One new one I heard was Stephanie Miller. She was, in my opinion, the best lefty on radio I have ever heard. Incredibly funny and witty, with a great command of the issues and facts. I hope to hear more of her.
Posted by JoshA at June 18, 2005 04:30 PMI listen to Air America a LOT and agree with most of your observations. Al is much to willing to "see how someone could think that", and he has got to stop repeating old jokes and bits. He has the best guest lineup and should give them more room. (I was positively pissed when he didn't defend Howard Dean or Dick Durbin)
I can't handle Big Eddie for long. I find him woefully ignorant. Randi rants too much, and walks all over her callers. She is pretty good on details but please make the case and move on.
You haven't mentioned my two favorites. Thom Hartman is the brightest guy on talk radio and we are blessed to have him here in Portland, Oregon to host a local morning show prior to his nationally syndicated afternoon show. Also, Amy Goodman, whom I unfortunately get to hear only on occasion.
Posted by Don Beal at June 18, 2005 04:56 PMRush the Lush, Hanoi Hannity, and O-Reifly are liars!? Why, I am shocked. Oh yes, indeed. Simply shocked. When I listen to them I've always pegged them as stupid.
Posted by phidipides at June 18, 2005 05:04 PMi listen to it, not much to listen to on the radio right here in nyc.
amy goodman is good, wbai is okay considering the police state we live in.
i really cannot stand the insipidness of the air america in general. al franken is funny but consistently lame. your right his guests are more interesting than he is. the commercials are really annoying. they are just plain stupid.
it makes you feel like the american audience is really infantile and just plain stupid. jerry springer is really lame.
why cant noam chomsky replace al franken?
Great review, Marie!
Here's an interesting report (2005) on the state of Radio which show that 40% say they get their news on radio, and 16% of Americans regularly listen to NPR.
Check out this factoid:
But if we go just below the surface of the all of these audience numbers, we find something else that's interesting. While only a percentage point separates the Pew Center's listenership numbers for talk radio and National Public Radio - (though the definition used for talk radio might readily be applied to many programs on NPR member stations), the shape of the audiences is quite different.
According to the Pew Center's survey when compared with the average talk-radio listener, the NPR listener is younger and more likely to say he or she is a Democrat. Fully 41% of talk-radio listeners say they are Republican, only 28% Democrats. The numbers virtually invert themselves when we look at the listenership of NPR, a radio network largely thought of as "liberal' in its viewpoint. Fully 41% of NPR listeners identify themselves as Democrats, 24% as Republicans.5
I suspect that Air America has a younger audience too - the conservative hold on radio has the same trendlines as the conservative blogs readership: down in comparison to the liberal side.
Posted by Mary at June 18, 2005 05:11 PMWay too many commercials - it's incredibly annoying, seems like they have more than any other radio network. Fraken is pretty good, but too many references to his USO tours (I understand why he does it), too many bad jokes (great interviews, though). The morning shows are terrible in my opinion (Morning Sedition and Springer on the Radio). Majority Repert is very good. Rhodes is ok. They have to become better. I think it's important they succeed, but they need to do a better job packaging and programming.
Posted by Charlie at June 18, 2005 05:11 PMtry "martial law" instead of 'marshall law'. Marshall's are civil enforcers. Martial means military.
Posted by JimPortlandOR at June 18, 2005 05:28 PMI agree to some extent with all of the above. One subject that seems to be taboo, or just plain CENSORED, is Isreal. Not a topic I have yet to hear examined in any way on Air America. I have heard Randi Rhodes say that she is heavlily cencored. That there are certain things she cannot talk about. Upon which she did not elaborate. However, Isreal continues to be the 900 pound gorilla in the political room. NO ONE mentions it except on Pacifica network (WBAI, KPFA, KPFB, etc). Could it be that Air America is still carried by Clear Channel? Franken is overtly pro Isreal. No one speaks up for the Palestinians. OH, and Ed Shultz is too uninformed for me, can't listen to him any more.
Posted by Oaklander at June 18, 2005 06:08 PMStephanie Miller is the best! Great connection between humor and outrage, and her co-stars are brilliant. Very dynamic show.
