Who needs O&A when you have Air America.

Perfect timing. O&A get suspended while Air America is apparently set to relaunch itself, including its old slot on XM. Maybe bankruptcy was the best thing that happened to them, considering they got rid of Al Franken’s $2 million in salary and new owners bought AA at foreclosure prices. That’s the only plus I see. They’ll now try their old a new format with politically active celebs interviewing those in high places. And that’s different how again?

Plus, with the stranglehold current GOP-sponsored talk shows have on the market, no decent time slots appear available for them. Sports and cRaZy morning zoos have a lock on drivetime, political hatred by the likes of WABC plus more sports shows round out rest of the day and on into early evening. It’s kinda like upstart Acme soda trying to get shelf space between Coke and Pepsi. Good luck with that. (I don’t care how much ‘brand’ equity new owner Mark Green thinks the ‘name’ gives them, that equity is not gold. They have some damage control to take care of because the only perception I have is that AA represented a failed brand.

I don’t see this rebranding/reimagining/reheating working for AA unless they drastically change things. Instead, they should go the Jon Stewart route, maybe even be more like the old Dennis Miller Live on HBO. (Like Franken, Maher’s too much of an arrogant asshole for me, so he’s out.) With Franken, it’s like, “Look how relevant my dry, political observations are, and oh by the way, let me sprinkle in a few barbs to show how witty I want you to think I am.” Nah. Go the Jon Stewart way–funny first, then sprinkle in the serious stuff.

Let Rush do serious. I give him and his ilk props at least for sticking with one thing. After all, they suck at humor. Not much room for it when you’re busy calling people traitors for voicing political opinions.

Tags: Al Franken, Air America