Air America Responds To Bankruptcy Rumor

[itsrobert]

Air America Responds To Bankruptcy Rumor
AIR AMERICA RADIO has issued a statement responding to the CENTER FOR AMERICAN PROGRESS' THINKPROGRESS.ORG's report that the network is about to file for bankruptcy, saying that "if AIR AMERICA had filed for bankruptcy every time someone rumored it to be doing so, we would have ceased to exist long ago; it may be frustrating to some that this hasn’t happened. No decision has been taken to make any filing of any kind, we are not sure of the source of these rumors and frankly can not respond to every rumor in the marketplace. "
http://www.allaccess.com/

[BuyingThyme]

1. kcik

[Tarheel_Dem]

2. This is great news......

n/t

[joeunderdog]

3. Does sound like they're at least thinking about it.

"No decision has been taken to make any filing" Not exactly an outright denial that the rumor has any foundation.

...reading between the press release lines, of course.

[Freedom_from_Chains]

4. I was going to say, seems I have heard this story 4 or 5 times before.

[bluestateguy]

5. That sounds like a less than firm denial

I'll keep an open mind.

[Boo Boo]

6. Not a particularly comforting denial. /nt

[Donnachaidh]

7. AAR's boards were swamped with freepers after the initial report.

These a-holes are like a running pack of dogs. It really makes me wonder about the sanity of the people who would just jump into a board and gloat, etc.

What's wrong with this country? These are the people who wrap themselves in a flag and then go spit on their neighbors.

Geez louise!

[tridim]

8. Most of them are on record saying AAR would fail in the first two months

Just ignore them.

[GuvWurld]

13. How does AAR define "fail" or "succeed"?

My comment is not really related to the rumor, though the discussion surrounding the rumor gives me this opportunity to say that from the beginning I saw failure for AAR because their definition of success was never overtly set up to be the progressive changes we all want to see. They want to talk about issues related to these changes and sell ad time to people with messages to deliver to those wanting to listen to discussion about these issues. Standard radio model. They are in it for profit, not progress. That's not a value judgment. They are entitled to pursue profit. I point this out so that others may consider adjusting their expectations of AAR. At least start by acknowledging how the network itself appears to define success. It doesn't seem to be too late. All they have to do to change course is to use their medium to do the organizing work, among the listeners, necessary to create real change. Look at it the other way. Those of us working for change are trying to organize as best we can. It is difficult and we are often observed to be splintered. This should be no surprise given the lopsided access to the media that exists. So what access we do have must be devoted to the work needed to deliver change. If AAR won't fully, completely, overtly step into that role, their financial solvency is of no interest to me.

BTW, about 2.5 years ago I made this post in my then blog, GuvWurld. It not only makes the point above, but where I am suggesting this on-air organizing role, I have actually fleshed this out a bit further as the Project-Based Format, an experimental approach to a talk radio show that I would like to see or even host.

[davidwparker]

9. Just like Path To 9/11, you can learn a lot. AAR so worries them that

people are actually criticizing their cult leader and discussing alternatives to the current policies, they can't take it. Being that most of them are authoritarians, it just infuriates them when they come across people who are critical thinkers and just don't follow as they themselves do.

With PT9/11, the little bit that I saw, you can tell what about * they don't like by what they included, changed, or deleted.

It is possible that AAR is having trouble and could file for bankruptcy protection -- just like airlines have. It won't stop liberal talk. What might not succeed is the AAR management, in that they get replaced or AAR comes under different management.

[Spiffarino]

10. Whether they do or not the floodgates are open.

There's money in progressive talk radio and station managers know it. Whatever happens, we owe AAR a debt of gratitude.

[samsingh]

11. i hope they don't

[Singular73]

12. They are done.

1350 AM here, Albuquerque NM.

Half the time, especially during Randy Rhodes, they play frikken music instead of commercials...looks like they cant find the advertisers.

Bad, bad, sign.

[mucifer]

14. AAR station here in Chicago is getting good sponsers

[itsrobert]

15. Same here in El Paso

No local sponsors. Also, NO billboards, no advertising for the radio staion and their personalities in the local community. Plenty of promotion for the hate radio talkers.