BREAKING NEWS: Air America to close; No word on Green 960 status

AIR AMERICA TO CLOSE--

Air America Media CEO Charlie Kireker tells staff the liberal radio network will cease live programming immediate and file Chapter 7 liquidation "soon." Kireker says the "very difficult" economy has had a "significant impact" on operations at the six-year old network.

Kireker purchased Air America in 2008 with plans to transition Air America from a purely radio operation into a multimedia operation. But be he tells staff today, " Although internet/new media revenues are projected to grow, our expanding online efforts face the same monetization and profitability challenges in the short term confronting the web operations of most media companies."

Locally, Air America has Green 960 as its affiliate, (Clear Channel.) No word as of yet how this development will affect, if at all, its programming.

DEVELOPING STORY...

UPDATE: 2: 42: 23 PST

The statement released to staffers:

In a statement released to staffers today AAR head Charlie Kireker said, “It is with the greatest regret, on behalf of our Board, that we must announce that Air America Media is ceasing its live programming operations as of this afternoon,and that the Company will file soon under Chapter 7 of the Bankruptcy Code to carry out an orderly winding-down of the business.”

STATEMENT from JOHN SCOTT, PD at GREEN 960:

When you think you're in the poltical business, when you forget you're in the radio and online media ENTERTAINMENT business FIRST, LAST AND ALWAYS .... this is what you get. They were dead long before today, and I blame them for making my job so much harder these past few years. Some good people there too over the years. They didn't do this. The people and managers that believed their job was to "restore democracy" are the ones to blame.




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