Air America Network Stirs Unwanted Controversy

[Heyo]

Air America Network Stirs Unwanted Controversy

Wednesday, April 07, 2004

It's only been on the air for a week and Air America is already sparking airwave rage.

Critics say the liberal radio network is treating minority communities unfairly by taking over the programming of stations serving different ethnic groups.

One group, the Coalition of Artists and Activists (search), says that by taking over New York's WLIB station, Air America (search) has stolen the voice of African-Americans who relied on that station for information, talk and Afro-Caribbean music.

more... http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,116454,00.html

who knows if it's true though..

Heyo

[Oilwellian]

1. Fox is slow

This was discussed here days ago.

[tabasco]

2. FOXNEWS

nuff said

[librechik]

3. it's true and Randi sort of apologized today

what a drag--but they had to go somewhere, and apparently WLIB was available. I hope they make a serious effort to include more minorites on the staff and soon. No doubt they will.

[Junkdrawer]

4. Shocked! Fox News is Shocked that any network would show partisan bias.

:evilgrin:

[SharonAnn]

7. Well, the right-wing is really concerned about diversity of media,

don'tcha know?

[Zinfandel]

29. As if Fox news has EVER given a fuck about minorities, or persons of color

for that matter.

They mention it only because they think they can attack liberals and they are frustrated AAR is growing and pisssing in their face, knowning they can't do shit about.

[linazelle]

5. They're just getting started

AA is breaking records on the web--2 million streamers.

You know they have AA under a microscope and they will continue to find things to discredit AA. The FCC is surely waiting for the chance to fine them. I hope the station can weather the impending storm.

[MSgt213]

6. Yes it's true but that's the price of progress. Anyone think that Rush or

any of the other so called conservative radio talk show hosts didn't displace people when they came in? I'm not sure why black run stations should be exempt from effects of the market place. If Air America does'nt work they will be back to fill the void, if it does they are more then capable of finding a way to be heard on other stations.

[Renew Deal]

8. Yeah, It's AA's fault.

Not the people that put them on. :shrug:

[wyldwolf]

9. NY has many stations that represent minority communities

[onecitizen]

10. Oh pleeeezzzz......

what next? Gripe gripe gripe

[spanone]

11. Saw fauxnews and didn't bother to open the url.

[JaySherman]

12. WBAI has been whining about this.

I love WBAI but when the hosts and callers start on Air America, I shut it off. C'mon guys.

[messiah]

14. That's the difference though Air America is "Centrist" while Wbai is

"Left".

[JaySherman]

16. Yeah. A bit of the Nader Syndrome it would seem.

Continuing to rail against the Man without looking at the bigger picture. To the complainers, Air America is another corporate oppressor but what they're failing to see is we need it. BAI and Pacifica have their niche, but they're too far to the left to compete in the mainstream arena. That's what AA is for.

[CaptainClark23]

24. AA is a threat to WBAI

Purely in terms of listenership. And since WBAI is in a constant struggle to keep afloat, its natural there'd be some grumbling.

Not agreeing with the demonisation of AA, but let's not forget the stations that carried the message all the way here.
Often ineffectually perhaps, but independent radio is crucial to democracy and free speech.

It would really suck if we turned the dial one day and WBAI wasn't there anymore.

[JaySherman]

25. I agree with that.

A good reason for BAI not to try and fight or compete with it. I'll continue to support both.

Speaking of which, the spring fund drive is coming up if it hasn't started already. Time to open up the wallet...

[SpongeBob]

23. You hit on another difference...

WBAI also said virtually nothing about the stolen election. Instead people like Amy Goodman perpetuated the lie that Gore lost (because he did this, he didn't do that in his campaign, etc.) In general WBAI seems to not encourage voting at all (except maybe occassionally for a third party), just taking to the streets (I believe there's a time for both). On the other hand, maybe SOME of the Air America people are a little too loyal to the mainstream Democratic Party, but I still wouldn't call them all centrists.

[messiah]

13. This was reported from other places first

I heard it on Democracy Now about a week ago what a damn shame!.

[JaySherman]

27. They're screwing up with this.

Giving FAUX ammunition. Not good.

[PROGRESSIVE1]

15. Since when did the right wing CARE about minorities???

:wtf:

This is a wedge that DAS REICHVINGERS are using to make us look bad and it WILL NOT work!!!!!!

[kentuck]

17. Tell FOX thanks for the publicity !

:)

[59millionmorons]

18. Hoax?

http://counterspin.blogspot.com/

BOGUS: You can pretty much flush the B.S. that Air America is crushing "black radio" in New York -- down the crapper.

