The 24/7 Air America Clock is a Risk in the Long Run

Before "Air America," progressive talk already was alive and well. When some stations changed to the 24/7 Air America clock (along with Ed Schultz and Stephanie Miller), they eliminated several highly successful veteran liberal hosts (or in some cases, Centrist, or, Libertarian/Conspiratorial), including:

Alan Colmes
Jeff Rense
Barry Lynne
Alex Jones
Mark Levine (note spelling)
Doug Stephan
Bruce Dumont
Bruce Williams
James Bohannon
Rollye James
Chuck Harder

Given the bankruptcy of Air America, and the resulting uncertain future of news/talk stations with a 24/7 AAR click, it would be wise for program directors to consider adding additional hosts in the unfortunate event that the network fails again.

Other syndicated liberal hosts that have excelled in the business for years include:

Peter B. Collins
Mike Malloy
Bill Press
Bill Handel / Handel on the Law

In addition, liberal stations could consider many local liberal hosts who have lost their jobs in the past few years due to a variety of factors:

Jay Diamond
Enid Goldstein
Arnie Arnesen
Erin Hart
Allan Prell
Nancy Skinner

Finally, liberal stations could consider lifestyle programming on weekends, to replace re-runs of Air America hosts. Candidates who are fiscally conservative, yet generally socially liberal, include:

Bob Brinker
Clark Howard
Bill Handel / Handel on the Law

Note: Some of the hosts above are not always "liberal." Jeff Rense, Alex Jones, and Rollye James are "libertarian/conspiratorial," and are unpredictable when it comes to gay rights and other sensitive issues. Therefore, the other hosts are better choices.

In Memory of Mike Webb 1955 - 2007

Mike Webb, former KIRO-AM talk show host in Seattle, was murdered in April, 2007. His body was not discovered until June, 2007, and was decomposed. This tragic death is difficult to conceptualize for listeners to the Mike Webb show in Seattle who listened religiously every night.

Mike was one of the early pioneers of local, caller-driven, passionate, progressive talk radio in Seattle. Ratings to Mike's show were exceptional and beat Art Bell. Mike inspired thousands of listeners with his passion, and undoubtedly motivated many of us to become politically active.

I met Mike in August 2003 at a Howard Dean fund raiser in Seattle. Mike gave a passionate speech at the event, and talked about his high ratings. To think that he is no longer with us as a talented broadcaster breaks the hearts of all of us in news/talk radio.

Unfortunately, Mike was fired from his KIRO talk show in December 2005. Mike was fired by Tom Clendening, the program director of Entercom talk stations KIRO/KTTH/KNWX. The reason for the firing stated to the media was that Mike had been charged for insurance fraud.

However, the court trial had not taken place. The firing was completely unjustified. They should have WAITED for an actual conviction, this didn't occur until February 2007 - 14 months after the firing! And then, tragically, Mike was murdered just two months later.

The true reason for the firing really is unknown, and may have been politically motivated, given that Entercom also cancelled other liberal KIRO hosts at about the same time: Erin Hart, Allan Prell, Tony Ventrella. And, in February 2007, they cancelled their liberal station in Sacramento.

WHY am I talking about the firing? ike was unemployed for months. Neighbors told the media that he got around with the wrong types of people. That sort of scenario can lead to self-destructive behaviour, and the chances of violent crime increase.

Remember that Artistic types in our society are the vulnerable among us - including radio hosts - and we artistic types often can't do anything else. So when a radio guy is fired, the world is over! So when KIRO fired Mike when he hadn't even been convicted yet, they put Mike AT RISK FOR SELF-DESTRUCTIVE BEHAVIOUR, SUICIDE, AND VIOLENT CRIME.

KIRO/Entercom officials, YOU are indirectly to blame for this one, especially when Mike had HIGH RATINGS and you had RECENTLY EXPANDED HIS HOURS to 20 hours/week.

KIRO/Entercom officials, YOU remember the suicide of Robert E. Lee Hardwick Jr. in 1992 on Stephens Pass, from his firing on KING news/talk 1090.

The legacy of Mike Webb will live on forever.
Check out:
http://mikewebb.org

LISTEN LIVE to my favorite Talk Show Hosts:

Weekdays:

Doug Basham 8a-9a Pacific http://bashamradio.com

Peter B. Collins 3p-6p Pacific http://krxa540.com

Mike D. Malloy 6p-9p Pacific

Alan Colmes 7p-10p Pacific

Weekends:

Bill Handel, Handel on the Law

Bob Brinker 1p-4p Pacific

Karel Sat and Sun, 4p 7p Pacific

Carl Jeffers Sat, 10p-1a Pacific, Sun, 10a-1p Pacific

Bryan Styble Sun, 10p-1a Pacific

TALK RADIO AND POLITICS MUST READS
(added 5/8/05 through 5/29/05)

Dennis Kucinich: Open Letter to Howard Dean
over his Recent Remarks on Iraq

Dennis Kucinich in USA TODAY on Iraq Withdrawal (5/16/05)

Dennis Kucinich Speaks to the House of Reps on
Supporting the Woolsey Amendment
for Withdrawal from Iraq (5/25/05)

"Air America," a liberal radio network, business practices reviewed by "The Nation"

"Air America" Talk Hosts - Avoiding Discussion
of Complete Withdrawal from Iraq

"Air America" - Lack of Ethnic Diversity among show hosts - At Least One African American Host Fired - Three articles:
1) Click Here, 2) Click Here, and 3) Click Here

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