Looks like everybody missed this one

[Cretzschmar]

This article has been up on All Access for almost a day now. I'm surprised nobody's picked it up before now, so here goes.

-----------
Report: Group To Provide Millions In Funding To Air America Radio
A report at the RADIO EQUALIZER blog says that AIR AMERICA RADIO is getting up to $8 million in funding from the DEMOCRACY ALLIANCE, a coalition of prominent Democratic Party activists and supporters including billionaire financier GEORGE SOROS, actor/director/activist ROB REINER, former CLINTON WHITE HOUSE Press Secretary MIKE MCCURRY, and the founders, former Chief of Staff to the Commerce Secretary ROB STEIN, investor ANDREW RAPPAPORT, and NEW DEMOCRATIC NETWORK founder SIMON ROSENBERG.

The organization was founded to help develop institutions for promoting liberal policies, including media. RADIO EQUALIZER BRIAN MALONEY characterizes the funding as an "emergency bailout" to keep the network operating as midterm elections draw closer; read the full report by clicking here.
http://radioequalizer.blogspot.com/2006/02/air-america-george-soros-mike-mccurry.html

MALONEY's report is scheduled to be discussed on AAR arch-rival BILL O'REILLY's FOX NEWS CHANNEL TV show WEDNESDAY night, and MALONEY is scheduled for appearances on the show next week with further developments.
-----------------

O'Reilly is also trying to make the case that Air America is overpaying Al Franken who is supposed to run for the Senate from Minnesota so this money from Democracy Alliance is an illegal campaign contribution. That sounds like a stretch, even for O'Reilly.

It won't be the same watching All In The Family re-runs on TVLand now that I know The Meathead has so much money to throw around.

OK, have at it.

 

[dampier]

> This article has been up on All Access for almost a day now.
> I'm surprised nobody's picked it before now, so here goes.

I haven't seen mwebster on in a few days. He usually posts this kind of stuff.

> A report at the RADIO EQUALIZER blog

There is another reason right there. We'll have to wait for a legitimate news organization to uncover whether this is reality or not. Then I will comment on the substance, if there is any.

> MALONEY's report is scheduled to be discussed on AAR
> arch-rival BILL O'REILLY's FOX NEWS CHANNEL TV show
> WEDNESDAY night, and MALONEY is scheduled for appearances on
> the show next week with further developments.

Of course he is. Watch if O'Reilly is still calling him an "industry analyst" and an independent media observer. That's the kind of fair and balanced reporting you get from a network that forgets to disclose that the Unequalizer's site is one giant obsession with Air America and liberal talk. And considering the track record of fact vs. fictional wishing from Brian, I'll wait for the independent legit media to report on this.

> O'Reilly is also trying to make the case that Air America is
> overpaying Al Franken who is supposed to run for the Senate
> from Minnesota so this money from Democracy Alliance is
> illegal campaign contribution. That sounds like a stretch,
> even for O'Reilly.

Which, off the bat, assumes that Unequalizer's report about salaries was actually accurate. Air America strongly denies it, as one would expect. But more important, the story's legs seem to have been confined to right wing blogosphere and web sites. But O'Reilly loves the pile on, so he'll accept that claim as a basis of fact on which to build the new conspiracy theory - AAR is a slush fund for Franken's candidacy. Franken will make more jokes about it, O'Reilly will be Worst Person of the World again on Keith Olbermann. O'Reilly will attack Media Matters that will document in clip form what he said, and also threaten MSNBC some more and claim there is a conspiracy against him by extreme far left elements (which just quote word for word what he says), and we'll all be back here laughing about it.

Just another day... business as usual.

 

[Marc0n1]

Follow every link in Maloney's story. Every one. Even the ones that link to articles months and years old.

On each, do a search on the word "radio" and the words "Air America."

Nothing. Nada. Kind of like the author.




> This article has been up on All Access for almost a day now.
> I'm surprised nobody's picked it up before now, so here
> goes.
>
> -----------
> Report: Group To Provide Millions In Funding To Air America
> Radio
> A report at the RADIO EQUALIZER blog says that AIR AMERICA
> RADIO is getting up to $8 million in funding from the
> DEMOCRACY ALLIANCE, a coalition of prominent Democratic
> Party activists and supporters including billionaire
> financier GEORGE SOROS, actor/director/activist ROB REINER,
> former CLINTON WHITE HOUSE Press Secretary MIKE MCCURRY, and
> the founders, former Chief of Staff to the Commerce
> Secretary ROB STEIN, investor ANDREW RAPPAPORT, and NEW
> DEMOCRATIC NETWORK founder SIMON ROSENBERG.
>
> The organization was founded to help develop institutions
> for promoting liberal policies, including media. RADIO
> EQUALIZER BRIAN MALONEY characterizes the funding as an
> "emergency bailout" to keep the network operating as midterm
> elections draw closer; read the full report by clicking
> here.
http://radioequalizer.blo> gspot.com/2006/02/air-america-george-soros-mike-mccurry.html
>
>
> MALONEY's report is scheduled to be discussed on AAR
> arch-rival BILL O'REILLY's FOX NEWS CHANNEL TV show
> WEDNESDAY night, and MALONEY is scheduled for appearances on
> the show next week with further developments.
> -----------------
>
> O'Reilly is also trying to make the case that Air America is
> overpaying Al Franken who is supposed to run for the Senate
> from Minnesota so this money from Democracy Alliance is an
> illegal campaign contribution. That sounds like a stretch,
> even for O'Reilly.
>
> It won't be the same watching All In The Family re-runs on
> TVLand now that I know The Meathead has so much money to
> throw around.
>
> OK, have at it.
>