AAR in general is excellent. Regarding all the repetitions (esp. Franken), remember that most listeners don't hear it every day. Good point on the interviews: with that much talent coming to the air, the hosts should learn to let them talk. More preparation would do it. It's not a sin to be a bit scripted, if you're doing it in the service of your audience.
Ed? Blowhard populist poseur. I'm not interested in that. Find me a black dyke instead.
Speaking of that, Rachel Maddow is a dream. Great voice and pacing, great material, excellent preparation. She's a true radio journalist. I think her new slot is perfect, if the hours don't bug her. I'd love to see her get more exposure, but I'm not too happy about her gig with bow-tox boy.
And what about the morning sedition team? I find the 2 Marks settling into a better dialogue lately. Still hyper, but more listenable. I wish I could hear the whole show instead of snippets.
All in all, AAR and other left talk radio is a sizzling comet! The ads don't ruin anything, they prove the point. You don't want ads? Then please feel free to tune into NPR or Pacifica, both of which I find eminently missable now.
Speaking of NPR, the only way out of its rightward drift would be for the public to donate to shows rather than stations. I'd love to give some money to TAL and Brian Lehrer; can't wait for Morning Edition and All Things Considered to go belly up.
Posted by miriamsong at June 18, 2005 06:38 PMIf you are going to criticize Israel be my guest, but you should learn how to spell it correctly. It would give you a little more credibility.
Posted by Fred Weizmann at June 18, 2005 06:40 PMSorry about the mis spelling, but in fact I didn't crisize Israel. I merely pointed out that it seems to be a very important issue that gets no discussion. However merely mentioning it does open one up to attacks. Thank you for proving my point.
Posted by Oaklander at June 18, 2005 06:45 PMMALLOY!!! MIKE MALLOY!!!
Mike is brilliant and you forgot him!!!
Posted by ferris at June 18, 2005 06:56 PMYeah, Israel is more than a third-rail in the US. More like a collective taboo.
Better critiques of Israeli policies and leaders (which should be the focus - since the existence of, and real security needs of that country should not be questioned) are found at: Haaretz.com, the website of a leading Israeli newspaper, than can be found anywhere here in the US.
Posted by JimPortlandOR at June 18, 2005 06:59 PMJust like the article in The Nation a few weeks ago, you failed to mention a word about the award winning Mike Malloy Show. He is AAR's fire-breathing, flying-monkey-ass kicking late-night liberal talk show host.
Unfortunately, some AAR affiliate stations (including 1260 in DC) do not carry the Mike Malloy Show, and WLIB in New York broadcasts only the first two hours of the three hour program. His show is streamed on the Net, and you can hear his show on satellite radio, too.
Mike is a veteran talker. He worked at the now defunct i.e. America Radio network before joining the AAR family last year.
While he goes after the "Bush Crime Family" with gusto, he doesn't hesitate to bash spineless Dems regardless of the election cycle.
Mike lets you know where he stands, and he relies on his sharp listeners to help him keep his facts straight.
Mike rarely has guests on the show, because he finds it difficult to get people booked for that time of the evening. When he gets into a really good rant, he sometimes forgets about the devoted (and patient) callers waiting in the queue. His rants are one of the reasons I enjoy his show, because he expresses my outrage in a way that is emancipating and leaves me with the feeling that someone else "out there" truly understands.
Mike and Kathy Malloy epitomize the best in liberal talk radio. Their program won the March of Dimes 2005 New York Achievement In Radio Award for the Best Talk Radio Show. As far as I'm concerned, the Mike Malloy show is one of only two programs on the Air America Radio network truly worth listening to. (Props to Bernie Ward of KGO radio on the left coast, too!)
Check him out from 10pm - 1am ET. (Or visit the White Rose Society site and listen to the archives.
Posted by fafnir at June 18, 2005 07:00 PMUnfortunately, AM talk radio is ultimately an ugly format. Take out the news headlines, traffic, weather and the seemingly endless commercials and there isn’t a lot of time left for talk.
