Monkey Vs. Bile-Merchant
Brian "Saint Paul" Ward tips us off to the City Pages' confirmation of a story that I believe I broke earlier this week: Nick Coleman's Air America Minnesota FrankenNet program is really, gone. It's really most sincerely gone.
Brian points us to Corey Anderson's piece in the City Pages' Blotter blog.
Anderson:
In a brief e-mail exchange, Air America Minnesota's general manager Janet Robert said she was "very excited to be offering the full three hours of Morning Sedition"--a national program--"followed by three hours of the Wendy Wilde Show." She seemed less excited to talk about Coleman's departure, and declined to discuss personnel matters. Coleman, however, befitting a man who is paid to mouth off in print, showed no inclination to hold his tongue.
More on this in a bit.
In a telephone conversation with City Pages, Nick Coleman cited "ongoing management interference" as his main reason for leaving the left-leaning talk station after only six months. Coleman describes a work environment where Robert regularly imposed content restrictions. "Gays, guns, and abortion" were off-limits, Coleman says.
On the one hand, after reading Nick Coleman's columns for the past several years, you know to take everything he says with a
grain canister block of salt.
However, other well-placed sources say that Janet Robert does indeed ask her air staff to soft-pedal abortion and second amendment talk - partly because Ms. Robert is allegedly pro-life and pro-right to keep and bear arms, and partly because she knows both issues are losers for the Democrats.
As to gays - I rarely listened to more than a few minutes of the show where Coleman wasn't didn't make some sort of homophobic reference to people he disagreed with. Bloggers are a "daisy chain", all "butt-buddies", John Hinderaker should serve on a submarine (titter titter), Michele Bachmann was a lesbian, and on, and on. Truth is, the few times I listened to Coleman for more than a few minutes were among the most concentrated doses of juvenile homophobia I can recall since junior high gym class.
And he was expected to minimize the airtime he devoted to the war in Iraq, which he claims Robert supports.
If so, he failed miserably - Coleman inflicted untold ill-informed blather about the war on his audience.
Coleman was also chided for criticizing Democrats, including Sen. Mark Dayton and tycoon Vance Opperman, instead of reciting the prepared Democratic talking points.
Hey, he's nobody's monkey. Right?
Now, into the inside baseball:
Coleman says conditions worsened when Robert fired his producer, local radio veteran Joe Palan, without discussing the matter with the radio host.
Janet Robert strenuously denies most of Coleman's claims. She did not interfere with Coleman's choice of topics, she says, including any criticism of the war in Iraq. (She states that she, too, opposes it.) "We do not censor anybody on this radio station," Robert says. On the Joe Palan matter, Roberts says simply, "He quit." She repeats, too, "I don't discuss personnel matters."
An inside source familiar with both Janet Roberts' management style and the departure of the show's producer, Joe Palan told me that Palan was not only fired, but that Janet Roberts apparently reads this blog; things I'd written in this space apparently turned up in various conversations around the station. Note to Ms. Robert: I'm happy to work as a consultant for your station, and in fact could probably do you people a lot of good. I charge $200 an hour. Have your people call my people.
But let's go back to talking about Coleman. Coleman has a short, rocky radio pedigree; he hosted a weekend show at KSTP for several years. While Coleman claims to have left, sources inside KSTP said he was in fact let go.
Which is no big deal - you never quit a job in radio. You're not even part of the fraternity until you've been diced at least once. Getting gassed is not a badge of dishonor in the business, unless it was for very gross cause - which "creative differences" or "not being what the Program Director had in mind" are not.
But Coleman is showing a bit of his inexperience here in this piece:
Even so, personnel matters seem to be what led to Coleman's departure, with the final straw coming on the day Coleman's wife gave birth to their third son. Coleman describes an e-mail from the station manager, which he says reneged on a verbal agreement for a six-month contract that was to start July 1. What Robert demanded instead, Coleman maintains, was a more restrictive contract that would include monthly evaluations, a seven-day versus 30-day dismissal clause, and immediate compliance with management directives concerning topics, tone, guests, and guest hosts.
In radio, "verbal agreements" are worth less than written contracts, which are worth as much as toilet paper (since you can use the contract for toilet paper). Don't get me wrong; if I were paying the freight for a radio station (as Janet Robert must be, since FrankenNet Minnesota's ad base is audibly paltry), and an
employee were flouting my rules (without a commensurate increase in ratings), I'd yank the leash too. Coleman's show was awful. I used to
rip on Cubby the Producer - what fun is major-market radio without a little internecine smack talk? - and their on-air banter desperately needed some polish, but with Cubby gone, the show actually not only got worse; the wheels came completely off. Coleman was as
inept a host as I've heard; lousy voice, terrible delivery, thin-skinned, shrill - awful in every way.