 

[morescrapple]

> Follow every link in Maloney's story. Every one. Even the
> ones that link to articles months and years old.
>
> On each, do a search on the word "radio" and the words "Air
> America."
>
> Nothing. Nada. Kind of like the author.
>
>

can't figure out what you're talking about..
>
>
> > This article has been up on All Access for almost a day
> now.
> > I'm surprised nobody's picked it up before now, so here
> > goes.
> >
> > -----------
> > Report: Group To Provide Millions In Funding To Air
> America
> > Radio
> > A report at the RADIO EQUALIZER blog says that AIR AMERICA
>
> > RADIO is getting up to $8 million in funding from the
> > DEMOCRACY ALLIANCE, a coalition of prominent Democratic
> > Party activists and supporters including billionaire
> > financier GEORGE SOROS, actor/director/activist ROB
> REINER,
> > former CLINTON WHITE HOUSE Press Secretary MIKE MCCURRY,
> and
> > the founders, former Chief of Staff to the Commerce
> > Secretary ROB STEIN, investor ANDREW RAPPAPORT, and NEW
> > DEMOCRATIC NETWORK founder SIMON ROSENBERG.
> >
> > The organization was founded to help develop institutions
> > for promoting liberal policies, including media. RADIO
> > EQUALIZER BRIAN MALONEY characterizes the funding as an
> > "emergency bailout" to keep the network operating as
> midterm
> > elections draw closer; read the full report by clicking
> > here.
> http://radioequalizer.blo>
> gspot.com/2006/02/air-america-george-soros-mike-mccurry.html
>
> >
> >
> > MALONEY's report is scheduled to be discussed on AAR
> > arch-rival BILL O'REILLY's FOX NEWS CHANNEL TV show
> > WEDNESDAY night, and MALONEY is scheduled for appearances
> on
> > the show next week with further developments.
> > -----------------
> >
> > O'Reilly is also trying to make the case that Air America
> is
> > overpaying Al Franken who is supposed to run for the
> Senate
> > from Minnesota so this money from Democracy Alliance is an
>
> > illegal campaign contribution. That sounds like a
> stretch,
> > even for O'Reilly.
> >
> > It won't be the same watching All In The Family re-runs on
>
> > TVLand now that I know The Meathead has so much money to
> > throw around.
> >
> > OK, have at it.
> >
>

 

[Marc0n1]

>
> can't figure out what you're talking about..

What I'm talking about is this: Maloney's "report" is about the Democracy Alliance and their multi-million dollar funding of various causes. Maloney, of course, is most interested in the part that "bails out" Air America.

But it's only Maloney himself who says that the D.A. is bailing out Air America. If you follow the links he uses, none of them mention the name Air America, or even the word "radio."

The fact that All Access links to Maloney still reaches the same dead-end; Maloney claims that part of the Democratic Alliance's purpose is to bail out Air America, but the links show NOTHING AT ALL to support his claim.

I'm not saying it's not true, but if it is, you won't find any evidence of it in Maloney's post other than him saying so.

 

[Cretzschmar]

Why does it matter anyway?

I've been lurking and watching the various Air America-Maloney debates for a while now. To both sides I say: so what!

- Air America Radio was started with donations from wealthy contributors (they make no bones about that).
- The stated goal was to influence the political process. The profit motive was not the prime concern.
- Some people want to judge Air America as a profit-making business. But that's not their goal. If they continue to get funding from donors who think Air America is a worth-while political endeavor, what's wrong with that? Religious people give money to spread the Gospel on the radio. Some people have said Air America is an ineptly managed business. From where I sit they seem to operate more like a public sector or non-profit organization than a business (like the Post Office or Amtrak).
- Funding for Air America is entirely consistent with the stated purpose of Democracy Alliance. I don't know if they are funding Air America but it would make sense for them to do so and I wouldn't be surprised (or upset) if they did it.
- Does Maloney have an axe to grind here? Sure. So does everybody else in this debate. And just because he has an axe to grind doesn't mean he's wrong (or right). The lack of substantiation in his reports doesn't help his case.
- Same applies to Air America. If they say something or deny what someone else has said, doesn't make it so.

