It's official - Senator Al Franken

Well, it looks like the long wait is over. Almost.

ST. PAUL, Minn. - The Minnesota Supreme Court on Tuesday ordered that Democrat Al Franken be certified as the winner of the state's long-running Senate race, paving the way for a resolution in the seven-month fight over the seat.

The high court rejected a legal challenge from Republican Norm Coleman, whose options for regaining the Senate seat are dwindling.

Justices said Franken, a comedian, actor, writer and former Air America Radio talk show host, is entitled to the election certificate he needs to assume office. With Franken and the usual backing of two independents, Democrats will have a big enough majority to overcome Republican filibusters.

Coleman hasn't ruled out seeking federal court intervention.

(continued)

Senator Franken (???)

A Minnesota board on Monday certified results showing Democrat Al Franken winning the state's U.S. Senate recount over Republican Norm Coleman, whose lawyer promised a legal challenge that will keep the race in limbo for weeks. The Canvassing Board's declaration started a seven-day clock for Coleman, the incumbent, to file a lawsuit protesting the result. His attorney Tony Trimble said the challenge will be filed within 24 hours.

The challenge will keep Franken from getting the election certificate he needs to take the seat in Washington. Trimble said the process "is now just at the beginning."

Franken, a former "Saturday Night Live" personality and radio talk show host, ended the recount up by 225 votes, an astonishingly thin margin in a race where more than 2.9 million votes were cast. The recount reversed the unofficial Election Day results, which showed Coleman with a 215-vote lead.

Franken made up the deficit over seven tortuous weeks of ballot-sifting in part by prevailing on challenges that both campaigns brought to thousands of ballots. He also did better than Coleman when election officials opened and counted more than 900 absentee ballots that had erroneously been disqualified on Election Day.

Continued

So, it ain't 100% over yet, kids!

The day after the day after

As I begin to collect my breath, work on a few entries and figure out what all just happened, here's yet another one of those weekly wrap-ups. Interestingly enough, much of it revolves around Air Ameirca. Read more:

RFK Jr. would consider cabinet offer

The Obama Administration is currently in it's formative stages, with the announcement of Illinois Congressman Rahm Emanuel as President-elect Barack Obama's White House Chief of Staff. Over the next few days and weeks, various administrative and cabinet positions will be filled.

One position will be the head of the Environmental Protection Agency. And one name that's being floated is Robert Kennedy, Jr. Kennedy is currently co-host of Air America's weekend show "Ring Of Fire."

Kennedy, the longtime environmental activist and member of the Democratic Party's most cherished family, said he would serve the next president if asked.

"You know what, I would be of service in any way that the administration asked me to be," Kennedy told the Huffington Post. "But I am also very happy and I believe I am being effective doing the stuff I am doing currently."

On Wednesday, Politico.com reported that Obama was strongly considering putting Kennedy at the head of the Environmental Protection Agency. The appointment would represent a major and early victory for environmentalists and would undoubtedly please Kennedy's cousin, Caroline Kennedy and uncle, Sen. Ted Kennedy - who was an instrumental Obama backer during the primary and is in poor health.

Robert Kennedy downplayed the idea of any imminent announcement, saying,
"I haven't had that discussion with anyone in my family about" joining the Obama administration.

Radio Ink interviews Bennett Zier

Here's an interview with Air America Media CEO Bennett Zier, conducted by trade publication Radio Ink. In it, Zier discusses what's next for the network in the Obama era. And it's not just limited to political talk radio. Here's an excerpt:

RI: Will the focus stay as tightly on the liberal or progressive viewpoint as it has been?

BZ: We’re going to be an independent voice. We want people to listen to the radio station and feel that an independent voice is coming at them that maybe they haven’t heard before. What was on Air America in the past is the past, and I’m happy to be here today.

Here’s a vision: Four years from now, when the conventions are held, I’m hoping that people turn to Air America quickly, and in critical mass, because they want to know what Air America thinks, what Air America is saying, what Air America believes, what Air America challenges. That would be a great four-year plan.

RI: Does Air America lose some of its underdog energy if Obama wins and there’s a Democratic Congress?

BZ: If we do our job well, it won’t matter who wins. Being that independent voice gives us that opportunity. If Obama wins, it certainly gives Air America an opportunity to use the news and the change. If McCain wins, it gives Air America an opportunity to listen, understand, and comment.

RI: You alluded to Air America’s past. Would you say it has had some image problems?

BZ: I think there were two Air Americas out there. There was an Air America business-to-business, and there was Air America to consumers. Air America is a very well-known brand. What it means, we’re going to find out. It means a lot of things to a lot of different people. But people certainly know that it is radio and a website of some political nature.

One of the early things we’re going to be working on is to understand our brand and not just guess at it. We want to be fact-based so we can give the listeners, viewers, and readers what they want.

Another Maddow article

Another day, another article about MSNBC and Air America host Rachel Maddow, who currently leads in the Top Talkers survey in the middle column (vote now!). This one is in The Advocate.

Franken race still up in the air

Finally, to conclude this rather brief update (I've got more on tap for the weekend, so hold your horses), there's still one Senate race that has yet to be determined.

Republican Sen. Norm Coleman's is currently leading Democrat and former Air America Radio host Al Franken by a mere 337 votes as of Thursday afternoon. That's down from 438 votes Thursday morning and larger margins Wednesday.

With nearly 2.9 million ballots cast, the candidates are separated by about one hundredth of a percentage point.

The final tally won't be certified until the state canvassing board meets Nov. 18, and an automatic recount awaits.

And if the race doesn't go Franken's way, there are still other career options, as suggested by The Hollywood Reporter.

Loose lips could sink the dip

Conventional political wisdom would dictate that, if in a tight election race, a candidate should not do anything to embarrass either themselves or the people he or she represents. Don't insult or alienate likely voters. And above all, don't rock the boat. That seems to be the sane thing to do.

Then again, Michele Bachmann is not necessarily a sane person.

The incumbent congresswoman, who represents Minnesota's 6th district, has garnered a bizarre reputation during her four years in the U.S. House. She's a hardcore partisan flamethrower. And she's flat-out nuts. She once greeted President Bush with a kiss on the lips. Then there was that time she hid in the bushes to spy on a gay/lesbian rally. She had paranoid delusions and once filed a suspect police report alleging she was kidnapped. She often spouted crazy conspiracy theories. And she worships Ann Coulter. Bachmann has even inspired two sites attacking her, unusual for a representative. She's the crazy reactionary Republican for people who think Katherine Harris is too normal and Sarah Palin too rational.

Bachmann has a hard-fought reputation for saying really crazy stuff to the media. And her most recent television appearance, on MSNBC's Hardball, could finally be her undoing.

In an interview Thursday with show host Chris Matthews, Rep. Bachmann seemed to be channeling former red-baiting Sen. Joe McCarthy. She demanded the news media investigate what she calls "anti-American sentiment" in Congress, and even slammed Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama as "anti-American." She called for a resurrection of the old House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC), which was charged during that era with fighting "un-American" ideas. Mostly, what they fought against was liberals and hippies. Sleazy red-baiting politicians like Joe McCarthy and Richard Nixon infamously used HUAC to get their names in the papers and scare the hell out of their voters.