And inexperienced? Well, one of the cardinal rules in the business is that when you get diced, you do not rip on your former employer. It tends to get future employers edgy about you. Which means Coleman has given up on the radio business, or he's going to need to.
Oh, yeah - I frequently mention that Coleman seems to live in a fantasy world. Exhibit A:
For his tenure as weekday morning-show host, Coleman received "embarrassingly low pay," in the low five-figure range--lower, he says, than union wages at a station he described as "pro-union."
Of course, the union (AFTRA, I think) has been a complete non-factor in Twin Cities radio for nearly thirty years. Outside of WCCO (and MPR, which pays union-scale wages although it is not unionized),
nobody gets union scale in this town - unless their ratings and sales are really, really good, and then they get paid
way, way more than "unions scale".
"If I'm going to be put on a leash, I'm leaving," Coleman says. Is there a slot for a man with strong opinions to talk about gays, gun, and abortion on The Patriot?
That slot is filled by
six guys who not only have strong opinions about gays, guns, God, abortion, adoption, music, society, the culture war, baseball, television, politics and food - but (and this is important)
who don't sound like they just had dental work done on the air.
By the way - Nick Coleman has been invited on the Northern Alliance Radio Network show several times. Apparently his "opinions" aren't strong enough to stand up to a couple of guys who write withering commentary in their underpants and talk about it on the air.
But don't worry, Nick - from what I've been hearing, the station isn't going to outlive your show by a whole lot.
Posted by Mitch at
August 12, 2005 12:27 PM
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Mitch,
You sound a little bitter..
Also, I heard Coleman pretty often, your characterization of his comments as juvenile homophobia.. well I can't say that he NEVER made some sort of comment, but on a station, and from a person who is pretty supportive of the homosexual community, I think he steered well clear of derogatory comments toward gays. What I heard him say was satire directed at those who hate gays, like Michelle Bachman, so perhaps he was not quite so juvenile, I certainly didn't here comments that ranged into that category, and I listed a lot more than it sounds like you did.
PB
Posted by: PB at August 12, 2005 02:19 PM"You sound a little bitter.."
PB, don't be looking for work as a clairvoyant. You're not gonna make it.
Bitter? What on EARTH brought that on? Not even close. I mean, my show is still there.
"Also, I heard Coleman pretty often, your characterization of his comments as juvenile homophobia.. well I can't say that he NEVER made some sort of comment, but on a station, and from a person who is pretty supportive of the homosexual community, I think he steered well clear of derogatory comments toward gays."
Read my live-blog of his President's Day broadcast, which is linked in the original post. FIVE MINUTES of juvenile tittering, the kind of thing for which a conservative host would have been pilloried.
"What I heard him say was satire directed at those who hate gays, like Michelle Bachman, so perhaps he was not quite so juvenile, I certainly didn't here comments that ranged into that category, and I listed a lot more than it sounds like you did."
First, Bachmann doesn't hate gays.
Second: I listened to Coleman plenty. Usually in thirty-second spurts. I think his "support for gays" derives entirely from being associated with the DFL. I suspect from hearing him that underneath his PC exterior is that Fifties-vintage pre-Vatican II old-school Crocus Hill catholic attitude about gays. Just a hunch, but I challenge anyone to listen to, say, his riff on the submariners, the USS Jimmy Carter and John Hinderaker and tell me it wasn't trafficking in the kind of gay stereotypes that any GOPer would get hammered for.
Posted by: mitch at August 12, 2005 02:44 PMI was going to say good riddance to a wretched excuse for a human being and talk show host but chances are Air America will find someone WORSE to take his place.
Pity, there’s a market out there for a credible left-of-center talk show host but they all seem to be vying for trying to become a leftist version of Michael Savage.
Posted by: Thorley Winston at August 12, 2005 03:17 PMThorley,
Indeed. Who'd have thunk that the day would come when I'd say Jerry Springer is the classiest act on the AAR lineup?
Posted by: mitch at August 12, 2005 03:40 PMNice line at the end there Mitch!
Nick fancies hisself a tough guy. So why won't the tough guy appear on the show with yous guys?
Come on Nick! Mitch Berg is calling you out!
A guy that has been fired from every radio station in this and 12 neighboring states!
