Air America radio waves hello to Hub

[Kathy in Cambridge]

Don't know if everyone saw this from a few days ago. I'm psyched!

:bounce:

http://theedge.bostonherald.com/tvNews/view.bg?articleid=43752

[freedom_to_read]

1. yay!

:bounce:

finally!

[sniffa]

2. woot! woot! woot!

:D :D :D i'd given up trying to stream any of the shows.

[Kathy in Cambridge]

3. It sounds like they'll syndicate Ed Shultz instead of Randi

which is a bummer-Randi RULES!

[Bungalowgal]

5. Here in Portland OR we get Randi and Ed

Our local Air America station (also owned by Clear Channel) plays Ed Shultz live from 12 - 3 PST then all 4 hours of taped Randi Rhodes. Perhaps they will do that in your market.

[ET Awful]

4. And I went and got Sirius radio . . oh well

I still get commercial free music and Randi! :)

[welshTerrier2]

6. great news !!

i really haven't listened to AAR much ... just started watching Franken on the Sundance channel ...

tried calling the station (WKOX) tonight to find out if they knew when AAR would be carried ... i got someone on the phone who didn't speak English ... no idea what he told me ...

[Killarney]

7. YYYYYYYEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSS!

[Squeech]

8. Pity it's a Clear Channel station

rather than a locally-owned outlet-- if there are any of those left.

[LTR]

12. Clear Channel knows how to run these outlets

Flame away, but I do think Clear Channel is doing a good job with their progressive talk stations. First, they know how to promote them, which is important in staying on the air. And the CC idea is to cherry-pick the best shows in the format. So, a weaker show like 'Unfiltered' may get bumped for a fast-growing show like Ed Schultz. Or someone like Lionel or Stephanie Miller may be slotted in. I do notice CC is testing out local hosts in a few markets as well. Some may hate this, or get mad about the time shifting, but at least it brings the format to local radio. And CC's been putting it on some very good signals.

I'm a bit leery of small locally owned stations bringing it in. Many small stations really don't do any promotion with it, or dump it on really weak or daytime-only frequencies. There's stations out there that are classified as 'AAR affiliates' that get just Franken's show, for example, and dump it in the overnight hours. Or pick up one or two shows and surround them with RW shock talk shows the rest of the day. CC knows how to do this format -- I often say that the only format they seem to know how to do is Talk. CC is a scary company, but they know how to make this thing succeed.

[TaleWgnDg]

14. "flame away????" wha? oh, hell, no, because facts are more

insightful than "flames." I strongly urge you and all DUers to read this:

http://www.disinfopedia.org/wiki.phtml?title=Clear_Channel_Communications
(as last visited Sunday, October 3, 2004)

very carefully. Indeed, very carefully. Why? To see who and what Clear Channel is all about. Get informed. Don't jump before you walk.

After you read about Clear Channel, then question and analyze the "whys." Why would Clear Channel, who's body of executives are clearly in Bush's camp and other rightwing causes, champion AirAmerica? And why a "test field," if you will, in a Liberal bastion such as Boston?

Is it merely for profit? A dabbling in the political Liberal arena? A test of the waters? Or is to get out THEIR message to Liberals? Will Clear Channel "lean on" AirAmerica programs? Will Clear Channel soften its image to AirAmerica's audience by broadcasting AirAmerica programs? (already RatTerrior gives kudos to CC (above).)

Should you patronize Clear Channel's advertising corporations that air on AirAmerica programs?

I question AirAmerica in its acquiescence to Clear Channel. I don't trust such rightwing extremists. And I'd love to get my hands on the contract b/t these parties!

=======================================
"I’ve got a message for . . . middle-class America
struggling to build a better life for their family.

"I’ve got your back because I know what you’re going
through.

"For the last four years, George Bush has turned his
back on you and your families with almost every choice
he’s made. He’s given more to those with the most at
the expense of middle-class working families who are
struggling to get ahead. For them, four more years
of Bush choices is four more years they just can’t afford."
-- John Kerry, Orlando, FL, October 2, 2004
http://www.johnkerry.com/pressroom/speeches/spc_2004_1002a.html
=======================================

edited to stick a "r" in "arena"

[LTR]

15. I have no respect for Clear Channel as a company

And I do know a lot about them, probably more than most people on this board.

But I do know, having worked in radio, that they are a business, above everything else. They exist to make money.

Liberal talk is an obvious format hole, and let's face it, Clear Channel has gone as far as they really can with conservative talk and sports talk. They experimented with the new format by putting it on a ratings-challenged station (KPOJ in Portland). Result? The station went from almost nonexistant ratings to near the top of the ratings in the 25-54 age bracket (aka the 'money bracket'). Think that got their attention?

