Liberal Air America crashes, burns

Posted by Caleb on January 22, 2010 · Comments (2)

Air America, the liberal talk-radio network that helped boost the careers of Al Franken and Rachel Maddow, said Thursday that it was declaring bankruptcy and going off the air.

Liberal Talk Radio fails again

The company, founded in 2004 and based in New York, strove to provide left-leaning commentary and call-in programs as an alternative to such popular conservative radio talkers as Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity and Michael Savage.

It was troubled almost from the start. The company had difficulty lining up affiliates and attracting a sizable audience. It filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy-court protection just 30 months after its inception and was resold to an investor group in early 2007 for $4.25 million.

Charlie Kireker, one of Air America’s principal owners and its chairman, said in a memo to employees Thursday that the company was done in by “a perfect storm” of plunging ad revenues, intense competition, high debt and poor prospects for new financing. A search for new investors, he said, has been fruitless. The company declined further comment.

Since last summer, Air America has been heard in the Washington area on WZAA (1050 AM). Its audience has been so small that Arbitron, which compiles radio ratings, was unable to detect any listeners for WZAA during several weeks in December.                 By Paul Farhi, Washington Post

Hezbollah on Alert on Israeli-Lebanese border 22/01/2010By Thair Abbas, Nazir Majjali, Souad Jarrous and Michel Abu Najm Beirut, Paris, Damascus, Asharq Al-Awsat - Tensions have escalated along the Israeli-Lebanese border as the Israeli army carried out drills on the northern frontier. Well-informed Lebanese sources confirmed to Asharq Al-Awsat that there is a state of alert within the Hezbollah ranks as Israeli troops were called up to the northern borders to carry out “military maneuvers”. The Lebanese sources added that Hezbollah called on its cadres to be on full alert in case Israel launches a surprise attack targeting Hezbollah’s bases and posts. A Hezbollah source told Asharq Al-Awsat: “Israel has accustomed us to aggression and we are used to being vigilant and on the lookout all the time. That is what we are doing.” The source refused to confirm or deny whether Hezbollah is on full alert [at present]. Other sources mentioned that Syria had begun calling up troops from the Fourth Reserve, which includes workers living in Lebanon. Syrian sources told Asharq Al-Awsat: “Syria opposes any aggression against any Arab country, especially Lebanon.” A senior Israeli army officer spoke to Asharq Al-Awsat and denied what had been published in Lebanon about Israel’s intentions of carrying out a military assault, asserting that Israel has no intention whatsoever to launch an offensive on Lebanon. Asked about such Israeli threats, French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner, in Paris, said that “France does not expect that there will be an Israeli military offensive” at present. However, Kouchner expressed fears that “some Iranian leaders” might deliberately try to escalate the situation in south [Lebanon]. Haiti under US Occupation Threat Port-au-Prince, Jan 20.- Hunger and illnesses have gripped Haiti in the wake of a devastating 7.3-degree quake that hit the country last Tuesday, but the situation has been compounded by occupation threats by US troops. In the devastated streets of Port au Prince, hundreds of Haitians described as lack of sovereignty the impressive landing of several US choppers in the Presidential Palace. "It is an occupation. The palace is the country, it represents our power, our face, our pride," denounced some witnesses. At least four helicopters carried nearly one hundred paratroopers of the 82nd Airborn Division to the facility before hundreds of astonished Haitian, who lost their homes in the quake and have settled in the gardens surrounding the presidential house, which was also destroyed. A week into the seism that destroyed 60 percent of the capital's infrastructure, the troops sent by Washington left the airport and made incursions for the first time in downtown Port au Prince. Previously, they only kept control of the airport, where they run the arrival of humanitarian aid with selectivity. "I haven't seen them distributing food in the center of the city, where the people need urgently water, food and medicine. This seems more like an occupation," said Haitian student Wilson Guillaume, 25. Some press media reported that the arrival of US troops to the government palace with plenty of water and food was intended to install a small support base there. However, nothing was delivered and the troops were deployed around the general hospital, which is packed with wounded people. As they passed by, several victims shouted "Go Home," "Do Not Occupy our Country." Bolivia, Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela said that Haiti needs humanitarian aid and not US geopolitical, geostrategic interests. "What is the Caribbean country needs for its reconstruction is economic, medical and food support. I hope the United States is focusing its aid in this way," said Bolivian Vice President Alvaro Garcia. The White House sent 7,500 troops, who will join another 1,800 already deployed in the country where deaths have been estimated at 100,000 to 200,000 and more than three million people have been reported as victims. (Prensa Latina)