"Inner City’s general manager, Kernie L. Anderson, this week announced that although Air America has leased broadcast time during the day, March 31 will also initiate WLIB’s 12 a.m. to 5 a.m. overnight focus on Black issues programming. Saturday nights will feature “Moment Creole” with Stanley Barbot, and “Caribbean Cross Culture” will be on every Sunday night. David Dinkins and Rev. Al Sharpton have been offered Sunday morning shows; on weeknights Dr. Carlos Russell will revise his Afrocentric issues show “Thinking It Through”; and the journalist-author Herb Boyd will host a two-hour call-in/news segment, “Conversation with the People.”

Boyd said that he specifically wants the opportunity to revitalize wlib.com, the station’s Web site, by giving it a more global reach: making it a streaming site and possibly linking it with his own Internet news site, The Black World Today (tbwt.com), and others.

Dr. Russell said he wants his show to build an African-drum-like momentum: spreading the word so that listeners will make the effort to listen to his overnight broadcasts. Russell said he understands why people are disappointed with the changes at WLIB, but “WLIB is still in control of the station,” he pointed out. “We will have to keep our eyes open – we have to be careful and not allow this New Liberalism to trap us. But I believe that we’re on the right track."

[latebloomer]

20. Oh, come on!

12 midnight to 5 AM? Not exactly prime property.

[nostamj]

19. reality check

if WLIB was successful, they wouldn't have sold. period.

fox playing 'the race card' is laughable. the Afro-Caribbean community was not able to sustain WLIB

whether the liberals will is UNKNOWN AT THIS TIME.

FOX... remember, FOX

[KharmaTrain]

21. WLIB Wasn't Sold...

This time Air America uses, it purchases from Inner Urban Broadcasting...the license holder and still an African-American owned company (they also own WBLS-FM).

WLIB has tried for years to operate a profitable African-American talk staiton, but it's been very difficult as the few advertisers are small "mom & pop" businesses (not the large corporations that dominate FM Urban radio...selling CDs and Concert tickets).

From one who knows, brokering out weekday time is difficult...it requires the "owner" to spend thousands of dollars a week of their own (such as Air America does) and then it's upon them to resell that time to their sponsors. If they're good and lucky, they make their nut and stay on the air. A rare few succede that they make a very nice profit...but that's rare.

I could give you a list of stations the new "Fox Sports" radio network plays on that destroyed dozens of local talk and information stations (I'll bet there's one in your town)...or the desire of the large conglomerates to lock up all broadcast properties...artificially increasing their values that make it both impossible for small companies and individuals to own properties and then be able to financially compete.

I posted on this previously. There is merit to the groups that are upset at losing their access to the airwaves...and you would feel if AA were to be taken off in place of another format that paid more money for the air time.

[LTR]

32. You are correct, sir!

It is strictly leased time. And WLIB wouldn't be leasing the time if they were making enough to pay the light bill. AAR offered the money, and they bit. And conservatives such as the ones at Faux should know all about profitable business models, right?

Just out of curiosity, I wonder how many community stations were bought out by right wing religious groups like Salem and Starboard. Guess we won't find out about that on Fox News.

[are_we_united_yet]

22. BS

An attempt by the right to pit minorites against a show that represents their interests.

[robbedvoter]

26. GOP-er Calvin Butts stirs the pot, WBAI as usual joins in

During the 2000 coup I kept trying to tune in WBAI for some truth. they were talking about a coup alright - ONE TAKING PLACE INSIDE WBAI!!!. Not a word about the stolen election!
So I had to watch CNN - and I understood - until Air America showed up - THAT I HAD NO VOICE ON THE AIRWAVES
The day the faux left WBAI folds, I'll drink chanpaign! (same the day Faux bits the dust). I can dream, can't I?
The entire notion of VOTING is foreign to Pacifica - which is why they are detrimental to us. They advise releasing steam by protesting and then staying home listening to them.
Some resistance!

[JaySherman]

28. There's a lot of shows I'd really miss on Pacifica.

But you're right, they need to stop broadcasting their internal politics. No one wants to hear it.

[Trajan]

30. This reminds me of when ....

KNAC was the PREMIER FM hard rock station in the LA area in the seventies and early eighties ...

One day: we awoke to Mariachi bands ....

You could hear the moans and screams all month ....

They never looked back ...

(btw ? ... any old KNACK fan can visit http://KNAC.com to relive those old days .... Cept its mostly new metal stuff now) ...

[Pax Argent]

33. Still got my KNAC bottle opener!!!

Those were the days. $2.99/case Schaeffers, black jeans and concert shirts, and partying until dawn.

I still remember the horror of coming back over the hill from Lancaster where I had been living for a while back into LA and NOT finding KNAC. The LA radio scene has been an incredible suck-fest since then.

[Davis_X_Machina]

31. DId Fox also complain...

...when the old socialist station WEVD (as in Eugene V. Debs) in the same market was sold to ESPN?

I somehow don't think so, even though that was a station with a sixty-year history of serving an underserved community -- Labor.