Air America does the shark hop

[LTR]

Now that the smoke has cleared and the dust has settled somewhat, we can now take a step back and assess the whole Randi Rhodes/Air America/Nova M game of musical chairs that took place this past week, as Rhodes prepares to relaunch her show from West Palm Beach, FL today. We can take a look at the winners and losers in all of this, and perhaps speculate about the future of liberal talk radio.

As Air America president Mark Green seemingly turns his fledgling radio network into what seems like an audio clubhouse for Huffington Post celebrity bloggers, they still have to come to terms with bungling the whole Randi Rhodes ordeal, which saw their top personality defect to the competition. While Rhodes will do fine working among friends at Nova M Radio, Air America has some serious holes to fill. Here's what I would do, if I were handed the keys...

Here's the latest rant from my blog:

http://ltradio.blogspot.com/2008/04/air-america-does-shark-hop.html

[bellasgrams]

1. They did the right thing the only way they could have done

better is to fire her before she left the stage. The language and speech she made was horrible. It would have been just as bad if it had been BO or McCain. There is no need for that kind of talk. It just shows her lack of morals and intellect. Does she have a family? They must be so proud.not

[orleans]

3. wrong. they didn't fire her. they wanted to rewrite her contract

that she negotiated for seven months. the new owner said they had buyers remorse because they couldn't fire her.

they said they threw this shit out in the media to see how popular she was and it turned out she was the best thing they had. she was the number 1 liberal talker on the radio.

oopsie. so they told her they'd give her the mic back if she revised the contract and allowed them to fire her if they wanted to.

she quit.

i won't even bother arguing with you about what she said and where she was when she said it.

[otohara]

7. What Was She Said - Remind Me

and where was she when she said it? Oh, I remember a nightclub promoting KKGN an Air America affiliate. Air America presents Randi Rhodes read the ads.

go ahead type those disgusting remarks and then justify them.

[orleans]

16. which word don't you like? FUCKING or WHORE?

i'll assume you never use them.

[nadinbrzezinski]

21. Two free clues for the clueldss

1.- Was not SAID on the air, but at a club, with 21+ audience

2.- There was nothing in her contract saying she could not use this language at a show OFF the air

So will you not use media whores from now on?

What about other language that we use regularly here on DU that might be considered offensive?

Oh and by the way, it was a contract dispute. They used the event in San Fran as an excuse

I do sincerely hope you do you find yourself in a similar situation with your boss one day.

Oh and we have another name for what happened, FASCIST TACTICS

[bellasgrams]

28. I know they didn't fire her, I said they should have fired her

I know she was in a club when she made the remarks. They were filthy, Hillary and Gerry Ferraro are both good democrats and have been for years. Randi works for a Dem. network, she should be loyal to them. Her sponsors wouldn't want her to offend people for her offensive remarks. BO worries me. His views of this country, his views of white people, his good friend the preacher went to Libya with Farrakhan, he has connections with the old Weathermen couple, there are so many things. Listen to the following clip. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lI77cU3jsFs&eurl

[orleans]

31. my god--get a grip

you sound as paranoid as a couple right wingers i know:
"BO worries me. His views of this country, his views of white people, his good friend the preacher went to Libya with Farrakhan, he has connections with the old Weathermen couple, there are so many things."

settle down. what the hell are you so worried about? his views of white people? are you white? is this why you're worried? it's okay. it'll be okay. don't listen to this crazy-ass racist shit. so what if his preacher went to libya. and fuck farrakhan. he met someone from the weathermen? big fucking deal.

settle down. black people are not out to get whites. it's just a rumor that republikas like to toss around in their paranoid delusions.

and the pukes do it out of guilt for the way they have treated minorities. and they do it out of guilt from the way they think of minorities.

[Bake]

2. How did they bungle anything?

Rhodes was alienating HALF of her (and AAR's) audience with her invective. No business can stay in business long like that. AAR had no choice. Rhodes was acting like a spoiled brat; I suspect she was looking for a way out of her contract anyway, and manufactured this incident to force their hand.

She won't be missed.

Bake

[orleans]

4. she won't be missed by me because i'll be listening to novam radio

and hearing her live today.

[SpiralHawk]

6. Randy was just too damn whiney & bombastic

She had good points to make, but the whine & bombast
made it difficult - if not impossible -- to listen to her
for more than 5 minutes.

I wish Randy the best in her new job, and hope she will
mature in her delivery.

[Peregrine Took]

10. I agree - I just couldn't take that whiny voice and guffaw - I'm glad she's

gone from a listener point of view although I do agree with her politics.

Maybe Sam Sedar will get the job.

[Tarheel_Dem]

13. Richard Belzer (Munch) got the job.......nt

[otohara]

8. This Obama Supporter

wont' be listening to her explain away and blame everyone else for her jump to Nova. She would happily fuck everyone at AAR rather than say she was sorry, wrong, drunk, even if it meant people would lose their jobs. You know she had a fairly large group of people working for her, I doubt little Nova can afford her, much less them.

[orleans]

15. well, obama supporter...

that moral self rightous crap turned out to be crap

aar didn't want her to apoligize

they didn't give a shit about what she said at the nightclub

the new owners were pissed that she had a no fire clause (it had nothing to do w/morals, language, etc. all that was bullshit)

and when they found out that she was the company's goldmine they offered to pay her more money and PAY DAMAGES.

