Dear Oprah: Please Help Save Air America Radio

[orleans]

dear oprah,
if you believe all the things you say about--that we should help each other, that peace and love are important--that we can make a positive difference in other people's lives--then would you please pony up, and save air america radio.

dear oprah,
people are literally dying for lack of liberal talk radio--radio that speaks truth to power--radio that is not a mouthpiece for the lies of the bush administration.

dear oprah,
please don't let the experiment die! now is the time to walk the talk. your country needs you.

dear oprah,
we can make a difference, we can change the world, one liberal voice at a time. please help.

[seriousstan]

1. Are you rubbing your Oprah statue's belly when you chant this?

[GymGeekAus]

2. Were you spitting in his face when you typed that?

Certainly there were more polite ways to ask for a clarification.

[seriousstan]

4. Who "his"?

Actually, I was laughing my ass off at how much this resembled a prayer. I thought the "saint" of big money salvation was Soros. I didn't realize the deity had been changed.
:rofl:

[GymGeekAus]

5. Only one antecedant in the discussion fits. Duh.

And yes, I realize that is what you were doing.

[orleans]

6. well, since soros doesn't seem to be coughing up cash for

air america, i thought i'd try oprah. (think she'll go for it?)

how about streisand?

"dear babs,
you wrote such wonderful things on your website before the 2004 election about how bush is such an asshole, please help out air america so they can continue to tell the world what an asshole bush truly is."

think that'll work?

(who else can liberals hit up for some cash for liberal talk radio?)

[Ellis Wyatt]

9. how about

the listeners?

[seriousstan]

10. Advertisers come to mind. If the market won't support it then it is "vanity" radio

and becomes a pay to listen model. Why should anyone but the listeners pay if the audience is not large enough to pull advertisement dollars? It works everywhere else.

[KittyWampus]

12. Lack of advertisement $'s Had NOTHING to do with AAR's audience size. They were blacklisted

by corporations.

[Jeffersons Ghost]

22. EXACTLY CRYING SHAME... are they blacklisted for DU recommendations these days?

3 votes seems pretty conservative with so many readers viewing the OP. (is it 500 yet?) Am i missing something here? No fans for Air America radio at DU i guess... or no fans of free-speech/press? I don't know. I'm just a dumb old country boy.

[Jeffersons Ghost]

25. cool FINALLY 4th RECOMMENDATION thanks DU... I have an agenda...

nothing is more important to me than the open exchange of ideas, civil liberties and a free press. That IMHO, is the basis of Democracy.

[helderheid]

31. I put it on the greatest n/t

[nedbal]

47. No fans for Air America radio at DU . not me

I'm a fan of free-speech/press Last year I donated a good amount to my local Pacifica station to keep them on the air. Yet I've had my fill of the political ranters be it Air America, Pacifica. or Fox, CNN

PS asking Oprah for help is a joke

[Dick Diver]

48. No, they've failed due to mismanagement,

lack of advertising revenues, and lack of market share. This "blacklist" is (as Jimmy Buffet might say), simply "one of those stories that we love to tell." See post #45 below and other DU threads for debunking of this fairy tale.

[JudyM]

41. Or a group of Dem celebrities. That would get plenty of listeners. n/t

[orleans]

8. or trump. maybe he'll go for it.

bumper stickers:

DONALD TRUMP SAVES THE AIR
(america radio)

he'd probably love to see that bumper sticker on cars. eh?

[Jeffersons Ghost]

26. I'd like to see a genius who gave old big-pockets control-freak Murdoch some what-for, recently...

I ALWAYS respected, Ted Turner but never more than last week. He could turn the medium around, just like he did a while back with a real communications weak-sister.

[Radio_Lady]

3. You're too late. Earlier this year, Oprah signed with XM Radio to do a multi-host show.

I believe they went on the air in September 2006.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/02/09/entertainment/main1300447.shtml

Also, from TMZ.com:

Oprah Lords Over White Folk, Talks Poop on XM
Posted Sep 25th 2006 1:52PM by TMZ Staff
Filed under: Oprah

If it wasn't already totally evident that Oprah Winfrey can talk about anything for any length of time, her debut today on her own XM Radio channel just confirmed it. The talk-show queen gabbed with her best pal Gayle King (who called her, inexplicably, "Mommy") on what is nominally King's show on "Oprah & Friends," the satellite channel that launched today. Oprah Lords Over White Folk, Talks Poop on XM
Posted Sep 25th 2006 1:52PM by TMZ Staff
Filed under: Oprah

If it wasn't already totally evident that Oprah Winfrey can talk about anything for any length of time, her debut today on her own XM Radio channel just confirmed it. The talk-show queen gabbed with her best pal Gayle King (who called her, inexplicably, "Mommy") on what is nominally King's show on "Oprah & Friends," the satellite channel that launched today.

[orleans]

7. (well, i don't want her talking on air america, i just want her to buy it

so it doesn't go under ... in 3 weeks...

[SoCalDem]

11. Oprah bends over backwards to remain as apolitical as she can.

I am pretty sure SHE's a liberal, but she never wants to alienate 1/2 her audience, so I doubt that she will "endorse" a side.

She gushes with equal enthusiasm for Arnie & Barack..

She uses her money to help the helpless, but she does it carefully..without getting to the root of the cause.. (how public policies CONTRIBUTED to making those people so poor)

Once she no longer care how many people buy her magazine, or watch her shows, she might step up and declare herself, but until then, she will remain perched on top of that fence:)

[Radio_Lady]

14. Do you happen to have the link about Air America? I thought they were

just declaring bankruptcy, but didn't hear any more about it earlier in November.

