Sunday, April 04, 2004

Air America Radio Is a Joke

By Justin Felux

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  1. These limozine liberals can all kiss my ass.

    Posted by Brandy from  on  04/04  at  06:00 PM

  2. White conservative chiming in here…

    Honestly, when have African-Americans been treated as equals in the Democratic Party? Of all of the Democrat African-American members of the House Of Representatives, how many are leaders? How many have ever been elected by their Democratic peers to a leadership position? How many have ever been seriously considered for any of the leadership posts? In the year 2000 wasn’t Maynard Jackson thrown aside in a rather harsh manner so former President Clinton’s boy Terry McAuliffe could run the Democratic Party?

    Face it, the highest position available to a Democratic African-American in congress is the top spot in the Congressional Black Caucus. Essentially, a set aside…

    Why? It is because the Democratic party doesn’t respect you, at all. They don’t respect you because they don’t have to. You will not make them respect you. Come hell or high water you will vote for them without a contradictory thought anywhere in your head. And they know just where to find you at that. Largely, in the projects they build to house you. Every two to four years they pay you a visit. They load up the election busses and tell you who to vote for. They drop you off at the same run down place and forget about you until it is time to vote again.

    Is this a clarion call for African-Americans to vote for Republicans? No, it isn’t.

    I have been a poll watcher in some mighty depressed districts and what I see pains me. If your political beliefs fall into line with the beliefs of the Democratic Party, don’t betray them, but please demand an equal seat at the table. Demand your representatives in Washington fight like hell for the top spots within the leadership. For too long African-American representatives have settled for scraps from the table on your behalf. If you want more effort from them demand more effort. If you are not pleased with the results withhold your vote. President Bush #41 lost to Bill Clinton in large part because many conservative Republicans sat out the election. While this hurt in the short term, could we not agree that conservatives have been listened to more since the election of 92?

    If you want respect and an equal seat at the table, organize and demand it…

    Thanks for reading,
    Richard
    Houston, Tx.

    Posted by Richard from  on  04/04  at  07:40 PM

  3. It is most digusting that Michael Moore sucked up to Al Gore. Moore knows better; in fact, here is an open letter that he wrote to him days before the General Election in 2000.


    http://www.zmag.org/mooregore.htm

    Posted by Brandy from  on  04/04  at  10:10 PM

  4. I don’t think that telling people to “fight like hell” for “their leadership spots” in either major party is good advice. It just prolongs the agony...of having to figure out how to influence the direction of things w/o either of the two monstrosities, the disingenous fronts for capitalists...good intentions among some notwithstanding.  Appreciate Brandy’s disgust w Moore, and hope that from here on out we can all address the major issues of our time...w/o expecting the two major parties OR Moore to be much help at all.  Best, Rich The Ox

    Posted by Richard Oxman from  on  04/05  at  12:14 AM

  5. Justin,

    Just a minor note, but I believe the black population in Chicago is larger than the white population. (http://www.ci.chi.il.us/PlanAndDevelop/ChgoFacts/Demo.html)

    I hold out hope that Flanders’ show will be a bright spot on the network. As much as I love Garofalo, however, her show is very pro-Kerry. Friday she criticized the media for ridiculing Howard Dean but then explained that a vote for Nader is a vote for Bush without ever acknowledging that Kerry did nothing to help Dean out when he was unfairly being lambasted by the press (FWIW, I saw nothing outstanding in Dean’s policies and in no way supported him, although I did like his temperament.)

    Posted by micah holmquist from  on  04/05  at  08:16 AM

  6. I saw that website while researching, Micah.  But I also found other websites that showed a slightly larger white population.  I decided to be safe and say it was almost the same size.

    Thanks for the feedback everyone.  This morning I got an email from a black journalist who said he was interviewed for an on air position at Air America but didn’t get the job.  He asked not to be named and said that he is keeping quiet about it because he doesn’t want to sound like sour grapes, but it’s obvious from looking at the guy’s biography that he is easily qualified for the job.

