Ed Schultz ties Bill O'Reilly in Audience Size

(As reported today at RawStory.com)

And they said liberal talk radio would never survive.

According to Talker's Magazine, a trade industry publication, the nation's largest progressive talk show radio host Ed Schultz is now tied in the number of radio listeners to conservative radio personality Bill O'Reilly.

Last November, Schultz leapt from 3pm to 6pm ET to the choice noon to 3pm ET slot, the same time slot as conservative talker Rush Limbaugh and, at the time, Air America's Al Franken.

A new survey by Talkers Magazine listed Schultz's weekly audience at 3.25 million weekly listeners, the same number of listeners enjoyed by O'Reilly, host of the Fox News Channel's The O'Reilly Factor.

Schultz and O'Reilly, along with radio hosts Jim Bohannon, Clark Howard and Doug Stephan, share the number seven slot. The same survey in 2006 pegged the Fargo talker's unique weekly listeners at 2.25 million, sharing the number 10 slot among radio hosts nationwide.

The Ed Schultz Show was the first to "out" Idaho senator Larry Craig (R-ID), ten months before he was caught in an airport bathroom soliciting an undercover cop.

Limbaugh, who had 14.5 million weekly listeners in 2005, has not recovered from his loss of audience reported in the 2006 survey. His audience has been holding steady at 13.5 million listeners since that report.

"To hear some Democrats tell it, the GOP should be afraid," Newsweek's Jonathan Darman penned in a 2005 profile on the Fargo, North Dakota-based Schultz. "Schultz is coming after them and doing it on their own turf, smack dead in the middle of Red State America."

A copy of the Talkers Magazine survey may be seen here.

Schultz's show runs on affiliates and both satellite networks nationwide. He's available online live here.

KLSD Listeners Show Their Support

San Diego listeners turned out in force to let Clear Channel know that they support the progressive talk radio format. I'd like to note that, despite the common misconception, Clear Channel has actually been rather open to progressive talk and has added it in many markets across the country. They haven't done this for love; there are profits to be made, and the format DOES bring in the dollars. . .From KLSD's site, via Randi Rhodes:

Thanks to the hundreds of listeners who showed up Monday morning outside the KLSD studios at a rally organized by citizens, Democrat and labor groups to support the Progressive Talk format.

Between 300 and 400 KLSD listeners attended a grass roots organized event in front of the KLSD studios in Murphy Canyon to show their support and to help save the format.

CLICK HERE for the Video of the Rally

CLICK HERE to see pictures from the Support KLSD Rally.

Program Director Cliff Albert and Morning Host Stacy Taylor told the crowd that Clear Channel has been looking into the possibility of changing the format to another talk format, possible sports talk. But that no decision has been made and the show of support by so many listeners was gratifying.

Albert said that while various options are under consideration, they want the Progressive voice to remain heard loud and clear in San Diego.

Please feel free to send us an email at support@1360klsd.com and express your thoughts and opinions.

Thank you for listening and supporting your local Progressive Talk Station.

Here's a video clip for the station featuring Stacy Taylor, who fills in for Randi Rhodes on Air America from time to time:



Show these folks some love, and sign their petition to Clear Channel!

Ed Schultz discusses Progressive Radio

Air America 2.0

AIR AMERICA 2.0 BEGINS TODAY

A message from Mark Green - President of Air America Radio:

Today my family formally purchased and took over Air America Radio. Why? Because if progressive values were a stock, now is the time to buy.

This hasn't always been true, as the cycle of politics demonstrates. In recent decades, politics seems to have been governed by physics for every action, there's an opposite and equal reaction. William F. Buckley Jr. started The National Review in the 1950s to rebut what he saw as the dominance of liberalism in the academy and opinion journals like The Nation and The New Republic. From 1970-72, Public Citizen, Common Cause and the NRDC were all created in reaction to Nixon's depredations. Similarly, People For the American Way grew out of the rise of the Religious Right under Reagan in the mid-80s.