Bachmann held nothing back in her tirade. “What I would say is that the news media should do a penetrating expose and take a look. I wish they would,” she said. “I wish the American media would take a great look at the views of the people in Congress and find out, are they pro-America or anti-America? I think the American people would love to see an expose like that.”

On Obama she said, “Absolutely, I’m very concerned that he may have anti-American views.” Ironically, the day before, she said, “If the presidency would somehow go to Barack Obama, I would welcome him to the 6th District as well. As a matter of fact, I would put my hand on his shoulder and give him a kiss if he wanted to.” Obviously, her mouth moves faster than her mind.

As a former resident of Minnesota, I realize that the state has long had a reputation of bucking the national political norm. The state Democratic party is actually called the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party (DFL), the result of a merger between two state parties back in the 1940s. Even Obama will have 'DFL' next to his name on Minnesota's ballots. State Republicans, for decades following Watergate, called themselves the Independent Republican Party (IR). Minnesota was the only state that went for local icon Walter Mondale in the 1984 presidential election.

And then there were the politicians themselves. Populist liberal crusader Paul Wellstone, one of the most-loved (by liberals and moderates) and most-derided (by far-right Republicans) politicians in the history of the state, was elected to the Senate (twice) with help from an off-the-wall campaign and a dilapidated green school bus. But he was running against incumbent Rudy Boschwitz, an utter flake who ran a really sleazy campaign that turned off many rational voters. Given many Minnesotans' cynicism toward typical political hijinks, 'third' parties are quite popular in the state. Independent campaigners were elected as governor twice in the 1990s. Former Republican-turned independent Arne Carlson won the seat in 1990 after waging a strong third party campaign, and was recruited by the Republican party only two weeks prior to the election after their own nominee got caught in an underage hot tub sex party scandal. Most famously, Carlson's successor, former wrestler and actor James George Janos, ran an independent bid for governor in 1998 under his stage name, Jesse Ventura, and beat two well-known party politicians. To be fair, his rivals, Republican Norm Coleman and Democrat Hubert “Skip” Humphrey III, were stiff, predictable establishment hacks who were strongly aligned with their respective parties and didn't excite the population at large. The off-the-wall Ventura was effective at waving his middle finger at the two parties and promising to move away from politics as usual. Oh, yeah, then there was Harold Stassen, former governor and perennial longshot presidential candidate. And then there's this year's Senate election, where comedian and former Air America Radio host Al Franken has a very good shot at upsetting the incumbent, Coleman, who won his seat six years ago only after a tragic plane crash claimed the life of his opponent Wellstone merely a few weeks before the election. Not surprisingly, a credible independent, Ventura and Ross Perot acolyte Dean Barkley, is running relatively strong in that race.

Minnesotans, for the most part, tend to be very middle-of-the-road, not overly partisan. I think they're some of the smartest and savviest voters in the country. They are often too sophisticated to fall for typical political gimmickry and grandstanding. Witness perhaps the state's 'reddest' district, the affluent western suburbs of Minneapolis, where retiring congressman Jim Ramstad has garnered a strong reputation as a very moderate and inoffensive Republican who has constantly stayed above partisan squabbles, concentrating instead on serving the needs of his district. He's a very good congressman. Minnesota, considered a 'purple' state that still leans toward the Democrats in presidential elections, has a long reputation for keeping reactionary partisan flamethrowers out of public office, Bachmann aside. Right-wing political fundamentalism typically doesn't go over well with a constituency known for being mostly laid-back Lutherans. Bachmann's antics couldn't possibly be doing her any favors in her home state. She could easily win this district, as it is heavily Republican. In fact, these types of races are often stupid-proof for incumbents. Instead, she's inching closer to the political fight of her life. All because her mouth got in the way.

After accusing the Democratic side of Congress of being everything short of 'traitors' in her scathing, unhinged television tirade, Democrats fought back where it counts. Hard. Immediately, her DFL rival, El Tinklenberg, started receiving a windfall of support from across the country, with more than half a million dollars in donations flowing into the campaign's coffers. At one point, Tinklenberg's campaign was pulling in $200 a minute. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee just made the race high priority in their 'Red to Blue' campaign of taking Republican districts. After running four or five points behind the incumbent in recent polls, Tinklenberg stands a strong chance of closing the gap, and possibly taking the whole thing. Overnight, Bachmann has become his strongest fundraiser.

The race was already closer than it should have been, with only a few points separating them in the polls. But Bachmann is obviously looked upon by many there as a hard-right goofball, much too fundamentalist, much too reactionary and too much of a grandstander for the polite, fiscally conservative suburban and rural Minnesotans she represents, and her latest antics could very well be the straw that broke the elephant's back. Feather boas are one thing in the Land of 10,000+ Lakes, but hard-right flamethrowing is tougher to swallow than lutefisk and Grain Belt beer in Miami. Considering that Democratic candidates across the country (and especially in Minnesota) are giddy about a potential Obama surge helping down-ticket candidates, and Republicans are grousing about being saddled with the dysfunctional campaign of John McCain and the much-derided Sarah Palin, this could be the year that some rather unsavory, vindictive and mentally unstable characters, like Michele Bachmann, finally get their walking papers.

There's a lesson to be learned in all of this. Playing the part of a crazed, obnoxious radical Republican typically only works if running for office in a safe cant-lose red state. Politicians in, say, South Carolina can wrap themselves in Confederate flags and claim Jesus rode dinosaurs and watch their poll numbers shoot through the roof (no offense intended, natch, to my faithful S.C. readers). But in a hotly contested state like Minnesota (and there's a reason the Republican held their convention in St. Paul this year), and in a lukewarm red district that seems uncomfortable with embarrassing partisan rhetoric, perhaps going apeshit on national television less than three weeks before an election is not the best political strategy. How “American” would she look if normal Americans tossed her out of office? At least she has a potential career as a crazy right-wing television pundit to fall back on. Move over Ann Coulter.

The cat killed my monitor (and a few other things)

Didn't have the opportunity to do an elaborate entry, as my mischeivous cat decided to climb up on top of my computer monitor and vomit in it, shorting out some circuits and pretty much ruining the whole thing. Thankfully, the place didn't go up in flames, though the smell is pretty nasty. I'll make this one short and sweet, as I hunt down a new monitor (perhaps a flat panel LCD?).

Strong numbers for Maddow on MSNBC

I was going to write a whole long thing about MSNBC, but time (and monitor) restrictions have put that on hold. Nevertheless, an update on the network's newest host, Rachel Maddow. After only a few weeks, it looks like MSNBC has a small hit on its hands.

On Tuesday night, the live airing of "The Rachel Maddow Show" was MSNBC's top-rated broadcast Tuesday night. It even unseated Keith Olbermann's "Countdown" as the network's top show that evening.

Maddow drew 1.8 million total viewers compared to Olbermann's 1.6 million. Maddow also outdrew Olbermann in the advertiser-friendly 25-54 demographic, taking 25,000 more young adults than her lead-in "Countdown."

