Liberal talk radio arrives (Bay Area)

[TrueAmerican]

Liberal talk radio arrives
Comic Al Franken's Air America starts Tuesday as KQKE
- Dan Fost, Chronicle Staff Writer
Saturday, September 25, 2004



Comedian Al Franken is bringing his ambitious attempt to create a liberal talk radio network to the Bay Area's airwaves starting Tuesday.

Air America, which got off to a rocky beginning after its start in April, will take over the slot now occupied by KABL on 960 AM. The new station will be called KQKE, "the Quake." KABL, which plays American standards from the 1940s and 1950s, will move to 92.1 FM, broadcasting out of Walnut Creek.

(snip)

Cunningham acknowledged the irony in Clear Channel taking on the liberal talk of Air America. Many liberals love to lambaste Clear Channel -- both for its corporate leadership's support of President Bush and for stations like KNEW (910 AM), a conservative talk station starring San Francisco's Michael Savage.

(snip)

"It's a pretty centrist talk station. I'm not telling you we're going to beat KGO, but the 25-year reign they've had is going to be in jeopardy."
(snip)
In addition to the Air America lineup, which includes Franken, comedian Janeane Garofalo and Florida talk show host Randi Rhodes, KQKE will also feature Ed Schultz, a fiery liberal talk show host from North Dakota. Clear Channel said it has already had success broadcasting Schultz on one of its stations in Portland, Ore.



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URL: http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2004/09/25/BUGF68UNJ31.DTL

[nadinbrzezinski]

1. Tehy keep expanding at waht a station a week, sometimes more

Amazing when yuo have cnnies expecting them to go out of bussiness fast.. oh and KGO day time programing will be in trouble, KGO should have taken AA, between Bernie and Ray for the night owls and the day time line up for AA it woudl have been great

[dArKeR]

2. America needs the truth in every state!

[Isere]

3. I can't wait 'til Tuesday!

Now there will be an alternative to Ronn Owens and Pete Wilson.
Gene Burns has been superb at articulating the argument against Iraq, but he is not liberal.

And while we are discussing KGO, will someone tell me why they find it necessary to have Bill Wattenberg in their line-up? That man drives me insane with his mad rantings.

[Big Swing]

4. Wrong Bay

I thought for a minute you were going to say the Tampa Bay area :(

[Arugula Latte]

15. There's only one Bay Area

and it's on the Left Coast, baby! ;-)

P.S. Anyone remember that station called "The Quake" in the mid-80s that played cutting edge music (Guadalcanal Diary, Joy Division, etc.). I listened to that one a lot when I was a student at Cal.

[Zorra]

5. If KGO was smart, they'd move Bernie Ward and Ray Taliaferro into

AM prime time slots to compete with Air America.

San Francisco is a liberal town, and KGO puts on these horrible, rabid, lying RW propagandists during AM radio prime time every day.

KQKE is going to kick KGO's ass in the Bay Area if they fill the morning and afternoon slots with Air America.

[CreekDog]

8. Don't move Bernie and Ray T.

I can listen to Bernie in the late evening.

I can't listen Ray since he's on so late at night ;o)
(not into him...so tiring and predictable!)

Ronn Owens does a good show on Friday mornings, the light stuff, the other days I can easily live without. Gene Burns, the libertarian, has been making some of the best arguments for Republicans, Independents and Libertarians to vote for Kerry that I've heard, but his other politics I don't go for. I do find Gene to be a very thoughtful guy, until he rememebers he is a Libertarian and that's when the thinking stops. I wish they would give Christine Craft a time slot again, she was pretty good.

[JPace]

6. Lucky you S.F.!!!

We just got Air America in Western NC (Asheville) and
it is wonderful. I am listening to it right now. It is
like getting fresh air after having nothing but Rush
Limpballs and his wannabees for years pounding the
listeners with poisonous lies about liberals.
Thank you Air America!

[RevolutionStartsNow]

7. Yay! Hooray!

I HATE KGO. Ronn Owens is dangerous, he pretends to be a Democrat but he is such a Bush apologist. I like Karel, but he's on pretty late.

[Democat]

9. Congratulations Air America!

Keep on getting stronger - we need our own media!

[ronnykmarshall]

18. Coolness!

L.A. is next!!

Come back AAR!! We need you!

[cally]

10. YES!!!

960 AM here I come. :bounce:

[JimGinPA]

11. They need to keep it up...

I listen to the streamed broadcast whenever I can, and the hour of Al Franken's show they've aired on the Sundance channel for the last two weeks has been great.

[Arugula Latte]

17. Welcome to DU, JimGinPA!

Glad to have ya! :hi: :toast:

[RobertDevereaux]

12. Congrats, Bay Area guys and gals...!

Boulder came on board last month, and we're now addicted (AM 760)!

[AlCzervik]

13. It is such a joy to get into my car and listen

to AirAmerica. In my market, sacramento its on 1240am, that where Blow O'lielly used to be, i have no idea if his show is even still on here, his ratings were terrible. I had just about given up on NPR when AirAmerica saved the day.

[proud patriot]

14. KABL's change to 92.1fm is going piss metal heads off here in COCO co.

that KSJO currently ...All my buds listen to that ...

I'll tell em to tune in to Air America 960 AM

[proud patriot]

16. Okay I just put 960 AM right next to my AAR sticker

plus LOL I changed the front of my car to Read
"bush kisses saudi butt" :evilgrin:

[Fiendish Thingy]

19. Freakin' Awesome!

They've been saying a station will come to my town (Santa Cruz) for 6 mos, with no results, then out of the blue, we get one in SF! I can't wait!

[stevedeshazer]

20. Congratulations, Bay Area

You now will have what we've had for months in Portland. You are going to love it.

I listen to Air America plus Ed Schultz locally by day, and at night I can still listen to Bernie Ward and Ray Taliaferro because after sundown, KGO can be heard everywhere in western North America..

Bye-bye, Ronn Owens. Hello, Al Franken. :hi:

[tilsammans]

21. Congratulations!

AirAmerica rocks!