AAR has turned into a real SUCK-a-thon. Belzer, the show biz name-dropper is HORRID...

[npincus]

it's so sad. First Sam Seder, now this. AAR management seems to think filling Randi's slot with celebs who are progressives, is more entertaining than using the talents of less "famous" whip-smart progressives and radio-professionals like Sam Seder. I think AAR is turning inot the ABC of radio; treating their audience like idiots, removing substance and replacing it with "flash".

Anyone agree?

[underpants]

1. I stopped listening when Franken went off the air

okay I did listen to Randi -she was great at it & I got on the air with her once- but the rest of it was eh okay in my book.

[onehandle]

20. Me too. First they killed off much of their original talent, then Al went off to become Senator.

My AAR days were pretty much over at that point.

[Fovea]

2. Word.

Belzer, while a decent, intelligent human, has a voice made for TV.

[fascisthunter]

3. I Actually Like Belzer and Think He Has Done a Good Job

I also like the topics he has brought up this week... :shrug:

[eleny]

16. Same here

I listen to Randi once in a while. But I found Belzer's quiet manner and all his guests a nice change.

AAR is still off track with not giving Sam a show of his own. But since he's for Obama I doubt it will happen.

We have so many choices these days between local radio and I-net streaming. I don't listen to any one person every single day that they're on.

[fascisthunter]

21. That's What I Like about Him too

he's respectful to callers instead of being condescending.

[undeterred]

4. I really like Belzer, and he is filling in for a week on short notice.

Hosts use the people they know- thats what my local Air America guy (Lee Rayburn) did when he was asked to cover the national slot at the last minute. You're reading too much into it.

[npincus]

10. OK, I turned it on Day 1 when he called his show biz bud Martin Short

kissed his ass for 10 minutes, repeated every venue where and when he would be appearing, and it was absolutely dull and pointless, designed to impress those of us who don't hobnob w/celebs. I turned it off, dpressed, shortly after.

I am very disappointed in AAR. There are enough professional progressive radio hosts and AAR has the means to find them. What about Sam?

[Breeze54]

5. They've effectively blocked any from listening online now

since they 'redesigned' their website. I don't bother going there anymore.

I go to www.NovaMRadio.com now and 1480 KPHX Streams http://www.1480kphx.com/DynamoPages.php?PID=22

[undeterred]

6. What's an "arew progressive"?

[npincus]

11. OK, Spelling Police, I got rid of that troublesome "w'.

[thoughtanarchist]

7. Kinda

I think Belzer is a good guy, and a talented actor, but personally, I never found him very entertaining as a comedian, and based on that, I don't have much hope that he'd be a very good talk show host.

That said, I'd listen to ANY AAR programming if we had a real radio affiliate within my range.

If you can turn on your radio and get ANY progressive programming, count your blessings.

Here in the Boston area the talk radio is all right wing crap.

[Breeze54]

9. Progressive Talk left last year from Boston... it truly sucks

I have to listen on line now. Amazing how Clear Channel took over the Boston Market with Mitt the Shit in office here. He owns part of that company. Do you remember him giving that speech in front of the statehouse with a huge Clear Channel banner hanging in the background? Isn't that a conflict of interest?

[thoughtanarchist]

13. Not to mention that during his campaign

the radio screamers turned their programming into a 24/7 advertising campaign for Mittens.

[EVDebs]

8. Belzer is great. I listen to Thom Hartmann too. Ed Shultz is ok

but I think altogether AAR should bring back Randi ... btw she's still on my SF Bay Area AAR station.

[Gold Metal Flake]

23. Ed Schultz is not on Air America.

He is syndicated by Jones Radio, as is Stephanie Miller. It's confusing because stations contract for individual shows and mix them for their programing. The LA station has Stephanie (Jones), Hartmann (AAR) then Randi (NovaM) then Rachael Maddow (AAR)(Sigh patter patter).

AAR can not bring back Randi. She is with NovaM now, and most of the stations airing her AAR-based show are now carrying her new NovaM show. Other will follow. She is the #1 progressive radio talent.

At least AAR has not messed with Thom. I do think Sam Seder should have his own weekday show. He's quite good.