Wednesday's numbers were also good, with Maddow eclipsing CNN's "Larry King Live" in all reported demographics. And preliminary numbers for Thursday show she barely edged Olbermann.

And the hosts of "Morning Joe" congratulated Rachel Maddow on her ratings success on Thursday morning. Joe Scarborough, who has sparred with Maddow in the past, had particularly kind words for her, saying:

TV folk are some of the craziest folk I know, as Krusty the Clown might say. But she is a good, good person. We probably don't agree on anything politically. But she's respectful of people, and it's great. File this under, one of those good people doing well."

A few more items for the weekend

The Minneapolis Star Tribune has an article about Ms. Maddow.

Speaking of Minnesota, incumbent Senator Norm Coleman must be getting desperate, as he tries to slime rival Al Franken with that Gloria Wise nonsense and wingnuts cream their pants. And none of this mudslinging is doing either any good, as it appears independent candidate and Jesse Ventura crony Dean Barkley is creeping up. Sad, really.

FAIR has a column entitled "The Myth of Pro-Obama Media Bias."

OMG!!! Social networking has overtaken porn in web searches! This is HUGH111!

Greenfield Named America's Funniest Host

AllAccess reports that WVNJ/Oakland, NJ-New York morning host Sam Greenfield was unveiled as the "Funniest Host in America" at the NAB Radio Show in Austin Thursday morning. Greenfield won a national contest sponsored by Comic Wonder and was present at the convention to accept the honor.

Greenfield formerly hosted mornings on progressive talker WWRL in New York.

Rainy days and Mondays

While fighting to keep head above water and stay dry in the soggy, monsoon-ravaged Midwest (please, make it stop!), I hereby dedicate this entry to the soaked and not-so-soaked.

Here are a few news items that popped up over the weekend:

Newsom's new show is (finally) a go

Remember that item about San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom and his radio show? Well, after a few false starts and some scheduling conflicts, it's finally coming to fruition.

This Saturday, Newsom hits the airwaves with his half-hour radio program, which can be found on KKGN (Green 960) in San Francisco.

From the San Francisco Chronicle:

He isn't getting paid for the job, but the political rewards of having his own radio show could be priceless. The show provides Newsom an unfiltered forum to publicize pet projects and discuss just about anything he wants - a politician's dream come true.

"There are no rules," Newsom said. "I meet with so many fascinating people, and we have these great conversations. We want to ... ask those folks if they can meet on the radio show."

The first show, which airs at noon, was prerecorded and will feature the 40-year-old mayor interviewing political commentator Arianna Huffington.

The Gavin Newsom Show can be heard Saturdays at Noon (3P ET) on Green 960. Podcasts will also be available via the station's site.

Speaking of drought-ridden California, they are more than welcome to our rain. We've got plenty to spare.

Going 'Green' in Atlanta

If a Bay Area station can go 'green,' why not one in Atlanta? Coming July 1, a new station in suburban Decatur, GA will hit the airwaves. Green 1640, as it will be called, will offer community-oriented news with a progressive point of view.

Now, this doesn't appear to be a 'true' FCC-licensed radio station. The signal power will be extremely weak, reaching only a three or four mile radius around the Decatur area. Two transmitters, each running a maximum of one milliwatt of power, will put the station on the airwaves. In other words, this appears to be an unlicensed 'Part 15' station. This is not a pirate signal, as FCC regulations allow this, provided it doesn't exceed power limits or interfere with other stations or emergency services. Part 15 transmitters are used mostly by hobbyists, businesspeople such as realtors and some schools.

In addition to local news and information, the operator of the station has tossed around the idea of lending time to various groups and seeking out syndicated programming, such as Air America, though there may be some legal issues involved in doing something like that (or perhaps not). They're also looking into selling advertising time, so that may be interesting.

Nonetheless, if you're in the Decatur area (this signal likely won't get into the city of Atlanta proper) after July 1, you can tune it in at 1640AM.

And keeping with the theme, Atlanta, which was hit by a rather nasty drought last year, is more than welcome to as much Midwestern typhoon rain as it can handle. Take all you want.

Franken gets Democratic endorsement for Senate seat

And congratulations are in order for Al Franken, who became the de facto nominee after winning the endorsement of the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party (DFL). The next step is to unseat the real-life version of the Mayor Quimby character from The Simpsons, Republican U.S. Senator Norm Coleman.

Franken won the endorsement at the DFL convention in Rochester over the weekend. His closest rival, Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer, dropped out and released his delegates to Franken. That frees him to go head-to-head with Coleman in the fall.

I haven't much mentioned Franken since he left radio and announced his intention to run for Senate. I just didn't want to lump myself in with all those delusional right-wing airheads who still think Franken works for Air America. Yet they still want you to think they know what they're talking about. Go figure.

As we all know, Franken was a comedian, actor and writer in the entertainment industry. And since comedy often tends to offend the senses, foes of Franken have been working overtime to dig up dirt, by way of picking through scores of articles, writings, jokes and Saturday Night Live bits that he created. Of course, some of it is in rather poor taste, and Franken even fessed up to it. "I wrote a lot of jokes. Some of them weren't funny. Some of them weren't appropriate. Some of them were downright offensive. I understand that," Franken admitted at the convention.

Ironically, Coleman's wife Laurie is also in the entertainment industry as an actress and model, who has appeared in several made-for-television films and stage productions such as "The Vagina Monologues." Many barrels of ink and millions of electrons could be spilled writing about her rather humorous and titillating exploits. Think of all those "BLO & GO" jokes! Do they really want to go there?

Minnesota Republicans would love nothing better than to taint Franken with his old jokes, but remember, this is a state that elected a former wrestler and actor, the oft-raunchy Jesse Ventura, governor in 1998 in a shocking third party upset. And ironically, Coleman was the Republican candidate that year. Since Coleman, as mayor of St. Paul, switched from Democrat to Republican, Minnesotans have been lukewarm about him. He lost the governor's race against Ventura and the rather lame Skip Humphrey (D) and barely won his Senate seat in 2002, right after incumbent Paul Wellstone was killed in a plane crash.

This election could prove to be quite interesting, particularly since Ventura has actually been rumored to be considering a run for the seat himself. If not, there is a groundswell movement to draft Ventura acolyte and third party gadfly Dean Barkley as well.

The GOP has been propping up Coleman for years but people still are rather indifferent. They may not like to admit it, but Coleman is very vulnerable, especially if the Barack Obama wave comes through and sweeps the state. Poll numbers have been looking closer and closer. Al Franken could very well be Minnesota's newest senator. And Coleman, much like parts of Minnesota over the weekend, is all wet.

Best of luck, Al.

Former Air America exec Evan Montvel Cohen arrested

Former Air America Radio chairman Evan Montvel Cohen, a controversial figure from the network's early days, has been arrested on theft and fraud charges, KUAM-TV reports.

The media executive was returning from Manila when he was arrested at Guam's airport. He was picked up on a warrant from Hawaii for charges including theft, credit card fraud, forgery, and money laundering. He was placed under house arrest after posting a $75,000 bond. An extradition hearing is set for June 27th.

