Sheldon Drobny (AAR co-founder) weighs in on Malloy (HuffPo)

[LTR]

I am a good friend of Mike Malloy and when I started Air America Radio, I wanted him, Randi Rhodes, and Al Franken. I thought that would be a good start. And I got them. When I got a call from Mike Malloy yesterday I was shocked that the AAR board had not offered him a contract.
He is the lowest paid of all the regular hosts on AAR and they put him in an awful time slot, 10pm-1am ET. As I stated before, I am a minority owner of AAR and I am not on the board of directors. I do run 2 AAR affiliates in Phoenix and Little Rock. However, the AAR board does not seem to want my advice. It is a shame because I could really help. I have lots of experience in business and I understand good talk radio.

(more)

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/sheldon-drobny/mike-malloy-and-andy-roon_b_28437.html

[LaPera]

1. Start writing and calling again & again and get your friends to as well.

[FogerRox]

28. KNR .....I like this part:

I suspect Malloy's termination was more about personality than performance. It certainly was not about money. My suggestion to those who love Mike Malloy is to do what the audience of 60 Minutes did when they terminated Andy Rooney several years ago. Email or write them about your feelings and we may still have a chance to get him back. I have already vigorously registered my complaint directly to the board and I understand that Sam Sedar also did on the air yesterday. Go to the AAR web site at http://www.airamericaradio.com and let them know how you feel. Register on line free and click "About Us" on the right side of the top and "Contact us" will appear. I talked to Mike Malloy and he would be open to coming back if too much time does not pass.

[princehal]

2. I want someone fired for this decision.

[Cha]

3. Wow! I'm thinking this

will somehow be an opening for Mike to do better and broader things..you can't shut someone up like Mike Malloy!

[GreenTea]

4. I hope so but where? Not a lot open for true hard-core liberals. Keep

calling & writing for now!

[ronnykmarshall]

5. Jones Radio should pick him up.

They syndicate Stephanie Miller and Ed Schulz.

Many of the "Air America" stations don't run 100% of the AAR line up.

I think we'll hear from Mike again real soon.

[KharmaTrain]

Mike's A Survivor...Is AAR?

Mike's gotten the short end of the corporate stick again. I saw it happen here at WLS. He's on at a time when no one really in the front office pays attention...except that the ratings are dirt poor, no money is being made and there's still a paycheck or four going out. This isn't Mike's fault, but a situation he's found himself and a crossroads of sorts for AAR.

The network has stagnated in recent months...not really adding any new affiliates and suffering, as radio in general, from a continuing erosion of their revenue streams and other financial obligations. Costs are increasing, debt service needs to be paid and the revenues continue to diminish...what to do?

Sheldon is one of the original AAR investors...and helped see it through its crisis when Evan Cohen bankrupted the place. He's been pushed aside...as have others...as the network attempted to cozy up to Clear Channel to expand. Sadly, AAR suffers from a serious lack of promotion and still operating on poor signals that generate even poorer ratings. It's a Catch 22...they aren't able to crank out the money to promote cause they're not making the revenues cause they're not on the right type of stations which are easier to promote and get higher ratings and revenues. Unlike right wing hate radio that has developed several ways to make money, AAR is struggling...and Mike's the latest victim.

Hopefully Mike will end up at a station that appreciates his knowledge, wit and ability to draw a strong, loyal audience. It'd be great to see him land at a KGO or some other 50,000 blowtorch.

Good luck, Mike.

[Cha]

9. Thanks for this post. And, yeah,

Good Luck Mike Malloy!

[clmbohdem]

6. Anyone find the snail mail address for AAR?

I want to also write a snail mail letter but can't find the address.

[Junkdrawer]

8. Here:

Air America Radio
641 Sixth Avenue
4th Floor
New York, NY 10011

[clmbohdem]

20. thanks, I just did my snail mail part.

As well as email, calling, and the petition.

[Ganja Ninja]

7. Who the hell is running AAR anyway?

Today I'm listening to Lawrence O'Donnell sitting in on the Franken show and I hear him saying he's having Pat Buchanan on tomorrow. A man who just recently called for an end to illegal immigration and for America to increase the number of white immigrants. Maybe it's just me but I just don't get why they would even give a man like that air time no matter how he feels about the war in Iraq. I understand Pat's against the war but if this were WWII would AAR welcome Joe Stalin to the airwaves?

[immoderate]

11. And he's got Sam Harris on now.

Buchanon's book is #1. He's a prick, and where else will he get "enough rope?" Do you only want Buchanon to be interviewd by Sean and Tucker?

