Drudge has a headline up today - 'AIR AMERICA 'BOUNCES CHECK'; LIBERAL RADIO NET TAKEN OFF AIR IN LOS ANGELES, CHICAGO AFTER ONLY TWO WEEKS'. They've definitely been 'bounced' from Chicago and LA, but the reasons are circumspect. They've filed for a temporary injunction - and some other good stuff - in New York, but I decided to do a little research.
For a radio station owner to pull a dick move like this, you'd really have to have good reason. A bounced check, even if true, would not be a good enough reason. Why not give Air America Radio an ultimatum? Pay now or tomorrow you're off! Or a little warning: Tomorrow, you've off, period, money or no money. I'm no genius, but I'm starting to think that a Repbulican big wig got to Liu. Remembering that the GOP currently owns the FCC, they could threaten to watch Liu's programs very closely if he didn't comply with their wishes. And isn't the timing auspicious? Right before Franken goes on the air to slam Bush's much-hyped press conference. Interesting, indeed.
So I started to do some research on the company who owns the radio stations. The owning company, Multicultural Radio Broadcasting, is owned by one Arthur Liu. Arthur apparently made contributions in the 2000 election cycle to Republican Rick Lazio and two donations to the American Broadcasters Association. Now, the payoff to Lazio may have been just that - with no idealogical bent - just greed, but we need to find out.
Contributions of Arthur Liu during 2000 election cycle:
LIU, ARTHUR
WKDM/WNWK
6/30/2000
$1,000
Lazio, Rick A
LIU, ARTHUR
NEW YORK,NY 10013
MULTICULTURAL RADIO
4/26/1999
$1,000
National Assn of Broadcasters
LIU, ARTHUR
NEW YORK,NY 10013
WPAT-AM
5/16/2000
$1,000
National Assn of Broadcasters
I'm sure the courts will have something to say very soon. As Drudge says, developing...
UPDATE: Looks to me like AAR really effed up on this one. They stopped payment on some checks because they thought that the other party broke a contract. I asked my bank about this several years ago when I was having a dispute of my own. They said stopping payment on a check was illegal once it was tendered as payment - i.e. not stolen, etc. AAR claims their money was stolen, but I don't buy it.
Sophomoric. Idiotic. Horrific. You try to work it out with the other party. If it doesn't work you go to court. Simple. You don't stop payment. AAR may win some damages from the other party, and will probably be restored to the air shortly, but so what? They got kicked off the air in a couple of major markets. AAR now looks like a bunch of whiny little kids - in the same league with O'Leilly, Rush, and Hannity. Great.
