Air America, Intellectual Intercouse, and Clubbing Baby Seals

Air America Radio, National Politics

I spent a few posts poking some fun at the Air America Radio Network. It was a fun few posts. But, there was that diversion in 2004 wherein we re-elected our president (by a majority — something even Bill “Is that really a cigar there, Monica? Heh heh” Clinton couldn’t manage). And then school and work take their toll.

And well, the fun of poking fun of the incredibly thin-skinned isn’t so much fun any more.

But lately I’ve seen an uptick in hits to this blog where people are searching for “air america”.

And now that the summer term is all but over I’m taking a look at what I’ve missed.

Let’s see….

“Air America Radio is stuck in the ratings cellar” (St. Paul Pioneer Press) But that’s nothing new. Air America’s ratings have been terrible since the day it powered up the ol’ transmitter. Had it been Rush Limbaugh with these ratings the libs would be mocking him and asking when he was going to give up the ghost.

But no, this is Al O’Franken (just to harken back to the old days when he tried to tweak the twit named Bill O’Rilley). So, this is a growth process that’s “not like box office receipts.”

Let me point out that this is so much …. well, this is a family blog and we don’t use that kind of language here. Air America was supposed to fill this vast void in broadcasting — funny, liberal commentary. Yours truly has, in fact, listened and can say that there’s not much funny on Air America and it’s more ranting than commentary. So, maybe 1 out of 3 ain’t bad. So, perhaps it doesn’t have the ratings because the void is still unfilled. Or, maybe the void was never there at all and Dan Rather was doing a better job at filling the supposed void than Randi Rhodes.

But, no, that’s not why people have been popping by to read what I’ve said about Air America. It’s the SCANDAL! You want to hear about the scandal. Admit it. That’s why you’re here from Google, or Yahoo, or Bloglines, or wherever you’re coming from. You want SCANDAL!

Well, sorry I’m late to the dance, but I’ve been busy and beating up on Air America holds all of the intellectual stimulation and emotional satisfaction of clubbing baby seals. And well, this blog is called “Intellectual Intercourse” for a reason, and it’s not merely to pay homage to Alanis Morrissette.

The story is that Air America ended up taking almost a half million dollars in money from a Boys & Girls Club in New York. How to fit the word “Irregularity” in there I’m not certain, but that word keeps popping up in the story of the transfer. If I’m reading between the lines correctly, it seems that Evan Cohen talked Charles Rosen into investing some grant money in Air America.

Since Progress Media (Cohen’s company) is now defunct and Air America is now owned by Piquant LLC, technically the Boys & Girls Club lost its money. Thus, Air America says:

The current owners of Air America Radio have no obligation to Progress Media’s business activities. We are very disturbed that Air America Radio’s good name could be associated with a reduction in services for young people, which is why we agreed months ago to fully compensate the Gloria Wise Boys & Girls Club as a result of this transaction.

Which is the right thing to do. But then the story gets wierder.

But it appears that Piquant LLC can’t figure out how much they owe the Boys & Girls in New York. They have agreed to “fully compensate” the group, but still haven’t. As they told Brit Hume: “We’re committed to paying this money and the terms are being worked out… We are awaiting direction from the investigation into how to proceed.”

Whizbang puts it “Air America: We Paid it Back Before We Didn’t Pay it Back.” I don’t know if I would agree with that, but it is obvious from the fact that they’re working out terms that they at least don’t have the $480,000 in hand and are trying to work out payment terms or a lot of free advertising, or both.

Could the lack of cash be a result of terrible ratings?

We report. You decide.

MickC @ August 2, 2005