Err America on the Ropes

And just who do they think they're kidding?

Air America Radio will announce a major restructuring on Friday, which is expected to include a bankruptcy filing, three independent sources have told ThinkProgress.

Air America could remain on the air under the deal, but significant personnel changes are already in the works. Sources say five Air America employees were laid off yesterday and were told there would be no severance without capital infusion or bankruptcy. Also, Air America has ended its relationship with host Jerry Springer.

The right wing is sure to seize on Air America's financial woes as a sign that progressive talk radio is unpopular. In fact, Air America succeeded at creating something that didn't exist: the progressive talk radio format. That format is now established and strong and will continue with or without Air America. Indeed, many of the country's most successful and widely-syndicated progressive talk hosts — Ed Schultz and Stephanie Miller, for instance — aren't even associated with Air America.

While I'm sure Think Progress might even believe what they say is true, facts point us towards the opposite conclusion.

Progressive talk radio at least as voiced on Air America, is unpopular; that is the reason Air America is going bankrupt. The math isn't very hard: very few people listen to them, advertisers know this and won't pay them enough to keep them on the air, and so Air America is in big trouble.

Trying to give them for credit for things that don't exist--"the progressive talk radio format," which is in no appreciable way different than any other talk radio format--is a particularly sad attempt to salvage something from nothing.

I wish Ed Schultz and Stephanie Miller all the best with their progressive radio adventures, and wish them successful career. Liberals need something to listen to, even if they have to buy a satellite radio to tune in many markets. Apparently Shultz and Miller have something all the "big names" on Air America lacked.

Talent.