General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsDo you remember Air America?
I sure do. I remember listening to them religiously in 2004. I remember several of the shows. The ones I remember most are Randi Rhodes, Janeane Garofalo's show with Sam Seder, and of course the outstanding Rachel Maddow. I was always so impressed with Maddow. I remember listening to Air America all day long when I was poll watching for Kerry in Florida. His loss was such a disappointment.
Anyway, memory lane
hrmjustin
(71,265 posts)onehandle
(51,122 posts)PowerToThePeople
(9,610 posts)Renew Deal
(81,861 posts)9PM?
PowerToThePeople
(9,610 posts)BelgianMadCow
(5,379 posts)truth2power
TxVietVet
(1,905 posts)It later became WCPT in Chicago. I'd listen to Al Franken. I worked in SE Wisconsin and was always on the road along the Illinois border. I'd tune in to the station everyday for the years it was active. I still listen to WCPT 820 Chicago online these days.
Renew Deal
(81,861 posts)He was great too. Very sharp.
sabrina 1
(62,325 posts)Randi Rhodes was a fighter. I remember finally seeing her on C-Span where they put her up against against a Right Wing Fundy female talk show host and Randi wiped the floor with her.
Don't know what happened, but at least we had one place to go during that awful period.
Renew Deal
(81,861 posts)I don't remember what that was about. I think it was a professional radio thing
sabrina 1
(62,325 posts)Rush Limbaugh, which many people remarked on. I remember being very upset when I heard they might go off the air, but was hoping it wouldn't happen.
They had some great people on there, it's a shame it wasn't backed by someone. The right wing noise machine doesn't seem to have any problems staying on the air. What a shame.
Thanks for reminding me, I don't remember the details, but I do remember being very sad about it.
JDPriestly
(57,936 posts)Papantonio and TYT were also on there. All the ones I love.
BelgianMadCow
(5,379 posts)I always found him Mike's saner brother
Randi was on SiriusXM until recently. I subscribe to her show via podcast.
Ed Suspicious
(8,879 posts)Renew Deal
(81,861 posts)I think it was mostly funded be a benevolent donor and money eventually stopped flowing, but I'm not sure if that's the entire story.
busterbrown
(8,515 posts)Ignorant dumb right wingers listen to hate radio all day and night. Its like morphine to them..
Progressives have lives to live and try not to get hung up on the political stuff 24/7...
nikto
(3,284 posts)And true.
pstokely
(10,528 posts)nt
Cleita
(75,480 posts)when he decided to run for the senate. Both are still around, Al in the senate and Thom on radio and Free Speech TV.
mucifer
(23,550 posts)I distinctly remember Rachel saying that no one who looked like her could be a tv pundit.
I guess she proved herself wrong. Although she does have to deal with that weird makeup they put on her and they don't let her dress "like a 12yo boy". That's her description of her own wardrobe.
TheDebbieDee
(11,119 posts)The theme from 2001 played by musicians playing instruments that they'd never trained to play! HAH!
VanillaRhapsody
(21,115 posts)She now has her own Iheart Radio channel. If you cannot find her any other way...there is always that.
Bobbie Jo
(14,341 posts)I catch her on my way home from work.
byronius
(7,395 posts)That woman is a college education in news analysis.
adieu
(1,009 posts)I thought she exited the radio biz. She and Rachel Maddow were my favorites although Franken had his moments. I liked Randi because she had a nice acerbic sarcasm about her whereas Rachel was much too mature for that type of radio work. Hartmann was too preachy and Mike Malone was too down. Stephanie Miller was great for the morning show, but I wasn't up most of the time.
VanillaRhapsody
(21,115 posts)she had announced her plans to just retire....BUT her longtime boyfriend "The Howard" came up with the idea to create her own IHeart Channel. It was brilliant and now she can syndicate herself and her fans can also listen on the internet every day on Iheart...by the way...if you miss a show...it repeats there!
phleshdef
(11,936 posts)I was working in an office during that time, and I'd plug in headphones and that got me through many a days writing endless lines of programming code. I give Air America complete credit for becoming even the slightest bit politically literate.
Haha, I can even remember a bunch of the commercials from the webcast, word for word, because they played the same ones so many times.
Pretzel_Warrior
(8,361 posts)was by far my favorite. I loved the guys on my way to work. Mark Maron and "the other guy" whose name escapes me. And then Majority Report in the evening. I don't know why...but I couldn't get into Maddow right away. Later, I thought she was great.
I used to listen to KPOJ in Portland which had those people on at the times I mentioned, Randi Rhodes in the afternoon, and later Ed Schultz.
