Air America (radio network)

Air America

Company type	Private
Industry	Radio network
Founded	March 2004 (2004-03)
Founder	Sheldon Drobny, Anita Drobny, Jon Sinton
Defunct	January 21, 2010 (2010-01-21)
Fate	Bankruptcy and liquidation
Successor	Newsweb Corporation (brand ownership)
Headquarters	United States
Area served	United States
Key people	Bennett Zier (final CEO), Evan Montvel Cohen (former executive), Stephen L. Green (former owner)
Products	Progressive talk radio programming

Air America—initially known as Air America Radio and later as Air America Media—was a U.S.-based radio network focused on progressive talk programming, active from March 2004 until January 2010.

Established by Sheldon Drobny, Anita Drobny, and Jon Sinton to provide a left-leaning alternative to conservative talk radio, Air America broadcasted a variety of formats including monologues, interviews, call-in segments, and news coverage. Several of its programs garnered weekly audiences exceeding one million listeners. For example, in 2008, The Thom Hartmann Program attracted between 1.5 and 2 million unique listeners per week, while The Lionel Show drew approximately 1.5 to 1.75 million weekly. Prominent figures such as Hartmann, Randi Rhodes, and Mike Malloy continued their media involvement after Air America's closure. Notably, Al Franken transitioned from hosting duties to serving in the U.S. Senate, and Rachel Maddow moved her program to television on MSNBC. Shortly after the network ceased operations, comedian Marc Maron launched his impactful "WTF podcast."

Despite establishing a notable presence in the market, Air America encountered financial difficulties. In 2005, an incident involving nearly $1 million in undisclosed loans from a New York Boys & Girls Club by executive Evan Montvel Cohen resulted in unfavorable attention; these loans were ultimately repaid. Accumulating debt led the company to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in October 2006. Subsequently, in March 2007, real estate investor Stephen L. Green along with his brother Mark Green purchased the network for $4.25 million.

The organization underwent rebranding efforts, shifting from Air America Radio to Air America Media and eventually simply Air America, with intentions to broaden its reach into television and online platforms while retaining its core radio offerings. However, economic strains during the Great Recession compelled the network to cease broadcasting on January 21, 2010. The company proceeded with a Chapter 7 bankruptcy filing and was liquidated under the leadership of CEO Bennett Zier.

After the shutdown, ownership of the Air America brand transferred to Newsweb Corporation, controlled by Chicago-based entrepreneur and philanthropist Fred Eychaner, who also manages Chicago's progressive talk station WCPT.

Programming overview

Air America Media’s progressive talk radio lineup featured a blend of news segments, talk shows, comedic content, interviews, guest editorials, and listener call-ins. The format prominently included extended monologues by hosts characteristic of talk radio programming. Affiliate stations had the option to broadcast selected shows or the complete schedule based on contractual agreements.

Format

Programs were structured into half-hour blocks beginning six minutes after each hour and concluding at 28 minutes past. This was followed by a six-minute hard break until 34 minutes after the hour. A final break occurred at 58 minutes past the hour leading into top-of-the-hour news coverage. Additional variable breaks appeared within both halves of each hour to allow local affiliates to insert commercials, news updates, weather reports, or other localized content.

News

Hourly news summaries were delivered utilizing wire services such as the Associated Press (AP) and United Press International (UPI). Affiliates occasionally replaced these with alternative news providers or their own newscasts during the designated six-minute "news hole." Over time, the network transitioned from AP Radio Network News to Free Speech Radio News before discontinuing network newscasts entirely in June 2007; thereafter affiliates sourced news independently.

Public affairs and editorials

Programs addressing public affairs centered on contemporary issues, featuring host monologues paired with guest insights. Audience participation was encouraged through phone calls and online interactions, complementing the interviews.

Music

Although Air America’s primary focus was political talk, it also broadcast music-oriented weekend shows such as On the Real hosted by Chuck D, which highlighted musical content. The Steve Earle Show blended musical performances with political discussion until 2007, when Earle transitioned to satellite radio. Occasional guest hosts included Dr. Demento. Most talk programs incorporated theme tunes and bumper music—generally commercially available rock tracks—to smoothly segue between segments and advertisements.

Weekday programs

Air America delivered sixteen hours of network programming on weekdays, accessible entirely via internet streaming, while affiliates aired varying portions of the lineup.