--IMM

[Ganja Ninja]

15. I'm just sick of all the cordiality with the enemy.

A recent example is Mayor Nagin sitting down to dinner with George and Laura. I don't think it's appropriate and as far as Pat Buchanan goes I'd rather not see him interviewed at all.

[immoderate]

26. Nagin was a Republican before he was the mayor.

I don't know a lot about him, but my impression is not that he is a man of principle. Nuff said.

I don't think we should back away from taking on our adversaries. If we don't encounter Buchanan on our home court, he will be on MSM where the deck is always stacked against us two or three to one.

One of my favorite Franken segments was where he skewered the odious John Fund by confronting him with his lies. Randi or Mike would not have been allowed close enough. I think we should be the party of light, and that wont come if we only interview ourselves.

Look what Letterman and Stewart did to Bill O'Reilly. Couldn't happen on his home ground.

--IMM

[LaPera]

10. Apparently people who just want to profit big time from liberal radio-with

no care or meaning to them, about substance and progressive ideology!

http://www.petitiononline.com/Malloy/petition-sign.html?

[clmbohdem]

12. I think you may be correct.

I'm concerned that AAR may be moving to the center to get better ratings and more money.

[LaPera]

14. As if we don't already have enough of that. You ever hear Sirius Left?

Boring! Middle to left.

[vince3]

13. Drobny implies that...

...Mike might not be done at AAR. Maybe we can rectify this.

[LaPera]

16. Sign this petition....email & CALL!

http://www.petitiononline.com/Malloy/petition-sign.html?

[damntexdem]

17. The AAR board seems to be committed to ...

killing AAR.

[clmbohdem]

18. Just like the DLC, they want to play it safe,

They are making the same mistake.

[GreenTea]

19. Call AAR Malloy Line-- [phone]

[Surya Gayatri]

21. Dr. Mike Newcomb, local talk personality & manager

at newly resurrected KPHX 1480 (AAR Phoenix), said he'd move heaven & earth

to try and ensure Malloy's return. He seems to have some insider info & says

it was most likely NOT a financial decision.

He's really pissed off--couldn't believe the AAR suits would treat their

affiliates in such a cavalier way. He said it was just BAD BUSINESS to screw

up the AAR line-up like that. Apparently, the affiliates weren't notified

ahead of time anymore than Malloy was.

He had nothing but warmth & praise for Malloy, who he said was instrumental

in helping get KPHX back on the air after they were forced off in March.

SG

[jmatthan]

22. My letter to the Air America Board

"To the Board of Air America,

I was shocked to hear about the fact that you have not renewed Mike Malloy's contract with Air America.

Mike is the top talk show host in the US, head and shoulders above any of the other talk show hosts on your station.

I am sure I know that jealousy and the Jewish Lobby (as they converge rather well in Air America) is the motive for not having his contract renewed. I also think I know it is someone who is hardly a Talk Show Host but guffaws through his programme laughing at his own jokes that is primarily responsible for this decision.

There is no other host who has such a solid following around the world. Go any day when Mike Malloy was on the air and the Mandatory Malloy Thread on Democratic Underground and you would have known what his audience thought of Mike.

Yes, every single day Mike was on air.

If you are so intent on killing Air America, just as Joe Liebermann is keen on killing the Democrat party - well you have moved closer to your objective. Well done.

I am not an American, I am not an European, I am neither black nor white, I am not Muslim or Jewish (it is obvious the role played by the Jewish Lobby in making this decision). Mike was probably the only link for me, and thousands of listeners around the world, in having faith that America may come back into the fold of respectable nations.

That you want to follow the Bush Agenda, well woe betide your country when you remove the single most powerful and truthful voice that was on Air America.

Jacob Matthan
Oulu, Finland"

[greguganus]

23. WTF?? He's the lowest paid host and they fire him for "financial reasons"?

Damn who's doing their books?

[Cleita]

25. Probably Halliburton.

I thought the excuse didn't ring true and apparently, it's not the real reason.

[Cleita]

24. Thanks for putting this up. I'm happy some facts are emerging.

I hope Mike gets his job back. He's too important in these bleak days because he speaks for those of us who don't have a voice. When he says it, it's like we said it and someone would be listening.

[B Calm]

27. None of this makes any sense! Greatest Talk Show Host getting

paid the lowest salary, what the hell??

[FogerRox]

29. K n Damn "R"

[seabeyond]

30. he is also the most recent addition, ergo least pay and the

time slot is the perfect time slot for his firey rhetoric.....

i dont see an issue from this well experienced business woman, that she suggests. i need something else to bitch about pertaining to malloys firing that what she is stating