I.E. America Radio Network
Encyclopedia
i.e. America Radio Network was a Detroit-based radio network
Radio network
There are two types of radio networks currently in use around the world: the one-to-many broadcast type commonly used for public information and mass media entertainment; and the two-way type used more commonly for public safety and public services such as police, fire, taxicabs, and delivery...

 consisting primarily of liberal talk and lifestyle shows. They were owned by the United Auto Workers
United Auto Workers
The International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America, better known as the United Auto Workers , is a labor union which represents workers in the United States and Puerto Rico, and formerly in Canada. Founded as part of the Congress of Industrial...

 and broadcast nationally from 1996
1996 in radio
The year 1996 in radio involved some significant events.-Events:*WBOB and KQQL, both in Minneapolis, Minnesota are sold to Chancellor Communications....

 to 2004
2004 in radio
The year 2004 saw a number of significant events in radio broadcasting history.-Events:*30 October - In the UK a 163-metre-high radio mast at Peterborough collapses in a fire.-Debuts:...

, via radio stations and a webcast
Webcast
A webcast is a media presentation distributed over the Internet using streaming media technology to distribute a single content source to many simultaneous listeners/viewers. A webcast may either be distributed live or on demand...

.

History

The origin of what became the i.e. Radio Network began in Tampa, Florida
Tampa, Florida
Tampa is a city in the U.S. state of Florida. It serves as the county seat for Hillsborough County. Tampa is located on the west coast of Florida. The population of Tampa in 2010 was 335,709....

 in 1987
1987 in radio
The year 1987 in radio involved some significant events.-Events:*January 1 — WBEA-FM in Elyria, Ohio drops their "B107" top 40 format to become the second affiliate for the Satellite Music Network's "Z Rock" service, with new WCZR calls....

. In order to more freely discuss controversial topics on the radio, disc jockey
Disc jockey
A disc jockey, also known as DJ, is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience. Originally, "disc" referred to phonograph records, not the later Compact Discs. Today, the term includes all forms of music playback, no matter the medium.There are several types of disc jockeys...

-turned talk show
Talk show
A talk show or chat show is a television program or radio program where one person discuss various topics put forth by a talk show host....

 host Chuck Harder
Chuck Harder
Chuck Harder was a former radio disk jockey turned talk show host in White Springs, Florida, USA. He is originally from Elgin, Illinois. He is no longer on the air.-Early radio career:...

 decided to start his own radio network
Radio network
There are two types of radio networks currently in use around the world: the one-to-many broadcast type commonly used for public information and mass media entertainment; and the two-way type used more commonly for public safety and public services such as police, fire, taxicabs, and delivery...

 in 1987. The new venture was christened The Sun Radio Network, and its purpose was to syndicate his show, "For The People", which was carried primarily by commercial rural AM radio stations and shortwave radio. Originally broadcasting from the garage of his Tampa home, Harder and his wife Dianne later purchased the historic Telford Hotel
Hotel
A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. The provision of basic accommodation, in times past, consisting only of a room with a bed, a cupboard, a small table and a washstand has largely been replaced by rooms with modern facilities, including en-suite bathrooms...

 in the town of White Springs to serve as studios.

Programming for SRN was also delivered from its flagship Tampa Bay
Tampa Bay
Tampa Bay is a large natural harbor and estuary along the Gulf of Mexico on the west central coast of Florida, comprising Hillsborough Bay, Old Tampa Bay, Middle Tampa Bay, and Lower Tampa Bay."Tampa Bay" is not the name of any municipality...

 affiliate, WEND 760, owned and operated by Harder's colleague, Bruce Micek. Direct competition with other stations, WFLA in particular, led to some on-air and off-air disputes.

Kayla Satellite Network, which was approximately half owned by Liberty Lobby
Liberty Lobby
Liberty Lobby was an American political advocacy organization founded in 1958 that went bankrupt in 2001. It was founded by Willis Carto. In their own words,-Antisemitic world-view:...

, purchased the Sun Radio Network in December 1989
1989 in radio
The year 1989 saw a number of significant events in radio broadcasting.-Events:*KMEZ breaks away from its FM sister station to adopt a business-oriented news/talk format as KDBN.*ABC Radio has acquired Satellite Music Network...

. Harder's show was soon dropped from the network and he proceeded to start a new radio network, the Peoples Radio Network.

Peoples Radio Network

The Peoples Radio Network was founded as a nonprofit organization, and Harder broadcast his show from the same studios in the Telford Hotel. The Peoples Radio Network also published a newspaper, the National News Reporter, sold memberships, books and other merchandise through a mail-order catalog. PRN members were sent a booklet of consumer advice by Harder, How to Squeeze Lemons and Make Lemonade, and a subscription to the Peoples Radio Network magazine.

