The Al Franken Show is the flagship talk show of Air America Radio. Hosted by Al Franken, it features commentary and interviews arguing for liberal positions on the issues of the day, and comedy poking fun at conservatives. The show premiered as The O'Franken Factor on March 31, 2004. As of the January 3, 2006 show, the show is being recorded and broadcast from the 28th floor of the historic Foshay Tower in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota. Prior to that it was based in New York City. Talk radio is a radio format which features discussion of topical issues. ... Logo of Air America Radio, a U.S. radio network and program syndication sevice with a liberal point of view. ... Al Franken (credit: Bill Hayward) Alan Stuart Franken (born May 21, 1951) is an American comedian, author, screenwriter, political commentator, and radio host, noted for his liberal politics. ... There are several senses for Commentary: Informed criticism. ... interview An interview is a conversation between two or more people where questions are asked to obtain information from the interviewee. ... Look up liberal on Wiktionary, the free dictionary Liberal may refer to: Politics: Liberalism American liberalism, a political trend in the USA Political progressivism, a political ideology that is for change, often associated with liberal movements Liberty, the condition of being free from control or restrictions Liberal Party, members of... Comedy is the use of humor in the form of theater, where it simply referred to a play with a happy ending, in contrast to a tragedy. ... Conservatism [derivative of conserve; from Latin conservare, to keep, guard, observe] is a philosophy defined by Edmund Burke as a disposition to preserve, and an ability to improve. Classical conservatism does not readily avail itself to the ideology of objectives. ... March 31 is the 90th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (91st in Leap years), with 275 days remaining. ... It has been designated the: International Year of Rice (by the United Nations) International Year to Commemorate the Struggle against Slavery and its Abolition (by UNESCO) 2004 World Health Day topic was Road Safety (by World Health Organization) Year of the Monkey (by the Chinese calendar) See the world in... January 3 is the 3rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Foshay Tower is a skyscraper located in Minneapolis, Minnesota. ... Nickname: City of Lakes Motto: En Avant Official website: http://www. ... Nickname: The Big Apple Official website: City of New York Government Counties (Boroughs) Bronx (The Bronx) New York (Manhattan) Queens (Queens) Kings (Brooklyn) Richmond (Staten Island) Mayor Michael Bloomberg (R) Geographical characteristics Area Total 468. ...

Franken is a comedian and satirist who is well known for his books and his earlier role as a writer/performer on Saturday Night Live, where he usually teamed with fellow writer/performer Tom Davis. A comedian, or comic, is an entertainer who amuses an audience by making them laugh. ... List of satirists below - writers, cartoonists and others known for their involvement in satire - humourous social criticism. ... Saturday Night Live (SNL) is a weekly late-night 90-minute comedy-variety show based in New York City which has been broadcast by NBC nearly every Saturday night since its debut on October 11, 1975. ... Thomas Davis (born January 11, 1959), American School Teacher and Independent Composer An aspiring jazz composer from the idyllic Finger Lakes region in upstate New York, Tom Davis teaches music at a public high school while tending to a family of four. ...

From the show's inception until October 7, 2005, the show was co-hosted by experienced journalist Katherine Lanpher, who is on leave to write a memoir about her experiences moving to New York City. October 7 is the 280th day of the year (281st in leap years). ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Katherine Lanpher Katherine Lanpher, born May 27, 1959, was until recently a talk radio personality, and previously an award-winning journalist and newspaper columnist for the Saint Paul Pioneer-Press. ...

When the show began, Franken signed a one-year contract. "I'm doing this because I want to use my energies to get Bush unelected. I'd be happy if the election of a Democrat ended the show," he said in an interview with The New York Times. Bush won a second term on November 2, 2004, yet the host has stated that the show would continue whether a Democrat or a Republican was in office. George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is the 43rd and current President of the United States and former governor of Texas. ... The Democratic Party is one of the two major political parties in the United States. ... The New York Times is a newspaper published in New York City by Arthur O. Sulzberger Jr. ... November 2 is the 306th day of the year (307th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 59 days remaining. ... It has been designated the: International Year of Rice (by the United Nations) International Year to Commemorate the Struggle against Slavery and its Abolition (by UNESCO) 2004 World Health Day topic was Road Safety (by World Health Organization) Year of the Monkey (by the Chinese calendar) See the world in...

