After 2 years, Air America grows progressively upbeat

Randi Rhodes
(As reported in The NY Daily News)

It was two years ago tomorrow that the progressive network Air America took to the radio, like a band of pioneers seeking a foothold in territory long dominated by hostile conservatives.

The ride has been as rocky as any 19th-century wagon train, and it's still not clear where the network is ultimately headed.

But count Randi Rhodes, the 3-7 p.m. host, among those who think a lot of turf has been claimed, with more to come.

"For a long time, there was a big hole," said Rhodes, "and it's not there anymore. Now there's another side on the radio. People who think our government has been going in the wrong direction don't feel like they're alone anymore.

"I'm much more optimistic today than I was two years ago. Much more hopeful."

Air America launched amid considerable optimism of its own - heady talk of buying its own network of stations while derailing the re-election of President Bush.

Bush survived. Air America almost fell.

It lost its airtime in Chicago and Los Angeles for not paying its rent. Some of its founding executives turned out to have seriously overstated the network's financial position, and sharp cutbacks were ordered as those executives left.

But new money arrived to keep it afloat as hosts like Al Franken and Rhodes started to build followings. Today, most of its marquee shows are heard in most major cities, albeit sometimes on lower-powered stations, and while its ratings have yet to match those of established conservatives like Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity, Air America CEO Danny Goldberg recently said he's optimistic.

Affiliates, ratings and revenue are rising, he said, challenging critics, like Bill O'Reilly, who have regularly declared the network close to dead.

One of the major arguments by O'Reilly and other critics is that Air America will never succeed as long as it sounds like a Democratic Party mouthpiece.

Network hosts maintain they often chastize Democrats - over not opposing the war more strongly, for instance - and Rhodes says Air America's critics wouldn't be so persistent if the network wasn't making a difference.

"It's a sign of fear and loathing," she said. "They see where we've gotten with zero promotion, and they're terrified."

It's generally agreed that Air America, heard here on WLIB (1190 AM), sounds more professional today. It has adjusted its programming to highlight hosts like Rachel Maddow, while others who didn't come from radio backgrounds, like Franken and Janeane Garafalo, have grown more comfortable on the air.

Rhodes herself, a former deejay, admits that suddenly doing four hours of talk "was a hard left turn."

But the secret, she says, is just basic radio: prepare, prepare, prepare.

"My whole day is show prep," she said. "You go on the air with a plan, and suddenly the show takes on a life of its own. You have to be ready for anything."

Rhodes often mentions that she uprooted herself from a comfortable life in Florida to join the Air America adventure. She says she has no regrets.

"Would I do it again? Oh God, yes," she said. "What we're doing here is very exciting. We're letting people know they are not insane."