At its peak in the early to mid 1990s, For The People was carried on over 300 radio stations, second only to Rush Limbaugh
Rush Limbaugh
Rush Hudson Limbaugh III is an American radio talk show host, conservative political commentator, and an opinion leader in American conservatism. He hosts The Rush Limbaugh Show which is aired throughout the U.S. on Premiere Radio Networks and is the highest-rated talk-radio program in the United...

. The People's Radio Network later expanded to included hosts such as Jack Ellery, Joel Vincent (Howard Hewes), Paul Gonzalez and Jerry Hughes
Accent Radio Network
The Accent Radio Network is a Florida-based radio network with a Christian-conservative political point of view. Accent Radio Network was built in the summer of 2000 and went on air December 4th 2000. The satellite radio network has a wide range of programs from discussions of current events and...

.

While still popular, the Peoples Radio Network declined during the mid-to-late 1990s with the advent of radio consolidation. Large radio chains began buying groups of radio stations and replacing current programming on their talk radio
Talk radio
Talk radio is a radio format containing discussion about topical issues. Most shows are regularly hosted by a single individual, and often feature interviews with a number of different guests. Talk radio typically includes an element of listener participation, usually by broadcasting live...

 stations with more popular conservative
American conservatism
Conservatism in the United States has played an important role in American politics since the 1950s. Historian Gregory Schneider identifies several constants in American conservatism: respect for tradition, support of republicanism, preservation of "the rule of law and the Christian religion", and...

-type shows.

The Peoples Radio Network's nonprofit status became the subject of an IRS
Internal Revenue Service
The Internal Revenue Service is the revenue service of the United States federal government. The agency is a bureau of the Department of the Treasury, and is under the immediate direction of the Commissioner of Internal Revenue...

 audit following the 1992 presidential elections, alleging that PRN had attempted to influence the election against then-president George H.W. Bush. With the IRS audit continuing several years, Harder and his co-host Pat Choate searched for a funder for a new for-profit network which would not be subject to the restrictions on political advocacy of a nonprofit.

United Broadcasting Network

In 1996, Harder and his co-host Pat Choate were able to convince investors, particularly the United Auto Workers
United Auto Workers
The International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America, better known as the United Auto Workers , is a labor union which represents workers in the United States and Puerto Rico, and formerly in Canada. Founded as part of the Congress of Industrial...

 to provide funding for a new for-profit radio syndication service, the United Broadcasting Network. Harder's Peoples Radio Network was absorbed into the new venture. UAW's president at the time, Stephen Yokich
Stephen Yokich
Stephen Phillip Yokich was an American labor union activist who served as President of the United Auto Workers from 1994 to 2002.-Early life and union career:...

, saw the UBN as a way to promote the union's ideals and counter conservative talk show hosts such as Rush Limbaugh
Rush Limbaugh
Rush Hudson Limbaugh III is an American radio talk show host, conservative political commentator, and an opinion leader in American conservatism. He hosts The Rush Limbaugh Show which is aired throughout the U.S. on Premiere Radio Networks and is the highest-rated talk-radio program in the United...

. The union initially provided $5 million to help fund the venture.

Within three months the deal turned sour, and Harder was forced off the air, with the UAW assuming control over the new network's content. Pat Choate would become H. Ross Perot's vice president
Vice president
A vice president is an officer in government or business who is below a president in rank. The name comes from the Latin vice meaning 'in place of'. In some countries, the vice president is called the deputy president...

ial nominee in his election campaign. Without its only well-known talk show host, the United Broadcasting Network soon declared bankruptcy
Bankruptcy
Bankruptcy is a legal status of an insolvent person or an organisation, that is, one that cannot repay the debts owed to creditors. In most jurisdictions bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the debtor....

. Harder and Choate would both become embroiled in lawsuits against the UAW over the debacle, the eventual outcome of which gave sole ownership of the network to the UAW, which later renamed it i.e. America Radio Network (information, entertainment).

Radio hosts syndicated by UBN at the time included Jim Hightower
Jim Hightower
James Allen "Jim" Hightower is an American syndicated columnist, activist and author.-Life and career:Born in Denison, Texas, Hightower came from a working class background. He worked his way through college as assistant general manager of the Denton Chamber of Commerce and later landed a spot as...

