Air America = big hole to dump money into

[Arcades057]

Air America Radio Files for Chapter 11
Oct 13 4:22 PM US/Eastern

By SETH SUTEL
AP Business Writer

NEW YORK






Air America Radio filed for bankruptcy reorganization Friday, in the latest patch of turbulence to befall the liberal talk radio network that launched two years ago headlined by the comedian and author Al Franken.
The network will continue to operate with funding from its investor group, led by RealNetworks Inc. CEO Robert Glaser, who owns 36.7 percent of the company, and two other former board members.



The company also named a new CEO Friday, Scott Elberg, a radio executive who joined the company in May 2005 following stints at the New York area radio station WKTU and other places.

Air America had dismissed rumors just one month ago that it was planning to file for bankruptcy protection. Spokeswoman Jaime Horn said Friday the filing became necessary only recently after negotiations with a creditor broke down.

Court documents showed that MultiCultural Radio Broadcasting Inc., a creditor with whom the network had tussled in its early days, had Air America's bank accounts frozen.

The filing marked the latest setback for the liberal talk network. This April, Danny Goldberg stepped down as CEO and was replaced by an interim chief executive from a management consulting firm.

Glaser had previously served as the company's chairman and is owed $9.8 million by the company, according to documents filed Friday with U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York.

Horn said Glaser and Franken were unavailable for comment Friday, but she said Franken would discuss the issue on his show Monday. Air America owes Franken $360,750 in wages and other payments, according to the court documents.

Air America has struggled financially since its inception. Court documents show the company lost $9.1 million in 2004, $19.6 million in 2005 and $13.1 million so far in 2006.

Air America also disclosed in court documents that two directors departed in the last two months, Douglas Kreeger and Tom Embrescia. Gary Krantz also departed as president in June, and executive vice president Tom Athans and chief operating officer Carl Ginsburg left in July.

Radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh, whom Franken lambasted in a book called "Rush Limbaugh is a Big Fat Idiot," took a jab at Air America's worsening situation on his talk show Friday after a listener called in to ask about it.

"I'm not surprised _ it was doomed to fail," Limbaugh said. "They were not a broadcasting concern to begin with. ... They went into business to affect elections."

In addition to Franken, the network also features shows from liberal talk show host Randi Rhodes and syndicated shows from Jerry Springer and Portland, Ore.-based talk show host Thom Hartmann.

Judge Robert Drain of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in New York approved motions at a hearing Friday afternoon that allow Air America to continue paying its wages and maintain its financial accounts.

The judge also approved interim debtor-in-possession financing of $900,000 from Democracy Allies LLC, an entity formed by Glaser and two other former board members, Terry Kelly and Kreeger. The full amount of the proposed loan, $2.6 million, would be considered at an Oct. 31 hearing.




Truthfully I'm surprised they lasted as long as they did. Kind of difficult to have a "new concept" that is there purely to attack other concepts. But the best way to explain why they failed was this; "I'm not surprised _ it was doomed to fail, They were not a broadcasting concern to begin with. ... They went into business to affect elections."

Do a little background on them to see how many publicand private individuals funded them. See the money skimmed from a youth camp by the owners to fund Air America. :lol: And still they're failing.

I know, I know, it's teh korporations' fault... :rolleyes:

[Khardis]

Truthfully I'm surprised they lasted as long as they did. Kind of difficult to have a "new concept" that is there purely to attack other concepts. But the best way to explain why they failed was this; "I'm not surprised _ it was doomed to fail, They were not a broadcasting concern to begin with. ... They went into business to affect elections."

Do a little background on them to see how many publicand private individuals funded them. See the money skimmed from a youth camp by the owners to fund Air America. :lol: And still they're failing.

I know, I know, it's teh korporations' fault... :rolleyes:

Its hard to listen to the drivel they spew on that station... I have tried. It was basically a lot of anti military, blame america 1st anti capitalist nonsense. It was like being subject to a concentrated dosage of liberal acedemia in 1 hour. Enough to put you off politics for good... thank god the public didnt buy it. Guess old Al Frankkken will have to rob young black kids another way.

