21Q: Air America grounded for good?

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21Q

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February 16, 2007

Air America grounded for good?

The small but loyal Air America following in Sacramento is casting about, trying to find a place to listen to Randi Rhodes (pictured) and other lefty talkers now that KCTC (1320 AM) has announced it's going all-sports as of Feb. 26.

One place Air America probably won't turn up is on rival liberal station KSAC (1240 AM). This is not a surprise. There are some bad feelings between management.

"Probably not gonna happen," says Paula Nelson, owner of KSAC. "You just don't burn bridges like that. I just don't see it, but I suppose you can never say never."

You may recall that Air America programming originally aired on KSAC, but the syndicated company jumped ship in November 2005, ostensibly because KCTC offered a bigger signal to reach areas outside of Sacramento. After Air America left the KSAC airwaves, Nelson filed a claim saying she was owed nearly $1 million from the company. The claim is pending, Nelson says.

Meanwhile, KSAC cultivated its own left-leaning syndicated talkers, including Ed Schultz. Nelson says she believes her lineup is superior to the old Air America lineup - especially since Al Franken has left the air to run for the U.S. Senate.

Might KSAC nab some of KCTC's local lefty talkers, such as Enid Goldstein and Scott & Sims, and use them to supplement afternoon drivetime talent Christine Craft?

"Oh, I don't know," Nelson says. "It's too soon to think about that. It's just sad what (KCTC) did."

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