But it's better than Jack!
I'm sorry, I can't listen to Springer. He just drones on and on. He simply can't do it solo, he really needs a co-host to bounce off of. Lizz and Rachel were much better in that slot.
Posted by ascap_scab at June 18, 2005 08:07 PMAl Franken does not fair well in my book, which is a disappointment. I find most of his show lame and awkward. However, Diane Rheum on NPR is one of the best in the business.
Posted by Judith at June 18, 2005 08:44 PMFranken needs a foil. Springer needs help, and a research staff. Malloy kicks ass. The minority report kicks ass, as well as morning sedition.
Humor is the key here.....the Chimpco admin provides a rich enviorment to mock them nonstop.
Can't we John Stewart a slot somewhere? Give him one hour a day, and ratings will go through the roof.
Posted by SnarkyShark at June 18, 2005 09:29 PMThere is a bell clanging here like a train, and I see it all clearly. Who is smarter than whom. You all seem to know each other then why are others here. It's all a club and you are not invited. You make a mistake, you are out. You have a lame idea, unless you are one of the chosen you are out. You don't even know that Bendito is one of your own. He's not a flame thrower, he's one of your own. The muckcat is the same as the muckdog, the "att" is typical.
I've never had a beer with any of you, rlprather, included. But you are all cliquish and too much playground types for me.
the real world calls
night, 'att
Posted by Michelle at June 18, 2005 09:29 PMMichelle
You want some lithium to go with that incredibly wierd worldview?
I dont really know what the hell you are talking about there. But cheers and good luck with that real world thing.
Posted by SnarkyShark at June 19, 2005 02:15 AMWow, that was freaky, and probably posted on the wrong thread. Spooky.
Great rundown of the lineup, though. I've listened since day one, heard Randi rip the shit out of Nader. She's on during the afternoon drive time, and I listen to the whole show. Even so, my son and I are always yelling at her to let the caller dig his own grave before you shovel dirt on top of him. It gets annoying.
We drive in with Mark & Mark, and laugh the whole way - they have the funniest bits. Franken makes me laugh, but he's a goof sometimes. Big Eddie rubs me the wrong way, but he's got quite a following, is good on tv, is appealing to the bubba vote, and just got picked up by some new corp that'll promote him and AAR further. Janeane and Sam appeal to - and sound like - bloggers; Mike Malloy doesn't do it for me, really, though his sarcasm is amusing.
The thing is, there's something for everyone, hence a wider audience. The one theme running thru all the shows is humor, which I believe is the best way to reach the disinterested in politics masses. Daily Show is evidence of that, and I can't wait for the Colber' Repor' this fall. The best way to lower a public figure's reputation is merciless mocking!
Sure, I wouldn't mind slapping the drone outta Wendy Freeman's happy head, but if she's paying the bills, I can live with it. (but they have to do something about the grinding teeth crap, I have to turn the channel)
Posted by Laura at June 19, 2005 09:15 AMLaura wrote:
(but they have to do something about the grinding teeth crap, I have to turn the channel)
Me too.
They used to run one that started with an asthmatic struggling to breathe. I e-mailed them about it, because it was almost enough to send me into an asthma attack, and I don't have asthma.
Apart from that, I love Air America! I've been listening to Pacifica since the late 1950's, and to PBS since it started, but I don't any more. I didn't realize the borderline boredom/depression I experienced until Air America came along. So refreshing! Umm, except for Jerry Springer, I mean he's a nice guy and all, but... .
I think the smartness, the irreverence, the openly expressed anger, the humor, have all been missing from progressive discourse since people decided to be 'clean for Gene.' And we've been losing ever since. Air America--and progressive bloggers--may be changing all that.
Posted by AM at June 19, 2005 02:07 PMYeah, Mr. Soto "forgot" Mike Malloy. Malloy nightly serves up hard, cold, bracing blasts of the truth but that is apparently too much even for some Democrats.
Posted by CM at June 20, 2005 07:03 AMThanks for all the good comments -- guess this one bored the trolls.
