February 17, 2003

Group of wealthy Democatic donors plans to start liberal radio network to counterbalance conservative tenor of radio programs like The Rush Limbaugh Show; group, led by venture capitalists Sheldon and Anita Drobny, is in in talks with Al Franken, and hopes to enlist other well-known entertainers with liberal point of view for 14-hour, daily slate of commercial programs that would heavily rely on comedy and political satire; new network is initally being financed by Paradigm Group, of which Drobnys are principal partners; this is most ambitious undertaking yet to come from liberal Democrats who believe they are overshadowed in political propaganda wars by conservative radio and television personalities; plan faces several business and content challenges, from finding network of radio stations to buy program to overcoming poor track record of liberal radio shows; photo (M)

Women's earnings have continued to grow over last year, giving important lift to many families, helping to sustain consumer spending and closing gap between men's and women's wages to narrowest on record; men's wages have failed to keep up with even low rate of inflation; women's pay still lags behind men's in every sector of economy; Bureau of Labor Statistics shows women made 77.5 percent of what men did last year; median full-time female worker received 5 percent raise last year, while median pay for men rose only 1.3 percent; pay gap in US is slightly larger than in most other leading economies according to Organization for Economic Cooperation; photo; graph compares wage gender gap (L)

Pay-If-You-Drive in London London's plan to fight gridlock takes effect at 7 a.m. today, when motorists will have to pay $8 to drive into the central city. PAGE A3 Liberal Talk Radio A group of Democrats is planning to start a liberal radio network to balance programs like ''The Rush Limbaugh Show.'' BUSINESSDAY, PAGE C1

Michiko Kakutani reviews book Drop City by T Coraghessan Boyle; photo (M)

NATO agrees to American request to supply Turkey with equipment to defend itself in event of war in Iraq, resolving bitter dispute that pitted US against France and Germany; agrees to have NATO Defense Planning Council make plans for Turkey's defense by sending Awacs air reconnaissance planes, Patriot missiles and chemical and biological warfare teams to Turkey; France had objected to such planning on grounds that Security Council had not authorized use of force against Iraq, but opposition was circumvented; after announcement, France, Germany and Belgium reiterate their opposition to military action unless authorized by Council; photos (M)