Posted by: JB at August 12, 2005 04:35 PMPB-
I listened to Coleman's show fairly regularly. Some might say way too much for my mental health. Anyway, Mitch is correct about his tendency to make comments on the air speculating on various people's sexual preferences. And to giggle about them like an immature seventh grader.
If you listened to his show at all, I can't believe you missed his almost daily remarks about the nicknames used by the Power Line guys. Or Jeff Gannon in a hot tub with Karl Rove, Bush and any other "wingnut" he could think of. He once referred to a local writer as "that evil little gay man." Clearly "gay" was being used a pejorative, since the person in question is most decidedly not a homosexual.
Not that there's anything wrong with that...
Posted by: the elder at August 12, 2005 04:58 PMWell, perhaps his comments were intended as a mechanism to tweek those who so openly are hostile toward homosexuals, like Hindrocket.. as Coleman called him, i.e. playing on their own homophobia.
Mitch, the bitterness is in the fact that he gets far more pub...
but hearing you call him a 7th grader behind the scenes, well, that would be juvenile name-calling wouldn't it?
Beyond that, it's an unprovable, something you right-wingers love to peddle in..e.g. Houssien WOULD have given WMD to terrorists, Iraq WOULD have denegrated into a pro-Sunni theocracratic support terrorist state. It's impossible for Coleman or anyone else to defend themselves against silly comments like, I suspect behind the scenes... yada yada, yeah, and I wonder if he still beats his wife.
A little journalistic quality would serve you well here, rather than speculating on the unprovable, try examining whether you may misunderstand his intent. I didn't hear his President's day diatribe, but I'd guess that your impression is probably different than the one I would have taken, which mean it then becomes opinion, rather than fact.
As to showing up at your show, you know I'll show up any old time.. I've found mostly that it's a few republicans I know who run from fair fight.
PB
Posted by: PB at August 12, 2005 09:12 PMHindrocket and Big Trunk - what kind of names are they? They are well worth redicule.
Flash has more to this story now - a leaked Air America memo.
Hopefully Twin Cities Pride won't advertise on Air America next year - considering the "no gay marriage" discussion rule.
Posted by: Eva Young at August 12, 2005 09:32 PMPB-
Speaking of unsubstantiated charges, would you care to provide evidence to your claim that John Hinderaker is "openly hostile to homosexuals"? I would expect that you would have much more than merely the fact that he opposes gay marriage before you made such an accusation.
Posted by: the elder at August 12, 2005 10:21 PMWhy not mention Flash's story on this here? Flash has Nick's side of the story, and now has posted an Air America memo that supports Nick's story, and refutes Janet Robert.
Posted by: Eva Young at August 12, 2005 11:07 PM"Well, perhaps his comments were intended as a mechanism to tweek those who so openly are hostile toward homosexuals, like Hindrocket.. as Coleman called him, i.e. playing on their own homophobia."
And perhaps they were intended as a means of curing cancer. Hey, it's a guess with just as much validity as yours. What's that you said below - just dealing in opinion?
"Mitch, the bitterness is in the fact that he gets far more pub..."
Irrelevant. I could not care less about his "pub".
"but hearing you call him a 7th grader behind the scenes, well, that would be juvenile name-calling wouldn't it?"
Whatever. His reasoning and debate skills would embarass a seventh grader. That's not name calling, that's a critical review.
"Beyond that, it's an unprovable,"
Sort of like that "Maybe he's just trying to tweek [sic] other peoples' homophobia?" THAT kind of unprovable?
"in..e.g. Houssien WOULD have given WMD to terrorists, Iraq WOULD have denegrated into a pro-Sunni theocracratic support terrorist state."
FOUL! Two-point illegal change of topic!
"It's impossible for Coleman or anyone else to defend themselves against silly comments like, I suspect behind the scenes... yada yada, yeah, and I wonder if he still beats his wife."
But I've done none of that.
"A little journalistic quality would serve you well here, rather than speculating on the unprovable, try examining whether you may misunderstand his intent."
Nothing needs to be proven. He said what he said. He's said much worse to me in person.
" I didn't hear his President's day diatribe, but I'd guess that your impression is probably different than the one I would have taken, which mean it then becomes opinion, rather than fact."
Right. It's opinion. Just like every movie, record, restaurant and drama review. Opinions count.
By the way, PB - my opinion counts for at least as much as the average bear on this. I paid more dues in the radio business than Nick Coleman ever dreamt of. To paraphrase Coleman himself, I Know Stuff about radio.