Many people remember Cohen as one of the primary figures behind the start-up of Air America. Only problem was, his ambitions were bigger than his financial backing. Cohen and his partner, fellow Guam media mogul Rex Sorenson, formed a company called Progress Media and purchased the soon-to-launch network from Sheldon and Anita Drobny. They also brought in other investors to complete Progress Media's board.

Cohen and Sorenson misled the network's other investors into believing that they had more money than they really did, and checks started bouncing and debts began escalating. By May, both Cohen and Sorenson were forced out of Air America by Progress Media's other investors.

The remaining executives reorganized the company as Piquant, LLC, and set out to pick up the pieces and get the struggling debt-ridden network back on track. But Cohen's legacy returned to haunt them a few months later. Turns out that, in the capacity of his executive position at the Gloria Wise Boys and Girls Club in the Bronx, Cohen acquired loans from the nonprofit in order to help fulfil his share of the investment. His former partners in Air America were livid. The network's marquee host, Al Franken, even blasted Cohen on the air.

Of course, right-wing bloggers with an axe to grind against the network went ballistic when news of this scandal emerged (in perhaps the only instance of them even giving a rip about an inner city community center). More recently, they have even tried to tarnish former host and current Senate candidate Al Franken with the scandal, though as merely an on-air personality, he was kept out of the loop, and was unaware of the whole controversy until it hit the news media.

Piquant, assuming responsibility for the loan, agreed to cooperate with law enforcement authorities to repay the Gloria Wise center, an amount estimated to be about $875,000. After making some repayments and putting much of the rest in escrow, in compliance with city officials and New York's Attorney General, the entire loan was repayed by September 2006.

There have been no further details released regarding the extent of Cohen's current charges, and it appears that they are not connected with Air America. If convicted, Cohen faces up to 10 years in prison.

The weekly "Franken's Running" post

Okay, okay. Just kidding. Nonetheless, I promise this will be the last "Franken's running" article I post.

Al Franken said on his show today that he will indeed run for the Senate in 2008, challenging Republican incumbent Norm Coleman.

Franken's announcement came on the final day of his radio show on Air America. The decision by the former Saturday Night Live performer instantly makes him a serious contender and brings national attention to the race.

"Minnesotans have a right to be skeptical about whether I'm ready for this challenge, and to wonder how seriously I would take the responsibility that I'm asking you to give me," Franken said in a video on his website.

"I want you to know: Nothing means more to me than making government work better for the working families of this state, and over the next 20 months, I look forward to proving to you that I take these issues seriously," Franken said.

Franken's name is well-known and he is likely to be well-funded, but he's expected to be challenged by several other Democrats, including wealthy trial attorney Mike Ciresi.

Immediately following this will be the 378th comment by Fredmaceefraisebsterstock saying Air America should go off the air.

And Franken has set up a website devoted to his Senate run and all other activities post-Air America. You can access it here.

As for his show, he's done with it, but Marc Maron will fill in as guest host for the remaining two shows this week. Thom Hartmann will slide over to the main schedule to occupy the shift beginning Monday.

The continuing adventures of Marc Maron

Though he's no longer working full-time for Air America Radio, Marc Maron is still keeping busy with his successful comedy career. But he hasn't given up on radio.

This week will find him in New York. As Al Franken wraps up his radio show this Wednesday, Maron will host this week's remaining two shows, on Thursday and Friday. Starting next Monday, Thom Hartmann will slide over from the network's secondary feed to occupy the shift.

In addition to the radio fill-in, he'll be appearing on Late Night with Conan O'Brien this Wednesday night.

Here it is in Maron's words:

Wednesday night, Feb. 14, I will be appearing on Late Night with Conan O'Brien. Check your local listings.

Thursday and Friday, Feb. 15 and 16, I will be hosting what was the Al Franken Show on Air America Radio. It tapes at 12PM ET. Check your local listings. This is not a permenant gig, folks, but I am looking forward to it. I'll try to wrangle up a few of the old gang if I can. If I can't, you're stuck with me.

Check www.myspace.com/marcmaron OR www.marcmaron.com to see what and where I've got coming up.

Love,

Maron

Could this lead to a return to radio? Who knows? But Maron fans can enjoy him on both radio and TV this week.

Radio stations do the post-Franken shuffle

Latest update 2/13

Following the announcement last week of Al Franken's pending departure from Air America Radio, stations carrying him have begun making plans for the post-Franken era.

So far, KTNF, WROC and KYNS have announced some or all of their schedule changes, with Thom Hartmann and Ed Schultz being the big beneficiaries.

Starting February 19, Randi Rhodes fans in Chicago will be pleased as WCPT will give her a live clearance, from 2-5PM weekdays, in place of the delayed Franken. The nine-hour morning-early afternoon bloc of JRN programming, featuring Bill Press, Stephanie Miller and Ed Schultz remains unchanged. Following Rhodes will be a delay of Thom Hartmann's show. Since WCPT is a daytime-only station, the station signs off at sunset. However, they do program their webstream during the off-air hours. And with this, they'll add Mike Malloy live from 8-11PM, giving Malloy another stream for his fans to hear him. In addition, as the warmer months and longer days of summer approach, Chicago area listeners will be able to hear the early part of his show on 850AM until sign-off.

At KPHX in Phoenix, Franken is gone from the schedule as of next Monday (2/11). The station will Hartmann live in middays, followed by Rhodes, Peter B. Collins, Mike Malloy and a delayed airing of Miller's show in the late night hours. The station fills out the overnight/early morning hours with EcoTalk, Rachel Maddow and Bill Press.

WPEK in Asheville, NC has acknowledged Franken's departure, but the well-rated daytime-only station has made no scheduling announcements. It is very likely that the two hour shift currently allocated to Franken will be turned over to Rhodes, who is currently on for only the following hour.

Franken is almost completely gone from the schedule of WNYY in Ithaca, NY. They are carrying Hartmann live in the midday slot. Although the station carries Press and Miller, they do not air Schultz' show, which airs on WENY (1230AM) in nearby Elmira.

Portland's KPOJ hasn't set their lineup yet, but are taking suggestions on their website. Same goes for WROC in Rochester, which will move Schultz into the live slot being vacated. KPTK in Seattle will move Rhodes into Franken's delayed 5-8PM shift, followed by Malloy from 8-11PM. No word on the 11PM-2AM shift being vacated.

Nothing is really known about KOKE in Austin. The sole remainder of the Texas Pro Radio network, which once had stations in San Antonio and Dallas has a website that is currently under construction, and rumors abound that they will move away from syndicated programming, including Air America, and add more local liberal talk voices. We'll keep you posted on further changes. As for other liberal talk stations in Texas, they don't seem to be taking the format seriously. KCCT in Corpus Christi does not have a website, and has reportedly preempted Air America shows with infomercials. They do, however, carry some local talk shows. And KHRO in El Paso, which had been rumored to be dropping the network a few months back, is still airing it (allegedly). Their website consists solely of a link to Air America Radio.