New progressive think tanks over the past 10 years, most recently and prominently the Center for American Progress, were created to counter AEI and Heritage. And of course, the Huffington Post and Air America were born in reaction to the electronic propaganda of Drudge and Limbaugh et. al.

Air America was a large, smart idea to counter the near-monopoly on talk radio by the far (f)right. But like most start-ups, the business plan collided with reality. Six CEOs over its first three years and various missteps and misspending sent it into Chapter 11.

It's now ready to go from The Perils of Pauline to The Little Engine that Could. How? First, by focusing on the radio fundamentals of making a strong line-up even stronger; second, by connecting to other major progressive organizations to be mutually fortifying; and third, by being a multi-media content company involving other information platforms mobile, video, broadband, blogs, websites. It's time to think outside the (radio) box.

The twin goals are to make it profitable and influential. One without the other won't work. If it's not a business, it'll go out of business.

But it'll be a business with a sharp point of view. The era of on-the-one-hand-on-the-other-hand liberalism is over -- or as Robert Frost once wrote, "a liberal man is too broad-minded to take his own side in a quarrel." For all those who worry about messianic misleaders governing on a right wing and a prayer, Air America 2.0 will be an answer. For all those fearful of plutocracy and theocracy, the pro-democracy hosts of AAR's programs are the answer. If the conservative media continue to spout propaganda and call it news, we are the alternative of truth, justice and the Air American way.

It's no longer enough just to hope that The New York Times will cover a rally or press release. The relatively new combination of The Huffington Post, Alternet, MoveOn, Center for American Progress and Campaign for America's Future, The Nation and The American Prospect, DailyKos and Talking Points Memo and so many labor unions means that Air America will be part of a larger progressive infrastructure heard by a widening audience. For if we can't now grow and prosper as Democrats -- given the 110th Congress, given the unmitigated disaster that's Iraq, given a slew of top-quality presidential aspirants -- when will we?

So Air America will aggressively cover national politics and policies in ways that will be informative, opinionated and entertaining. All three. We'll be full of news and views. Two views especially. First, America should stop attacking Muslim countries in ways that multiply terrorism. Second, instead of only talking about exporting democracy, Washington should begin practicing it here at home, for example by making sure elections aren't auctions, which means the public funding of public elections.

Speaking personally, my brother and I are excited by this important challenge and look forward to working with the Air America professionals in front of the mic and behind it who have held this dream together. Steve Green has been a very successful businessman accustomed to making money -- and he doesn't intend for AAR to be an exception. I've been an author, public interest lawyer and the NYC Public Advocate; for me this feels like a continuation of so much I've done for the progressive movement over three decades. Air America is like a public advocate for the country, exposing problems and offering solutions.

So we're both optimists in the spirit of Walt Whitman, who wrote that "America is always becoming." Well, Air America too is always becoming.

But that requires a conversation called democracy. In the spirit that dialogue beats monologue, I am today contacting the New Hampshire Republican Party and the New York Post editorial page. Since the Democratic Party of Nevada actually invited Fox News to host that state's Democratic debate, I asked if Air America could host the first Republican debate in New Hampshire, assuring them that we too can be fair and balanced.

And to Bob McManus, editorial page editor of The New York Post, I proposed that he come on Air America to discuss his views and that Air America commentators would in turn once-a-month write an op-ed on his pages, because it's better to exchange ideas than insults. His 720,000 readers should hear from us and our 2 million+ audience should hear from him.

We have many fresh ideas for programming, for technology, for partnerships with sister organizations. But it's this conversation called democracy that's the cornerstone of Air America 2.0. We intend to listen to our listeners; to increase our listeners ; and hope they will join our journey to a better network, better programming, and a better country. To tell them that it's your America, and your Air America.

Originally Released on The Huffington Post (March 6, 2007)

Quote from a true world statesman

On Thursday I heard several references to the following story, but I hadn't gotten a chance to research it yet. It involves a rather inappropriate comment from George Bush (imagine that) to Ariel Sharon.