The question becomes, if people provided funds for Air America to influence the political process, are they getting their money's worth?

As someone mentioned a while back, Air America does preach to the choir. But maybe they have gotten issues and viewpoints out there that weren't being talked about before. I don't think the so-called mainstream media have not been doing that, and they've not been performing the role they did (belatedly)in the second administration. So maybe preaching to choir is a start. For their purposes, a one or two rating may be OK as long as they get people talking (word of mouth is still the most powerful influence on voting behavior). In November, we will find out.

Meantime, as somebody said a few days ago, it has been quiet around here.

 

[dampier]

> The fact that All Access links to Maloney still reaches the
> same dead-end; Maloney claims that part of the Democratic
> Alliance's purpose is to bail out Air America, but the links
> show NOTHING AT ALL to support his claim.

That's business as usual for the Unequalizer. Mr. Make It Up As He Goes Along posted a link to a lawsuit PDF file that was well over 80 pages as "proof" of one of his allegations that the cops were coming to get AAR and Al Franken for stealing from poor children in New York.

Except nowhere in the document did it say anything like that. In fact, it was a rewarding experience for me because I unearthed at least three things from it that were in direct conflict with what he was "reporting." A week after blasting him back with that, he does an article on me quoting, out of context, an item about Randi Rhodes comparing the division of families by federal officials during the Katrina evacuation as comparable to concentration camp tactics.

When you don't get those "proof" links, you get "sources said," "analysts report," "documents sent to me," which are all completely anonymous. Considering his fact track record, most of these sources appear to be in his own mind.

> I'm not saying it's not true, but if it is, you won't find
> any evidence of it in Maloney's post other than him saying
> so.

With this guy, assume it's trash until someone credible reports on it and sources it.

 

[Marc0n1]

Questions

So, is Brian Maloney a liar?

Or, to be more fair and balanced, does he regularly grab a fact and then jump two guesses ahead of that fact and treat the guess as another fact?

Does he regularly sprinkle words like "apparently," "may have," "could," and other modifiers throughout his sentences to avoid lawsuits?

Do you know that when you make an accusation as a question rather than a straight declarative sentence, you can avoid a lawsuit, no matter how ridiculous the accusation is?

Do you think it's kind of cowardly and weaselish to depend on this smarmy technique too often? Especially when it's combined with the smarmy techniques listed above?

Have you ever counted the number of Maloney's sentences that are questions? Got a minute to try it right now?

 

[robmidmi]

Save your time and energy. When it comes to Maloney, consider the source (him) and promptly ignore it.

> This article has been up on All Access for almost a day now.
> I'm surprised nobody's picked it up before now, so here
> goes.
>
> -----------
> Report: Group To Provide Millions In Funding To Air America
> Radio
> A report at the RADIO EQUALIZER blog says that AIR AMERICA
> RADIO is getting up to $8 million in funding from the
> DEMOCRACY ALLIANCE, a coalition of prominent Democratic
> Party activists and supporters including billionaire
> financier GEORGE SOROS, actor/director/activist ROB REINER,
> former CLINTON WHITE HOUSE Press Secretary MIKE MCCURRY, and
> the founders, former Chief of Staff to the Commerce
> Secretary ROB STEIN, investor ANDREW RAPPAPORT, and NEW
> DEMOCRATIC NETWORK founder SIMON ROSENBERG.
>
> The organization was founded to help develop institutions
> for promoting liberal policies, including media. RADIO
> EQUALIZER BRIAN MALONEY characterizes the funding as an
> "emergency bailout" to keep the network operating as midterm
> elections draw closer; read the full report by clicking
> here.
http://radioequalizer.blo> gspot.com/2006/02/air-america-george-soros-mike-mccurry.html
>
>
> MALONEY's report is scheduled to be discussed on AAR
> arch-rival BILL O'REILLY's FOX NEWS CHANNEL TV show
> WEDNESDAY night, and MALONEY is scheduled for appearances on
> the show next week with further developments.
> -----------------
>
> O'Reilly is also trying to make the case that Air America is
> overpaying Al Franken who is supposed to run for the Senate
> from Minnesota so this money from Democracy Alliance is an
> illegal campaign contribution. That sounds like a stretch,
> even for O'Reilly.
>
> It won't be the same watching All In The Family re-runs on
> TVLand now that I know The Meathead has so much money to
> throw around.
>
> OK, have at it.

 

[skyeye]

Air America's Reply

Krantz: Air America A-OK; O'Reilly Criticisms False
Feb. 28, 2006
By Chuck Taylor, Billboard Radio Monitor

Air America Radio president Gary Krantz is firing back at comments made by conservative talkie Bill O’Reilly that the liberal talk radio network is in dire straits.