    Posted by Justin F. from  on  04/05  at  10:05 AM

  7. Just to be accurate:

    White
    Estimate 1,386,844
    Lower bound 1,329,063
    Upper Bound 1,444,625

    Black or African American
    Estimate 1,045,051
    Lower Bound 1,015,009
    Upper Bound 1,075,093

    Source: U.S. Census Bureau
    American Community Survey Office
    Last revised: Tuesday September 02, 2003


    http://www.census.gov/acs/www/Products/Profiles/Single/2002/ACS/Tabular/160/16000US17140001.htm

    Posted by Librarian from  on  04/05  at  10:37 AM

  8. Thanks to everyone who is putting energy into the Press Action “action.” And without intending to be disrespectful at all of the talent, time or intentions associated with the writing here...including efforts made w the commentary, I do hope that readers will spend at least as much time “organizing at the street level” as they do spending heartbeats w observations concerning Franken and Co.  By focusing as much as we do on their shenanigans...we have too little time left to do damage to what they represent.  Which is...no representation with regard to what’s important.  Not laughing with them, The Ox

    Posted by Richard Oxman from  on  04/05  at  10:38 AM

  9. That is really “bold” of Justin Felux to say that he will be “Refusing to tune in to Air America Radio”.  Considering that Air America Radio isn’t being broadcast on any local radio stations in San Antonio, Texas, he will be really going all out!  What a courageous dude he is.

    As for me (white male liberal), I enjoy finally having a voice on the radio that speaks to me.  My only choices to date where the likes of Rush, Hannity, O’Reilly and what seems like a million other Republican Shills spewing their rhetoric.

    I will concede that it was not the best move in the world to displace a popular black AM radio station.  But as I stated, I had nothing, and I mean nothing that spoke to me (white male liberal).

    Paul in Arizona

    Posted by Paul from  on  04/05  at  06:52 PM

  10. You have a lot more than those poor folks in New York’s Caribbean community ever had.  How narrow minded and selfish of you to place your own interests above theirs despite the fact that you already have so much more than they do. 

    And then you wonder why blacks can’t stand white liberals..

    Posted by Justin F. from  on  04/05  at  07:20 PM

  11. You wrote “blacks are much more liberal than their white counterparts.” Do you read? Do you know that blacks are much (much, much) more religious than their white counterparts? That they are more likely to be Pro-life, Pro-death penalty, Pro-everything socially conservative than their white counterparts? So how is it given these facts that blacks are more liberal? The reason blacks have to vote 90% Democratic is because Democrats don’t speak at Bob Jones University, they don’t hobnob with the White Citizens’ Council (a bootleg KKK group), they tend to worship at the alter of corporate dollars a little less than their Republican counterparts, and they tend to support Unions and programs aimed at helping the poor and disenfranchised, rather than the Enrons, WorldComs, and Martha Stewart types. The reason blacks won’t ever vote Republican is because the Republican way is inherently hypocritical. It is the party of those who refuse, or simply don’t have the ability, to think....
    ps. I just came from Houston. It’s the most polluted, slum-ridden, wannabe big city in the nation. Yeah, good job GOP.

    Posted by A black person from  on  04/05  at  07:23 PM

  12. Yeah I know there is a lot of social conservatism among black folks.  But when you take the whole gamut of political issues, I think blacks are much more liberal than whites.  What is right-wing by black standards is more centrist by white standards.

    The Black Commentator did an analysis of the political beliefs of blacks in America in which they come to that conclusion:

    http://www.blackcommentator.com/17_analysis.html

    Posted by Justin F. from  on  04/05  at  09:36 PM

  13. Another white male NYC liberal chiming in -

    I think you got your count wrong on the black on-air voices of Air America.  You counted Mark Riley and Chuck D.  There is also the news anchor for the morning Dwayne Gillman (former news director of WLIB) and afternoon news anchor Joann Allen (formally of WNYC).  That doesn’t make everything better, but there aren’t that many programs on Air America at start-up(6).  Hopefully, as their programming expands, more diverse voices will be heard.  I was dismayed that WLIB had to be the station that was affected, but Pierre Sutton and the management of WLIB made the deal.  (Part of the deal was to retain the WLIB programming from 12mid-6am.)
    As for now, I am thoroughly enjoying the conversations and look forward to Air America’s future growth.

    Posted by Eli from  on  04/05  at  10:52 PM

  14. so the man puts Chuck D on the radio and all we do is bitch. C’mon? This rocks. they threw a radio network together in weeks—and put Chuck D on the radio.  uit yer bitching.