Beginning on September 7, 2004, Sundance Channel broadcast a one-hour televised version of the show on weekdays. The show aired its last episode in November 2004. The channel inked a new contract with Franken, reportedly in response to "audience demand," and aired a second season of the show from June 6, 2005 until early November 2005. It is unclear whether the channel will air the show again in the future. September 7 is the 250th day of the year (251st in leap years). ... It has been designated the: International Year of Rice (by the United Nations) International Year to Commemorate the Struggle against Slavery and its Abolition (by UNESCO) 2004 World Health Day topic was Road Safety (by World Health Organization) Year of the Monkey (by the Chinese calendar) See the world in... Sundance Channel logo used from 1996 to 2002. ... June 6 is the 157th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (158th in leap years), with 208 days remaining. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

The O'Franken Factor

Until July 12, 2004 the name of the show was The O'Franken Factor. That name was a jibe at Bill O'Reilly and his The O'Reilly Factor. O'Reilly is thought by some to have instigated Fox News Channel's lawsuit against Franken for using their trademarked phrase "fair and balanced", which was thrown out of court in summary judgment, but ended up giving publicity to Franken and his book Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them. July 12 is the 193rd day (194th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 172 days remaining. ... Bill OReilly William James Bill OReilly, Jr. ... The Newest OReilly Factor Promotional Image from Fox News. ... The Fox News Channel is a U.S. cable and satellite news channel. ... Summary judgment in U.S. legal practice is a judgment awarded by the court prior to trial, based upon the courts finding that: (1) there are no issues of material fact requiring a trial for their resolution, and (2) in applying the law to the undisputed facts, one party... Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them: A Fair and Balanced Look at the Right is a book of political commentary and satire by comedian and political commentator Al Franken, published in 2003 by Dutton, a subsidiary in the Penguin Group. ...

Franken described his show as taking place in a "Zero Spin Zone" where Franken pledges to tell the truth and there is "no spinning allowed." This is also a parody of O'Reilly's show, which he says is in a "No Spin Zone." In public relations, spin is a usually pejorative term signifying a heavily biased portrayal in ones own favor of an event or situation. ...

Guests

The show's regular guests include David Brock, Joe Conason, James Fallows, Christy Harvey, Paul Krugman, Jonathan Alter, Thomas Oliphant, Melanie Sloan, and David Sirota. Also making regular appearances is Mark Luther, Franken's childhood friend and self-proclaimed dittohead, who discusses remarks made by Rush Limbaugh. David Brock David Brock was a prominent conservative journalist of the 1990s who in 1998 became a liberal and now works to dismantle the conservative media machine of which he was once a part. ... Joe Conason is a United States-based journalist and author and is a noted commentator for liberal positions. ... James Fallows is an American print and radio journalist who has been associated with The Atlantic Monthly for many years and has written seven books. ... Christy Harvey is the Director of Strategic Communications at the Center for American Progress. ... Paul Krugman Paul Robin Krugman (born February 28, 1953) is an economist who has written several books and since 2000 has written a twice-weekly op-ed column for The New York Times. ... Jonathan Alter is a writer and senior editor for Newsweek Magazine. ... Thomas Oliphant, correspondent for The Boston Globe since 1968. ... Melanie Sloan is the Executive Director of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... A dittohead is a fan of The Rush Limbaugh Show. ... Rush Limbaugh. ...

The show's guests during its first three weeks included:

