Flash! Air America Radio is a BUSINESS!!

[ronnykmarshall]

Jesus H. Christ Hot Fudge Sundae !!!

I'm not happy that Mike Mallow was let go ..... but my GOD!

There is WAAAYYYYYYYYY too much tin foil around here.

[longship]

1. Hmmm.

:popcorn:

[ronnykmarshall]

11. mmmmm hmmmmm!

You know it!

[truebrit71]

2. I don't think anybody has their tinfoil hat on just yet...

...just alot of anger at yet another kick in the balls by the so-called liberal media machine...

So settle down Francis....

[ronnykmarshall]

9. Oh no you di'nt!

Settle down, Francis?????

Oh honey, I don't THINK so.

[truebrit71]

20. Calm down twinkle toes....

...it's just folks expressing themselves...

[ronnykmarshall]

26. Twinkle toes ????

Oh no, honey!!

It's awwwwwwwnnnnnnnnnnnnn!!!!!

Come on, bring it! You wanna cha-cha?? Let's get down, baby!

Put 'em up! Put 'em uuuupppppppppppppp!

[babylonsister]

28. ROFL!

:rofl:

[truebrit71]

40. Wassamatter sugar lips?

Gettin' too hot for ya'?

[Catherine Vincent]

84. LOL! You're funny!

:)

[AspenRose]

27. ..

:popcorn:

[Sammy Pepys]

3. Mike Malloy's gone?

.....about time.

(dons flameproof underwear)

[mrreowwr_kittty]

5. shhhh.....

(I'm with you)

:hide: :scared:

[lies and propaganda]

14. yeah, heaven forbid we have someone who is enraged on our side

i was getting used to those democratic lites. :puke:

[mrreowwr_kittty]

95. Anger is fine.

I enjoyed many of his rants. But the whole "both parties suck" thing was getting on my nerves. You and I see differently and that's fine. Cheers. :hi:

[MaryRN]

18. No problem. Mike's show was for Truthseekers.

[rockymountaindem]

43. Yeah, because anybody who doesn't think like you

must be some ignorant half-wit who sympathizes with the other side :sarcasm:

[rinsd]

55. Yeah they even have special decoder rings!

[springhill]

105. Yes,

I think you are definitely trying to inflame people. You know how much this is hurting many of us, but yet you feel the need to stick the knife in. Hope it makes you feel good.

[Name removed]

16. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Sammy Pepys]

42. Yeah, which is why I'm campaigning against him...

Pardon me if I just don't understand the affection for Mike Malloy.

[coalition_unwilling]

76. He had the guts to call BFEE "War Criminals" -- where else on MSM

did you hear that? Nowhere else that I'm aware of.

[Sammy Pepys]

94. Give Pacifica radio a listen sometime...

I think you'll be thoroughly impressed.

[coalition_unwilling]

103. I do listen to KPFK (90.7 FM) in Los Angeles. Excellent programming

for the most part. I've actually contributed to them during prior years' fund drives and plan to do so again, once I get back on my feet financially (unemployed for two years).

[The Wielding Truth]

93. He had depth of passion and he expressed it. He was as bristly as

Limbaugh and as open as Thomas Jefferson. Sometimes he would spout angry rants, but his heart was true to our Democracy in a clear fighting voice. At first listen, you are put aback then you need to hear his screams of injustice,because the injustice in this country is being tucked behind neatly hung crosses. Mike is our rebel. I will follow his career to his new job.

[newspeak]

4. yeah, and every other damn network and radio station is a business

but it really upsets me that the likes of Limpballs, Hannity, O'Leilly have a mass sounding board-but hey, someone with a progressive ideology, and says it like it is---is gone!!!!! I don't like the way they're doing business, how's that? It's okay if your a neo-con racist nutjob screaming, cutting down people, pulling their microphone; but anyone on the left attempts to be impassioned, just gotta let them go. Better to catapult that wimpy liberal image--so how long do you think Randi's going to last?

[NYCGirl]

6. We may hate those RW gasbags, but one fact of life: they have a big

audience with lots of ad revenue.

[newspeak]

24. that is not necessarily true

it's like Donahue--he was gaining audience-it's not business, it's corporate ideology. Those corporate talking heads keep telling you we're only putting on what you want--that's BS--see if we put it on enough and over and over again, you'll start thinking the way we want you to. It's not all business, it's corporate mind think. Afterall, they are more than willing to shove down our lemming throats Clinton's infamous BJ 24/7 until we swallow it hook, line and sinker. But, it seems those corporate talking heads are just thinking about how it wouldn't "sell" to the American people to focus more on boring corporate greed, insider trading, lying about war, soldiers killed and other scandals--it's not SEX. But, don't let that fool you, cause they want to "sell" you SEX and junk and then cry they are just following what the public wants!!!! SHITE!!!!

