Air America Radio, a progressive talk radio network, announced today it will hit the airwaves on March 31st.My thoughts? Hopeful, but I'm not raising the victory flag yet.
The network’s on-air personalities represent today’s top political and popular satirists, commentators and activists. Comedian, and best selling author Al Franken, who was recently taken to court when Bill O’Reilly and Fox News were seeking an injunction to halt distribution of "Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them: A Fair and Balanced Look at the Right," and is known for fact-based, drug-free satire, will host a weekday show on the network called “The O’Franken Factor.”
“I’m so happy that Air America Radio will be on in three battleground states, New York, Illinois and California….no wait…those aren’t the battleground states. What the hell are we doing?” said Franken.
Air America Radio has signed actress and comedienne Janeane Garofalo, hip hop icon Chuck D, radio personality Randi Rhodes, and political humorist Sam Seder to join Franken at the network. Environmental activist Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., “The Daily Show” co-creator Lizz Winstead, and business-of-the-media analyst on the public radio program “Marketplace” Martin Kaplan will also join the network…
In my opinion, the only strength in this lineup is Rhodes who has been kicking ass in West Palm Beach at WJNO Radio. She's energetic, entertaining and a radio rat - a term of endearment I use for someone who does radio as a career, not a side dish or a stepping stone to TV or books.
Franken will get attention, but I still wonder about how he's going to translate to the medium of the imagination.
Garofalo never seems to be at a loss for words on the talkshow circuit, but I sense she's going to have to learn to dial the intensity down a notch - and to never forget to throw in entertainment with her opinion.
This to me is the crux of Air America's success: They need a breakout star of their own creating. We already know most of the lineup going in. AA has to find, nuture and grow someone new - preferably another radio rat - who will give the network cred as a RADIO network. They need someone who can deliver radio's home run: the "Holy S---! Did you hear that?" factor.
Before being progressive...before being liberal...before being anything - AA has to be ENTERTAINING, PASSIONATE and COMPELLING RADIO.
Limbaugh and Hannity are arguably the top two syndicated political talk hosts, with everyone else a DISTANT third. Their roots were in radio. Not comedy, not politics, not writing newspaper columns. It takes a certain mindset to put on a radio show. You're the performer, the director and the technical crew. Just choosing to be the performer without the knowledge of the self-directing and self-editing/mixing is a recipe for disaster. AA has to address that. Rhodes is a fantastic start. She needs a compadre in the lineup to send it into the stratosphere.
I wish Air America tons of success as a voice for our side. And I hope they've made plans for the long run.