O’Reilly made the disparaging remarks on his cable TV show Feb. 22, in a segment called “How Is Air America Surviving?” He said, “What you have here is a radio network that is failing financially. This far left outfit comes in and is saying it will pay the bills. The goal is to get across a propaganda point of view under the guise of competing in the marketplace. We're going to ask the FCC to look into Air America."

Krantz responded that usually such comments are ignored, but “in this case we feel we need to set the record straight. Mr. O'Reilly has been bad mouthing Air America and saying it is failing for two years. It was not true before and it is not true now.”

Air America's ratings “went up substantially” in the Fall 2005 book and its affiliate base has grown from 36 affiliates in January 2005 to 90 across the country, including internationally on the Voice of America, Krantz said.

“Financially, Air America is significantly stronger than ever,” he added. “As of today, our booked and pending business for 2006 represents 83% of the entire revenue generated in 2005. We are also up to date on all of our financial obligations. Most importantly, we have a dedicated board and investors who support our business.

"There is no substance whatsoever to Mr. O'Reilly's absurd claims of gloom and doom,” Krantz said.

Air America Response To Funding Reports: We're "Stronger Than Ever"
By All Access Net News

AIR AMERICA RADIO has responded to last week's reports by the RADIO EQUALIZER blog, featured on BILL O'REILLY's FOX NEWS CHANNEL show, that the network is receiving up to $8 million in financing from the DEMOCRACY ALLIANCE to keep it on the air, with the network's President GARY KRANTZ issuing a statement asserting that "financially, AIR AMERICA is significantly stronger than ever. As of today, our have booked and pending business for 2006 represents 83% of the entire revenue generated in 2005. We are also up to date on all of our financial obligations. Most importantly, we have a dedicated board and investors who support our business."

KRANTZ also takes shots at O'REILLY for "bad mouthing AIR AMERICA and saying it is failing for two years. It was not true before and it is not true now," adding that AL FRANKEN and RANDI RHODES beat O'REILLY in the NEW YORK ratings for adults 12+ and 25-54. The statement does not include any specifics regarding revenue figures and does not specifically address the RADIO EQUALIZER report about DEMOCRACY ALLIANCE funding but says "there is no substance whatsoever to Mr. O'REILLY's absurd claims of 'gloom and doom.'" ____________________________________

> booked and pending business for 2006 represents 83% of the entire revenue
> generated in 2005

Translation: Actual signed sales contracts plus projections based on sales estimates. Sales reps tend to be "optimistic" when they tell the boss about the accounts they are going to land.

> We are also up to date on all of our financial obligations.

Translation: They still have accounts payable but they are not behind on their payments.

> "We have a dedicated board and investors who support our business."

Translation: Backers are still willing to give money (which is pretty much what Brian Maloney said in the first place).

The bottom line is whether Air America Radio currently is or can become self-sustaining as a commercial radio enterprise. Neither side seems to want to address than one specifically. One side does predict "gloom and doom" (without much substance) and the other side says we're still here. One side wants them to fail. The other wants them to succeed. As the old saying goes, want in one hand....

 

[jh]

Re: Air America's Reply

> Krantz: Air America A-OK; O'Reilly Criticisms False
> Feb. 28, 2006
> By Chuck Taylor, Billboard Radio Monitor
>
> Air America Radio president Gary Krantz is firing back at
> comments made by conservative talkie Bill O’Reilly that the
> liberal talk radio network is in dire straits.
>
> O’Reilly made the disparaging remarks on his cable TV show
> Feb. 22, in a segment called “How Is Air America Surviving?”
> He said, “What you have here is a radio network that is
> failing financially. This far left outfit comes in and is
> saying it will pay the bills. The goal is to get across a
> propaganda point of view under the guise of competing in the
> marketplace. We're going to ask the FCC to look into Air
> America."

O'Reilly could ask NASA to investigate them, too, it would have the same result. The FCC isn't going to look into whether Air America pays their bills or anything else. The FCC regulates stations, not the networks.

> Air America's ratings “went up substantially” in the Fall
> 2005 book and its affiliate base has grown from 36
> affiliates in January 2005 to 90 across the country,
> including internationally on the Voice of America, Krantz
> said.
>

No, it's not on the Voice of America. He means Armed Forces radio, which isn't the same thing.

>
> The bottom line is whether Air America Radio currently is or
> can become self-sustaining as a commercial radio enterprise.

If I had to guess, eventually the network will go out of business, and the stronger individual shows will continue as syndicated offerings as Schultz and Miller are now.

> Neither side seems to want to address than one
> specifically. One side does predict "gloom and doom"
> (without much substance) and the other side says we're still
> here. One side wants them to fail. The other wants them to
> succeed. As the old saying goes, want in one hand....
>