I recently wrote about the demise of liberal Air America radio here in Austin — it went belly-up to a more profitable (and entertaining) Spanish-language format.

I hadn’t seen the liberal Austin Chronicle’s response to it yet. But they get right to the heart of the matter in an honest assessment:

While many fans are focusing their anger at BMP [station owner Border Media Partners], progressives need to confront the 10-ton elephant hovering in the room: Air America sucks. It has turned out to be the worst possible standard bearer for progressive talk radio. From the very start it has been hounded by lousy management, inane scandals, and misguided decisions.

Worst of all, the on-air product developed as little more than a liberal counterpart to Limbaugh and his ilk, offering up similarly didactic, uncompromising, snarky, mean-spirited hosts, who happen to be liberals instead of conservatives.

I did find this nugget to be especially amusing:

Progressives are understandably angry, thrown back into a radio world completely dominated by Rush Limbaugh, Sean Han­nity, and Glenn Beck, the voices of dumbass America. Many Austin listeners reacted like Mary Ann Cohron. “We need alternative voices in our local media,” Cohron said. “I now have a profound sense of isolation from the truth.“

A sense of isolation from the truth? Holy shit! Did she read that on a bumper sticker? Does this Mensa-member not realize that she can find and access her variety of “the truth” on a myriad of other sources?

Just turn on the television and watch the local news. Read about it in the liberal-slanted Austin American-Statesman or the Austin Chronicle. Or she can choose from one or more of our Progressive liberal bloggers (try Burnt Orange Report for comprehensive coverage of Texas progressive politics).

If this lady is truly isolated from the truth as she says, then it’s because she’s chosen to bury her head in the sand. Not because Air America went off the air.

Posted by Robbie Cooper on Wednesday, October 31st, 2007 | Trackback |