"As to showing up at your show, you know I'll show up any old time.. I've found mostly that it's a few republicans I know who run from fair fight."
Well, if you keep trying to pretend to be a clairvoyant, it's not gonna be a fair fight.
Posted by: mitch at August 13, 2005 12:11 AM"Why not mention Flash's story on this here?"
Largely because I haven't seen his post yet. I take breaks from the blog, Eva. I spend time with my kids, do housework, sleep, go to the bathroom, go on the odd date, *live a life* that doesn't revolve around blogging. Try it sometime. Flash's story will still be there when I get around to reading and writing about it.
"Flash has Nick's side of the story, and now has posted an Air America memo that supports Nick's story, and refutes Janet Robert."
I saw that already. Flash also notes that he can't completely authenticate it yet, although it seems consistent with what I know (and posted previously) about what sources have told me about Janet Robert.
Face it, Eva - I kick ass.
Posted by: mitch at August 13, 2005 12:16 AMYour blog gets an order of magnitude more hits than mine - and if by that you mean, "kick ass", then I'd agree.
Well clearly you are reading and commenting on Flash's blog, and have commented on mine about this.
On this story, Flash got the story - and deserves kudos for his persistence.
Have I seen any real digging to get a story right here? No. I've seen much more of that by Flash on this story about Air America. What I see here is lots of spin. That's fine. You have an opinion, but it's not a place I go for news, but rather opinion.
Here's the latest from Flash. Compare his due dilligence with checking authenticity to yours, with repeating that unsourced email posted on Kool Aid Report.
http://centrisity.blogspot.com/2005/08/actual-air-america-mn-policy.html
UPDATE: Extracting properties information has shown that the memo was written within a law firm that has experience working in the broadcasting field. The author listed is on the 'Professional Staff' of this law firm.
Creation and Modified dates match based on when I downloaded it. But
there is a 'Last Printed' date of 5/4/2005.
I feel relatively confident that the information in the memo is authentic and have forwarded the original to others for their opinion.
EY: I called Air America today to protest their gag rule. Interestingly enough, Nick Coleman is still listed on the Voice Mail menu. I tried to leave a message on Janet Robert's voice mail - extension 14, but kept getting routed back to the general line. I finally left a message in the main voice mail box.
http://lloydletta.blogspot.com/2005/08/more-on-janet-roberts-air-america.html
Posted by: Eva Young at August 13, 2005 09:46 AMFirst, Eva, don't go thinking you know the whole story here. That's all I'm saying.
Second: Your memory is, as usual, selective and self-serving. Within ten minutes of seeing the comment, I was on the phone with AAo'M. I talked with the station and got their official version of it. I also have - and have cited - sources of my own with knowledge of the internal situation at KTNF, some of which confirms Coleman's story, some of which corroborates Flash.
Third: I did all the "digging" in this story that I felt was necessary. To me, the "story" is that Coleman is gone. It's been established. I don't CARE if Janet Robert gags her hosts - gagging someone like Wild Wendy can only be a good thing - and it's not at all unusual for management in radio to put rules on content (although the Patriot has never distributed any memo like the JR piece, and we are in fact very free in our choice of topics). I don't care about any of this - although I'm glad that Flash is looking into it, as it kind of shows (along with the news on the national level) the straits Air America is in, financially, ethically and legally.
Fourth: Eva, I'm going to ask you nicely just one time; please quit pasting entire articles, or even multiparagraph sections of articles, in my comment section. Anything more than a paragraph is an irritation, a mass of gray haze that the reader can read elsewhere. Again, please stop this practice.
I'm not sure what kind of jolly you're getting out of this, Eva. I "dug" into this as long as my interest and sources held out. Beyond that? Just another talk show that bit the dust. Que sera sera. The war goes on.
No, the radio war.
Posted by: mitch at August 13, 2005 10:02 AMOn this: An inside source familiar with both Janet Roberts' management style and the departure of the show's producer, Joe Palan told me that Palan was not only fired, but that Janet Roberts apparently reads this blog; things I'd written in this space apparently turned up in various conversations around the station. Note to Ms. Robert: I'm happy to work as a consultant for your station, and in fact could probably do you people a lot of good. I charge $200 an hour. Have your people call my people.
EY: Tim Dennis (board operator for Nick's show) confirmed Nick's account of events totally. He also said Janet Robert is not a big reader of blogs. There was an incident where someone pointed her to your post about Cubby. She already couldn't stand Cubby. So it reinforced her already established dislike of Cubby.
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