    Posted by Chuck D rules from  on  04/06  at  09:14 AM

  15. As a white activist in the south who is *thrilled* about Air America, I was horrified to find out that the network has displaced not just one but *three* stations with roots and audience in communities of color. It’s way past time for white folks to use their heads. We keep wondering where all the black folks are at peace rallies and labor rallies and womens’ rights rallies, but the bull-in-a-china-shop clumsiness and inability to share power we demonstrate in coalitions speaks for itself. Now the white guys who cut the deals to get AAR on the air in NYC, LA, and CHItown hand a gorgeous gift to the right wing commentators (try a google and see how they’re running with that ball), while putting people of color who WANT to listen to a progressive station in a position where they practically have to apologize to their own communities. I’m not gonna boycott, but I am gonna write AAR and tell them to be smarter in acquiring stations in the future. This was NOT putting our best foot forward, and admitting that would be a start toward healing it.

    Posted by pm from  on  04/06  at  10:30 AM

  16. Despite the few number of black show hosts there are a number of prominent black guests on the various shows.  The democratic party may not speak enough to the black community, but Air America is not the democratic party.  Give them time to speak to everyone.  You are acting like the Right-Wing media when they mock Air America for only being on 6 stations while Rush is on 600; how many stations was Rush on when he started.  And who’s the number one radio show in Florida?  It’s Randi Rhodes, not Rush.  So get off your liberal high horse and give them a chance.

    Posted by phreekk from  on  04/06  at  10:56 AM

  17. Why did Air America need to displace these independent minority radio stations in the first place… let’s think… could it have something to do with the Telecommunications Act of 1996?

    Air America would have been well within its capablities to open up a new, independent station without affecting anyone else if it wasn’t for Clear Channel and Infinity and the like, gobbling up many of the other stations available and leaving a few independents behind.

    Stop focusing on the symptoms and start looking at the real problem.

    Posted by T. Diddy from  on  04/06  at  11:09 AM

  18. Justin and Air America Critics,

    You’re way out of line....and that’s NO JOKE… Air America Radio s in essence a very good and very much needed broadcast focus to very very many people....NATION WIDE!!!

    Your lives would be much richer if you broadened your narrowly focused, cynical selfish interests…

    Posted by Chris M. from  on  04/06  at  12:29 PM

  19. As Bill Blum (KILLING HOPE, etc.) points out in his latest newsletter, none of the following is funny: a) Moore apologizing for supporting Nader, b)defending Janet Reno, c)Garafalo complaining about vulgar things said about Clinton, d)valentining the Democratic Party, e)an anticipated appearance by Hillary Clinton, etc.  As Bill notes, the vast majority listening...who don’t know any better...will think that this is some kind of “alternative” to what Fox serves up.  I hope I’m not being repetitive re what’s been said elsewhere in these attachments, but...it’s worth underscoring that Air America can do serious damage as a distraction.  Hillary is a horror in her own right, and should not be given any air time.  To think that she or the likes of Nancy Pelosi --now being mentioned as a possible running mate for Kerry-- are not contributing to the genocide of the Palestinian people, for example, is to be extremely ignorant and counterproductive re some of the most significant work that lies ahead for all progressives.  I beg people to reconsider what this funny business is all about.  Hoping you won’t give these clowns more credibility than they deserve, The Ox

    Posted by Richard Oxman from  on  04/06  at  01:19 PM

  20. Two of the news readers at Air American are African-American: Wayne Gillmann and Jo Ann Allen.  Also, the network retained most of WLIB’s staff to operate the New York station.

    Posted by Brendan McDonald from  on  04/06  at  01:23 PM

  21. Here, Here Richard and Justin: Air America is a joke. And it is no joke that Air America pushed out the station in New York. But AA is acting like the Democratic Party: not taking people of color seriously, despite their loyal support.

    To those who like AA, Please! Do you think that these DLC-loving hacks are going to fight for change? The Democratic Party Establishment and their cherrleading liomosine liberals like the system just fine, thank you. Their empty rhetoric for change by supporting Kerry shows that they know damn right well that there is little difference, but hey, these limo liberals benefitted greatly from Bush’s tax cuts.


    We need a true people’s National forum (like Pacifica, but we nedd more like them) and a true people’s movement. And Al Franken et al is not going to cut it!