[NYCGirl]

30. Who's talking about Donahue? Gaining audience? He was taken off WLIB

because he was losing money for the station.

[Generator]

41. Great post!

Certainly with TV we are a captive audience no matter what anyone tells you. Yeah, you can turn it off or watch HBO (if you can afford it) but the masses do watch TV and they watch whatever is on. Look at DU-we are no different. I've especially noticed since I stopped watching most cable news since election horror 2004-because sometimes people in GD are talking about some person or thing (not politically related) that I've never heard about. It's a story because TV makes it a story.

Radio demographics I'm no expert in. I've never listened to AAR or Mike Malloy. I rarely listen to any radio. But from what I've read on DU Malloy took some very controversial stands and was big on the 9/11 truth movement issue. I guess Randi has said she feels it's also a LIHOP deal. So we will see how long she lasts. A bigger point is do the people with money-supposedly LEFT leaning with AAR support those that take controverisal and lest than moderate and majority opinions-do they support them???? MSNBC didn't support Donahue and Ashleigh Banfield. Intelligent people that let others speak. Instead now we have Joe Scarbourgh and Katie Couric.

If the ratings are tanking, do they care? Do they support the talent to make the ratings improve? Is the point of AAR only to make money? Or is to have a different voice out there. GOD forbid something is more important to someone that money. God Forbid there was any thing mattered like principles and truth in American business. If the left leaning business are only going to care about money in the end, what's the point?

[NYCGirl]

44. Yes — the point of AAR is to make money! They HAVE TO MAKE MONEY

OR THEY DON'T SURVIVE! How difficult is that to understand?

[newspeak]

53. ahhh, in the good old days

they used to call it the peoples' airwaves. your airwaves belong to us!!!!:eyes: Hey, as Scrooge says "IT'S BUSINESS." And, what's good for business, is good for the people. Right? Oh by the way, fire and chutzpah SELLS-not wimp. Just ask O'leilly and Limpballs.

[NYCGirl]

54. Yeah, O'Reilly and Limbaugh sell to the right wing — does everyone have to

sound like them?

And radio is a business — or do you want everyone to work for nothing? What about rent for the studios? And the airwaves themselves cost money. If you want noncommercial radio, listen to NPR.

[newspeak]

56. no, but some listeners do want passion and emotion

Mike Malloy was not Rush or O'Reilly, but he did show emotion and anger over somethings that some of us are angry and frustrated about. You know, I remember there was a radio host in northern california with a huge following and clear channel bought the station--they wanted him to change his tone, you know, be more moderate, cater to the right--he refused so he was out. Now was that because of money or corporate ideology? So, if the advertisers are going to call the shots then it doesn't matter what viewers or listeners want-we're just a captive audience to the shite they want to feed us.

[NYCGirl]

57. You have to make money. It's just a fact of life. If he couldn't keep the

advertisers or get ratings, he's gone. In the best of all possible worlds, that wouldn't be the case, but this isn't that world.

[Eric J in MN]

100. They need to make money, but that...

...doesn't mean the point of AAR is or should be to make money.

AAR isn't a publicly traded corporation, and so they aren't legally required to put profit above all else.

[SoCalDem]

Newsflash...

The right wing radio nuts are just part of the republican "machine". They will remain on no matter HOW shitty their ratings are or how crappy their advertisers are..They don't HAVE to make money.. They are there to gobble up air-time so no other ideas make it on the air..

If ALL the stations in a particular area have only one message on the air, it's worth any price to the rightwingers...

liberals WILL listen to conservative radio if it's the only thing on.....we'll fuss and fume, but as a group, we WILL listen... BUT if there is an alternative..a REAL alternative, the right-wing radio folks would see their audience dwindle...

I would look for more liberal departures in the run-up to the 08 election..

[shireen]

7. a very very stupid business decision

The idiots don't know that Mike has a large loyal following. That decision will hurt them.

[NYCGirl]

10. Obviously, that large following wasn't big enough. NT

[gatorboy]

34. How can that be?

There will be multiple threads on this site reminding one another that his show is on. I don't see anyone doing that for any of the other shows. He has the most rabid following of anyone on AAR.

I think he scared them a bit too much (Hey, he scared me sometimes!) and they'd rather have someone "softer" in that time slot.

[NYCGirl]

39. DU, unfortunately, is not representative of the population (no website

really is). That's why internet polls are largely worthless.