Mary - The average age of the AA audience is younger but not by all that much, and not enough that I bothered to pull up the numbers and include it.
Regarding Mike Malloy -- I didn't include any of the late night and early morning hosts because I haven't heard any of them, but knew I could count TLC readers to fill in that omission.
Posted by Marie at June 21, 2005 02:53 PM"Randi knows her gig. She has better command of the topics and issues"? Surely you jest? Randi Rhoades is currently the biggest dumbass on public radio anywhere in the country! Even she can't believe half the stuff that flies out of her piehole! Just today she "again" call Bush a coward.....vietnam I reckon. Wow...that is really smart. Current reservist and National Guard types are being lauded for their dedication whether they have been to Iraq or not and yet she inferred that Vietnam era reservist must have been a bunch of cowards. Just what a typical middle of the road person who decides the elections wants to hear from a liberal about National Guard service. Moderates don't define the difference even though the DNC wished they did. Typical stupid comment that serves her liberal base well but does obsolutely nothing positive for a Democrat canidate!
Posted by Dave Cason at July 13, 2005 07:44 PM Randi RHODES may be upset with for misspelling her name.
Also, it's "Bounce Your Boobies" opening every Friday show (by Rusty Warren.)
Randi Rhoades is a complete hack. Like all other liberal Democrats, all she wants to do is get on her band wagon and try to do as much harm to anyone who is a conservative Republican. As soon as something happens that might quite possibly be bad for the Republicans, she starts her crap and convicts them before anything is proven, such is the case with Carl Rove. Randi Rhoades is all mouth and nothing else. Fortunately, she's going down the tubes along with all the other liberal Democrat talk shows.
Posted by Chuck Casson at July 14, 2005 06:27 PMRandi Rhoades is a complete hack. Like all other liberal Democrats, all she wants to do is get on her band wagon and try to do as much harm to anyone who is a conservative Republican. As soon as something happens that might quite possibly be bad for the Republicans, she starts her crap and convicts them before anything is proven, such is the case with Carl Rove. Randi Rhoades is all mouth and nothing else. Fortunately, she's going down the tubes along with all the other liberal Democrat talk shows.
Just because someone says a person is guilty, that doesn't mean they are, but Randi Rhoades and her kind think otherwise. That's why the liberal Democrats keep losing elections.
Posted by Chuck Casson at July 14, 2005 06:29 PMI got to listen to Air America, for the first time this last weekend in CO. I was shocked at the hate speech. Ed Schultz was ok, but Al Franken and Randi Rhoades are comparable to the Islamic Extremists clerics spewing their hate speech. The only thing I heard on the Randi Rhoades show was about a non-story in Crawford, TX. She didn't mention one time about the most important story since the 9\11 tragedy. Able Danger. The real reason why 9\11 was able to happen to America. If it wasn't for Bill & Hillary, DOD Department of Defense) lawyers (appointed by Clinton), and Jamie Gorelick 9\11 would have been stopped. Seems to me the Left wants to keep this hidden, because it happen on their watch. The DOD lawyers found out that Atta, and three other of the 9\11 terrorists, and they were considered terrorists at this time, were in the US a year before 9\11, but the DOD lawyers would not pass on the info to the FBI, because of a wall Jamie Gorelick very much helped to create. This wall kept government departments from sharing information. How stupid is it to keep the government's different departments, such as the FBI, DOD, CIA from sharing such information, especially about the protection of US citizens. If the FBI would have known about Atta and the other three known terrorist, they would have picked them up, and probably deported them. You should hear the excuse that the DOD and Jamie Gorelick are using. They are saying the reason that they didn'
t pass on the information to the FBI is because Atta had a green card. Can you believe that? It's time we held the people responsible for this lack of communication. They deserve to be thrown in jail for aiding and abetting the biggest terrorist attack in US history. But, you won't hear this story on Air America.
RANDI RHOADES IS COOL.
Posted by at October 4, 2005 05:24 PMWe need more info on depleted uranium and what it is doing to our troops. Go to GOOGLE and search for Poison DUst.
Posted by Salmon Valley Observer at December 7, 2005 04:55 PM