Air America Radio blows it again

In one of the most spectacular employee shaftings to take place since the demise of Enron, the latest group of revolving-door suits at Air America Radio has decided to deliver the Screwing To End All Screwings of someone who should be one of their marquee personalities by now, Marc Maron.

As most of you know, AAR brought in as CEO last year a man named Danny Goldberg. Goldberg is a longtime music industry guy who wrote a book called How the Left Lost Teen Spirit. This particular genius decided that the thing to do with Air America was to suck all the humor out of it by giving us a completely arid, unlistenable weekend lineup, and to cancel the brilliant and gonzo Morning Sedition, replacing it with two hours of dumbass sports talk, pre-recorded interviews, fifteen minutes of listener calls, and for some strange reason, the supposedly humorous comic stylings of Jim Hightower, all hosted by Mark Riley, who has been lost without his neurotic Jewish comic counterpart ever since MS was cancelled. Yes, there is also two hours of Rachel Maddow, aided tremendously by the funny and talented Kent Jones, but not even Maddow, who's as smart as a whip, makes up for the loss of Pendejo the Revolutionary, Sammy the Stem Cell, the Milfingtons, the Dream Diary, the Presidential Palm Pilot, and the other Manifestations of the Funny that Marc Maron brought to the morning hours.

In February, Marc Maron started a new show on KTLK out of Los Angeles, which he returned to after the cancellation of the morning show, along with sketch sidekick Jim Earl. This was his SECOND cross-country relocation at the behest of Air America. The show ran from 10 PM to 1 AM Pacific time, subject to change or cancellation due to Clipper games. First the show was live, which meant fun calls from die-hard Maronistas like Gypsy and Kristapea and Seanie the cross-country trucker. Then it was taped in advance, which meant a full hour and 15 minute podcast every day, but a loss of spontaneity. The show was supposed to be syndicated starting in April, but never was. And last week, one of the suits flew out to L.A. to tell Maron that his show was being cancelled as of the 14th, and with what AAR is presenting as "a better offer."

I suspect that this "better offer" involves being second banana to someone else; perhaps a lame attempt to revive Morning Sedition, or as a comic foil for Rachel Maddow, or God only knows what. I also suspect that this "better offer" doesn't include Jim Earl, who is a brilliant sketch comic, but as a co-host can be curmudgeonly and self-righteous. I also suspect that this "better offer" involves yet another cross-country relocation, which I can't imagine anyone wanting to do for an employer that has already shafted him twice. As he said on one of last week's shows, it's like when your mom gets a new boyfriend who beats you, and she does nothing. Then after they break up, she tells you she loves you, but you never quite trust yoru mom again.

I've been a supporter of Air America Radio since the beginning. I paid to be an affiliate. I paid to be a premium member so I could get the podcasts. I'm an avid listener, even when Franken is boring. I only draw the line at the odious Satellite Sisters, who paid to take over Mike Malloy's airtime on WLIB in New York. But AAR is sorely trying my patience at this point.

With the gasbags of the right continuing to have unlimited outlets for their delusional spew, a clever, progressive alternative is vital for national dialogue. And to the extent that there IS now a debate in this country about Iraq, about how veterans are treated, about the NSA spying programs, and about black box voting, it's largely because Air America and the blogs, sometimes working together, have managed to get the word out into the ambient air. But however well-intentioned these attempts to somehow atone for Danny Goldberg's shabby treatment of one of AAR's brightest stars may be, they are being clunkily delivered, and I suspect will ultimately result in the permanent loss of this unique voice on AAR's airwaves.