Many theorize that CC is going gung-ho over 'progressive talk' for political reasons, to kiss ass to a new FCC if Kerry wins. I don't think that's really the case. Truth is, CC is known for impulsively throwing new formats at the walls to see if they stick. Some work, some don't. 'KISS-FM' works, 'Jammin' Oldies' didn't. Simply put, progressive talk is an effort to resurrect some dying stations, especially on the AM side, and to give them a marketing angle as well. Don't forget, CC makes an obscene amount of money off their talk radio stations, since they can often get away with scheduling more commercial time on them than on their music stations. Plus, most syndicated radio shows are ridiculously cheap to carry. Actually, they're virtually free (though Rush charges a fee for his show). All the syndicator asks is to provide some of their own time for selling ads. The rest of the commercial breaks belong to the station (and it's a generous amount of time). All the programming on the 'progressive talk' stations is offered this way, meaning they get free product, and get to sell advertisers on the idea of hitting both conservative and liberal listeners. It's really a smart business strategy.

Promotion for the station? Easy. Lots of word-of-mouth on sites like DU, appearances on cable news shows, and a guy like Franken who's actually touring the country to promote THEIR stations! You can't buy that kind of promotion!

Clear Channel is the epitomy of greed and bottom-line management in our society, and their corporate boardroom is blatantly Republican to the core. But in reality, money is their president, and that's why they're really ambitious about this liberal talk radio thing. And yes, I feel they are doing a good job with this liberal talk thing, for the reasons I gave above. Many mom and pop stations are cherrypicking the format and doing things like slotting Franken in overnights on tape delay, or have really crappy signals that travel a few miles or sign off at sunset. Clear Channel has been putting this format on some pretty strong signals (the new SF signal covers a huge area, and the Portland station will soon blanket almost all of the state). And they do cherry-pick AAR's offerings. But they slot in some strong left-leaning offerings from other syndicators like Ed Schultz, Stephanie Miller (a longtime broadcaster) and Lionel. Better than a 500-watt daytimer stuffing Savage in the middle of the schedule, right? That's what the new mom-and-pop AAR affiliate in Northern Michigan does. And CC also have the muscle to promote the format, enabling it to build an audience and stay on the air. I'll at least give them that, though I have never been a fan of Clear Channel or their often sleazy business practices.

And I am glad to see other owners get into the act. Entercom is another huge radio company that just flipped their Rochester, NY AM station to liberal talk, beating CC to the punch. And their executives contribute a lot of money to Democrats. Unfortunately, they are not as fast-moving at flipping stations to the format as CC is. As for some of the other big radio guns, Infinity dragged their feet on it in Atlanta and missed out. Liberal talk doesn't seem to be part of their game plan, preferring sports and testosterone-laden shock talk. Disney? Forget it. They are nototiously lazy with their properties, and would rather run their own in-house AM formats like Radio Disney and ESPN on their owned-and-operated stations. I really don't think Disney gives a shit about liberal talk. Not really in the overall marketing strategy (if they really have one). Cumulus and Salem are farther right-leaning than Clear Channel, and the others are pretty tiny in comparison to these behemoths. And there do seem to be some smaller outfits that are enthusiastic about the format. The Minneapolis station (950 AM) was recently purchased by a small company that is really committed to liberal talk. And, once they clean a few things up, will have a formidable station on their hands, with little budget to play with. And the Portland, ME station was just given a second chance. But some stations carrying it are doing a real disservice to AAR. But at least they're carrying it.

[Bill McBlueState]

9. WHMP 1400

They say Air America is currently airing on one Bay State station, WHMP-AM (1400) in Northampton.

Well, sort of. We get Franken and Unfiltered, but that Hannity asshole is on between the two of them. The station seems to have struck a balance between the politics of WMass and the personal preference of the station manager.

[Rockholm]

10. This is Great. Has AA Started Airing Yet?

[welshTerrier2]

11. Good Question ... Anyone know the timing on this ??

i tried calling WKOX (1200 am) in Framingham ...

I think the person who answered was speaking Spanish ... i tried to ask them about Air America and they just hung up on me ...

[Tracer]

13. Dunno about the Spanish-speaking telephone answerer, but ...

... WKOX is right in the next town to me (good signal!!) and they've been promoting Air America non-stop all weekend long.

They've been interspersing rock songs (Born in the USA, that Who song "Can't Get Fooled Again", and some others I'm too ancient to recognize) with excerpts from Al Franken's show.

[LTR]

16. The Boston station's site is up, and it has some neat goodies on it

Here's their site:

http://www.bostonsnewtalk.com/



And schedule:

Mon Thru Fri Schedule
6am - 9am Morning Sedition
9am – 12N Stephanie Miller
12N – 3pm Al Franken
3pm – 6pm Ed Shultz
6pm – 9pm Rhandi Rhodes
9pm – 12M Majority Report


As an added treat, you can check out some of their stunting, including some funny Bush gaffes. A must for radio geeks especially:

http://www.bostonsnewtalk.com/wkox_stuntA.asf
http://www.bostonsnewtalk.com/wkox_stuntB.asf

[welshTerrier2]

17. yeah baby !!!

we're on the air ...

and a breath of fresh air it is ...

Air America's coming in loud and clear on 1200 AM ...

[Bombtrack]

18. Well the signal is crap in the South Shore

at least the part my family and friends are in. This according to a few of them. They said only one of them (1430) comes in at all and it's weak as hell and squealy.