Al ‘I Got Mine’ Franken Leaving Bankrupt Air America?
Brian at Radio Equalizer has sources that say so.
Franken may be a moonbat-level leftist but he played the capitalistic side of his Air America Radio (AAR) gig pretty smartly:
June, 2004 Wall Street Journal investigative report on Air America stated Al was making “over $1 million a year”. That was accurate, but not for long.
Despite mixed reviews, low ratings and a perpetually shaky cash outlook, Franken was handed a virtual blank check by Piquant. Even as the extent of the Gloria Wise crisis became clear to an ever-changing series of managers, Franken pushed ahead anyway with an eye-popping 2005 compensation package.
Included was a staggering base salary boost to $1,725,000, plus fringe benefits and potential bonuses, after less than a year on the air. Nor was his bloated staff left out. The result: what is quite likely talk radio’s largest-ever and most overpaid entourage, mostly from the ranks of Al’s Harvard research team.
The kicker: Franken successfully insisted the entire base sum be paid in advance, during the first week of January, 2005! According to his contract, only death, disability or resignation would lead to any repayment.
Worse, Billy Kimball, his senior producer, also enjoyed a $275,000 early payout.
….. when it came time to negotiate for 2006, Al was instead willing to take his base pay, now bumped up to a cool $2 million, in $500,000 quarterly chunks. And earlier in 2004, he frequently spoke of receiving paychecks like everyone else, including to the Journal.
Only during the period where the company was sweating out the possibility of having to repay Gloria Wise did Al Franken demand it all at once. Coincidence?
Don’t get me wrong. Franken is free to negotiate the best deal he can get. But the whining about “capitalist greed” rings more than a little hollow from someone who was so clearly willing to make sure he got his, even if it might have compromised the ability of AAR to pay its bills during 2005 or to pay back the money ripped off from the Gloria Wise Foundation. Even the insistence on (presumably upfront) quarterly payments in 2006 is interesting, given that AAR filed for bankuptcy on October 13. Did Franken get his 500 grand in early October before they pulled the plug? The bankruptcy filing indicates that Franken is owed almost $361,000? Is that salary, or other things (expense reimbursements, merchandise royalties, etc.)?
All of this leads one to question whether Franken really believes what he says on the air and puts in his books, or whether, as appears to be the case with many other liberals when you compare their words to their deeds, it’s all a bunch of business opportunism engaged in by “Do as I say, not as I do” types, ignored by WORMs (Worn-Out Reactionary Media members) who don’t seem to object to greed very much when people who agree with them engage in it.
It’s funny how every questionably conservative site has to moderate their comments or demands membership.
I don’t like the idea of you judging my comments to your posts even if they do not contain any or moderate profanity.
But hey it just speaks volumes to your inaccuracy and credibility.
Please sign as many of your family members to go to Iraq then moderate the list and see how you do.
Ozy
Comment by Ozy — November 20, 2006 @ 3:23 pm
#1, I can only speak for myself.
For every legitimate comment, I am getting at least 50-100 comment spam messages, leaving me for the time being no choice but to moderate them. If/when I solve that problem, I might consider turning moderation off. I have to rely on a techie to do these things for me when he has a chance.
If there is a relationship between whether or not anyone in my family is in the military and whether or not I moderate comments, I do not see it.
I also do not see a relationship between my accuracy and crediblity and whether or not I moderate, or even accept, comments.
I intend to let all rational comments through. The message about comments is meant to make it clear that a commenter is not entitled to have his comment posted. but my patience threshold is higher than most.
On a more positive note, maybe you should try *Control Your Money Now* (banner near top right). Getting your money under control can have a very calming effect. :–>
Comment by TBlumer — November 20, 2006 @ 3:38 pm
When you use terms like “moonbat” to describe an almost boring and barely funny guy like Franken, it just discredits you completely as a nasty rightist, and probably 700 pounds and a Viet draft dodger to boot.
Comment by greg — November 20, 2006 @ 8:25 pm
#3 - Gosh, compared to what libs call conservatives constantly (racist bigot sexist homophobe), “moonbat” is pretty mild.
According to wiki:
Moonbat was originally a play on the last name of George Monbiot, a columnist for The Guardian, but now the term enjoys great currency in the libertarian blogosphere as an all-purpose insult for modern liberals, peace protestors, and other ideological opponents. It is similar to the epithets Feminazi or Idiotarian.
I saw Franken make light of the idea of killing Bush on Letterman. “Moonbat” fits — Okay, boring and barely funny “moonbat.”
Your stereotyping of me is ohhhh-so-predictable. I’ll get back to you after my one-hour run-walk. :–>
Comment by TBlumer — November 20, 2006 @ 9:12 pm