, Marcy Kaptur
Marcy Kaptur
Marcia Carolyn "Marcy" Kaptur is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1983. She is a member of the Democratic Party. The district, anchored by the city of Toledo, includes all of Ottawa and Erie counties, and part of Lucas and Lorain counties.Serving her fourteenth term in the House of...

 and conservative populists Bay Buchanan and Duncan Hunter
Duncan Hunter
Duncan Lee Hunter is an American politician. He was a Republican member of the House of Representatives from California's 52nd, 45th and 42nd districts from 1981 to 2009....

.

i.e. America Radio Network

With the UAW as sole owners, i.e. America Radio Network had evolved into its own entity by 2000. The network's talk show hosts included Doug Stephan
Doug Stephan
Doug Stephan is an American radio talk show personality and hosts the nationally syndicated Doug Stephan's Good Day.-Radio Programs:Doug Stephan's Good Day is a "call-in" and interview show airing live Monday through Saturday featuring a fast paced format covering variety of topics...

, Peter Werbe
Peter Werbe
Peter Werbe is a radio talk show host and political activist. He hosts Nightcall Sunday nights on Detroit's WRIF 101.1 FM. Werbe's tenure, having commenced in 1970, makes him one of the longest broadcasting talk show hosts in radio history.-Nightcall:...

, and Mike Malloy
Mike Malloy
Michael Dennis Malloy is an American radio broadcaster from Atlanta, Georgia. Previously his show has been carried by WSB Atlanta, WLS Chicago, the I.E. America Radio Network, the Air America Radio network, Nova M Radio and the On Second Thought network. He is now self-syndicated...

 (the latter two joined the network in October 2000). The network's most widely-syndicated shows were niche-based lifestyle-oriented programming covering topics such as car care, pets, legal advice and home improvement. They regularly featured programming from the Workers Independent News Service.

By 2002
2002 in radio
The year 2002 in radio involved some significant events.-Events:*January 21 - A train derailment in Minot, North Dakota kills one person and knocks out power throughout the region, spilling 250,000 gallons of toxic anhydrous ammonia for fertilizer purposes. The designated primary station for the...

, i.e. America moved its entire operation into a new, state-of-the-art $2 million broadcast facility near the Michigan State Fair
Michigan State Fair
-History:The first official Michigan State Fair was held in 1849, which is claimed by the state of Michigan to be the oldest state fair in the United States. The first fair was held in Detroit, Michigan. Subsequent fairs were held in other cities until it received its permanent home in 1905 at the...

grounds in Detroit and restructured its lineup, adding more liberal talk shows. Sirius
Sirius
Sirius is the brightest star in the night sky. With a visual apparent magnitude of −1.46, it is almost twice as bright as Canopus, the next brightest star. The name "Sirius" is derived from the Ancient Greek: Seirios . The star has the Bayer designation Alpha Canis Majoris...

 Satellite Radio picked up quite a bit of the network's programming to form the basis of a liberal talk-oriented channel, Sirius Left
SIRIUS Left
SIRIUS Left was Sirius Satellite Radio's liberal talk channel. It featured personalities such as Lynn Samuels, Bill Press, Alex Bennett, Mike Malloy, Ed Schultz, Thom Hartmann and newcomer Mark Thompson...

. Nancy Skinner joined the network, initially as part of Stephan's daily morning show.

The network spent 2003
2003 in radio
The year 2003 in radio involved some significant events.-Events:* October 10 - Facing an investigation surrounding allegations of illegal drug use, American right-wing radio host Rush Limbaugh publicly admits that he is addicted to prescription pain killers, and will seek treatment.-Debuts:*March...

 shaking up its on-air lineup. Werbe, who ironically was the only union member on the airstaff (as a member of AFTRA), was dismissed on June 20, 2003, due to what the network called budgetary reasons. The same year, Skinner, Thom Hartmann
Thom Hartmann
Thom Hartmann is an American radio host, author, former psychotherapist and entrepreneur, and progressive political commentator. His nationally-syndicated radio show, The Thom Hartmann Program, airs in the United States and has 2.75 million listeners a week...

 and Peter B. Collins
Peter B. Collins
Peter B. Collins is an American talk radio host, voiceover talent, entrepreneur, and media consultant based near San Francisco, California. Until March 20, 2009, he hosted The Peter B...

 began hosting their own shows on the network. Malloy's show was moved from afternoons to late evenings. Later that year, author Marianne Williamson
Marianne Williamson
Marianne Williamson is a spiritual activist, author, lecturer and founder of The Peace Alliance, a grass roots campaign supporting legislation currently before Congress to establish a United States Department of Peace. She is also the founder of Project Angel Food, a meals-on-wheels program that...

