Air America Radio Network Has a New Owner

February 21, 2008

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As Air America continues to grow in popularity, new demands need to be met, as any new business faces in its startup and development periods. In this case, the country’s more powerful radio network which serves as talk radios sole progressive megaphone, is switching ownership. Charlie Kireker, a former political official and creator of Pendulum Media will succeed Stephen L. Green, the New York real estate CEO who helped lift the company out of bankruptcy, as chair of the board. The move will be finalized in mid March. Mark Green, Stephen’s brother and Democratic activist, will remain as Air America’s acting president.

“We look at what Steve and Mark Green have done as the transition role of saving and stabilizing the business and now we think it is a good opportunity to expand upon that,” Kireker told the Huffington Post. “The company has made a lot of progress, we have consolidated operations, and streamlined things to be more efficient. We are yet to profitability but we are heading there.”

Despite many, publicly documented struggles, Air America has managed to continue its trek forward, and is currently gaining a devout listener base. Currently Air America has 65 affiliates, an estimated audience of nearly 2 million weekly, and is set to release a new web-based format for radio listeners, which will add to its arsenal in it’s fight to remain successful in the republican dominated world of talk radio.

“It took Fox News five years and a half billion dollar loss to get its feet, find its audience and become profitable,” said Mark Green. “We don’t have a ‘what’s his name?” [referring to Rupert Murdoch]. But, we now have secure funding and expanded management team, on-air talent and a business strategy that will get us where we need to be… Reports of our death were greatly exaggerated by the right wing zeitgeist that wanted us to go away.”

Both Green and Kireker said that the ownership change would have no effect on the network’s editorial content. Which ultimately means that listeners will be treated to business as usual when they tune in for their fix of progressive talk radio.