    Posted by Brandy from  on  04/06  at  07:07 PM

  22. To T Diddy above.  I think most would agree that the Telecommunications Act of 1996 and Clear Channel are significant parts of our problems.  I think what you’re overlooking is that Al Franken is part and parcel of those problems.  In his book Lying Liars, in addition to neglecting to elucidate which corporations he was talking about, he repeatedly mentioned his corporate speaking tours, for which he obviously made big bucks, although he didn’t say how much.  Without a trace of narcissism, he alluded to how his comedy just killed at these events.  And worse than all that, he alluded to his keynoting a Clear Channel event in February of 2003 in the lead up to the invasion, which was a demonizing of Saddam and Iraq and a cheerleading of the imminent slaughter by US troops.  Franken breezed through the whole history of this event in a single sentence, neglecting not to forgive himself for it as “not being his finest hour.” Gee Al, don’t be so hard on yourself. 

    Yeah, Clear Channel is a disgusting corporate thief, and the Telecommunications Act of 1996 is another reprehensible sellout - Clinton’s work incidentally - but Franken is of a piece of all that.  Read the book if you want to know the extent of Franken’s fawning over Al ore.  Or better yet, put your time to better use and don’t read it.

    Posted by Tracy McLellan from  on  04/06  at  08:52 PM

  23. I was organizing an event, and had to look up speakers (all of those rich liberals were out of our price range, but we didn’t want them anyway), and Franken begins at $30K.

    Also, he has a tendency to disparage people who are not college educated (oh yeah, that elitist attitude will win people over: he’s only dogging 75% of the population).

    Posted by Brandy from  on  04/06  at  09:29 PM

  24. I’ve applauded Brandy in the course of private correspondence. Here I’d like to underscore a truly significant point which Tracy has spotlighted for us.  To wit, the business of Franken (and those like him) cheerleading the slaughter.  One of the true challenges for all of us who care about the ongoing horrors has to do with how we are going to relate --on a daily basis-- to people in our personal lives who are a)doing the same, b) insistent upon remaining ignorant of the facts, c) act cavalier about such shenanigans and/or d) adopt positions diametrically opposed to ours with equal passion. I’m afraid that we have all entered a war zone by simply residing in this country, and --with all apologies to Mother Theresa-- we’re going to have to take sides in a very “hands-on” way.  Delineating what that means is one of our fundamental challenges. But it’s a no-brainer that the attitudinal set re AA manifested by Brandy, Tracy and me, among others, has to be the starting point.  You do not get lost in fun and games when you’re being bombed in the middle of a rice paddy.  Way too many “overweight” Americans find it impossible to visualize themselves in that light, and are truly lost for the purposes of any “movement.” It is our job, in part, to decide what to do with them, how to relate to them.  Someone asked me recently how I was going to relate to the troops once they came home.  The question --for all the good intentions behind it-- was conceived on an academic plane.  I said that the question should be what are we all going to do RIGHT NOW with regard to the way in which those in charge our military are relating to the troops. I was thinking of the DU issue and much more.  But that’s where the focus should be...on what we’re going to do in the here and now...while we still have an opportunity...to stop our present momentum.  It WILL require unpleasant confrontations...with tactfully drawn goals in mind.  Blessings in solidarity, The Ox

    Posted by Richard Oxman from  on  04/06  at  09:32 PM

  25. Give me a break.  Since when do the conservatives give a flying poo about blacks?  Also fill me in on how many blacks there are in conservative radio.  None?  I can’t think of any.  At least Air America Radio has two.  Also, on Air America Right (XM radio) how many blacks are there?  ZERO.  Stop acting like you guys give a damn about blacks.  You don’t.  All you hope is that they don’t bother to vote for democrats.

    Posted by Marc Ballock from  on  04/13  at  06:31 PM

  26. Hot Air America sucks. It will last for only as long as sugar daddy George Soros can list Al, Janeane & Co. as his dependents. It’s just a tax write-off for $oro$. When listeners don’t appear, Hot Air America will dry up and blow away. Then the bedwetters & pillow biters will blame “George W Bush and the Vast Right Wing Conspiracy” for “Crushing their Right To Free Speech!”

    Posted by Latigo from  on  04/14  at  12:32 PM

  27. will you quit whining, and look at a new station that is bringing a little political balance in the most important year for the whole world, the U.S. election year, instead of fucking bitching, try supporting the the democrats, and that means also air america.
    Do you want bush for another four years?
    No, thought not, if you want to ull this station apart, do it in December!
    It has women, black men, Jewish & Gay presenters, so, get over it!
    What does WLS have to offer? RUSH!
    And, by the way, i’m from england, i live in London, yet i feel that a democratic voice in america is key!
    For all our sakes, (i believe that this year’s elections will have an even more important impact!) let this show have your support, until the election’s over, THEN bitch about the number of black people on it!, you gotta start somewhere!