[EVDebs]

29. Our Bay Area station must contract with NovaM

In order for us to get Randi. In any event, I hear Randi got a good deal with NovaM. If they're progressive, I'm for 'em no matter how they get on the air...which brings us to the topic of how to open up more of the airwaves to progressives despite the consolidation of corporate media.

[meegbear]

12. Celebs?

Is Richard gonna be there next week or do they have another person lined up?

[otohara]

14. Complain, Complain,Complain

turn it off.

[npincus]

24. No. Lament, lament, lament.

I did.

[otohara]

25. Lamenting On Radio Business

is a huge waste of time. People come, people go - bad management runs rampant in radio business, but then so do out of control, ego maniacal radio personalities who are sometimes not worth the trouble.

I'm enjoying the hell out of Belzer - and I'm looking forward to hearing Roseanne Barr when she guests hosts. She was on Craig Ferguson last week, she still is very funny and big on politics.

[Stuckinthebush]

15. Honestly, Randi was pretty horrid as well

There are some good moments on the talk shows, but I find myself turning the channel more often than not.

[stlsaxman]

17. agreed- AAR has a full history of foot-shooting.

Marc Maron being my favorite example of this. AAR had the best morning show in "Morning Sedition". and i mean the best- ever! great bunch of writers that were free to tackle ANY topic and led by a comic who was/is like Woody Allen on steroids who channels Lenny Bruce. a new, fresh and perfect recipe for a progressive morning show.

... and the CEO of AAR listened to "Imus In The Morning" instead.

So he fires Marc Maron...

and Mike Malloy...

and Jeanine Garofolo...

and The Young Turks...

then they get Randi to quit...

oy fucking vey! :eyes:

not sure why Sam Seder even bothers to stick around. Rachel Maddow has a huge career ahead of her in television. she needs her own show on MSNBC.

oh and Tom Hartman...

They should ALL sign up with NovaM. that's all i listen to any more... that and Diane Rhem on NPR.

[renate]

30. I *know*! what was up with that?

Marc Maron was a scream. Hilarious. So of course he got fired.

I got lucky in that he was replaced on our local affiliate by Thom Hartmann, who is excellent (though completely different). But I still miss Marc Maron. And although Al Franken left voluntarily, I still wish he were on the air--he got a lot of criticism here, as I remember, but he always made me laugh out loud.

[onehandle]

18. Sam Seder is an excellent host. He should get the slot.

Nothing against Randi, but she's gone. Sam and Marc Maron should both have a daily show.

[undeterred]

26. He wants it.

There's a petition on his website I think. He's good and I'd like to see him get it too.

[stlsaxman]

19. oh- and WTF is a "Lionel" anyways?!?!?

Talk about lame...

lame lame lame lame LAME!

[Snotcicles]

31. Lionel is excellent. nt

[Tommy_Carcetti]

22. Randi was her own worst enemy

I was a loyal listener for 7 years, and was always impressed by her ability to document her claims and her forthright style.

However, her ego grew as the show went along. She did celebrity name dropping herself a lot, then she got overly antagonistic against other left leaning hosts for no particular reason, and started to get ruder and ruder to callers, even when they agreed with her.

But what killed it with Randi for me happened virtually overnight. She went from someone who more or less stayed out of the fray of the general election (although I could tell she seemed to favor Obama, which I had no problem with), to someone who got absolutely vindictive and ugly towards Clinton. She started pulling lies out of her ass and saying things with out any documentation (like claims that there was a 75% chance that Hillary Clinton would run as an independent if she didn't get the nomination, that Clinton had struck a deal with the McCain camp to ruin Obama). That was something she never, ever used to do. I got very sick of it and very turned off of this new, ugly Randi. So I washed my hands of her and walked away after 7 long years of listening to her on a daily basis.

It's a shame, because she is quite a talented host and was excellent in her prime. But this is not the Randi of old. This is almost like her evil twin. She has to have some issues that I don't know about, but I just find it sad and heartbreaking.

[LSK]

27. been listening to Randi all week

[otohara]

28. Lewis Black, Joy Bahar, Sarah Silverman vs Randi Rhodes

and the big ass chip on her shoulder.

This has been an awesome week of radio.