 was added for afternoons.

i.e. America's demise

After years of suffering losses on the radio network, rumored to be around $75,000 per month., the UAW announced on December 11, 2003
2003 in radio
The year 2003 in radio involved some significant events.-Events:* October 10 - Facing an investigation surrounding allegations of illegal drug use, American right-wing radio host Rush Limbaugh publicly admits that he is addicted to prescription pain killers, and will seek treatment.-Debuts:*March...

 that they would fold the network. i.e. America aired its final day of broadcasts on February 27, 2004
2004 in radio
The year 2004 saw a number of significant events in radio broadcasting history.-Events:*30 October - In the UK a 163-metre-high radio mast at Peterborough collapses in a fire.-Debuts:...

. There was much speculation as to why the network shut down. Chief among them was that the UAW, under president
Ron Gettelfinger
Ron Gettelfinger
Ronald A. Gettelfinger was the president of the United Auto Workers from 2002 to 2010.Gettelfinger started his union involvement in 1964 in Louisville, Kentucky, at the Louisville Assembly Plant run by Ford Motor Company while working as a chassis line repairman...

, wanted to shut down the money-losing venture. In addition, a higher profile liberal talk network startup, Air America Radio
Air America Radio
Air America was an American radio network specializing in progressive talk programming...

, was scheduled to debut in March 2004.

As a result of the end of i.e. America, Sirius Left, which had relied on the network for the bulk of their own programming, was forced to drastically overhaul the channel, by adding newly-syndicated Ed Schultz
Ed Schultz
Edward Andrew "Ed" Schultz Is an American television and radio host and a liberal political commentator . He is the host of The Ed Show, a daily news talk program on MSNBC, and The Ed Schultz Show, a talk radio show, nationally syndicated by Dial Global, promising "straight talk."-Early...

 and hiring San Francisco radio personality Alex Bennett. The Young Turks
The Young Turks (talk show)
The Young Turks is a progressive Internet talk show via live web stream and YouTube, and starting in late 2011, a weeknight news and political commentary program airing on Current TV. It was Sirius Satellite Radio's first original talk programming. The Young Turks claims to be the first Internet...

, Doug Stephan, Thom Hartmann and Peter B. Collins opted to self-syndicate their shows, which remained on the channel. Mike Malloy was unable to do this at the time, and in August 2004
2004 in radio
The year 2004 saw a number of significant events in radio broadcasting history.-Events:*30 October - In the UK a 163-metre-high radio mast at Peterborough collapses in a fire.-Debuts:...

 joined Air America Radio.

Fate of on-air personalities

  • Jimmy Alvarez - Currently hosts a weekend internet based music and talk radio program on KTSTFM.com in Anaheim, California Saturdays at Noon pacific time.
  • Peter B. Collins
    Peter B. Collins
    Peter B. Collins is an American talk radio host, voiceover talent, entrepreneur, and media consultant based near San Francisco, California. Until March 20, 2009, he hosted The Peter B...

     - Hosted a weekday nationally-syndicated progressive talk radio
    Progressive talk radio
    Progressive talk radio is a talk radio format devoted to expressing liberal or progressive viewpoints of issues, as opposed to conservative talk radio...

     program from 2005–2009; currently a talk radio consultant and producer.
  • Jack Ellery - Presently at WCTC in the 6-10am time slot.
  • Thom Hartmann
    Thom Hartmann
    Thom Hartmann is an American radio host, author, former psychotherapist and entrepreneur, and progressive political commentator. His nationally-syndicated radio show, The Thom Hartmann Program, airs in the United States and has 2.75 million listeners a week...

     - Hosts a national progressive talk show syndicated by Dial Global
    Dial Global
    Dial Global is a radio syndication company. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Triton Media Group and is a sister company to Townsquare Media, both of which are owned by Oaktree Capital Management....

    .
  • Jim Hightower
    Jim Hightower
    James Allen "Jim" Hightower is an American syndicated columnist, activist and author.-Life and career:Born in Denison, Texas, Hightower came from a working class background. He worked his way through college as assistant general manager of the Denton Chamber of Commerce and later landed a spot as...

     - Continues to syndicate daily radio commentary segment.
  • Juline Jordan - is the producer and on-air co-host of Nightcall with Peter Werbe on WRIF - 101.1 FM in Detroit, and is a singer/songwriter with one album out.
  • Bobby Likis - Continues to host Bobby Likis Car Clinic on the Business Talk Radio Network and Car Clinic Minute on Lifestyle Talk Radio Network.
  • Mike Malloy
    Mike Malloy
    Michael Dennis Malloy is an American radio broadcaster from Atlanta, Georgia. Previously his show has been carried by WSB Atlanta, WLS Chicago, the I.E. America Radio Network, the Air America Radio network, Nova M Radio and the On Second Thought network. He is now self-syndicated...