What a terrific thing that opened up as far as pipeline of progressive talk now still being heard and watched all these years later.
Armstead
(47,803 posts)Not reaklly listening parties, but often rapid response posts and conversations in response to what was being said on there.
BelgianMadCow
(5,379 posts)great word
House of Roberts
(5,177 posts)When I finally got it, I knew of two places to start, Huffington Post and Air America. I gave up on HP in 2007, but stayed listening to AA until the end. I still listen to Nicole Sandler in the morning, and Thom Hartmannin the afternoon. I also listen to Ed Schultz, if I'm awake as I'm working 3rd shift now, but he was never on AA.
I miss Peter B. Collins and Ron Reagan the most from that time.
dionysus
(26,467 posts)doug stephens Good Day, with nancy skinner in the morning, and in the afternoon, peter werbe, who is great, and mike malloy, who is king!
Workers Independent News Service did the news segments.
Comrade Grumpy
(13,184 posts)Those were the days...
Jesus Malverde
(10,274 posts)dreamnightwind
(4,775 posts)with (lol) Mel Gibson! Not a bad movie really, though it hardly did the real story justice.
I also miss the radio network.
snooper2
(30,151 posts)GP6971
(31,166 posts)Marie Marie
(9,999 posts)And I still miss their broadcasts.
SCVDem
(5,103 posts)She was on with Al Franken.
JDPriestly
(57,936 posts)But in the meantime, I listen to Pacifica radio. It's available on the internet.
http://www.kpfk.org/
It has good news programs in the evening as I am preparing supper.
In-depth interviews. Really good reporting.
byronius
(7,395 posts)Sometimes Marc Maron, although he's no longer political, sometimes Sam Seder. It was a brilliant cast, that's for sure.
cry baby
(6,682 posts)as possible.
Good memories...but most can still be found elsewhere, thank goodness!
Phlem
(6,323 posts)My drive to work packed with AM progressive talk but now it's just........ crickets.
Huh!?
-p
Renew Deal
(81,861 posts)Or an audio jack in your car? You can load podcasts on a phone and play them in your car.
http://www.siriusxm.com/siriusxmprogress
Phlem
(6,323 posts)I'll try that, it's a 96 Integra. The pod casts however sounds like a great idea since I've inherited an I phone 3. I'll see what I can whip up.
-p
zentrum
(9,865 posts).....Stephanie Miller were just bumped off the air in the Bay Area. There's no progressive radio now except Listener's Sponsored Radio and an occasional show on Public radio. And this is the so-called "librul" Bay Area.
It's really a symptom of a deep seated disease in America.
GReedDiamond
(5,313 posts)...they are all gone from the airwaves.
KTLK 1150 AM (Clear Channel) was the Air America outlet in L.A.
After AA crashed and burned, we still had Stephanie, Randi, Thom Hartman, even Mike Malloy for a while.
As of last January 2, they're all gone, and KTLK is now KEIB "The Patriot," featuring the undisputed King of Excrement In Broadcasting, "Hillbilly Heroin" Rush, and additional spewage from the likes of Glenn Beck and other teabagger head cases.
Sad situation for radio in L.A. (and the Bay Area).
Cleita
(75,480 posts)They saved the Bay area and Los Angeles for last. I think we need some laws in Sacramento to be passed. I propose that for every station that airs a Rush Limbaugh, we need equal time for the other side like Randi Rhodes. I think the air belongs to the people, so the people should be able to demand a choice. Also, all the lies Limbaugh et al need to be rebutted just like they do for political speeches. There has to be a way to demand it as freedom of speech. Freedom of speech is for everyone, not just one side.
GReedDiamond
(5,313 posts)Armstead
(47,803 posts)Clear Channel made token concessions with weak liberal stations, but they've decided they don;t have to pretend to offer any balance to their right wing spew anymore.
Naturally, Congress and the FCC don't give a shit anymore either.
Egalitarian Thug
(12,448 posts)zentrum
(9,865 posts)....that makes it hard for me to want a Clinton back in the WH ever again.
I'm very concerned about the Democratic party being Democrat.
Egalitarian Thug
(12,448 posts)President Obama convinced me that it is better to vote for "other" over another corporate parasite, no matter what color the jersey.
Never, ever again.
Hoyt
(54,770 posts)SoapBox
(18,791 posts)I remember hearing about them getting the station together...and like so many others, was desperate for a voice on our side, during the Bush Regieme Reign of Terror.
I even bought a "Walkman" so that I could listen while was out on the dog walks.
And then there was Hate Radio, FuksFakeNews and the Impotent MSM.
gLibDem
(130 posts)his use of the phrase "The Bush Crime Family."
