CHICAGO, April 14 (UPI) -- Air America, the new liberal talk-radio network that premiered in six cities two weeks ago, was off the air in Chicago and Los Angeles Wednesday.
Air America programming featuring comedian Al Franken and Janeane Garofalo was pulled by Multicultural Radio Broadcasting Inc., which owns WNTD-950 AM in Chicago and KBLA-1580 AM in Los Angeles, after a check bounced, the Chicago Tribune said.
MRB owner Arthur Liu said an Air America check bounced and they are in default owing more than $1 million. The Chicago and Los Angeles stations substituted Spanish language talk-radio programming.
Air America denied it had breached its contract with Liu.
"That is an outright lie," Evan Cohen, Air America's chairman said in a statement that called Multicultural Radio Broadcasting's conduct in pulling its programming "disgraceful."
Air America has charged Multicultural Radio Broadcasting with breach of contract in New York state Supreme Court and is seeking an injunction to get back on the air.