     - Currently hosts and self-syndicates a late-night progressive talk radio
    Progressive talk radio
    Progressive talk radio is a talk radio format devoted to expressing liberal or progressive viewpoints of issues, as opposed to conservative talk radio...

     program, The Mike Malloy Show
    The Mike Malloy Show
    The Mike Malloy Show is a syndicated progressive radio talk show hosted by long-time radio personality Mike Malloy. Malloy came to talk radio in 1987, moving from his position as a writer and producer at CNN. He is married to producer Kathy Bay, with whom he has a daughter born in July, 2004...

    .
  • Nancy Skinner - Lost race as US Democratic Party candidate for the United States House of Representatives
    United States House of Representatives
    The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...

     from Michigan's 9th congressional district
    Michigan's 9th Congressional District
    Michigan's 9th congressional district is contained within Oakland County in the southeast areas of the state of Michigan and encompasses most of the county. It is the only congressional district to lie entirely within Oakland County....

     in suburban Detroit in November 2006. Previously hosted a local progressive talk show on WDTW
    WDTW (AM)
    WDTW is a Detroit-area radio station, operating at 1310 kHz with 5,000 watts. The station is owned by Clear Channel Communications and airs mostly syndicated progressive talk radio programs....

     radio in Dearborn, MI. In 2009 hosted The Nancy Skinner Show, a nationally-syndicated progressive talk radio
    Progressive talk radio
    Progressive talk radio is a talk radio format devoted to expressing liberal or progressive viewpoints of issues, as opposed to conservative talk radio...

     program.
  • Doug Stephan
    Doug Stephan
    Doug Stephan is an American radio talk show personality and hosts the nationally syndicated Doug Stephan's Good Day.-Radio Programs:Doug Stephan's Good Day is a "call-in" and interview show airing live Monday through Saturday featuring a fast paced format covering variety of topics...

     - Hosts weekday morning radio talk show, Doug Stephan's Good Day and weekend Talkradio Countdown syndicated by Lifestyle Talk Radio Network/Business Talk Radio Network as well as Radio America
    Radio America
    Radio America is an American radio network specializing in conservative-oriented talk programming. A division of the American Studies Center, the network describes its mission as "to produce and syndicate quality radio programs reflecting a commitment to traditional American values, limited...

    .
  • Tony Trupiano - Lost race as US Democratic Party candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives from Michigan's 11th congressional district
    Michigan's 11th congressional district
    Michigan's 11th congressional district is a United States Congressional District located just northwest of Detroit, consisting of northwestern Wayne and southwestern Oakland counties...

     in suburban Detroit in November 2006.
  • Don Waller - Former news personality. Founded Take Back The Media and Blah3
  • Peter Werbe
    Peter Werbe
    Peter Werbe is a radio talk show host and political activist. He hosts Nightcall Sunday nights on Detroit's WRIF 101.1 FM. Werbe's tenure, having commenced in 1970, makes him one of the longest broadcasting talk show hosts in radio history.-Nightcall:...

     - Currently hosts a weekly Sunday talk show on WRIF
    WRIF
    WRIF — branded 101 WRIF: The RIFF — is a commercial active rock radio station licensed by the FCC to operate in Detroit, Michigan serving surrounding Metro Detroit. The station is currently owned by Greater Boston Radio, Inc. WRIF is a grandfathered Class B station with a signal equivalent to...

     in Detroit; he hosts a daily HD Classic Rock Deep Trax program on WCSX www.wcsx.com/deeptrax/. He continues to write for the Fifth Estate magazine www.fifthestate.org.
  • Marianne Williamson
    Marianne Williamson
    Marianne Williamson is a spiritual activist, author, lecturer and founder of The Peace Alliance, a grass roots campaign supporting legislation currently before Congress to establish a United States Department of Peace. She is also the founder of Project Angel Food, a meals-on-wheels program that...

     - Hosts weekly show on XM Satellite Radio
    XM Satellite Radio
    XM Satellite Radio is one of two satellite radio services in the United States and Canada, operated by Sirius XM Radio. It provides pay-for-service radio, analogous to cable television. Its service includes 73 different music channels, 39 news, sports, talk and entertainment channels, 21 regional...

    . Lectures and offers courses on spiritual topics.

Links

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