Other guests have included Senator Bob Kerrey Joseph Robert Kerrey (born August 27, 1943) was Governor of Nebraska from 1983 to 1987, and a U.S. Senator from Nebraska (1989–2001) and a Democrat. ... Michael Moore. ... Bebe Neuwirth Beatrice Bebe Neuwirth (born December 31, 1958) is an American theater, television, and film actress. ... Ann Coulter on the cover of her Book, Treason Ann Hart Coulter (born December 8, 1961) is a conservative American syndicated columnist, bestselling author, constitutional lawyer, and television pundit. ... G. Gordon Liddy George Gordon Battle Liddy (born November 30, 1930) was the chief operative for President Richard Nixons White House Plumbers unit when they broke into the Watergate complex, which at the time was the headquarters of the Democratic National Convention, in 1972. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Robert Brackett Elliott (March 26, 1923— ) is an American comedian, formerly one-half of the comedy duo of Bob and Ray. ... Robert Smigel (b. ... Ben Stein speaks to a crowd at UC Santa Barbara. ... Cover of Autobiography of Mistachuck Carlton Douglas Chuck D Ridenhour, (born on August 1, 1960) is a rapper, composer, actor, author, radio personality and producer. ... Albert Arnold Gore, Jr. ... Hillary Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton (born October 26, 1947), was First Lady of the United States from 1993 to 2001, as the wife of President Bill Clinton. ... DOL portrait Robert Bernard Reich (born June 24, 1946) was the twenty-second United States Secretary of Labor, serving under President Bill Clinton from 1993 to 1997. ... Richard A. Clarke (born 1951) provided national security advice to four U.S. presidents: Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, consulting on issues of intelligence and terrorism, from 1973 to 2003. ... Paul Krugman Paul Robin Krugman (born February 28, 1953) is an economist who has written several books and since 2000 has written a twice-weekly op-ed column for The New York Times. ... James Fallows is an American print and radio journalist who has been associated with The Atlantic Monthly for many years and has written seven books. ... Ron Suskind was a reporter for the Wall Street Journal from 1993 to 2000 and is a Pulitzer Prize winning writer (1995, for Feature Writing). ... David Kay Dr. David A. Kay (born c. ... John Dean, May 7, 1972. ... Jon Stewart Jon Stewart (born November 28, 1962) is a Jewish American comedian, actor, author, and producer, best known as host of The Daily Show. ... Fred Kaplan is a journalist and contributor to Slate magazine. ... Michael Isikoff is an investigative journalist for the US-based magazine Newsweek. ... Howard Fineman is a political journalist, he grew up a native of Pittsburgh, and attended college at Colgate University and law school at the University of Louisville in Kentucky studying journalism. ... Gail Sheehy is an American writer and lecturer, most notable for her books on life and the life cycle. ... Michael Kinsley (born March 9, 1951 in Detroit, Michigan) is a veteran American political journalist and commentator, currently serving as Editorial and Opinion Editor at the Los Angeles Times (since April 2004) (though he announced in July 2005 that he would assume a reduced, but as-yet-undefined, role). ... John Forbes Kerry (born December 11, 1943) is the junior United States Senator from Massachusetts. ... Karri Turner (born December 21, 1966, in Bentonville, Arkansas), is an American television actress who plays Lieutenant Harriet Beaumont Roberts on the television series JAG. Turner originally had studied to be a minister at Oklahomas Oral Roberts University before developing an interest in acting. ... Andy Breckman is the creator and executive producer of the television series Monk, on the USA Network. ... David Cay Johnston is an investigative journalist for The New York Times now focusing on taxes. ... Rep. ... James Carville (born October 25, 1944), is an American political consultant, commentator and pundit. ... Walter Cronkite Walter Leland Cronkite, Jr. ... Jonathan Alter is a writer and senior editor for Newsweek Magazine. ... Neal Boortz (born April 6, 1945), is a popular and controversial American talk radio host based in Atlanta, Georgia. ... Samantha Power (born 1970) is a journalist, writer, and professor. ... Lawrence ODonnell is a senior left-wing MSNBC political analyst who has appeared on The McLaughlin Group and The Al Franken Show. ... Richard Ben-Veniste (born January 3, 1943), a key member of the 9-11 Commission, is known for his pointed questions and criticisms of members of both the Clinton and G.W. Bush administrations. ... Several people have the name John Martin: John Martin, English painter of the early 19th century. ... Helen Thomas - Senior White House Correspondent Template:S-protect Helen Thomas (born August 4, 1920) is a news service reporter and dean of the White House press corps. ...