[rinsd]

52. That's the problem with rabid hosts and rabid followings.

You end up with a niche appeal.

[MADem]

15. Well, anyone who changes their politics because their favorite

shill has gotten the axe isn't likely to show up at the polls on election day, anyway. And AAR 'is' about winning elections, in addition to making some money, make no mistake.

[Hugin]

31. I've voted in every election since I was 18.

I think AAR has gone steadily down hill since it's inception.

*AWAY* from making money or winning elections.

[MADem]

36. Well, time will tell. I don't think they just pulled this decision out of

their asses, though, conspiracy theories aside.

They're looking for a more centrist audience, is my guess. They want a bite at the great mushy middle of America between now and 08. They want a congregation, and they want to go beyond preaching to the choir.

Good for you for voting, but I'm guessing you aren't their target at this point. I assume you will continue to vote even without the exhortations of AAR to so do.

[mitchtv]

37. I won't change my politics, but

I sure will change my listening habits.

[mitchtv]

38. I won't change my politics, but

I sure will change my listening habits.

[Systematic Chaos]

8. Most of us are not reacting out of tin foil paranoia.

We are reacting to the simple fact that we LOVE his show and he is now GONE. I don't care how or why.

And as for AAR being a business, it is proving that it has no "business" succeeding if it is going to treat the very best of its personalities this way.

I feel like I've just lost a very close friend and from all indications I'm far from alone in that.

[MADem]

12. Malloy was on the radio BEFORE AAR and likely he will be on it after

he cleans out his desk there.

We don't know what the deal was. Did he ask for a bigger payday? Is he negotiating with another sydication group? Was he offered more dough elsewhere and tried to play one off against the other?

But it's way easier to get all DIRE before anyone has any details. The DRAMA of it all appeals to some.....

[Systematic Chaos]

19. Until I know for a FACT

that he has another venue, then I'll stick with my drama.

In the meantime, I certainly hope that one of your hypotheses proves correct. You may very well be right but until I know for sure I'm not a cappy hamper. :(

[Junkdrawer]

13. Mike has Tarpley and other 9/11 writers on...weeks later he's fired...

Just a coincidence, I'm sure. :sarcasm:

[kerstin]

17. If AAR were just a business, Malloy would not have been fired.

He had as large a listenership as anyone on Air America, and absolutely the most devoted.

If it was a business decision, then it was a lousy one.

[Xeric]

21. AAR is out of business

as far as I'm concerned. Just deleted the links on my PC.

[Beelzebud]

22. Yeah real ethical to sign a 2 year contract then fire the guy.

AAR is over to me.

[MADem]

48. Well, unless you have inside info, you are speculating, wildly

It's not a question of ethics. Either there was a clause in the contract that gave them room to do that, a mutual 'see ya later' clause, he broke a written rule that was in the contract, or he'll sue them for wrongful termination.

Or it could be a contract was never signed. Just because people put stuff out there, doesn't make it true.

[liam_laddie]

23. Hope on the horizon

Faux News down 21%, CNN and MSNBC up, Olbermann has increased his share 55% !!
There seems to be a trend away from stupidity. Are the mass audiences awakening at last?

[Liberal_Dog]

25. Flash! Even Businesses Make Dumbass Decisions

eom

[Cerridwen]

29. So, that makes it okay?

I've not read the tinfoil stuff so I'm not sure what that's about. But excusing an action because "it's just business"? Hmm, interestingly enough, I mentioned something of this in a post earlier today.

Now that we've all been properly educated that Capitalism is the Holy Grail of economic systems and corporations their temples, anything done in the name of business is promoted as acceptable if it contributes to the "bottom line." If that means people go without pensions, health care or a livable wage, so be it, as profit is King in the hierarchy. If that means blaming lack of jobs on immigrants rather than on corporations who have outsourced, merged and downsized their workers to the point of one worker doing the job of 6, so be it. It's not that the corporations have done anything wrong; I mean, it increased their profits, right? Just ask Forbes. Or AAR. (note: AAR part added specific to this post)

From this post

[ronnykmarshall]

35. YES ! YES ! YES !

It's makes it JIM DANDY!! PEACHY KEEN!!

Business can do ANYTHING it's wants!!

All hail the mighty corporate!!!

All hail Queen HRC the 1st!!!'


DLC! DLC! DLC!!!!!!!


:woohoo:

[AspenRose]

46. Hoo boy...you are live wire today

What did you have for lunch? :D

[ronnykmarshall]

67. Burrito

and I think there was sumthin' strange in the beans.

