Jesus H. Crist
I'm getting really sick of the back-and-forth public bickering between and among Air America Radio hosts and progressive hosts on other networks. It's really unprofessional and it's getting WAY out of hand.
My Clear Channel-owned progressive station carries a variety of hosts from different networks. I like and listen to many of them. I like Al Franken, Ed Schultz, Sam Seder and Rachel Maddow.
What these self-centered personalities don't seem to realize is that many of us are fans of BOTH AAR and hosts on other networks. They are all part of the same line-up! It's obvious that they are all battling for power and influence, and it is getting really frustrating as a listener.
I've heard my local (liberal) Clear Channel hosts beat up on Air America, because one of the guys wants his own show and hasn't gotten it. I've heard Randi Rhodes beat up on Al Franken. Mike Malloy (whom I can't stand) beats up on Ed Schultz.
Sam Seder has been publicly attacking Ed Schultz (according to both Ed and his callers), so Ed Schultz finally blew a gasket on his show today and has been railing against Air America for the last hour:
"Air America sucks! Their programs are horrible. Their business practices are an embarrassment. They can't sell a single advertisement! They haven't made a dime! Al Franken leaving is the best thing that could have happened to talk radio."
WAAYY overboard, Ed. Simmer down.
We're all on the same side here. Can't you just get along?
Enough is enough, from all of you. Grow up!
UPDATES from the comments below. It is unclear exactly what Sam Seder said or did to set Ed off today. My guess is that it may not have been much, but it was the straw that broke the camel's back. He had been repeatedly criticized by Randi Rhodes and Mike Malloy (and also Marc Maron, it seems).
But Ed should have taken the high road. The rant was beyond painful. And any of the other hosts who criticize him are equally unprofessional.
Ed's producer weighs in at the bottom of this thread:
I'm Ed's producer (2+ / 0-)
I will way in on the once, and only once. I produce the Ed Schultz Show. I won’t fight you about whether he went overboard or not, I’m just hear to clear things up in this thread that I can back with 100% fact. Before I start, I just want to tell you that I’m not offended in any way that some of you hate our show. Radio shows are like beer, some people like Miller, some Bud, some Heineken & some even like Guinness. They’re all beer, the same way that Ed, Al, Randi, Thom, Sam, Mike, Stephanie and Bill are all Progressive talk shows. I know it shocks you that I used a beer analogy, I work for Ed.
1. Randi Rhodes NEVER turned down Democracy Radio and gave the money to Ed. This is only one of the misrepresentations she has repeated about Ed multiple times.
2. AAR never turned Ed down. We are owned by P1, syndicated by Jones and have never wanted to be part of AAR. The truth is, they have tried to acquire our show multiple times. We have always said no.
3. Ed is not paid by the Democratic Party. The owners of the show, Randy Michaels & Stu Krane are both Libertarian Republicans.
4. Ed did go after Howard Dean for not appearing on Progressive talk often enough. Ed gives Dean credit for the 2006 victories and has had him on the show almost once a month for the last 12 months.
5. It drives many of you nuts that we call our show the most listened to Progressive talk show. The reason that we do is, no matter what you think, we are Progressive and we have almost a million more listeners than Al, a million and a half more than Randi & Stephanie and no other Lefty host even cracks a million. WE ALL WANT THAT TO CHANGE.
6. Ed loves Joe Lieberman about as much as Sam Seder likes Ed. We had Ned Lamont on twice as much as Joe last cycle. Ed has repeatedly called Joe on the carpet over his stance on the war on terror.
7. Ed is the only closet Republican that I have ever seen donate money to Tom Daschle, John Kerry, Christine Gregoire and multiple other candidates without giving one dime to a Republicans.
Did Ed go over the top today? Did Sam go over the top when he is leading his audience to believe that there is any chance for Thom Hartman to get on XM even though he knows that decision is already set in stone? Did Mark Maron go over the top when he said Ed wasn’t a true Progressive and that he towed the party line? Was Randi over the top when she has called Ed a closet Republican, an evil, horrible person who she "let" have his job? Was Mike Malloy over the top when he echoed Randi about Ed?
That’s a decision you have to make, just like you do every time you belly up to the bar for a beer. Yes I know, beer again. AAR producers or other AAR employees might have their own version of history to tell, I encourage them to do so.
I can tell you the solution to this whole problem.
Don’t talk us down, Ed won’t swing back.
by holmey11 on Tue Feb 13, 2007 at 06:14:46 PM PST
And ZappoDave has posted a response from Sam Seder:
Majority Report Radio - Sam Seder
February 13, 2007
WOW
I don't make a habit of publicly attacking other liberal talk show hosts- in fact i never do it (maybe i said some sarcastic things about colmes a couple of times).
Apparently, Ed Schultz, a liberal ? progressive talker on the Jones Syndicator roster is supposedly angry at me for asking you guys to support Thom Hartmann. It was nothing against Ed- I just am a fan of Thom's and it is called AIR AMERICA XM 167 and Thom is an AAR host, Ed (and based on his rant today feels strongly about it) is not.
Well, I had heard this was brewing but didn't believe it was possible, but Ed exploded in rage today, lashing out at me, Al, Randi, AAR, Malloy, his callers and even his show handlers.
Personally, I don't think this is about me or my supporting Thom, but more on that later. For now, this is how people are reacting.
Posted by majority at 6:10 PM | Comments (241)
There seems to be a lot of misinformation out there on both sides.