• 2004-04-19: John McCain, Eli Pariser, Norm Ornstein, G. Gordon Liddy
• 2004-06-25: Ron Reagan, Michael Moore, Bill Clinton

John Sidney McCain III (born August 29, 1936) is an American politician. ... Eli Pariser is the Executive Director of Move on. ... Norman J. Ornstein is a resident scholar at the conservative leaning Washington D.C. thinktank the American Enterprise Institute. ... G. Gordon Liddy George Gordon Battle Liddy (born November 30, 1930) was the chief operative for President Richard Nixons White House Plumbers unit when they broke into the Watergate complex, which at the time was the headquarters of the Democratic National Convention, in 1972. ... Ronald Prescott Reagan (born May 20, 1958), usually known as Ron Reagan Jr. ... Michael Moore. ... William Jefferson Bill Clinton (born William Jefferson Blythe III on August 19, 1946) was the 42nd President of the United States, serving from 1993 to 2001. ...

Swing State Tour

In the runup to the 2004 U.S. presidential election, the show went on a "Swing State Tour" that included stops in Presidential election results map. ... In United States presidential politics, a swing state (also, battleground state) is a state in which no candidate has overwhelming support, meaning that any of the major candidates have a reasonable chance of winning the states electoral college votes. ...

• San Diego, California (though California was not often considered a swing state)
• San Francisco, California
• Denver, Colorado
• Minneapolis, Minnesota
• Madison, Wisconsin
• Columbus, Ohio
• Miami, Florida

Nickname: Americas Finest City Official website: http://www. ... Nickname: The City by the Bay Official website: http://www. ... This article is the current U.S. Collaboration of the Week. ... Nickname: City of Lakes Motto: En Avant Official website: http://www. ... Wisconsin State Capitol Motto: Nickname: Mad Town Map Political Statistics Founded 1836 Incorporated 1848 Dane County Mayor Dave Cieslewicz Geographic Statistics Area  - Total  - Land  - Water 219. ... =hiddenStructure style=font-size: smaller; text-align: center; Nickname: The Arch City The Discovery City Motto: Official website: http://www. ... The Magic City, The American Riviera, The Sixth Borough Location of Miami in Miami-Dade County, Florida. ...

Music

• Theme: Grateful Dead - "Terrapin Station" (live)
• Grateful Dead - "Sugaree" (live)
• Commercial Bumpers: Grateful Dead "Going Down the Road Feeling Bad" (live)
• The Klezmatics [1] - "N.Y. Psycho Freylekhs" (used for the now defunct "The Oy Yoy Yoy Show" segment)
• many original compositions of Adam Albright-Hanna, including the phone number song, "866-303-2270"
• Dire_Straits - Sultans of Swing (Plays this song until that "note", after commercials)
• Jerry Garcia - "The Wheel" Garcia

The Grateful Dead was an American psychedelia-influenced rock band formed in 1965 in San Francisco. ... The Grateful Dead was an American psychedelia-influenced rock band formed in 1965 in San Francisco. ... The Klezmatics is an American klezmer music group. ... Dire Straits was a British rock band, formed in 1977 by Mark Knopfler (guitar and vocals), his brother David Knopfler (guitar), John Illsley (bass) and Pick Withers (drums), and managed by Ed Bicknell. ... Jerome John Jerry Garcia (August 1, 1942 – August 9, 1995) was famous as lead guitarist and vocalist of the psychedelic rock band the Grateful Dead, though his extensive career involved many other projects. ...

Staff

The staff of The Al Franken Show:

• Host: Al Franken
• Executive Producer: Billy Kimball
• Producer: J.R. Norton
• Associate Producer: Joel Meyer
• Engineer and Researcher: Andy 'Scooter' Barr
• Webwriter and Researcher: Eric Hananoki
• Researcher: Miranda Wilson
• Administrative Assistant: Kathy Kostohryz

External links

• Official website
• The Al Franken Show on Sundance Channel
• Air America Place hosts archived shows on MP3 for download
• Al Franken Fan Club and Discussion Forum
• Al Franken Fan Forum

References

• Russell Shorto (March 21, 2004). Al Franken, Seriously So. The New York Times
• Weston Kosova (March 29, 2004). Live, From the Left, It's ... Newsweek
• Press release (August 3, 2004). Sundance Channel to Launch Television Version of 'Al Franken Show'