[glitch]

32. They aren't acting like it by firing Malloy. nt

[Protagoras]

33. And business should conform to certain practices

such as providing the consumers with the product they are purchasing. They also have some basic obligations to their employees.

The fact that Malloy was yanked minutes before he was due to go on the air...and the fact that AAR left his name up on their web page announcing that he is filling in for Randi today goes against some pretty basic business practices unless there was some sort of immediate fire that was not about some sort of contract dispute or ratings difficulty.

There's a lot more info that needs to be gathered here before many conclusions are reached...other than the conclusion that the way this was handled today was a CF.

[Zomby Woof]

45. He was fired because he sucks

I never liked Malloy. Good riddance.

[newspeak]

49. yeah, and I don't like reality TV

but some do--just because YOU don't like him doesn't mean everyone is with you.

[Zomby Woof]

50. Laff riot

:rofl:

[bigtree]

47. and life is just a dream

some business. this should sink the network's ratings like a rock in sludge.

[EST]

51. I think the real problem is that we all have an investment

in AAR. We went out of our collective way to find outlets, to stream where available, to champion and talk up the whole program. The fly in the ointment is that we were family, dammit!

They made this decision without consulting us or informing us. They treated us like we are of no importance and that hurts.

For years before AAR was even a tiny vision on the horizon, I was pushing for and demanding such a counter media. I feel an almost avuncular interest, although I have no pecuniary interest, and I had and have a sense of pride at all their successes.
I also have a disappointment, for myself and thousands of others, that that sense of pride, family and well wishing is not reflected by those who run the operation.

[PresidentWar]

58. So sad that much of DU doesn't understand how radio works

And thank you for your post. AA is going to have to survive on its own if we are to have a fighting chance on the big airwaves at all - and that means being a viable business that can pull in its own ad dollars. I have harped on in topic after topic and it still seems like it's missing its mark. But hope springs eternal.

[stepnw1f]

60. oh come on... why would DU know about radio?

Most people don't know a thing about the Constitution, nevermind how radio works. Now that's sad, because as a US citizen they should know about the Constitution.

[PresidentWar]

90. Well its like any other business, really

You need revenue to survive, and in commercial radio the revenue in the largest chunks comes by ad sales. No ads, no jobs, no radio.

[stepnw1f]

97. I Don't Think It's a Misunderstanding of How Radio Works Though

You underestimate folks here. People could care less about the business aspect. They will always believe in merit. And I have to agree with that. I believe our economy sucks for most people because most do not succeed due to merit/hard work, rather they succeed by who you know, and how often you are willing to bend over, personally and professionally. And because of "the bottom line" this country is suffering... just look around. Something will have to give, and it aint gonna be the masses for much longer.

Instead, people on DU are just venting their frustration, and strongly believe Malloy merits his job... but because of the "bottom line" a progressive with huge balls is silenced, once again. We have no representation or anybody putting our points of view out into the public, so when we say anything, people look at us as if we were from another planet. That's what happens when you are sensored... your point of view becomes alien. Convenient way of censoring someone you don't like... just consider it business as usual.

[PresidentWar]

98. It doesn't matter what DUers "strongly believe"

THAT will not keep people like Malloy employed. High enough RATINGS will, though. That's the point.

[stepnw1f]

99. And You Dismissed My Point

later

[PresidentWar]

104. What point was that?

I saw you mentioning some vaporous data that showed how popular Mike Malloy was on AAR, and I pointed to the likely event that the Arbitron Ratings (which really determine the longevity of a radio hosts gig) differed.

When you get something solid, let me know.

[stepnw1f]

59. That's the Problem Right There... Everything is a Business

We progressives are at the mercy of corporations. It's a sad irony.

[B Calm]

61. You don't fire your most popular talk show host! It has to be

something very stinky to make such a bad business decision!

[NYCGirl]

62. Ratings wise, he's not the most popular. Not even in the top 3. NT

[B Calm]

68. No Way! He was voted the most popular talk show host in NY city

several months later his show was dropped off the NY station. When he was in Chicago on WLS he was voted the most popular talk show host and the next week he was fired. This all bullshit and I'm sick of it!!

[NYCGirl]

71. By whom? NT

[B Calm]

72. Listeners in NY

He even flew to NY to recieve the award!

