I never understood or agreed with the premise of Air America. From its outset, the syndicated radio network was promoted as a “progressive” and “liberal” voice, created ostensibly to offset the conservative idealogues who increasingly populate TV and radio’s programming dials. This positioning, in my mind, was and is a mistake. Just as NPR is in a struggle to affirm its journalistic objectivity, Air America would be better served to strive for the same. (Al Franken’s involvement says enough about its political leanings.)
As details emerge about Al Gore’s new media venture, it’s refreshing to see “Current” (as it is named) not promoted as residing on one end of the political spectrum or the other. (After all, do Bill O’Reilly or Tucker Carlson promote their brand of histrionics as “from the right” or “showcasing the conservative viewpoint?”) Gore is smart to feign neutrality.