I think my favorite moment was when Al Franken tried out radio "tickers" on his show. Someone would be whispering headlines while he continued with his show. It was hilarious.
mountain grammy
(26,623 posts)to others whenever possible.
Vashta Nerada
(3,922 posts)I always listened to Mike Malloy back in the day. I loved how he ripped into Dubya every chance he could get.
Is he still around?
Liberal_Dog
(11,075 posts)Join us in the Malloy Truthseekers thread every weeknight at 9et.
Vashta Nerada
(3,922 posts)That's awesome!
I miss listening to Mike Malloy!
alp227
(32,030 posts)Listen on the TuneIn app or on your computer, here.
Daily schedule, Eastern:
6am: Bill Press
9am: Stephanie Miller
12pm: Ed Schultz
3pm: Thom Hartmann
6pm: Leslie Marshall (replay)
7pm: Leslie Marshall (live)
9pm: Mike Malloy
12am: Thom Hartmann (replay)
3am: Stephanie Miller (replay)
Weekend shows include Ring of Fire, Bradcast (with Bradblog's Brad Friedman), State of Belief with C. Weldon Gaddy, and Keep Hope Alive with Jesse Jackson.
Also, Madison, WI station 92.1 the Mic, kept alive because of listeners' activism in 2006, carries Bill, Steph, Ed, and the first 2 hours of Randi Rhodes. Then the schedule after 4pm:
4pm: Devil's Advocates (local talk)
5pm: The People's Mic with Doug Cunningham (local labor talk, Cunningham hosts Workers' Independent News too.)
6pm: Thom Hartmann (delayed)
9pm: Alan Colmes (live)
12am: Mike Malloy (delayed)
Weekends have lifestyle and real estate shows as well as the Freedom From Religion Foundation's Freethought Radio.
This station even expanded to Milwaukee via a music FM's HD-2 subchannel. Sure, Clear Channel dropped the ball with San Francisco (960 KKGN/KNEW), Portland (620 KPOJ), Cincinnati (1350/1530, 1530 being a 50 kW class A blowtorch that reached a LOT of states at night), etc. But 92.1 is still flourishing, especially with the recent addition (I think around 2012 or 2013) of the 4pm local show that replaced Randi's 3rd hour. A station like 92.1 the Mic can work if they incorporate local hosts in drive time in addition to the regular syndicated hosts. The SF and Portland stations also had local hosts (Carl Wolfson for KPOJ, Will Durst for KKGN) and those stations were able to attract audiences for their runs because of them.
But the thing is. The broadcast media industry has changed a LOT over the years, if you're old enough to remember when Walter Cronkite was a news anchor/Elvis couldn't shake his hips on Ed Sullivan/music was on the AM dial. It's all been dumbed down. When considering why Air America tanked, don't just buy into the right wingers saying "Libs have nothing to say, radio listeners prefer right wingers." Consider why all the cable channels like A&E, History, MTV going all reality TV all the time.
Wholesome, intelligent, status quo-challenging programming just won't cut it in the boardroom. Guys like Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity make their fortunes appealing to a very marketable demographic - one that prefers an authoritarian, traditionalist echo chamber that confirms their prejudices. In contrast, Thom Hartmann rationally and critically explores what's going on in the nation and world and engages with right wingers, even finding common ground at times! He doesn't sink to the shoutfests on the right wing dial.
Quite frankly, I think Air America really blew it by going 24/7 instead of the syndicated model in which right wing hosts like Limbaugh succeeded. If liberals really wanted to make an impact on the airwaves, they should have modeled stations like their conservative counterparts. The conservative stations make sure to incorporate local shows especially in the morning and afternoon drive times in addition to the syndicated shows. As the saying goes, "all politics is local". If the effort was taken in the early days of the GWB years to develop talent in the local level as much as was done for the 24/7 Air America model, imagine what impact it would've had on the airwaves.
Speaking of local radio talent, I encourage you to listen to Pat Thurston on San Francisco's KGO on Saturdays 6-9pm and Sundays 4-7pm PT. She provides a progressive take on what's happening in the region, nation, and world and often interviews people like Russ Baker, Robert Parry, and Marjorie Cohn. She even interviewed Bill Ayers once, recently.
Something I wanted to add in my edit. on a recent show, Norman Goldman suggested that liberal talk could break ground on the FM dial, since a lot of the Air America stations that crashed and burned were on weak AM signals. CBS has invested in launching new sports stations on the FM dial, and the media companies are investing more energy on FM nowadays.
sakabatou
(42,155 posts)nirvana555
(448 posts)College and my hours were 1pm -10pm. I had about a 45 minute drive home every night so I'd listen to the radio. I stumbled upon this really smart, very funny, and totally on it women with a sidekick named Kent. Yea, it was Rachel. I KNEW there was something beyond special about her. It feels like a lifetime ago. As someone else mentioned, Air America and DU totally got me through the Bush nightmare.