[NYCGirl]

73. By an online poll? Telephone? Newspaper? Link? NT

[B Calm]

74. It's been a while back. Remember him flying to NY to get the award.

[NYCGirl]

77. It was the "March of Dimes A.I.R. Achievement in Radio" Award. Not

a "most popular" thing at all. Nothing to do with ratings.

http://liberalchrystie.blogspot.com/2006/01/mike-malloy-wins-new-york-air-awards.html

http://www.nyairawards.com/

http://www.nymrad.org/air.html

[B Calm]

79. Bull s...

[NYCGirl]

80. Check out the links I provided. NT

[B Calm]

81. So, he won even more awards???

[NYCGirl]

82. No, that's the only one. NT

[B Calm]

86. according to you!

[NYCGirl]

88. According to facts. NT

[onenote]

89. and apparently according to Malloy

Unless you think he's so modest that he would only mention the march of dimes award on his website and would hide all information about his other awards (and would ensure that the world wide web has been scrubbed of all mention of them as well).

[onenote]

83. Bull s, yourself

NYCGirl is exactly right. If Malloy had been voted the "most popular" talk show host in NYC, it would be mentioned somewhere on the web, especially on his own website. All you will find if you search is that the March of Dimes Achievement in Radio awards named Malloy "best talk show host" in 2005. I don't know much about the AIR Awards (other than that the March of Dimes decided not to give them out in 2006), but they appear to be a fundraising tool for the M.O.D. (there are similar awards sponsored by M.O.D. in other cities). How does one "win" this award? I have no idea. I do know that Sean Hannity won the best talker award in 2004 and 2003, FWIW.

[PresidentWar]

96. Unless that was by Arbitron Rating, it don't mean shit.

Sorry, but its the Arbitrons that lengthen radio careers or shorten them.

[Nutmegger]

63. Can anyone explain his contract renewal?

His contract was renewed then, all of a sudden, he gets chopped? What changed between then and now?

[onenote]

85. Can anyone confirm his contract renewal?

Is there a link somewhere?

[LeftCoast]

64. I see a lot of people claiming Malloy was the most popular AAR host

but does anyone have actual ratings? I'd be interested in seeing actual facts about this if anyone has them. I'm not trying to get into a fight here, just curious what the actual facts of the matter are.

[NYCGirl]

65. A couple of months ago, there was an article in the NY Times that had the

top ratings getters at AAR as:

1 Al Franken
2 Randi Rhodes
3 Janeane Garafalo/Sam Seder

The article was about Rachel Maddow (and how she was moving up).

Can't get it again, don't have Times Premium.

[LeftCoast]

66. Thanks! It's interesting to note that he wasn't in the top three.

It would be hard to explain his firing if he were. This adds some interesting data to the mix. Thanks again. :hi:

[B Calm]

69. Mike wasn't even heard on the radio station in NY a couple months ago

Back when they did have him on the air in NY he was voted most popular. Now tell me why they took him off the air in NY?

[NYCGirl]

70. The article was about the network, not the local station.

They took him off the air at WLIB because they could make more money getting paid by ABC to run the Satellite Sisters than they could from Malloy and all his advertisements.

[B Calm]

75. Satellite Sisters... oh yeah, how could we forget that smart move..

[LaPera]

78. Then what fucking bad business---Absolutely no perception clowns!

They scheduled Malloy for a whole week on Randi's show, then fire him after two days because of "financial reasons" They didn't know about the finances before they scheduled Malloy?

You mean the AAR assholes have this little foresight?

[freedomburn]

91. The suits at AAR are total ass-clowns if they don't know how stupid

this makes them look.

Do this if you want to look like an idiot:

Have one of your most popular radio personalities replace another of your most popular personalities, and then fire him half-way through the week.

I am going to listen to every show he did this week and go over it with a fine-toothed comb to see if he touched some live wire that I need to investigate. Friggin board-room creeps with balls the size of peas. They wouldn't know the truth if it kicked them right in the a**.

fb

[onenote]

92. is there any available info on his ratings?

I keep seeing Malloy described as one of AAR's most popular personalities, but I haven't seen anything specific about what Malloy's ratings were, either in absolute terms or relative to others (except for a post that indicated that Malloy wasn't in the top 3). I would sure help me understand this situation if I had some actual facts about Malloy's audience size.

[jimshoes]

87. If they start running their business like

the Cleveland Indians seemingly do, by trading away their best talent and stay in a permanent rebuilding mode, I can tell you that's a shitty way to try to attract or keep fans. I'm seriously bummed right now.

[Cleita]

101. And as a business, it seems odd that they would

fire someone with the following Mike had in the middle of a week he was subbing unless something went sour very quickly. I mean couldn't they just not renew his contract? Now it could be he was asking for more money than they were willing to pay, but would the firing have to be this abrupt?

[Bretttido]

102. It's the ratings, stupid!