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Sheldon Drobny (1945 – January 24, 2020) was an Americanaccountant andinvestor, best known for forming the company that later becameAir America Radio.
Drobny was Chairman Emeritus of Paradigm Group II, LLC, aninvestment firm that serves as managing partner of Paradigm Millennium Fund, LP, which entities together are a principal and largestshareholder of the Company.
Drobny was also a director of numerousportfolio companies of Paradigm Group II, LLC and was formerly a partner in the firm of Adler Drobny Fischer, LLC, Certified Public Accountants and Consultants. Drobny was a member of theNASD and theAmerican Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the Illinois C.P.A Society and several otherprofessional associations. Drobny was also a formerIRS agent. He held aBS degree in Accounting fromRoosevelt University, 1967.
Drobny began to pursue the start of aliberal radio network sometime in late 2002 or early 2003. He and his wife, Anita, sold the forerunner ofAir America Radio to a group headed byEvan Montvel Cohen.
In mid-2003, the Drobnys met Cohen through a meeting arranged byDavid Goodfriend, a former Clinton aide andBeloit College classmate of Cohen. Cohen and his partner purchased the rights to start up the new radio network. After Cohen and his partners at Progress Media, LLC ran out of operating capital, Drobny and other investors moved in through Piquant LLC and purchased the assets of the radio network.
In 2006, after failing to reacquire control of Air America Radio, Sheldon and Anita Drobny foundedNova M Radio as a competitor toAir America Radio in producing and syndicating progressive talk radio programs.[1]
Drobny was also involved in theFourth Estate Society, which has the stated goal of revitalizing the tradition of independentjournalism in the United States.
Drobny died on January 24, 2020, of pancreatic cancer at his home in Highland Park, Illinois. He was 74 years old.[2]