The weekday schedule from mid-2009 featured:

Time	Program	Details
5–6 a.m. ET	The Rachel Maddow Show	Audio rebroadcast of MSNBC’s program.
6–9 a.m. ET	The Lionel Show	Relaunched May 26, 2009; initially premiered May 14, 2007.
9 a.m.–noon ET	Montel Across America	Launched April 20, 2009; took over Lionel’s previous time slot.
12–3 p.m. ET	Live in Washington with Jack Rice
3–6 p.m. ET	Montel Across America	Introduced May 18, 2009; replaced Ron Kuby’s former slot.
6–9 p.m. ET	The Ron Reagan Show	Premiered September 8, 2008; extended to three hours on February 3, 2009.
9–11 p.m. ET	Clout with Richard Greene	Transitioned from weekend programming on September 4, 2007.
11 p.m.–1 a.m. ET	The Nicole Sandler Show	Began June 15, 2009; succeeded Jon Elliott’s show.
1–3 a.m. ET	Rebroadcast of Montel Across America
3–5 a.m. ET	Rebroadcast of The David Bender Show

• Until July 15, 2009, the one-hour webcast Breakroom Live with Maron & Seder aired weekdays from 3 to 4 p.m. Eastern.

Weekend programs

Weekend airtime combined reruns of weekday broadcasts with original productions and syndicated shows. Among the original weekend offerings were:

• Marc Sussman's Money Message
• State of Belief hosted by Rev. Dr. C. Welton Gaddy
• Freethought Radio featuring Dan Barker and Annie Laurie Gaylor
• Go Vegan with Bob Linden
• Ring of Fire co-hosted by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Mike Papantonio
• 7 Days in America, presented by Carlos Watson and Arianna Huffington
• Radio Nation with Laura Flanders
• Politically Direct hosted by David Bender
• The Steve Earle Show
• On The Real, hosted by Chuck D and Gia'na Garel

Former programs

Significant past programs included:

• The Al Franken Show (March 2004 – February 2007), the network’s flagship before Franken pursued a U.S. Senate seat.
• The Majority Report (March 2004 – September 2006), co-hosted by Sam Seder and Janeane Garofalo.
• The Randi Rhodes Show (March 2004 – April 2008), which later moved to Nova M Radio.
• Morning Sedition (April 2004 – December 2005), featuring Marc Maron among others.
• Unfiltered (April 2004 – April 2005), with Rachel Maddow as one of the hosts.
• Additional notable programs included: The Mike Malloy Show, Springer on the Radio, Politically Direct, Air America Mornings, and The Thom Hartmann Show, which replaced Franken’s program in March 2007.

Syndication

Air America Syndication was introduced on September 8, 2005, with the goal of distributing progressive talk and other programming formats to a broader range of stations. It offered syndicated content including programs hosted by Thom Hartmann and Springer on the Radio but ultimately discontinued operations amid bankruptcy proceedings.

Origins

Established in late 2002 by entrepreneurs Sheldon and Anita Drobny along with radio executive Jon Sinton, Air America sought to create a nationwide platform for progressive talk radio following the dismissal of host Mike Malloy. Early fundraising activities featured prominent events led by Arianna Huffington. Concurrently, Democracy Radio developed progressive talk shows such as those hosted by Ed Schultz and Stephanie Miller.

Initial hurdles involved securing commitments from talent—Al Franken expressed reservations due to concerns about long-term viability—and competition for investor support between AnShell Media (Drobny/Sinton) and Democracy Radio. Investor networking resulted in Evan Montvel Cohen and Rex Sorensen acquiring AnShell Media, forming Progress Media and diminishing Sinton’s day-to-day involvement.

Debut and swift expansion

With new leadership including CEO Mark Walsh and signed agreements with personalities like Franken and Garofalo, Air America officially launched on March 31, 2004, marking itself as the first radio network dedicated exclusively to progressive talk. Its listenership quickly expanded from 120,000 to over two million weekly by 2005.

Challenges and leadership changes

Although the network claimed to have secured $30 million in venture capital prior to launch, actual funding was closer to $6 million. Financial control rested solely with CFO Rex Sorensen under the supervision of chairman Evan Cohen.

