Air America fans probably won't like this piece much, given how loyal they are to liberal talk radio. Last year, when Clear Channel tried to replace Madison's Air America affiliate, the Mic 92.1, with an all-sports channel, more than 5,000 people signed a petition to save it. Hundreds attended a rally at the High Noon Saloon, and others participated in a mock funeral procession to the radio station.
In the face of so much opposition, Clear Channel had no choice but to reverse its decision. Mike Ferris, Clear Channel's FM operations manager, admits, "We made some bad decisions earlier."
But does the station really deserve such devotion? Air America has had a bad year, both financially and on the air. In October, the ailing network declared bankruptcy, with $20 million in liabilities. It was eventually bought by multi-millionaire Stephen Green and his brother Mark, an author and a Democratic activist. The Greens set about trying to reinvent the network, relaunching it as "Air America 2.0" and featuring a flurry of interviews with political heavyweights, including Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton and John Edwards. But the earnest changes can't mask the fact that this is the year Air America lost its shining star, Al Franken.
Franken had been with the network since its inception in 2004. It's easy to argue that without Franken, there would have been no Air America. He was the network's most recognized name, and thousands tuned in every lunch hour to hear his jokes, his conversation and his insights. He was not just funny, but well read and intelligent. When he left in February to make a run for the U.S. Senate in Minnesota, it could have spelled the beginning of the end of Air America.
But at least locally, the Mic 92.1 has been doing well. It still lags behind WIBA, Madison's right-wing radio station, but the Mic's ratings have increased steadily over the past few months, says Ferris. "The numbers are moving in the right direction."
Which must mean there's something worth listening to, right? Here we come to the part that Air America fans won't like. To me, talk radio is talk radio, whether it's skewed left or skewed right. At its worst, Air America is screechy and self-righteous, with vain attempts at humor. On the other hand, the Mic 92.1 does have several bright spots during its broadcast day. No one has yet emerged to fill Franken's shoes, but it's not for a lack of trying. Here are the contenders:
Lee Rayburn, 6-8 a.m.
In Madison, Clear Channel has deviated from Air America's regular lineup to include plenty of local shows, such as Stu Levitan's Sunday Journal and a Spanish-language show called La Original. And last month, the station quietly returned Lee Rayburn to the airwaves. Rayburn's show had been one of the casualties last year when Clear Channel tried to convert the Mic to all sports. Fans saved the Mic, and they have been clamoring for Rayburn's return as well.
And no wonder. He's less caustic than the other radio hosts, and his focus on local issues is a refreshing change from the tireless drumbeat of single-story national news. The day after the GOP presidential debate, for example, while other media focused almost exclusively on Rudy Giuliani's remarks on abortion, Rayburn analyzed former Wisconsin Gov. Tommy Thompson's performance. He's also devoted considerable time to the issue of naming Madison's new elementary school after controversial Hmong Gen. Vang Pao. Not a bad way to start the morning.
Stephanie Miller, 8-11 a.m.
Miller is not on Air America's schedule either, but she probably should be. "She's super hot, our number-one personality," says Ferris, noting that Miller's ratings locally have eclipsed even Franken's. "Her show is a bright and lively thing."
Miller can be funny - in that juvenile, morning DJ sort of way. She makes a lot of sex jokes, plays a lot of wacky sound effects, and devotes an hour of her show to celebrity news, such as Sharon Osbourne's plastic surgery. And like many radio hosts, even those on Air America, Miller is fond of nicknames. She calls Bush "Commando Loco" and "Skippy." That's meant to be an ironic twist on the president's propensity to give everyone around him a nickname, but it's just as annoying out of Miller as it is out of Bush. Still, she can be amusing. Especially when she plays clips from The Simpsons.
Ed Schultz, 11 a.m.-2 p.m.
Air America gave Al Franken's old time slot to Thom Hartmann, but Clear Channel decided Madison listeners could relate to Schultz's small-town background better. Schultz is a Midwestern guy who broadcasts from Fargo, North Dakota. "He speaks to the common man," says Ferris. Not only speaks to them, but challenges them. While most talk radio hosts exist merely to reaffirm their listeners' preconceived notions - in this case, that President Bush is the devil - Schultz can confound expectations. When a caller complains that Bush technically lost the 2000 election, Schultz tells him to get over it. "We need to get together on what to do now," he says. Amen, brother.
Randi Rhodes, 2-5 p.m.
What is Rhodes' appeal? Raspy and foul-mouthed, she sounds more like a disgruntled employee than a disgruntled American. On the first day of Air America's "relaunch," Rhodes bitched continuously about having to give her airtime to owner Mark Green's interview with George Stephanopoulos. "Way to bring the show to a screeching halt," she complained. "Everyone who comes here, they just want to be involved in content." Sadly, Green's interview with Stephanopoulos was probably the most bearable half-hour of Rhodes' show that day.
Rhodes could take a cue from Green, whose interview technique involved actually letting his guest get a word in edgewise. When Rhodes got a chance to interview Gloria Steinem later, she made herself the topic of conversation. Noting that Steinem once said that talk radio could be polarizing, Rhodes said she wondered, "Is she talking about me?" Steinem promptly responded, "I never thought about you." That about sums it up.
Rachel Maddow, 5-7 p.m.
Maddow's show is viewed as Air America's "hard news" segment. And she does soberly report the news from Iraq, including the 14 U.S. soldiers who died there last week. But Maddow is still talk radio at heart, which means that when she mentions Vice President Dick Cheney, she plays the sound of a growling dog.
Perhaps because of her premium time slot, Maddow was the lucky one who landed the interview with Barack Obama during Air America's relaunch. Maddow's questions were thoughtful, if uninspired. The real shocker was what came after the interview, when Maddow declared Obama "boring to talk to." America's hottest senator "boring"? Say it ain't so! It's possible that the boring one is Maddow, who later did an interview with the reporter from Marie Claire magazine who reported that former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee doesn't think women should wear miniskirts. Stop the presses.
The Air Americans, 7-11 p.m.
This show is a melting pot of Air America personalities - a little Robert F. Kennedy Jr., with a sprinkling of Laura Flanders, Mike Papantonio and David Bender. The show is headlined by Mark Riley, but perhaps because no single host dominates the conversation, the format works. It's like sitting in your favorite bar, talking politics with your friends, where the goal is not to win the debate but to crack each other up.
Discussing immigration, one of them noted that he asked a Native American friend for his opinion on the bill before Congress. His friend replied, "Who cares? It's just one group of illegal immigrants arguing with another group of illegal immigrants." Sure, the joke is old, but it still makes you laugh while you shake your head at the state of the country.
Mike Malloy, 11 p.m.-2 a.m.
Malloy abruptly lost his Air America job last year when the company declared bankruptcy. As talk radio hosts are prone to do, he took the hit personally and refused to return to the network - no matter that they hadn't asked. His show was picked up by another network, and the Mic broadcasts him in the late-night slot, saying he's still popular.
Malloy has a reputation for vitriol, attacking not just Republicans but the liberals who try to compromise with them. Agree with a conservative and Malloy may call you a "whore." On the upside, he's less repetitious than other hosts. He often picks up on stories that his colleagues ignore during the day, such as discussing a recent study that showed America has dropped more bombs on Iraq this year than last year. He can also show a softer side, talking about woodland fairies when he mentions the summer solstice. It may be hokey, but it's not a bad way to fall asleep.