[otohara]

17. Goldmine

that's funny! KKGN in San Francisco, 4th largest market in the country. Rush Limbaugh #4 station, Randi Rhodes & AAR #23. Let's take Denver, again Rush #4 - AAR #26. Now in Portland where Thom Hartman has been for a very long time, KPOJ is @ #10, but Rush station sadly is #2.

So don't go thinking she's all that when it comes to making money for the network or the local affiliate. When you're #23 & #26 in a market, a 30 second spot doesn't cost that much.

[orleans]

18. sounds like you're really in the right-wing corner. do you listen to rush a lot? n/t

[otohara]

22. Yeah, That's It, I'm A RUSH Groupie

I love it when he says nasty ass things about democratic leaders and I support his efforts to get people to go vote for Hillary so she will be the one he pisses on until November. I just don't like when liberal hosts do it. Yeah, that's the ticket.

Go listen to the goddess explain away her actions and how big bad AAR was so mean to her AFTER she opened her big foul mouth.

[FedoraLV]

19. Randi beat Rush

in ratings when she was a local talker in Florida, before AAR: she will again.

Listen to Malloy's 4/3 show and Randi's show today before you post about what went on -- without them you don't know what went on behind the scenes.

-FedoraLV

[otohara]

20. So I've Heard

you think there's any Hillary Clinton supporters in Miami who will give her the time of day now?

I'm done with her - she can't explain away her remarks towards Hillary Clinton which got her into this mess in the first place. She can explain and spin herself into a tizzy about how big bad Air America treated her after her careless behavior. AFTER being the key word.

Amazing how Rhodes garners so much respect from this site. I know the anti-Hillary stuff runs rampant at DU, but to condone her remarks is beyond me. You have to really hate Hillary Clinton to do so.

[nadinbrzezinski]

24. Here are our choices in the GE

and I have leared this from those on this site

1.- Fascist (bomb, bomb Iran McCain)

2.- Fascist Light (Hillary Clintoin, we'd like to silence those that are critical of us)

3.- Corporatists

What is the thought that comes up

Oh yeah, up a creek with no paddle

[gort]

29. She denied she was drunk

Since you enjoy being so high and mighty on that tall, pointy fence you are sitting on, try sticking to the facts and not your prejudices when you are trying to make your point.

[otohara]

30. How Sad

to have to deny being drunk. But then even if she were, she'd deny it, because that's what Randi Rhodes does. Did she deny calling Hillary Clinton a big fucking whore too?

[Tarheel_Dem]

5. Speak for yourself. She will be missed by many.

And good luck pitting Richard Belzer (whom I like) against an established radio personality like Randi Rhodes. Yeah, that's a winning strategy. Randi was/is the #1 liberal radio talk show host in the country. Let's just see how this plays out.

[nadinbrzezinski]

23. She manufactured the incident? WOW... AAR reminds me of a business

I had the misfortune to do business with some years back

Free clue, they are no longer in business either. I expect AAR to go down in flames too

[Bake]

32. Of course she manufactured it!

Do you honestly believe she didn't know that her "fucking whore" remarks would be controversial and potentially embarassing to her employer? That it wouldn't further alienate half AAR's audience? Here's a clue: SHE STARTED THE WHOLE MESS. AAR had no choice but to suspend her (I'm sure she must have known there would be consequences - if not, she's a total fucking idiot), so then she takes the opportunity, that she set up, to jump ship.

Seems pretty clear to me.

Bake

[Tarheel_Dem]

9. I'm sorry, but I could care less what happens to AAR now...

They've made it quite clear that true progressives are not their target audience. Sam was replaced by Lionel? Puhleeze. Marc Maron & Mike Malloy unceremoniously fired.

And I think this last move will be the final nail in the coffin (no disrespect to Richard Belzer). AAR is most likely done. Rachel, who is one of AAR's brighter stars, has a great future ahead of her no matter what. Sam & TYT should seriously consider doing something together, and trying to get with NovaM. And Thom Hartmann, I can listen to without the aid of AAR.

AAR Management Sucks!

[otohara]

11. Since Thom Hartmann Works For AAR

I don't know how you are able to listen w/o AAR aid?

[Tarheel_Dem]

12. I have my ways. And while AAR carries Thom's show, I don't think

you can call him an employee. And he still has a local Portland show. Thank you very much.

[nadinbrzezinski]

26. Another free clue to the clueless

Thom produces his own show. You think Jones or Nova will not pick up his radio show?

[ihavenobias]

14. Right, Maddow, Hartmann and Seder are awesome, and Seder and The Young Turks should pair up

Seder has co-hosted with Cenk on TYT and I loved it. It'll be interesting to see what happens, but Sam clearly deserves more than a Sunday show, and I'd like to see TYT on satellite radio.

[Rex]

25. Well you have to have your mainstream element in the Democratic Party

if I can loosely associate any of the characters left on AA with Dems. IMO, it is the dumbing down crowd, going for easy fixes on AA now. You know, ratchet down the 'left-wing dogma'. :sarcasm:

[jazzjunkysue]

27. "I'd offer Seder and the exiled Marc Maron the chance to team up for the still

-vacant morning drive slot"

Yes! Yes!Yes!Yes!Yes!Yes!Yes!Yes!

My first choice!!!! MARON!!!!!!!!!!!