BROOKE GLADSTONE: Meanwhile, on Wednesday, a new media war was joined on talk radio. [CLIP PLAYS]

AL FRANKEN: Broadcasting from an underground bunker, 4500 feet below Dick Cheney's bunker, Air America Radio is on the air. I'm Al Franken, and welcome to the O'Franken Factor. Today is both an ending and a beginning. An end to the right wing dominance of talk radio. The beginning of a battle for truth, of a battle for justice, a battle, indeed, for America itself. Not to be-- grandiose.

BROOKE GLADSTONE:In this battle, there are many foot soldiers, but only two real generals, and one of them is Franken, the driving force behind Air America, the liberal network that could. You can hear its lineup of personalities, among them Franken, Janeane Garofalo and Chuck D, currently on six stations; also satellite radio and the internet. Franken's show starts at noon. There's a reason for that. [CLIP PLAYS]

RUSH LIMBAUGH: I'm not just observing the media. I am the new media. I am...

BROOKE GLADSTONE: Opposing General Rush Limbaugh.

RUSH LIMBAUGH: Greetings, and welcome ladies and gentlemen to the award-winning, thrill-packed, double-exciting, increasingly popular, growing by leaps and bounds Rush Limbaugh Program. We come to you each day to day as we are, from the Limbaugh Institute for Advanced Conservative Studies.

BROOKE GLADSTONE:His dominance cemented long ago, scores of other conservative hosts have ridden to success on his coattails, building a huge audience for his message on the AM band. So much so that there's no home for liberals on most talk radio, which is why Air America is buying or leasing its own stations. Franken says his real goal is to push Bush out of the White House. The Air America chiefs say it will take three years for the network to make a profit. Franken's contract lasts a year.

BROOKE GLADSTONE: Do you see yourself doing this for longer than a year?

AL FRANKEN: I think I want to see how much I like it.

MARK WALSH: I think Al, and I don't want to speak for him, because he's an amazing cat--

BROOKE GLADSTONE: Mark Walsh is CEO of Progress Media, the parent company of Air America.

MARK WALSH:-- but I think Al's platform and, and the megaphone that this gives him for his viewpoints and his comedy, I hope that it becomes addictive, so that he wants to do this with us for as long as, as he will have us.

BROOKE GLADSTONE:Franken's first show, with co-host Catherine Lanfer, late of Minnesota Public Radio, featured a call-in from Al Gore, himself trying to launch a liberal cable channel. Guest Michael Moore gamely apologized for supporting Ralph Nader four years ago.

AL FRANKEN: Michael, is there something you'd like to say to the vice president?

CATHERINE LANFER: Michael?

AL FRANKEN: Michael?

CATHERINE LANFER: Come on--

MICHAEL MOORE: Al, do you want to just-- you know, I'm really sorry, Al. [LAUGHTER]

AL FRANKEN: For, for what, Michael? [LAUGHTER]

BROOKE GLADSTONE: After Air America's first broadcast day, there was a rush to judgment. Variety called it an awkward affair. The New York Times said the first day highlighted the difficulty in trying to match the fervor and ferocity of right wing radio. The Washington Post called the O'Franken Factor meandering and discursive, and worse still, almost NPR-like. I didn't hear that.

AL FRANKEN: Now we gotta go--

CATHERINE LANFER: Oh, wow.

AL FRANKEN: -- and check in on our friend Anne Coulter, and--

CATHERINE LANFER: And for those of you who are just joining us, we locked her in our green room-that was about two-and-a-half hours ago… [LAUGHTER]

AL FRANKEN: Anne?

"ANNE COULTER:" [SHOUTING] It's not funny!

AL FRANKEN: Anne, come on -- we wouldn't do...

"ANNE COULTER:" I've got a nail file -- I'll rip up your leather couch -- I'll do it - I swear!

CHUCK D: You know, number one, coming out of the box we're going to speak to the converted and the curious.

BROOKE GLADSTONE: Rapper and Air America Host Chuck D says his role will be to bring in people from his background.

CHUCK D: Quite often, the people from my class are, are locked out of the equation. Sometimes it could get to a point where the discussions are white Americans dealing with white American issues, and they happen to be at the two different extremes, but everybody else is on the outside, looking in.

BROOKE GLADSTONE:It's oft been said that talk radio runs on the anger of the outsider. Air America was launched on the rage of liberals who feel that President Bush hijacked their country.

AL FRANKEN: Our friends on the right say that we liberals are, are angry. Yeah! Yeah. We're angry. For a lot of us, it's because of 9/11. On that horrible day, our nation became as united as I have ever seen it, and the world was behind us. George W. Bush had an amazing opportunity to lead this country, this world, into a new American century, in a spirit of mutual purpose and mutual sacrifice, and he blew it. He blew it.

BROOKE GLADSTONE: But Limbaugh was angry first, and he does angry better.

RUSH LIMBAUGH:The idea that there was unity, that the Democrats were united in purpose behind this president is a myth. They were worried this was an opportunity for Bush to display greatness, remember that? And they're sitting around and they're saying: Well we've all unified. We have all this unity. We were at one with ourselves and at one with the world, and Bush has destroyed all of it - well, that's just a crock.

BROOKE GLADSTONE: Still, the liberals have deep reserves of untapped rage to direct against a legion of Limbaughs, if only they can stay mad.

AL FRANKEN: J'accuse!

BROOKE GLADSTONE:But what if Kerry wins? Richard Viguerie is a longtime master in the use of alternative media like direct mail and talk radio to promote the issues of the far right.

Richard Viguerie: If Kerry is elected president this fall, then I think it's going to be very hard for Air America to sustain an audience out there--

BROOKE GLADSTONE:But what about Rush now? Rush is doing as well as he ever has done, and both the White House and the Congress and, and arguably the Supreme Court are in the hands of Republicans.

Richard Viguerie: Yes, Republicans, but not conservatives. Grassroots conservatives have never been in control of the government. Republicans have, and this Republican administration is a great disappointment these days to conservatives.

BROOKE GLADSTONE:Oh. Apparently Rush's ever-expanding reach is due to the fact that, even now, the government is not conservative enough. Maybe never can be conservative enough. On the other hand, according to Vigare, John Kerry's ascension to the White House should be sufficient to assuage the liberals.

MARK WALSH: I vociferously disagree.

BROOKE GLADSTONE: Progress Media CEO Mark Walsh.

MARK WALSH: In fact, if John Kerry wins in '04, I think our business is even better. Why? Because Tom DeLay ain't going away. Nino Scalia ain't going away. Dennis Hastert and Trent Lott and, and Bill Frist are not going away. In fact, when John Kerry wins, there'll be just as much pomposity and idiocy for us to skewer on the airwaves as there is today.

AL FRANKEN: This goes out to my friend Rush. [MUSIC]

JOHNNY CASH SOUNDALIKE: [SINGING] I'M RUSH THE MAGIC DRAGON, THE RIGHT WING DRUGSTORE COWBOY, A HILLBILLY HEROIN ADDICT, A DITTOHEAD, DEADHEAD NOW, BOY. YOU KNOW THAT MY OPINIONS ARE ALWAYS KIND OF WACK; NOW YOU KNOW THE REASON: I'M STRUNG OUT ON MOUNTAIN SMACK. MY DRUGS ARE RED, WHITE & BLUE...

BROOKE GLADSTONE: Maybe Rush has a point. Right now the stakes have never been higher, and conservative or liberal, everybody is mad as hell. The pressure is rising, and the ozone is filling with hot air. Looks like perfect weather for talk radio.