Uri Dan, author of the book "Ariel Sharon: An Intimate Portrait", was a military correspondent for the army magazine Bamahane, for the weekly Ha'olam Hazeh and for the daily Maariv. Mr. Dan, who died in December at age 71, was a part of Sharon's inner circle and was privy to alot of undisclosed information.

Speaking of George Bush, with whom Sharon developed a very close relationship, Uri Dan recalls that Sharon's delicacy made him reluctant to repeat what the president had told him when they discussed Osama bin Laden. Finally he relented. And here is what the leader of the Western world, valiant warrior in the battle of cultures, promised to do to bin Laden if he caught him: "I will screw him in the ass!"


"I don't spend that much time thinking about him".


Apparently you do, George. Apparently you do. . .

Hat tips to Shmuel Rosner for the story and Elmo for the picture.

Air America - The Phoenix rises from the ashes!

My belief in the power of progressive talk radio (and prayer!) has been reaffirmed! Thank God for the Green Brothers. . .may Air America serve you well as you grow it and expand it's populist voice to every possible market in America:

Air America Radio Announced Today That it Has Signed a Letter of Intent

January 29, 2007-Air America Radio announced today that it has signed a letter of intent to sell its business to SLG Radio LLC, an entity controlled by Stephen L. Green, the founder and chairman of SL Green Realty Corp (NYSE: SLGPRC). The sale will be accomplished pursuant to section 363 of the United States Bankruptcy Code, and is expected to close by mid-February. The announcement was made by Air America CEO Scott Elberg. SLGreen Realty Corp. has been the most profitable office REIT in the country based on a total return to share holders, controlling 27 million square feet of commercial property largely in Manhattan and with a market cap of over $12 billion.

"We are extremely pleased to have reached this agreement with Mr. Green, which will solidify Air America’s future," said Elberg. "When you combine Steve Green's business skills and successes -- with his brother Mark Green's history as a respected progressive policy voice, including as a frequent guest and host on our network-- Air America will be in the best hands to sustain our powerful radio voice, expand our reach and broaden the audience."

"Because I'm a businessman who enjoys creating and growing companies, I'm purchasing a majority ownership in Air America with the intention of making it a successful business that returns a profit,” said Stephen Green. “To assure that AAR survives and thrives, we'll do three things. First, we'll stabilize its finances. Second, we'll build on its line-up to assure the best radio talent possible, since in the long run content is king. And third, we'll extend this special brand by partnering with other platforms beyond radio to make sure that Air America's content reaches the wide audience it deserves.""Having been involved on both sides of the microphone at Air America, I understand its huge potential as a voice for progressive patriotism,” said Mark Green. “And with the Democratic take-over of the 110th Congress and prospects in the next presidential election, it's the perfect time for Air America 2.0. If progressive values were a stock, now is the time to buy.

"The Network also announced today that the last day of "The Al Franken Show," which airs Mon-Fri 12pm-3pm ET, will be February 14, 2007. Thom Hartmann, host of "The Thom Hartmann Program," which airs on Air America's syndication channel, Mon-Fri 12pm-3pm ET, will then move into "The Al Franken Show" timeslot."We are very sad to see Al Franken depart from Air America and wish him every success in his next endeavor," said Elberg. "Al's brilliance, humor, and passion put Air America on the map and we will always regard him as part of our family.""I'll miss coming in and working with the best staff in radio, talking with my amazing coterie of guests, and, of course, my national audience, said Franken. “But they'll be in good hands with Thom Hartmann, a great progressive and a terrific host. And the network will be in good hands with the Green brothers: Mark, my friend for years and a committed liberal who understands the mission of Air America as well as anyone, and his brother Steve, who is very wealthy.

"Upon entering into the Letter of Intent, Stephen Green provided funds to Democracy Allies LLC, which has been funding Air America during the bankruptcy proceeding and which will continue to fund the company as it prepares a definitive purchase agreement for submission to the Bankruptcy Court. Air America, which does business as Piquant, LLC and is headquartered in New York City, currently produces 19 hours of original programming a day and is heard on 81 affiliates reaching 54 percent of the country. Air America affiliates reach 1.9 million listeners per week, Mon-Sun 6am-12m.