Air America in SF

Driving home on 101 about a week ago, I noticed a billboard that said “Quake Radio, now in San Francisco!” I stared at it, figuring it was another stupid AM talk radio station. Then I saw in smaller print “Air America”, and I thought “heyyyy, innnnteresting! It’s about time!”
So I flipped over to “Quake Radio”, 960AM. At the time, Randi Rhodes was on, and I was underwhelmed. After a minute, the ads started. And then more ads. And more ads. More ads. And then I remembered: I’m listening to talk radio. Of COURSE there are ads! I’ve gotten so used to the three local public radio stations (NPR on KQED, jazz on KCSM, and Pacifica on KPFA) that I forgot just how much I hate ads. So I changed the channel.
I’ve listened to it a few more times recently, catching Al Franken, and later Janeane Garofalo. For the most part, I enjoy listening to it. For example, Al Franken had a fellow who listens to Rush Limbaugh call in, and they debated some of the “facts” Rush had quoted which were incorrect. But frequently the folks on the station are simply mean-spirited just as the folks on conservative talk radio are. So when that happens, or the ads come on, I switch back to Democracy Now. 🙂