WVAX in Charlottesville, VA is carrying Hartmann in place of Franken. They also air Rhodes and Maddow live, followed by an evening delayed broadcast of Schultz in the evenings. The station carries quite a bit of live programming, as it also airs Mark Riley, Press and Miller in the mornings and Lionel at night.

WKVT in Brattleboro, VT will replace their delayed airing of Franken with a delayed airing of Miller, from 7-10PM ET.

And KTNF in the Twin Cities, which last week announced that they would move Hartmann to afternoons and add Rachel Maddow to the roster, responds to listeners' demands and adds a delay of Malloy's show to the 12-3AM shift, starting February 19.

Denver's KKZN will carry Hartmann, and the relatively successful station is also looking to add another local host, in addition to current morning talker Jay Marvin.

WMLB in Atlanta, which carried the entire Air America feed under its former WWAA call letters and retained only Franken after a format change last year, will not replace his show with any other Air America programming.

Over at XM, Schultz will be moved over to the Air America Channel (ch. 167), meaning that Thom Hartmann will not be cleared, at least not live, by the satellite radio provider. Whether this has something to do with Hartmann's deal with and (partial) clearance on Sirius Left is unknown. And whether this will ruffle feathers with Air America, who currently have an exclusive deal with XM, is also unknown. And then there's that vague "Malloy coming to XM" rumor...

As for other stations that are still carrying Franken, including the few remaining stations that carry the straight Air America feed, it is likely that they will just carry his replacement, Hartmann in that slot. Some stations could go with Schultz, who airs at the same time.

Source: Franken's running for Senate

Comedian and Air America Radio host Al Franken has decided to run for U.S. Senate in Minnesota in 2008, challenging incumbent Republican Norm Coleman, a senior Democratic official told The Associated Press on Wednesday.

The official, who requested anonymity because Franken has not made an announcement, said that Franken told her of his decision recently.

Andy Barr, the political director of Franken's Midwest Values Political Action Committee, declined to comment.

In a swiftly issued statement, Minnesota Republican Party Chairman Ron Carey said he was confident Minnesotans "will reject Franken's divisive, scorched earth attacks." Which, of course, sounds pretty ironic coming from a Republican, but oh well.

UPDATE 2/2/07: Al Franken said Friday that he will make an announcement on whether he's running for U.S. Senate in Minnesota on his final show, Feb. 14.

"Look, it ain't official until it's official, and it ain't official," Franken said on his Air America Radio show, responding to reports by The Associated Press and other news organizations that he had already decided to run.

"Some media outlets might look kind of silly on Feb. 14, you know what I'm saying? That's our last show, and that day, I'm going to announce my decision on whether I'm running or not. I'm going to do that during the show."

He hinted that he had not made a final decision, saying, "I'm not exactly - who knows what I'm doing?"

Air America sale: What's next?

Two days have passed since the official announcement of the sale of Air America Radio to Stephen and Mark Green, as well as Al Franken's announcement of his departure from the network. Since then, many people, both inside and outside the political spectrum have weighed in, as well as quite a few in the industry.

The wingnut bloggers have been sounding the same silliness, questioning why anyone would want to invest in a 'failing' network. Which is ironic, since quite a few conservative media ventures have had far less success and lost way more money. The irony seems to be that these so-called 'conservative' critics don't really understand the way business works, or that they really aren't champions of entreprenural achievement. Or they're incapable of looking at the color of their own pot. In their eyes, free enterprise is only acceptable for people named Weyrich, Scaife or Murdoch. Not surprising.

People in the industry are also chiming in about the sale. Paul Woodhull, speaking to the New York Daily News, gave his assessment. "I hope they can make it viable," says Woodhull, president of Washington-based Media Syndication Services, which creates and produces radio shows. "But it won't happen unless Mr. Green listens to people who understand how radio works."

Air America's original network plan, says Woodhull, "was based on the idea they could control programs 24 hours a day, seven days a week, on someone else's station. That's just not the way it works."

"The idea that Air America is a 'network' is a myth anyway," says Michael Harrison, editor of the trade magazine Talkers. "As a syndicator, it could work."

What radio insiders don't realize though is that Air America could be considered comparable to full-service syndicators like ESPN Radio, FOX Sports Radio and Talk Radio Network, all of which offer a full schedule of programming around the clock, but allow individual affiliates to pick and choose programming, or just leave it running full-time. In essence, they help fill out station lineups. Think of it as the radio equivalent of 'Hamburger Helper.' Since signing on almost three years ago, Air America, which had initially tried to force affiliates to carry the entire slate of programming, has since given much more leeway to affiliates in structuring their schedules, even allowing some of them to drop Al Franken's show for Thom Hartmann, or to carry programming from other syndicators. Several Air America affiliates even carry programming from conservative talkers such as Rush Limbaugh, Neal Boortz and Bill O'Reilly.

Both Woodhull and Harrison agree that the programming has to be worth listening to. Woodhull agrees that progressive talk is no different than any other type of talk radio programming, in that it has to actually be good. "It has to be entertaining and compelling. It can't start with a political agenda. It can't start by trying to get somebody elected," says Woodhull.

Harrison thinks there is a niche for liberal talk, and there will always be. He also disagrees with the notion that talk radio is dominated by conservatives. "It's not," claims Harrison. "Conservatives have a niche, and it's a very profitable niche — but it's still a niche. You also have NPR, you have 'shock jocks,' you have sports talk. There's room for all of it.

"None of those shows succeed because the hosts are well-intentioned. They succeed because they work as a business."

Air America will need to strengthen it's affiliate base, which is chock full of many weak and non-supportive stations, as well. "To build a radio network you need to start from a solid base and then expand," says Andrew Ettinger, media supervisor at EarthQuake Media in New York, speaking to Media Life Magazine. "Rush Limbaugh, Dr. Laura, Sean Hannity, etc. did not appear overnight as dominant radio personalities. Rather, they built their following one station at a time, one market at a time. By doing so they grew from strength, not artificial station clearances."

In the other big Air America story, Franken's retirement from radio has gotten the predictable snide reaction from the wingnut media. Some say he's giving up, or that he's jumping off a sinking ship. Keep in mind that Franken never intended to do radio forever, as he initially signed a one year contract with then-owner Progress Media (as they were working under the provisional name Central Air), and had previously hinted at not making radio his life's work. Considering his other jobs such as writing, comedy and soon, possibly politics, his departure is no surprise. And his official announcement and the network's immediate naming of Hartmann as his successor should remove quite a bit of distraction from their operations.

In regard to his future plans, rumored to include a 2008 run for the Senate from his home state of Minnesota, Franken and his people have been mum about it. Franken has admitted that he is strongly considering challenging Norm Coleman for the seat, and has hinted that he could formally announce his intentions on-air in the runup to the end of his show February 14.

Some of Air America's affiliates have already announced their intentions for life after Franken. KTNF, fresh off a rather remarkable Fall ratings book, was the first, as they announced yesterday the move of Hartmann from the station's evening delay to the afternoon slot being vacated. In his place, KTNF will expand it's local "Minnesota Matters" show by an hour (to be 5-7PM) and add Air America's Rachel Maddow to evenings, 7-9PM. Entercom-owned WROC in Rochester, NY will give Ed Schultz a live clearance, moving him in to the 12-3PM slot, and soliciting listener opinions to fill the 3-6PM shift.

