Liberal talk radio network Air America announced Thursday that it will cease programming. The network was launched in 2004 but saw its share of troubles, including bouncing a check to a radio station that aired the network in Los Angeles only two weeks after Air America launched. In 2006 it filed its first bankruptcy reorganization (it announced another Thursday). And celebrity talk-jocks such as Janeane Garofalo and Al Franken came and went.

In a statement posted on its site Thursday, the 100-station network stated that “the very difficult economic environment has had a significant impact on Air America's business … In this climate, our painstaking search for new investors has come close several times right up into this week, but ultimately fell short of success.”

The media climate has been acidic indeed, but conservative talk radio soldiers on. While the country generally voted left-of-center in the 2008 election, maybe progressive ideals don't translate to radio. Conservative talkers get your blood boiling talking about illegal immigrants, President Obama's spending and taxes … oh, those taxes.

What do liberals have to talk about? The price of tofu? Name us one pissed off liberal. That's what Air America really needed, an angry liberal. What it had, with the exception of Franken, was way too Jack Johnson crunchy. We like Jack Johnson. But he puts us to sleep.

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