[Jeffersons Ghost]

30. here's a cool link for old media pros... it has a dancing sheep and a fine song...

KUMBAYA THIS!
http://plumflowerembroidery.com/pfaudio/kumbaya.mp3

[Radio_Lady]

46. Dancing sheep? A fine song? I must be missing something.

It seems to be audio only and it sounds like it's playing at the wrong speed. Am I missing something?

[Nikki Stone1]

16. "Mommy?"

Ok, that's just frigging weird

[Jeffersons Ghost]

19. LOL, good one stan.... I'd say Air America is close to "Greatest @ DU.... how about a REC or two?

[Nikki Stone1]

13. Sort of like writing to Santa Clause, but I'll K & R anyway

:kick:

[Gidney N Cloyd]

15. I'd love to see Phil Donahue put an investment group together.

[Jeffersons Ghost]

17. I'd say saving AIR AMERICA RADIO, deserves a recommendation and a few...

:kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick:

[Nikki Stone1]

18. kick so Oprah will see and save the day!

:D

[Jeffersons Ghost]

20. THANKS NIKKI but what this OP, like Air America needs is publicity and SUPPORT! VOTE IT UP DU

[Nikki Stone1]

34. okey dokey

kick

[JacksonWest]

21. What's happening to Air America?

[LSK]

23. rumors of a buyout I guess

Both Franken and Randi have said they hope to return there after their vacations.

[Jeffersons Ghost]

27. that randi is something, isn't she? Hell, the gals enough to make me become a groupie! lol...

I love her for her sweet sensitivity.... really I do... it's not just her looks, style, superb broadcasting ability, dry wit and incisive retort in TV interviews... it's her mild-mannered sensitivity to the needs and feelings of the right-wing that makes her special.

[Jeffersons Ghost]

29. it somehow went bankrupt Jackson and with all those listeners... go figure,,,,

:kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick:

[JacksonWest]

35. I knew about the bankruptcy...

But i thought they were just reorganizing. The lease is in place on the new flagship station...basically, the bankruptcy denies the initial investors their return, but the operation will keep going on. I didn't think it was going to -fin-

[KharmaTrain]

43. They Have Less Than A Week To Find A Buyer

http://www.mediaweek.com/mw/news/tvstations/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003410426

The company has been plauged since it began with financial difficulties. This year has been abysmal for radio advertising and this appears to be the coup de grace for AAR.

The company has sought to find new money and continues to chase after enough to keep the lights on and no guarantee the network would be out of the financial mess, but looks like the clock is about to run out. If there's not a buyer announced by early next week, I suspect the plug will be pulled by the end of the year.

[951-Riverside]

24. Dear Oprah: Ruin your career in order to save a radio station belonging to people who hate you.

Let Rosie O save it.

[Jeffersons Ghost]

28. come on patriots... ONE MORE RECOMMENDATION FOR FREE SPEECH and I'll quit bugging you for a while...

:kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick:

[helderheid]

32. done

[IndyOp]

33. Link to a complete news story about this please...

Someone else asked for such a link above, but I don't see one. I thought their bankruptcy was for "reorganization" not liquidation and that even if the network went under the shows would still go on...

Update?

[NYCGirl]

36. Link:

http://www.radioink.com/HeadlineEntry.asp?hid=135934&pt=todaysnews

Air America Buys Time To Find Buyer

Air America Radio attorney Tracy Klestadt got some more time for his client to get its financial house in order yesterday after asserting during a bankruptcy hearing that the Liberal-leaning Talk Radio network was in "advanced negotiations with a few parties" about a sale, and expected to have more detailed information on a deal in a week. Air America, which remains on the air, had been facing a November 22 deadline to find a buyer.

[Ninga]

37. How many of us started w/AAR on Sirius and then when they jumped ship

for bigger $$$$ --- we followed them to XM like little sheep......and not at a small cost either.

What in the world goes on in the minds of the founders?

Before this venture didn't the start up people KNOW big time corporate big wigs would most likely look the other way and wait for AAR to fail?


Soros et al, should have been part of the process in the beginning.


It remains to be seen if they really fold though......XM and all.

[sandyd921]

38. What about a consortium of Hollywood liberals?

I'm thinking Robert Redford, Barbara Streisand, Paul Newman, Jane Fonda (and hubby Ted), etc., etc.

[DemonFighterLives]

39. I sure hope someone picks them up

Al was sticking it in the freeper's faces when AAR didn't go down. The boortz gang has been pushing it's failure for some time now. I hope Al knows something that we don't and gives a healthy donation himself.
Please Oprah, Please Mr Soros, Bill Press, Begala, Carville? others who could help. Could you spare a dime?
:dem:

[mirandapriestly]

40. Is this boycott true? This makes me sick

I think we should definitely do something about this. There are corporations I buy from on this list, but if this is true I won't and I will spread the word.

http://www.fair.org/images/ABCmemo.pdf

edited to add list

[Nikki Stone1]

42. Boycott?

>

[orleans]

44. miranda, please explain this to me. (i missed something or i'm tired)

but who put out this list

who is the list directed to

(i didn't know there was a "list")

thanks for your help.

[KharmaTrain]

45. It Was Traffic Instructions...Not A Boycott

First of all, ABC has no Air America affiliates. I posted several times on this and reported it, along with others, to Mediamatters.

It also lists several groups that are non-profits...they don't advertise...they get Public Service announcements for free. This was instructions to stations that may carry ABC news for 5 minutes at the top of the hour and what clients they have in their newscasts so that local affiliates don't put a competitor in an agencent spot.