Meanwhile, up the road at WROC's sister station WWKB, the schedule on their recently updated website is a bit vague. At this time, the on-air schedule for this week omits local midday host Leslie Marshall and shows two daily airings of the syndicated shows from Stephanie Miller and Ed Schultz. Whether this will be permanent remains to be seen. Previously, the station aired a rerun of Marshall's show in the evenings. WWKB recently lost a competitor when Air America affiliate WHLD switched to gospel, so there are indeed more programming options available from which the station could choose from.

KPTK in Seattle sent out an email to listeners enlisting their help in making adjustments to the daily lineup. WCPT in Chicago will announce their intentions shortly. Other stations have yet to announce their replacements for Franken, though it's expected that many will just continue with Hartmann, such as KYNS in San Luis Obispo, CA. In the past few months, some stations already have already moved Hartmann into the slot. Some stations that currently carry only Franken, including WMLB in Atlanta and WWWI in Brainerd, MN could possibly pass on replacing him with any other Air America offering.

And no word from Air America on how they'll handle overnight and weekend replays of Franken's show.

Speaking of KYNS, in an unrelated move, they will add Mike Malloy to their schedule, airing it on delay from 8-11PM starting next Monday.

Air America sold to New York real estate developer, Franken to leave

Whew! Lots going on at Air America Radio this morning. The network has announced a sale, and Al Franken is officially hanging up his headphones.

Huffington Post reports that Air America has reached a sale agreement. And it isn't to Richard French. The company will be sold to SLG Radio LLC, an entity controlled by Stephen L. Green, founder and chairman of SL Green Realty Corp, a successful Manhattan real estate developer. The sale will be accomplished pursuant to section 363 of the United States Bankruptcy Code and is expected to close by mid-February. Green has signed a letter of intent and could finalize the purchase agreement this week. No further terms of the deal were announced. SLG Radio is a venture separate from SL Green Realty.

Also reported to be part of the deal is Green's brother, Mark, a New York Democrat who served as the city's public advocate in the 90s and ran for mayor against Michael Bloomberg in 2001. Mark Green had previously appeared as a guest host on the Air America program "Politically Direct," and has close ties with the show's producer, People For the America Way, of which his wife is a former director.

Air America CEO Scott Elberg confirmed the sale. "This is a great thing, for our affiliates, the company, the audience and every employee in our organization."

According to a release from Air America, SLGreen Realty Corp. has been the most profitable office real estate investment trust (REIT) in the country based on a total return to share holders, controlling 27 million square feet of commercial property largely in Manhattan and with a market cap of over $12 billion.

As for Air America's future plans, Green has many ideas. "Because I'm a businessman who enjoys creating and growing companies, I'm purchasing a majority ownership in Air America with the intention of making it a successful business that returns a profit," said Green. "To assure that AAR survives and thrives, we'll do three things. First, we'll stabilize its finances. Second, we'll build on its lineup to assure the best radio talent possible, since in the long run content is king. And third, we'll extend this special brand by partnering with other platforms beyond radio to make sure that Air America's content reaches the wide audience it deserves."

“In this digital era, the tech changes by the day and Air America Radio has to become something of a new media company,” Mark Green added. “We look forward to an AAR 2.0 that has sharp smart content better distributed over a variety of platforms. And what better time to try this than with progressive and democratic values obviously on the rise?”

Mark Green added that no hiring or programming positions had been decided for the network, should the deal go through. Furthermore, a possible executive role at Air America for Mark is unknown. He said he was speaking only as the brother of the purchaser.

The Progressive Radio Group, led by former Air America chairman Terry Kelly, will own a minority stake in the network. Kelly formed the group of about 20 investors in the fall after Air America filed for bankruptcy.

In related news, midday host Al Franken has confirmed on his show (mp3) that he will be leaving the network, as he explores a run for the U.S. Senate from Minnesota. Franken staffer Andy Barr told the St. Paul Pioneer Press not to read anything else into it. "This is not, repeat NOT, going to be an announcement about anything else," said Barr, in an email to the newspaper. Franken has been exploring a possible 2008 run for the U.S. Senate from his home state of Minnesota.

"We are very sad to see Al Franken depart from Air America and wish him every success in his next endeavor," said Elberg. "Al's brilliance, humor and passion put Air America on the map and we will always regard him as part of our family."

Franken's departure means that Thom Hartmann, who's Air America-syndicated show runs in the same time slot, will slide into the main network schedule. Franken's last day will be February 14.

More updates will follow.

Related links:

Air America press release
Daily Kos
New York Times
MSNBC
Business Week
Sheldon Drobny - a rather pessimistic view of the sale

Franken seeking advice on possible Senate bid

Comedian and Air America Radio host Al Franken has reached out to Democratic lawmakers from Minnesota in recent days, seeking advice on a possible Senate run against Republican Sen. Norm Coleman next year.

Franken, a veteran of "Saturday Night Live" and radio show host, told The Associated Press on Wednesday that he's called all of the Democrats in the delegation.

"I didn't call Coleman," he deadpanned. "I want to mainly touch base and get advice and counsel on certain issues."

Franken said he's also been reaching out to campaign veterans, pollsters and others to get their advice. While people have been encouraging, Franken said, they've also warned about possible pitfalls.

One in particular, Franken relayed: "It's unknown how people will respond to a comedian running for the Senate. I need to figure out a way to let people know I'm extremely serious about Minnesotans and their lives."

Franken said he hopes to make a decision in the next few weeks. Last year, he moved his radio show from New York City to Minneapolis.

Here we go again

Against my better judgement, here's another article, this time from political site Checks and Balances, which claims that Air America Radio's Al Franken is once again leaving the network to campaign for the 2008 Senate Race in his home state of Minnesota. It still sounds like the same damned rumor has been floating around for the past year. So far, the wingnuts are yet again in a lather, as two conservative Minnesota political blogs have referenced it, including Kennedy v. The Machine. Here ya go, and remember, take it with a truckload of Minnesota road salt:

We have it on good authority that Saturday Night Live alumnus and radio talk show host Al Franken is expected to leave his show on Air America within the next two weeks. The reason is he will be announcing his bid for U.S. Senate to unseat incumbent Senator Norm Coleman (R-MN).

Franken has been a boon in Minnesota for the Democratic rubber chicken dinner circuit. He has attended numerous small local party functions and fundraisers voluntarily being the main attraction and keynote for the evening’s festivities. His celebrity and demeanor have ingratiated him with party activists who will make up the delegate pool for the 2008 DFL State Endorsing Convention.

Even if Franken is not the nominee we feel he will provide great material for coverage as he spars with Coleman across the airwaves. As we have previously said he can be the foil against Coleman. We mentioned this idea to him at a reception for Rep. Frank Moe (DFL-04A, Bemidji) at Tavern on Grand last week to which he said, “You mean to soften him up?” He then adopted his signature grin.

