Another Chance for Air America Radio?

Why doesn't anyone know this? The news that Air America Radio is under new management once again came as no surprise to me, but then I guess nothing surprises me anymore. Surely its been a sweet deal for the brother Green who gained control for a minimal layout of money, and has now sold out...its sorta like flipping a building, huh?

The Greens have been a pretty big disappointment for those of us who were hoping for a return to the original groundbreaking Air America formula of edgy, smart, talent that was breaking through the old ho-hum radio of yesterday, and leading the charge into America's next chapter. As a new media outlet, Air America deserved the luxury of the years that it takes for any new venture like this to start turning a profit, and ever since Danny Goldberg cut that off at the knees, what has been needed is new management that could see what happened and try to roll back a bit and try to once again give the brilliant formula a chance. This thing is a long term investment, not a moneymaker....and flipping the mostly empty shell doesn't count.

Mark Green is not what you'd call a beloved New York icon, and his continual run for office and compulsive push towards the klieg lights, with his brother's endless financing, made his view of public service seem like more of a vanity project than an honest move to further the liberal voice or help his constituents . Y'know, we're fighting for our lives in this country; things have never been this bad...maybe it will never be the same...and we need a voice. What we don't need is the cronyism that Green brought to this vital programming. This cronyism brought in a New York programmer on board, who brought his friend "Lionel" along with him. Jerry Springer was a dream compared to this guy, who barged into a morning slot with a bad attitude towards the die hard fans of AAR, and made it quite clear that he didn't like them. Nor did he feel like a liberal himself...some voice for the progressive movement, huh?

Meanwhile the brilliant programmer just couldn't find a far enough corner to stuff Sam Seder into. For some reason they have a problem with an intelligent, funny, and truly progressive host who can hold his own against any veteran broadcaster, even as he remains fresh and new enough to be edgy and fresh. Seder who easily holds a place among the breakout stars of this thing, has been shuffled around until realizing his upwards book trend involved piecing together 3 different slots, managed to keep his rabid following intact despite the best efforts of the management; currently, he fills in for hosts on damned cruises, and oversees his own little corner of Sundays with his take on the week and the Sunday shows. His fans are waiting patiently to get him back into a daily slot. The fans may be willing to wait but how long is the very talented Seder going to take this shit. Lets hope that the new management rights this immediately.

Surely, the new management of Air America Radio must realize that Seder and Marc Maron are experimenting with a video cast show that already has an impressive following in its beta stage. The show still involves quite a bit of hilarious technical difficulties, but beyond that there is the original, concise political commentary and topical humor that is reminiscent of the golden early days of working out the kinks and moments of sheer brilliance that was the mark of early Air America . They must realize that Maron's following has not given up hope that he might return to radio. They must see that the original formula needed time to gain ground, and that the biggest mistakes made along the way involved yanking shows, shuffling them around, and replacing what had become the branded AAR hosts with what seemed to be "established" shows but were just fillers that alienated the growing audience.

Enter Charlie Kireker, a Vermont investment specialist who has an eclectic background and an iron in quite a few fires. He has done government work, sat on boards, and has consulted on an array of companies. From what I've heard, Kireker is a sharp guy and is someone who could be a good fit with AAR. That remains to be seen, but Kireker's Pendulum Media is in the process of buying Green Family Media, and for the time being Mark Green is still acting as President; the money brother is still sitting on the board as well.

The interesting thing about the team that Kierker is bringing with him, is that
it ranges from founding members of AAR to an array of individuals who each bring very strong backgrounds in business, investment, marketing, and hopefully, common sense, to the table.

Most notable is Phillipe Collin, who has an extensive background in the management of digital media, and who seems to realize the strong connection that Air America has with its audience. If the plan is to tap the possibilities of Internet Broadcasting and the interactive model that is being explored by Maron and Seder, among others, then this is a good place to start and a promising line up.

The fact that this news has not been all that widely reported and has remained underwhelming is testament to the fact of how low AAR has slipped in their interaction not only with the audience, but also as a force and presence in media and the ongoing political conversation that is going to be so vital during this coming political year and further. Unraveling the mess that the neocons have made of this country is going to be a huge job and the progressive voice is going to be ever more important as we move into our next phase.

So, here is my advice to the new guys: Get Maron back under contract. Do whatever you need to to smooth out the crap that he has been through. Get Seder back on 5 days per week for a few hours; how about the empty morning slot? How about the 9-midnight slot? He has been on early and late and his fans seem to follow. Don't dump the mornings; that's a mistake. Get someone like Maron in place and give him a few years to work though the curve. Look at the very real possibility that Rachel Maddow might have better things to do sooner than you think, and that those things may entice her more than a 3rd hour. Be sure to at least have some hosts on board to fill in, so that you're not scraping around for someone after Seder has worked 7 days in a row.

Understand that some of your hosts are a little tired, and really look at how insane some slots have become; lots of screaming going on. But mostly, lets have some humor back in this thing! The thing about AAR that saved so many of us from pulling our own hair out, made so many of us more politically active, and worked in concert with the netroots to bring about real change in this country, was that it mixed the Daily Show funny with really intelligent commentary. It inspired so many people who were in despair and got people off the couch and into elections, onto the net, and out marching and voting. Along the way, many of the shows were on an upwards trend. You are not going to be profitable for years...I cant imagine that you are unless you've got some sort of magic business plan. Just put something good in place and let it grow. Go with the edgy and new, rather than the old tired Springeresque Lionels out there. Your audience is not stupid...don't treat them that way. You've got something that was very special for a long time; don't fuck it up.


Anyone wishing to contact Air America to let them know how you feel about the current lineup or what you'd like to see, should write to Phillipe Collin