Spitfire of ATJ
(32,723 posts)Renew Deal
(81,861 posts)But I don't think they broadcasted in my area.
Spitfire of ATJ
(32,723 posts)Stardust
(3,894 posts)Seriously, it opened my mind and kept me from losing my it through the horrible Bush years. I'll never forget Mark Riley's comment to Marc Maron after we lost in 2000, "We'll be alright...we'll be alright." Such a wise man...such a comforting balm to our broken souls.
I still listen to Randi Rhodes every day. She's taught me so much. Thom Hartmann turned me onto DU. Love Mike Malloy, too. All the AA alums are great in their own way. We are all richer that Air America once graced the airwaves.
longship
(40,416 posts)With Marc Maron and Mark Riley. Some of the best political humor ever.
Thankfully, the archive is still online so you can still get your Morning Sedition fix.
Morning Sedition Archive
Marc, Ted from Nebraska is on line one..
Marc, Future Marc is on line one.
I love that guy!
Plus, the Morning Sedition Players.
Great stuff every day.
And who could forget the iNews 5000 WiFi Headline Translator?
Man, those were the days. Just ask Lawton Smalls.
bullwinkle428
(20,629 posts)"...he wrote and performed for a number of Air America Radio's radio shows: The Randi Rhodes Show, Unfiltered with Lizz Winstead and Rachel Maddow and Morning Sedition where he performed his regular bits "War on Brains," "Rapture Watch," "Morning Remembrance," "Sammy the Stem Cell," "Todd Brad: Policy Analyst," and "The 5 W's Plus 3 of Journalism." "
He also came up with and performed the characters of reporter Mort Mortenson, Mort Milfington, and the recently-defrocked Cardinal Milfington.
"Rapture Watch" bits for your listening pleasure!
http://www.jimearl.com/rapture.html
longship
(40,416 posts)Cardinal Milfington!!
Thanks.
pink-o
(4,056 posts)I could not have a mascara wand near my eyes, nor be drinking coffee when I was listening to it. I almost drove off the road on many occasions, laughing too hard to even function.
I was devastated when it went off the air. Serious loss issues!
xfundy
(5,105 posts)With Al, eating his lunch. Wish we had a thousand more like him in gubmint.
TexasProgresive
(12,157 posts)Then Sirius got ESPN and dropped Air America. Sirius went down hill dropping several other channels I liked leaving only one "progressive" channel that featured Lynn Samuels (ugh) and I forget this guy who was mostly sarcasm with a barely leftist slant. Bill Press and Big Ed were good when I got to listen.
The final straw for me with Sirius was a new Reich wing channel called Patriot - as if liberals and progressives are not patriots. I finally got it through XM-Sirius to stop emailing me offers to come back. Now that I've put that in writing the emails will probably start up again.
Chorophyll
(5,179 posts)I have no desire to go back to 2004, because it was a really dark time, but I wish Air America had survived.
fadedrose
(10,044 posts)It used to come out of Air America, Tempe, AZ.
It may still be on somewhere . . .
It was on Saturday nights...
Capt. Obvious
(9,002 posts)annabanana
(52,791 posts)I just couldn't WAIT to hear things on the air that I knew, just KNEW I wasn't alone in thinking and believing. It was such a relief. I had wondered for years where all the people that I knew all through college had gone.
Surely the hippies had not ALL sold out, right?
I got the t-shirt and the tote bag too.
Habibi
(3,598 posts)But I can't stand listening to commercial radio.
doc03
(35,346 posts)station there. It was better than the Sirius left channel.
Mnpaul
(3,655 posts)Stephanie is still on. Ed Schultz is still on, Thom Hartmann is still on. Malloy is still on. Norm Goldman now has his own show. Franken has moved on to the Senate and we have a kick butt local guy (The Morning Grind with Matt McNeil) on before Stephanie.
valerief
(53,235 posts)and Randi and Rachel on the ride home.
49jim
(560 posts)installed in my Jeep in 2004 so i could listen to Al Frankin. I enjoyed all the other shows. We don't get good FM reception in Oswego NY and AM was all RW. I remember trying to explain this new satellight radio thing to friends ..they weren't sure it was going to last.
RoccoR5955
(12,471 posts)With Mark Maron? There was a good alternative to Morning Edition!
I miss it so!