The continuing adventures of Air America

This weekend, Time Magazine announced their much-anticipated recipient of "Person of the Year" for 2006. The choice? You, silly. No seriously. It's you. And me. All of us. Or at least the ones who actively use the internet for things like blogging, MySpacing, YouTubing, Facebooking and whatever else. In short, the people have become the New Media, further pushing the 'professionals' into the background. A flurry of articles regarding Air America Radio over the weekend sheds some interesting light on this notion somewhat.

The blogosphere, including your favorite Liberal Talk Radio blog (ahem!), has been all over the goings-on at Air America for months, with traditional news sources giving a recap every so often, sometimes with actual fresh information provided. And the relationship between the open source internet media and the press do often create a neverending cycle of sorts.

Giving credit where credit is due, there was some original information given in major articles about the struggling network in articles from the New York Times, Newsweek and the Associated Press, though much of it has been floating around the blogosphere for several weeks. To their credit, though, the Newsweek and NYT articles are both examples of some of the better writing about Air America as of late. Both rely more on actual reporting and less on lazy bias or just repeating tired rumors and untruths. The AP article consists of five paragraphs of the same 0l', same ol', which we have more or less grown to expect.

Unfortunately, one problem with 'Web 2.0' is that the internet media often regurgitates relatively old information, creating an 'echo chamber effect'. The Drudge Report cited the Times article, and pulled out of it the tired rumor about Al Franken leaving his radio show. Drudge should just stick to reproducing GOP talking points releases and gossipy tidbits about catty celebrities, since that part of the Times article is just a regurgitation of what we already know, in essence creating that 'news echo'. Of course, look for the whole cycle to repeat itself, as more reports about Franken's radio retirement make the go-round once again. Gotta love Drudge.

As regular readers of LTR know, a sale agreement is still being hashed out, and due to the sensitive nature of the whole deal (not to mention the ridiculously secretive atmosphere of Air America itself), nothing has been officially announced as of yet. Spokeswoman Jaime Horn says the company had reached a tentative agreement with a buyer, but a final deal was not in place. Douglas Kreeger, an initial investor and former chief executive who has been rumored as of late to be one of the network's buyers, confirmed to the Times that there is “a signed letter of intent” and that he is “likely” to be a part. The lead equity position would be taken by Terry Kelly, of Madison, WI, a former board chairman and one of the network's original investors.

Kelly said that the investor group included a new strategic media partner he declined to name, and both men would not predict when a deal might come to fruition.

"Any number of things can happen," Mr. Kreeger said.

The article in Times is recommended reading, as it goes into more specifics about the troubles and trials of Air America. It also gives a good assessment of the entire format. Newsweek shows the many ways that the network screwed up, including being too top-heavy with executives, the lack of a program director, squabbles between staffers, the cancellation of shows such as Morning Sedition and Mike Malloy, and various front office clashes between people who saw strong business potential and ones who pushed it as merely a political cause.

As for the future of Air America, all connected see the future of the network in a positive light. Kreeger cites Air America's deal with XM Satellite Radio and the network's web site, which he said had "absolute untapped potential for 24/7 online streaming that has never been effectively monetized." "It will be up to us to really create compelling content," he said. Kelly agrees, saying he would like to see the new ownership group expand the Air America brand into other areas, such as television.

Kreeger disputes the idea that Air America “was a vanity project,” but acknowledged that things may be done differently in the future. “I have come to understand very clearly that the radio component of this requires a radio professional,” he said.

In closing, I'd just like to say that it is indeed an honor to be chosen as Time Magazine's "Person of the Year". I couldn't have done it without all of you. Thanks.

"Changes are Coming" to WTPG

For the past week or so, strange things have been occurring on the Columbus AM dial.

Recently, WTPG, with no explanation, dropped the Ed Schultz Show from their schedule, and replaced Al Franken's midday show with Thom Hartmann. As of now, the station's roster consists of Stephanie Miller, Lionel, and the rest shows from Air America Radio. The station's website has also been rather difficult to load as of late (then again, so is WTVN's), and slow to be updated (par for the course with many radio stations). And now there is an interesting banner on their webpage, saying "Changes are Coming".

Of course, this would not usually raise an eyebrow. But the interesting thing is, their sister station, WTVN, which airs a roster of conservative-leaning talk, has a similar banner on their site.

Both stations are owned by Clear Channel, which has flipped or announced a flip of several progressive talk stations across the country. And the Columbus cluster is overseen by a regional office in Cincinnati. The regional manager, David Crowell, has also overseen the dropping of the format in his own home market (WSAI), and another station he oversees, the relatively successful WXXM in Madison, will switch to sports after January 1. Is Crowell on a vendetta to rid his stations of progressive talk?

The company has been griping about the format in some markets as of late, claiming that it is a tough format to sell. Of course, the majority of these complaints have come from Madison and Cincinnati, which are operated by the same regional office. There have been many things said about the ability to sell the format on this site, so I will go no further here.

As for what's next, Ohio Media Watch is wondering if they'll pull a move similar to what Entercom did in New Orleans, when they flipped progressive talker WSMB to WWWL, airing delayed shows from its sister station, WWL. Will Clear Channel make WTPG a dumping ground for their Premiere-syndicated talk shows, or delayed programming from its more successful sister?

The talk radio landscape is currently in a state of flux. With the election over, some broadcast owners are preparing for a slump in the format on both sides of the ideological spectrum. Clear Channel, which is in the process of slimming itself down for its pending sale, has even turned their regular talk stations upside-down. In Atlanta, they fired all local hosts from WGST, replacing them with much cheaper syndicated shows. In Providence, RI, they did likewise with WHJJ.

Of course, this is all mere speculation. WTPG might not even change formats. After all, ratings-wise, 1230AM has done better with progressive talk than with their last several formats. During the 1960s and 1970's, WCOL ruled the Top-40 roost in Columbus. As music-formatted AM stations were eclipsed by more powerful and better sounding FM signals, many of the abandoned AM facilities were in a rut. They tried conservative talk and all-sports, with poor results. The station returned the WCOL call letters in 2003, complete with an oldies format, but the automated station was a shell of its former self.

Since September 2004, when they flipped to progressive talk and even became the first affiliate for Miller's current radio show, ratings have tripled. While ratings have been mediocre at best, WTPG's progressive talk format has given the station its highest ratings in years. Then again, it seems the braintrusts at the Clear Channel fire sale don't really care about ratings, just so long as they can do it as cheaply as possible (though syndicated progressive talk is an outrageously cheap format to run). So, whatever happens to WTPG, who knows?

As for the other progressive talk station in Ohio, WARF has recently adjusted its schedule, and program director Keith Kennedy has vowed to keep the format. As of late, ratings for the station have been on the rise, and have been the best the station has seen in years.

Air America, Franken rumors keep a comin'

With all the rumors that have been floating about regarding Al Franken's committment to his radio show and his unannounced future plans, one wishes he would just make up his damned mind already and be done with it, so that we can all go about our lives.

The rumors have been floating for months. Sean Hannity even jumped into the frey yesterday, but does anyone believe anything he says? Today, gossip site Radar Online is keeping the rumors fresh in our minds, as they weigh in on what Franken plans to do. The information comes from who they call a "knowledgeable radio source" that tells them that Franken plans to depart Air America Radio "before the end of the year."