    Posted by Dom Salter from  on  04/14  at  03:00 PM

  28. What a Moron!!!
    AAR will succeed and be quite the opposing force to the Radical Right.
    As Al Franken correctly points out in his book that the country is by
    far liberal leaning, when the issues are presented without bias.
    The talent lineup is quite diverse and reflects the listenership very well.
    I would also add to the person offended by the fact that the black
    air talent has white co-hosts, point out that Chuck D has his own
    weekend show.  Quit this silly whining.  Yes it is
    too bad that YOU did not get
    to do the on-air programming.  I suggest you put up your own money,
    and start your own liberal network that you can run any way you like.
    It’s too bad when people cannot tell their true friends from their
    enemies (such as the bigoted right)!

    Posted by Proud Liberal from  on  04/15  at  09:57 AM

  29. You know what is really a joke?
    This stupid banter about weather whites or blacks is more deserving of a liberal station. The fact is that conservatives don’t care about either one of us. Every mass media conglomerate in this country is owned by a major corporation whose CEO probably makes more than every on this message board. In the past slave owners used tribal and cultural differences to keep slaves fighting against each other instead of their masters. When we took this country from the Indians, Indian nations killed each other so they could trade with the French and English (who took over their country). Stop griping about your petti little differences. Get together and gripe about something that actually counts (you know, like PBD’s or something).

    Posted by Kirk from  on  04/17  at  01:52 AM

  30. Four black conservative radio talk show hosts I can think of are Armstrong Williams, Ken Hamblin, Alan Keys and Larry Elder. These four weren’t handed their shows by a wacko white sugar daddy, they earned their shows and work in an open market every day. Someone let me know when Air(head) America Radio is a station they aren’t paying to be on… grin

    Posted by Richard from  on  04/17  at  09:15 AM

  31. Kind of hilarious, in itself, is tha comment regarding Garofalo’s “independence”.  Beyond that-this opinion piece on the radio network is nearly (just barely) as lame as the shows themselves.  Found this website by accident-will be happy to move on and never visit again, when will you pesty psuedo-intellectuals stop wasting your efforts at bucking the capitalist tide? We ALWAYS win.  We have the money.

    Posted by Chris Wilson from  on  04/17  at  07:58 PM

  32. Liberals and Democrats are angry, and the fervor of their emotions are at a fever pitch. This article is just another prick, spurring “The Sleeping Giant” into action. The right-wing propaganda machine has been slandering liberals for years, with the hate-radio format pioneered by Rush Limbaugh. In the novel “1984” there was a daily speech George Orwell referred to as “60 seconds of hate” which now flourishes 24 hours a day, thanks to giant media corporations like Clear Channel. Opposing viewpoints are critical to maintaining an open society. Critics of Air America Radio should ask themselves if they would like to live under a fascist dictatorship, because without a two-party system, that is where we are headed.

    Posted by Morty from  on  04/24  at  02:48 PM

  33. Air America Radio is beating Rush Limbaugh!

    http://radio.about.com/od/airamericaradio/a/aa060904a.htm

    Posted by Rush Limbaugh from CA  on  06/10  at  12:58 PM

  34. Conservatism is Dead!!! Facsisism is Dead!!! Nazism is Dead!!! Long live Air America for true patriots!

    Posted by Chuck Zulu from  on  06/18  at  09:11 PM

  35. Justin, you are a moron, Turn off fox news, are you saying the party of Trent lot is going to do a better job when it comes to the interest of african americans. Or maybe Bush is the man for the job, oh wait he thinks africa is a country. how cute, isnt our president just like the guy next door, exept the guy next door can speak fairly clearly and didnt run all three of his companies to the ground, oh yeah and the baseball team that he ran to the ground, come to think of it, none of my neibors were cheerleaders for harvard either, i guess none of my friends dads were ever the head of the cia or the us ambasador to China, if you think mr bush is a down home boy, where is it you live, i would like to move to perfect land, and help “spread freedom” What do you think works best to spread freedom smart bombs or bradly fighting vehicles, maybe its napalm or as prefer to call it “peace paste”

    Posted by otto ebert from nowhereyouknowof  on  04/01  at  04:27 PM
    36. Commenting is not available in this weblog entry. {/if}

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