office?

by Tom Hanc on 01/11/2008 05:19:34 PM EST

The tea leaves aren't exactly looking favorable for AA lately, with what looks like a lot of belt tightening going on, but I wish them the best. As for hosts doing commercials, that is a long-time radio tradition, and there are worse things to hawk than cleaning products, so be fair - you gotta feed the kitty.

by ashbul on 01/11/2008 09:07:55 PM EST

Radio is a business.  You have to do endorsements to make money (especially when you're not that high on the radio ratings pyramid).  I wish they could get MORE endorsements.  I mean it's not like they're selling anything that will really influence their opinions.  When they do ads for Wal-Mart and gun shops and Dow Chemical we can start bitching.

The cruise is lame because it's a stupid idea.  I don't really see any hypocrisy in it.

And Hartmann (who replaced Franken) isn't a softball show.  At least it's not when I've heard it.

Plus Air America still has Rachel and Sam (on Sundays at least).  So there's something to love.

But that said,  I can't wait for the online either.  Then they can finally relax and make the show more conversational like it used to be.  PLUS Ben said he would come on one or two times a week when he could.  WOOT WOOT! 

by Spencer on 01/12/2008 12:44:07 AM EST

We should lobby Jones to get them signed.  Who cares if Ed Schultz doesn't like Cenk -- I bet Steph and the Mooks would get along with the Turks famously.

by jarett on 01/12/2008 01:46:40 AM EST

... just not on Air America.  Look at Ed Schultz and Stephanie Miller; they know how to do it right.

by jarett on 01/12/2008 01:12:28 PM EST

Randi has picked up a lot of non-Air America stations. Thom Hartman has other stations, too. Any of the good shows will be picked up by other networks or syndicated independently.

It's tough to expand a network when the owners of stations are so conservative. Since Mitt Romney's company bought Clear Channel network, Air America could lose more stations because Mitt doesn't like them.

It's the media ownership that's the main problem, not necessarily the shows or Air America. As long as most of the radio stations are owned by conservatives because of the changes in the FCC under Bill Clinton [he could have changed that--what would Hillary do?], it will be more difficult for liberal and progressive shows to find venues--unless the listeners demand and support it.

Good AAR hosts can find other networks. Malloy did. But when AAR makes boneheaded choices like putting Lionel on weekdays instead of Sam Sedar, they deserve to be punished by lower ratings. AAR business fails? So what. The trend is to more progressive shows across the board. They started it, sort of, and the trend will continue--on the airwaves and on the 'net. 

by zenie on 01/12/2008 01:44:34 PM EST

Many of the AAR stations are very low power. You can't get a lot of people to listen locally to a 1000-5000 watt daylight station. That doesn't even carry across town in a small city.

The amazing thing is that they've persevered and have a fairly wide audience and presence in spite of the poor quality of their broadcast stations. If they had stations like WABC, WOR, KMOX, WBT, WWKB, WGN, KOA, KDKA, KNX, WOAI and the rest of the 50,000 watt nondirectional clear channel radio stations, they'd be #1 all over the country.

However, it's the station OWNERS, not the listeners who choose the station format. AAR has done a lot, or at least the program hosts have, by appearing on other stations--radio and TV--testifying in Congress, and writing columns online and in the news.

I'd listen to the radio more if there were something other than Limbaugh lies, Savage insanity, and O'Reilly comin' to my house! Sure would be nice to have a choice. You folks may not care for Don Imus, but I think it's a step forward for WABC to pick up his MOR show and remove Laura Ingraham's hate radio from drive time. Now they can get rid of the rest of the crazies, too!!

Thank goodness for the INTERNETS! 

by zenie on 01/12/2008 02:44:00 PM EST

As far as the Turks leaving AA, as much as Cenk wants to spin it positively it's a step downward, and that's sad. I predict you will be hearing a less diverse group of callers to the show after the switch. No more truckdriver from Tulsa, no grandmother from Detroit. There will still be lots of web-savvy Ipod owners on board (folks like us here having this discussion) but a surprisingly large chunk of the core listenership cast adrift. For many, if you can't hear it in your car driving to work or the supermarket, it isn't there. But Michael Savage or his local equivalent still will be.

I'd like to believe that, over time, radio owners will catch on that it's in their interest to evolve.

by ashbul on 01/12/2008 03:55:51 PM EST

That should read "radio station owners".

by ashbul on 01/12/2008 03:58:04 PM EST

I listened to Cenk, Ben and Jill before Air America, and hope to listen when Cenk leaves AAR. After a year on AAR, appearances on TV, articles on Huffington Post, he will do well, especially if failure means going back to being a lawyer! Or maybe that could work out too. I expect to see good things about the rest of TYT in the future.

The site isn't bookmarked. Not necessary. It's memorized. Break a leg, Cenk! We're rooting for all of you folks!

by zenie on 01/12/2008 09:28:44 PM EST

I have always listened/watched via the Net. I was one of the people shaking their head when the Turks moved to Air America.

AA was a great idea - or would have been back in 1990 before radio station consolidation became a reality. When Rush started gathering affiliates, the playing field was wide open. By the time AA came around, the consolidation was complete enough that a new Network was implausible at best. They would have been MUCH better off being a syndicator ala Jones or Westwood One. It's a helluva lot easier selling one show than it is to sell a message that says "let us take over your station."

Do you REALLY think that so many listeners would prefer listening to Bill Press over the Turks?? The reason he's on so many stations is because Jones made deals - take Steph and Ed and we'll give you Bill. A Station Owner would be nuts NOT to take it. (Especially in the West)

And Jones has been doing a fantastic job of marketing over the last year. Air America simply has a less attractive package. Hopefully, they will learn their lesson before it's completely too late and become syndicators and drop the network idea. There just aren't enough independent stations to support them.

What the Turks CAN do to keep their toe in the radio water is to enhance their weekend presence. There is a HUGE hole to fill for politics on weekend radio. Even a digest of the week's show. Weekends deserve better than Car Talk and gardening tips. No WONDER no one listens! I'm not sure how many stations still play the weekend show- or even if it still exists - but this is an area for growth.

Probably wouldn't hurt to seek out stations like Free Radio Santa Cruz which plays reruns all night long - they would be open to filling in slots with new material.

They need to really play up their independent voice component. There is an emerging market.

random thoughts on a Sunday morning...

by MedfordTim on 01/13/2008 02:22:31 PM EST