April 14, 2004
From the desk of Jane Galt:A lot of hot air?
Drudge is reporting that Air America has gone off the air in LA and Chicago, allegedly because they bounced checks to the station owner.
This seems unlikely to me--they're supposed to be pretty well funded, after all. More likely is the explanation I heard from a dedicated liberal, which is that the stations they were playing on were owned by a company in bankruptcy, which had no legal authority to contract with them. So conservatives shouldn't get on the gloat box too soon. It could prove embarassing . . .
Update From what I understand, Air America stopped payment on their checks during a dispute about "double dipping" -- charging two customers for the same time. Many liberal commenters are arguing that they had a perfect right to do so, as they did. They seem not to have understood, however, that when an adversary can take catastrophic measures, it is often wise, if not just, to avoid antagonising them . . .
Posted by Jane Galt at April 14, 2004 03:13 PM | TrackBack | Technorati inbound linksWow. Off the air on two stations? There's going to be tens of dissapointed listeners.
Posted by: Robb on April 14, 2004 03:42 PMWow. Off the air on two stations? There's going to be tens of dissapointed listeners.
Chicago and Los Angeles are pretty big markets and we are talking about a network on something like sixteen stations.
Posted by: Thorley Winston on April 14, 2004 04:59 PMChicago and Los Angeles are pretty big markets and we are talking about a network on something like sixteen stations.
Okay, twenties of disappointed listeners then.
Posted by: el jefe on April 14, 2004 05:48 PMAccording to their request for a TRO, they paid their bills and Multicultural should have gone to arbitration in the case of a contract dispute.
Of course, this could all be a skillfully planned publicity and victimization stunt. Or, it could be an attempt by the VRWC to silence the voices of dissent. In the latter case, Stuart and Janeane's next broadcast might be from a reeducation camp.
Posted by: The Bore America Blog on April 14, 2004 05:49 PMFunny the things you learn in court papers (thanks for the link, Bore). Apparently the Air America company is actually called "Radio Free America"; how's that for a putdown of Radio Free Europe and Radio Free Asia? They're a Delaware corporation with a NYC office. (Ironic that you can't actually hear them in Delaware, except by satellite or webcast.)
Thorley, Air America just this week announced the 16 station number. That's counting the two SF-area stations they announced last Thursday (4/8). Some of those 16 are Plattsburgh (in very upstate NY), Portland ME (just to confuse us), and Key West. And given the constant use of the phrase "has a signal covering...", I'm guessing these are low power stations. (The press release is here.)
I'm a bit surprised that AAR originally talked about buying radio stations, but now seem to be settling for contracts with different stations. The Chicago contract runs till January 31, 2005; you have to wonder if they'll still be around after the elections.
A big thing here is that they weren't pulled because they suck, but that some other guy didn't pay his bills and can't continue to air them. I see a lot of spin from the right that this has something to do with AA losing listeners or that it's a complete failure or something. It's not.
Theres a lot of misplaced schadenfreude (sp?) going on.
A Delaware corproation?
For tax purposes, of course. This, from the "tax the corporations" crowd, is pretty priceless. (Absolutely understandable, which is why everyone does it, but priceless.)
Posted by: Sigivald on April 15, 2004 01:15 PMA Delaware corporation?
So were KAOS, the bad guys in the TV show "Get Smart!" (Really; one episode actually mentioned this!)
I've actually been to the studios of their new Key West affiliate; the owner seemed like a nice guy. Oh, and he's French. (insert joke here)
Posted by: RMc on April 15, 2004 02:48 PM[AA] seem not to have understood, however, that when an adversary can take catastrophic measures, it is often wise, if not just, to avoid antagonising them . . .
The statement above is logically equivalent to "The manufacturer of Campbell's Soup seems not to have understood that red is not everyone's favorite color."
A Delaware corproation? For tax purposes, of course.
Probably not. There are states with lower corporate franchise taxes. There are a variety of legal reasons why it is more convenient to incorporate in Delaware.
Delaware, makes sense to me. It is after-all, the place where scrapple was invented. Yes, scrapple not scrabble, and if you have to ask what scrapple is, then you don't want to know.
MMMmmmm scrapple,,,,
Posted by: joe gefiltefish on April 15, 2004 11:34 PMIsn't scrapple made from what remains of the pig after all the meat gets cut off, then boiled down and ground up, and then mixed with corn meal mush, spices, and lard? Sounds like the culinary equivalent of talk radio. Tastes good on occasion if you don't think what went into it.
Posted by: Tom Roberts on April 16, 2004 07:21 AMTens of listeners still longing to hear Franken in Chicago! Wow who'd have thought they'd have such an audience.
Posted by: Thomas J. Jackson on April 16, 2004 11:01 AMHey, as long as we're on the topic, anyone else in the New York area finding the station extremely weak? I've been trying to give it a fair shot (in 5-minute doses, since that's my daily trip to the train station), but the signal cuts in & out over the 2 miles I'm driving. I can imagine it must be frustrating for anyone with a decently long commute.
Is it just my radio, or are other people having this problem?
Posted by: Brian Greenberg on April 18, 2004 02:41 AMComments are Closed.