[Exatreides]

Anti Mlitary liberal drivel? While liberals may say things anti military, Conservatives do things,
like my congressman Chris Chocola, voted for the war in iraq, and voted agaisnt a $1,500 bonus for indiana national gaurd troops being deployed to Iraq.

Now isn't it the democrats who are normally called flip floppers?

[Purge]

There are individuals and groups on both sides who are capable of being stupid, be it Ann(orexic) Coulter on the far-right, or Hugo Chavez on the far-left.

[Exatreides]

Agreed.

[Khardis]

Anti Mlitary liberal drivel? While liberals may say things anti military, Conservatives do things,
like my congressman Chris Chocola, voted for the war in iraq, and voted agaisnt a $1,500 bonus for indiana national gaurd troops being deployed to Iraq.

Now isn't it the democrats who are normally called flip floppers?

So because a few Indiana national guardsmen dont get a BONUS the congressman is anti military? lawl..

[Exatreides]

30-40% of Troops deployed to Iraq are national gaurdsmen, and of the nearly 3000 killed in Iraq and Afghanistan, 80 of them have been from the indiana national gaurd. So it's not a handfull of gaurdsmen not being deployed, it's quite a number.

And for a congressman to vote to send troops from his own district to war, and then denie them benefits for being sent to that war is nuts.

Sort of reminds me how republicans can be pro life, and anti welfare, so as long as you have the baby there happy, but as soon as its out. You're on your own.

[Khardis]

30-40% of Troops deployed to Iraq are national gaurdsmen, and of the nearly 3000 killed in Iraq and Afghanistan, 80 of them have been from the indiana national gaurd. So it's not a handfull of gaurdsmen not being deployed, it's quite a number.

And for a congressman to vote to send troops from his own district to war, and then denie them benefits for being sent to that war is nuts.

Sort of reminds me how republicans can be pro life, and anti welfare, so as long as you have the baby there happy, but as soon as its out. You're on your own.

You said it was a bonus, now its a benefit? Which is it?

And being antiwelfare and pro life are not contridictory at all, thats a terrible terrible analogy.

[Exatreides]

Hardly at all. You want to go to war, but don't support the troops that go, you want the baby to be born, but don't support it once it's born.

Bonus*

[Khardis]

Hardly at all. You want to go to war, but don't support the troops that go, you want the baby to be born, but don't support it once it's born.

Bonus*

So, you have to give bonuses to support the troops? And why cant the people birthing the child have a job? Sorry I am not a socialist, so I have trouble understanding why people would want to promote welfare (aka leeching the system).

[Exatreides]

So it's fine if a women has a kid, hell she can't get rid of it. But if she asks for help from the system that forced the child on her, thats bad? That doesn't make any sense. Typical Pro life- Pro Death sentance republican hypocricy.

So you don't think the troops going to Iraq should get a bonus? But you support the war.

[Arcades057]

Exa, let me make it easy for you, since you're pointing out the hypocrisy in the Right...

Remember Kerry saying "I did vote for the $27 billion, before I voted against it"? What do you think he's talking about? See, Kerry voted to send troops tp Iraq... then he voted against giving money over to fund the war. Pretty bad, right?

Not finished yet. The Left supports abortion, IE the killing of a potential human being while in the womb. While they do support abortion... they do not support capital punishment. Hypocrisy? Sure, but I figure if you ask 5 libs you'll get 5 different answers as to why they don't support it, all boiling down to something about morals.

As if that were not enough I heard a montage today about democrats prior to the Iraqi invasion talking about just how sure they were that we needed to remove Sadaam. See if any of them will stick by that today if they want to be re-elected. Hypocritical? Sure, but you failed to point those things out.

