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Politics : Err America: They Report, They Decide -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: richardred who wrote (974)	10/13/2006 8:39:34 PM
From: American Spirit	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 1513

Fox News and O'Reilly are in ratings freefalls. Air America is doing fine, just needs an investor to pay off its initial debt. You remember they ran into problems right off the bat getting into major markets and never had any rich investors. Fox News Ratings Plummet... Eat The Press \| Rachel Sklar \| Posted August 29, 2006 09:20 PM READ MORE: Bill O'Reilly, Fox News Somewhere, Keith Olbermann is sticking pins in a Bill O'Reilly voodoo doll: Fox News' ratings, TVNewser reports, are down since August of last year. Like, way down. Like down 28 percent in primetime among all viewers, down 20 percent in primetime in the "money demo" (viewers aged 25-54) and down 7 percent in daytime viewership overall. In fact, the only place Fox is up is during the day, when they managed a ratings increase of just 2 percent, and even then only in the money demo. And lest you think this is an industry-wide trend, consider this: over the same time period, CNN and MSNBC are up. CNN's up 35 percent during the day -- 46 percent in the money demo -- and up 21 percent in primetime overall, 25 percent in the money demo. MSNBC's ratings increases aren't quite as impressive -- up 6 percent in primetime overall, 8 percent in the money demo, and up 36 percent in the money demo during the day, 26 percent overall.

To: richardred who wrote (974)	10/15/2006 12:46:41 AM
From: Peter Dierks	Respond to of 1513

Air America Radio Files for Chapter 11 Saturday, October 14, 2006 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. ___ AP Business Writer Vinnee Tong contributed to this story from New York. townhall.com