CEO Mark Walsh resigned the day after launch due to disputes over financial transparency. Early contractual conflicts led to losing key affiliates in major markets such as Chicago and Los Angeles following legal disputes.

Within weeks, executive vice president Dave Logan departed; subsequently, chairman Cohen and partner Sorensen were removed amid investor concerns regarding asset management and lack of transparency.

Several interim CEOs succeeded one another during ongoing instability. The network shifted focus from owning stations toward offering affiliate programming options.

Danny Goldberg assumed the CEO role in early 2005 but faced difficulties including dismantling the popular yet expensive morning show Morning Sedition in late 2005, which resulted in Marc Maron’s exit despite fan campaigns.

By mid-2006, many founding executives had either left or been sidelined. Nighttime host Mike Malloy was controversially dismissed in August 2006 amid speculation about political content issues.

Gloria Wise loan controversy

In mid-2005, it was revealed that the Gloria Wise Boys and Girls Club had extended an interest-free loan of approximately $875,000 to Progress Media. Evan Cohen held a position as director of development at Gloria Wise during this time.

Following public attention and investigations, Air America’s successor entity Piquant LLC agreed to fully repay the loan amount.

Evan Cohen was later charged in Hawaii with unrelated financial crimes in 2008.

===Air America, The Playbook'' A collection of essays and interviews featuring Air America personalities was published prior to the 2006 Congressional elections and appeared on The New York Times Best Seller list.

Bankruptcy restructuring and acquisition by Green Family Media

On October 13, 2006, Air America filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection with liabilities surpassing $20 million against assets valued at $4.3 million. Major creditors included founder Al Franken ($360,000) and Rob Glaser, founder of RealNetworks ($9.8 million).

In January 2007, Air America entered into a letter of intent to sell the company to SLG Radio LLC, controlled by Stephen L. Green of SL Green Realty Corp., finalizing the sale in March under Green Family Media ownership.

Franken’s Senate campaign

During bankruptcy proceedings, Al Franken announced his candidacy for the U.S. Senate and ended his radio program; Thom Hartmann replaced him in March 2007. Franken won election as Minnesota’s Senator in 2008.

Revitalization under new management

With Stephen Green as chairman and Mark Green as president, the network restructured operations including transferring advertising sales responsibilities to Westwood One starting April 2007.

David Bernstein was appointed vice president of programming but left by November 2007.

Popular host Randi Rhodes departed in April 2008 amid contractual disagreements; she subsequently joined Nova M Radio followed by Premiere Radio Networks.

Rachel Maddow shifted focus toward television success on MSNBC beginning September 2008 while maintaining a limited presence on Air America radio.

Thom Hartmann exited for Dial Global in March 2009; Montel Williams succeeded him as flagship host thereafter.

Ownership transfer and shutdown

Stephen Green sold Air America to Charles Kireker in 2009; Mark Green remained as president.

On January 21, 2010, citing severe economic challenges affecting advertising revenue industry-wide, Air America terminated programming immediately and filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy liquidation.

Former hosts attributed closure partly to management instability and insufficient broadcasting expertise; progressive talk struggled against entrenched conservative competitors operating on stronger stations.

Following closure, Newsweb Corporation acquired rights to the Air America brand name.

Ratings

During Spring 2008 Arbitron ratings measured an average market share of approximately 1.3 across stations carrying predominantly Air America content. Top shares appeared at stations such as KPOJ Portland (3.7) and WXXM Madison (3.5).

Some affiliates changed formats due to low ratings or corporate decisions despite listener opposition; Clear Channel notably replaced several Air America affiliates with Fox Sports Radio while others retained progressive programming driven by audience demand.

SiriusXM’s "Sirius XM Progress" channel continues broadcasting shows hosted by former Air America personalities Mike Malloy and Thom Hartmann.

Affiliates

By October 2008, Air America reported affiliation agreements with 66 terrestrial stations—an increase compared to previous years—with roughly half airing majority network programming.

Throughout its existence, over sixty affiliates discontinued carrying Air America due to format shifts or corporate strategies favoring sports or conservative talk formats on AM frequencies owned by major broadcasters like Clear Channel.

See also

• Democracy Now!
• Democracy Radio
• Jones Radio Networks
• The Majority Report with Sam Seder (podcast successor)
• Nova M Radio
• Progressive talk radio
• Ring of Fire (radio program)
• Talk radio