in a room writing what they think God is all about and demanding people obey. It's not about those idiots on the 700 Club. I believe it all comes, first and foremost, from within. I don't feel I need someone else to tell me how to believe. I think we all know the answer within.

Besides, most of these pseudo-Bible bangin' conservative types likely aren't all that into faith. Does anyone actually think people like Fats Lowbrow Rush Limbaugh or Ann Coulter attend Sunday services? Let's be real here. I doubt Limbaugh even leaves his house, unless it's to go golfing or score pills behind Denny's.

Listening to Freethought Radio likely won't doom one to eternal damnation. Believe it or not, it may even be enlightening and informative. At least more enlightening than the one-sided demagoguery that passes for religious broadcasting these days.

The last KLSD rallying cry

Will they or won't they?

That's been the mantra from KLSD and Clear Channel San Diego for almost two months now, as they've been keeping their devoted listeners dangling as they have bickered internally about whether to ditch the whole liberal talk thing and just do the FOX Sports thing instead. Rumor has it, we should know for certain what will happen by next Monday, October 15.

But do they really know yet whether or not Air America et. al., stays?

In one last hurrah, KLSD listeners are organizing one "last big rally" in support of the format. Like the previous two rallies, which packed the parking lot of the station, this one will start at 6:30 this morning, San Diego time, with a bagpiper-led march to the station's studios. Most of it should get under way by 8:30.

Didn't know about it? KLSD's web site is promoting it too. Now wait a minute! Why are they hawking a protest rally against their station management? This question has left me puzzled too, and even made me question the whole 'flip to sports' thing as a rather crass publicity stunt. But that's Clear Channel for ya, and while the company is pretty damn large, they're also at times pretty damn weird. But hey, there's a rally this morning. And if nothing else, attendees can at least get some fresh air (if that's to be found in San Diego) and make some new friends.

But the underlying question, the elephant in the room, is this: Will they or won't they?

Syndicated talker Ed Schultz, who's show airs on KLSD weekdays, is not very optimistic about the whole situation. He hosted an online chat last weekend, and said point blank that the flip would happen. But that many inside the Murphy Canyon building, including program director Cliff Albert, are against dumping progressive talk.

In the chat, conducted via his official message board on Sunday night, Schultz says that his people are hearing that the flip will indeed happen.

"(T)he word we have here at the ESS, it's over... we'll be offered on an HD channel which is bullshit. Air America is trying to write a check but that's not going to work in the long run," he claimed.

As stated before, KLSD management is keeping mum about the station's fate. They still say that a decision has yet to be made, though many outside the station are claiming that a change in format could occur as soon as next Monday, October 15.

All in all, everything is vague. What could possibly be happening is that there are different factions involved, each with their own ideas of what to put on KLSD. Morning host Stacy Taylor claims that program director Cliff Albert is strongly in favor of keeping the format. Some say that some regional Clear Channel management types, and even the head office in San Antonio, want sports. But nobody really knows for sure. And if they do, they're not saying anything.

But it was a pretty good chat. And like Schultz's show, it was pretty straight-forward. He criticized the way many of his affiliates are and were run, essentially reduced to computers in a closet shuffling on-air programming and nobody paying attention to the many gaffes that often occur. He also singled out the Clear Channel operation in Cincinnati as the worst offender.

"Flipping the switch when you walk in the room is not how to run a radio station," Schultz said in his chat. "Most of the progressive talk stations are run like that. It's sad...I've seen it all over the country. Most stations are grossly under resourced and get little attention. The industry has lost alot of good people and with down sizing all over the country the low hanging fruit gets picked and we lose stations. It has nothing to do with ratings. It's the money. It takes attention to detail to make money in radio. We need to own stations and run them (like) we own them."

And with that, Schultz unveiled his own plan. It's time to take control and operate the stations themselves. "We are working on it. I want to put a group together and buy a station. I know we can do it. Who wants to sell, that's the question." Far from a pipe dream, he claims that he already has a lawyer looking in to it.

But that question, as asked several times here, remains: What the heck is going on at KLSD? Quite honestly, I have no idea. And I'm not so convinced that the station does either. Needless to say, they need to announce a decision soon. Dragging it out will do nothing but irritate their obviously devoted listeners.

LTR is 3!

What a long, strange trip it's been... so far.

Yes, it was on this day in 2004 that this very blog you're reading began. Simple and crude in its day, but it eventually became something more. and now, three years later, here we are.

So, happy happy birthday... to we!