Thursday, April 15, 2004
For the L.A. AmCoppers
West Coast Crisis! Air America Radio has been off the air since yesterday in L.A. and Chicago. Here's what the Majority Report blog says about what's going on:
posted by Blicero : 4/15/2004 03:05:00 AM
As you know if you live in LA or Chicago AAR is down in those locales. There's not a lot of info about what's going on right now but I'll let you know what I know.
AAR has leased air time on WNTD (CHI) and KBLA (LA) from a radio holding company that owns both stations. I'm not privy to the details as I'm not management and our legal counsel is not in house so I can't eavesdrop on them. With that said, there is some type of contractual dispute regarding the LA station. The holding company seems to be using the Chicago station as leverage regarding the LA station. I know that AAR is seeking an injunction against the holding company's taking AAR off the air. There seems to be a lot of optimism that we will get that injunction. From the little I know of legal matters, that is an indication that, at the very least, our legal counsel feels that we are in the right in this dispute and that a judge will feel that way too. I suspect that the holding company hopes that our desire to be on air will overpower any sense that we are getting screwed contractually.
On line there are some rumors about right wing elements pressuring the holding company to pull us off the air. As much as I'd like to, I don't buy it. I think this is probably a typical hardball business scenario that is indicative of AAR's unexpected success and somebody who was betting against that success trying to renegotiate.
In the meantime, streams are available at the AAR site. Also here.
posted by Blicero : 4/15/2004 03:05:00 AM