And besides, the point of the post was about how Air America Radio, supposedly the voice of America, is bankrupt. It was so hyped, kind of like Kerry in '04 and Gore in '00 that it's funny that it failed.

[Khardis]

So it's fine if a women has a kid, hell she can't get rid of it. But if she asks for help from the system that forced the child on her, thats bad? That doesn't make any sense. Typical Pro life- Pro Death sentance republican hypocricy.

So you don't think the troops going to Iraq should get a bonus? But you support the war.

I think that our troops are provided with a plethora of benefits from practically going to college for free, to medical insurance for thier families to the food they eat while they serve to a paycheck. If the economy is good and we arent in a recession and we can afford it easily, give them the BONUS, if times are hard, then they will have to go without the bonus. This isnt being against the troops its fiscal responsibility. But then i see you lay a lot of the blame on the right wing, lets not forget its the democrats and liberals who want to roast soldiers at every turn they can. Including beating and robbing them in San Fransisco. maybe you should check out how liberals REALLY feel over at zombietime.com.

As for your assertion that a woman REQUIRES welfare ot raise a child I protest. Thats utter bull****. Sorry. If she had made better choices she wouldnt need welfare, its not MY job to provide for her baby. But typical democrat socialists... always wanting everyone dependent upon the system sucking from the federal teat, ensuring that they have the utmost control over thier downtrodden bretheren in a true marxist style.

Here is an idea. If you dont want to have a kid, wear a condom. If you dont want to have a kid, wear a condom and take birth control pills (you can get them BOTH for free at any planned parenthood). If you have an "accident" go to your local planned parenthood and ask for the morning after pill. Yes I said go to the PP, not your local Catholic run hospital.Again its provided to women for free, well not free... its paid for out of my taxes. In which case, youre welcome.

If you do not want to have a child there are so many options availible to you that you dont even make it to being pregnant to start, and should some fluke of physics occur and you are? Then you have the option of the morning after. you get up to 72 hours after the accident to act. Thats 3 days. If you cant find a cab, a bus route, a friend or walk to a PP in that time then you deserve to be shot, not pregnant.

There truly is no reason for anyone to make it to even thier 1 month of pregnancy if they are slightly aware of what the hell theyre doing. I have had "accidents" before with several girlfriends. not ONCE did the problem last more than 2 days because of get this "USING OUR BRAINS".

Now I know you want ot be sick and compare and unborn and innocent BABY to a serial killer or serial rapist. The facts though is that 1 is innocent and deserves life and the other has chosen to act in a way which requires thier life as payment for thier crimes. There is no Hypocracy in that, just silly liberal thinking that there is.

Its a problem liberals have, drawing these deluded and perverse moral equivalencies.... oh we cant waterboard a terrorist leader, because we will be just like them! Yeah I know... I mean using water to simulate the sensation of drowning 9with no actual death) is 100% the same as chopping someones head off then filming it. Oh you can be pro life and support the deaht penalty!" yeah because an unborn baby is 100% the same as a murderer who has been convicted. Get real.

In answer to your redundant questions:

yes I support the war, no I dont support bonuses for people doing what they volunteer to do, unless we are living in a period of general affluence and are ahead of budget in which case I am all for cutting some bonus checks to our boys and girls in the field.

Yes I am pro life, and yes I am pro death penalty. because I think an unborn baby is worth more than a convicted killer. I dont have the disgusting sick need to draw a equivalence between an infant and a murderer. I am what you call sane.

Furthermore, if a woman is stupid enough not to act to take care of the situation before it gets out of hand then its obvious she cannot make good decisions. As such the life of the baby should be a guarentee. Then her choice can be: If she chooses to keep the baby, then that is her choice, she can get a husband and a job and make ends meet just like the other couple billion of us on the planet. If she chooses NOT to keep the child then I know 4 couples right now who are unable to have a baby who would kill for a chance to have one. I can give you their numbers. They have been on a waiting list for going on 5 years.