We do know that Franken is indeed leaving. For the war-torn Middle East. He is set to leave on a USO tour of Iraq and Afghanistan next week, from which he will return on Christmas Eve. Asked if he has made a decision to give up on the network he helped launch in 2003, Franken played coy. "I don't know what's happening," he told Radar. "It's not set in stone — I need to see what they're talking about."

"They", of course, would be Air America's current management, currently in negotiations to sell the network out of bankruptcy. Today marks the deadline, set by the bankruptcy court, for Air America to either arrange a sale or be considered in default on the $2.6 million loan that has kept it afloat since it filed for bankruptcy in October. The deadline has been extended twice before as AAR has been readying a prospective buyer. Franken is one of the creditors listed.

According to two sources familiar with the negotiations, Air America is in the final stages of arranging a sale to a small media company , which they declined to name (some rumors claim it's a small group headed by former board member Doug Kreeger). "My understanding is that everything is done except for the final touches," says one former Air America staffer. "It's a media company—a very small one. I had never heard of it."

Both sources expressed doubt that the new owner could afford to employ Air America's two biggest names—Franken and Randi Rhodes. "There's the question of whether this little company has the money to keep it going," says one source.

"There's no way that their current contracts will continue," says the former staffer. "And the question is, will Franken and Rhodes compromise in order to stay?"

Franken insists he's not paying attention to the turmoil—"I'm Zen-ing it," he says—and he's focused on his upcoming USO tour. And what will he do when he returns? "Fall asleep on the couch." And after that? "I don't know."

Some stations aren't wating around. San Francisco's KQKE dropped his show altogether, in favor of Thom Hartmann. New progressive talker WCMI in Huntington, WV/Ashland, KY and WARF in Akron/Cleveland followed suit. And following Ed Schultz' announcement that he will move his show to the same time slot as Franken starting next Monday, WINZ, WCPT, WWRC, and Franken's hometown affiliate KTNF will carry Schultz live and bump Franken to the later afternoon slot.

A little of this, a little of that

There aren't any really big stories to report, so this article will cover a bunch of little ones.

First up, Aldous Tyler checks in with the latest on WXXM in Madison (92.1 The Mic):

Here we go...We have a final push this week.The Petition to save The Mic 92.1 has almost 5000 signatures. It has only been up a month. That is incredible!! In fact, 5000 signatures was the original goal set for it, but with one more week until it will be presented, the goal has been raised.Help us meet it.We need just over 2000 more signatures to hit the new goal of 7000. This will then be presented at the rally at the High Noon Saloon, at 7:00 pm on Tuesday, December 12th.I know this can be done. There will be no way that the demand for local Progressive Talk can be denied once we complete this.

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/720087508 has the petition. I'm #14, and I recognize names both below and above me in order. I am so very proud of each and every one. Now we need to get numbers 5014, 6014 and even 7014... so pass this on to everyone you know who supports local, alternative voices in Madison, or Progressive Talk in general.Oh, and if you miss Lee Rayburn and Jodie Shawback's "The Pro Show" make sure to catch weekly brand-new podcasts being recorded live every Tuesday until Christmas at Escape Coffee (916 Willy Street) from 7:00 am to 9:00 am, or listen to the recorded podcasts on http://mortymadcat.libsyn.com/

Let's go. Spread the word. Get the signatures. Let's show everyone that the airwaves DO belong to the people!

Aldous Tyler,
"TLYMAWYA",
The Liberal Your Mother Always Warned You About

And listeners to WKBF in the Quad Cities were taken by surprise this morning at 10:47 when, during an airing of The Stephanie Miller Show, the station's signal abruptly went dead, and soon returned with the sounds of holiday Christmas music as "Truth 1270" took to the airwaves. This format flip was expected, since Mercury Broadcasting (Clear Channel operated the station for them, but were required by FCC rules to divest of it) sold the station back in October to a new owner who planned to program a Christian-based format. The station, which initially picked up progressive talk in April 2005 will air the sounds of the season all the way through Christmas. Bill O'Reilly would be so proud!

Vague rumors of the demise of Boston's liberal talk simulcast of WXKS/WKOX have circulated around for the past week or so, but have died down a bit in recent days as "Boston's Progressive Talk" decided to shuffle their schedule a bit, dropping Al Franken's show for Thom Hartmann. Now, they seem to be second-guessing, as they have now asked the listeners' help in determining their mid-afternoon lineup. Since Ed Schultz will begin airing his show live in the 12-3PM ET slot starting next week, the station asks its listeners who they should put on. Should they air Schultz live? Go with the recently added Hartmann in the slot, or put on Franken (who they announced last week as being dropped from the station). Decisions, decisions. So take your pick, and vote here.

Jerry Springer, who yesterday announced his departure from radio, did his last live show today, and will air in reruns to finish out the week. Chicago's WCPT will waste no time replacing him, as Stephanie Miller makes her Windy City debut tomorrow. Look for Miller and her sidekick Jim Ward to make heavy use of their mock 'Chicahhhgoh' accents. Springer's other main affiliate, WSAI in Cincinnati, will announce their future plans later this week.

And speaking of left-leaning low-brow TV talk show hosts, remember Richard Bey? Well, the former TV talker has been filling in for Alex Bennett on his Sirius Left show, though Bennett's fans have mixed opinions of him. Look for Alex, whose San Francisco morning radio shows of the 80s and 90s made for some of the funniest moments in the history of broadcasting (yes, it's true!) to return tomorrow.

Air America negotiations go into overtime

So, I assume you were all waiting with nervous anticipation to find out the fate of Air America Radio, right? Today was supposed to be the day, with representatives of the network in a corporate pow-wow, followed by a court hearing this afternoon, supposedly to announce a deal to guarantee the fledgeling network's survival.

Well, we'll all have to wait.

According to All Access, Air America is deep in negotiations with a potential buyer and may have an announcement possibly by the middle of next week about plans to continue the network's operation.

The network has sent an e-mail to affiliates from VP/Public Relations Jaime Horn about a "plan to take us into a future beyond bankruptcy... we appreciate your patience and dedication to Air America through this difficult period, we know that we continue to exist because of your faith in our programming."

AAR had been given an extra week beyond the original court-imposed November 22 deadline to find a buyer, but the negotiations have gone into overtime and the network continues to receive financing while the deal is negotiated.

Meanwhile, in a few moves that will likely see Brian Maloney having triple orgasms (eeeewwwww!), his best friend Al Franken, who's future in radio has been the topic of many rumors, has been moved or altogether dropped by several stations, a couple likely due to Ed Schultz's move into direct competition with him effective December 11. Franken's weekday show has been dropped by WXKS/WKOX in Boston, as well as WARF in Akron, OH. At WCPT in Chicago, Franken and Schultz swap timeslots. The three stations are likely hedging their bets against Franken's rumored departure from his radio show. The move in Boston can be partly attributed to the recent success of timeslot competitor Thom Hartmann, whose show actually beats 800 lb. radio gorilla Rush Limbaugh head to head in Seattle.