Air America

Defending liberal media

August 12, 2005

MYTH:  The media is giving Air America a free pass because they agree with their politics

But the raging reverends are nowhere to be found as a scandal involving the liberal radio network Air America and a Bronx, N.Y.-based inner city charity for poor children brews. Why the silence…?

If a conservative radio network had been entangled in a scam to steal from black children to line the pockets of wealthy white con artists, Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton would already be staging hunger strikes in protest. But both have hefty political and financial stakes in Air America's success -- and the big mouths aren't about to badmouth their friends.

-- Michelle Malkin, " Air America and the Race Hustlers," Townhall, 08/03/05

THE MAINSTREAM MEDIA is often inconsistent in covering stories. They gave us wall-to-wall coverage when George W. Bush's National Guard service came under scrutiny, but suddenly made themselves scarce when over two hundred Vietnam veterans pointed out hole after hole in John Kerry's service narrative.

-- Edward Morrissey, "Missing the Perfect Storm," Weekly Standard, 08/03/05

Short version: Not-for-profits that exist to serve kids and Alzheimer's' patients, overwhelmingly via the funds obtained from government grants, should not be "investing" in incredibly risky start-up radio networks. But the Gloria Wise Boys and Girls Club--apparently now defunct--did just that last spring, funneling hundreds of thousands of dollars into Air America's coffers.

-- Hugh Hewitt, "The Air Out There," Weekly Standard, 08/04/05

REALITY

At the time these articles were written only the Washington Times and New York Post had published articles on this issue. However, The New York Times actually picked up this story on Friday, August 12th of last week, which is extremely telling.  This story is one of very little significance. It is nothing more than an opportunity for right-wingers to try to score some cheap political points agains Air America, the left, and the media. But the right-wing media’s repetitive allegation that the mainstream media was exposing its ideological bias by not covering the story finally convinced the Times to pursue it. The Air America saga, thus, represents a powerful demonstration of the power of the right-wing media.

The facts of the case are as follows:  Even Cohen, Air America’s former Chairman, improperly borrowed $875,000 from the Gloria Wise Boys and Girls Club, a charity for which he served as the development director (Air America was not aware of his position with the Boys and Girls Club). As a consequence of Cohen’s managerial incompetence, Air America’s investors forced him out of the company in May of last year. The ownership group at the time of the inappropriate loan, Progress Media, no longer owns Air America. The new owner is Piquant, LLC.  Piquant, LLC has agreed to repay the loan even though they are under no legal obligation to do so. 

So an individual who was fired by Air America borrowed money from a Bronx non-profit to put towards the radio station and failed to pay back the loan. The new ownership group—under no legal obligation to repay the loan—is benevolently offering to do so because, as Al Franken stated on his Monday, August 8th broadcast, they have a moral obligation to the Gloria Wise Boys and Girls Club.  Certainly, Air America should be embarrassed for associating itself with both Evan Cohen and Progress Media, but this incident has nothing to do with Al Franken, the current ownership of Air America, or the political beliefs espoused on the radio station.