Al Franken's new radio show finds home at WMNN (Minneapolis)

[Love Bug]

Just posted in the StarTribune: http://www.startribune.com/stories/389/4695559.html

"Al Franken's new show on the liberal Air America radio network has effected a last-minute landing at Minneapolis' WMNN-AM 1330 just in time for its national debut tomorrow.

WMNN station manager Scott Murray confirmed that the new show, "The O'Franken Factor,'' will air from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. tomorrow "if we can pull things together from a technological standpoint.''

The new liberal talk show will feature the St. Louis Park native and former Minnesota Public Radio "Midmorning'' show host Katherine Lanpher.

None of Air America's other programs, one of them featuring former Twin Cities comedian Lizz Windstead, will be carried by WMNN. Murray confirmed that the arrangment will be only temporary.

Minnesota Public Radio sold the AM station to Starboard Communications, a Catholic broadcaster, last month and plans are to have it on the air by late May or early June."

Comment: Glad to see Minnesota boy Franken is getting his show on here, at least temporarily. Hopefully, some other station will pick him up by the time this one changes format.

[RobertSeattle]

1. Stations are sprouting like Spring flowers!

Grrrr. Except here in Seattle! Will be streaming...

[Love Bug]

4. Hey, I live here and will be streaming

Can't get radio reception worth a squat where I work! Streaming is my only option, sad to say.

[justin899]

20. Anyone know where?

I know they're supposed to stream, but I can't find any mention of it on their website. Anyone know the URL for streaming?

[mzmolly]

2. YEEEEAAAARRRRRGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHH!

:toast:

[northernsoul]

3. hot damn!

looking forward to listening in!

[skooooo]

7. Hey, he's SMART enough, NICE enough....

...and gosh darn it, people LIKE him!


Way to go Stuart Smally!

[mzmolly]

5. What do they mean it's only temporary though?

:shrug:

[Supormom]

6. So it is only temporary

:(

"Minnesota Public Radio sold the AM station to Starboard Communications, a Catholic broadcaster, last month and plans are to have it on the air by late May or early June."

[wryter2000]

8. Waaaah

It's supposed to be in San Francisco, but they haven't told us where yet.

[JohnOneillsMemory]

28. I read 860AM somewhere. Try that. n/t

[Hong Kong Cavalier]

9. Oh, heck yeah!!!

Go, Al, Go!

[beachbum]

10. Houston Radio PLEASE

Step up to the plate, or atleast somewhere nearby!!!!!!!!!! I cant take it anymore! Yeeeaaarrrggghhhhh!!!!!!!

[Wells]

11. "Houston, we have a problem"

Dear, and respected Houstonites, and Houstonians;

Moderation is our key to picking the next President.

Is Bush too Far Right? Are Administration secretive ways acceptable?

Is Kerry closer to Moderate than detractors claim?

I'm going to relax with John Kerry this year. He is handsome, proud, strong, decent, literate AND articulate. He does have a 'Lincolnian' aire.

And Dear editors, Hide Bush. Most do not want to see his face nor hear his indigestable murmers more than a few sentences a day.
Such an offensive man, your Bush.
Give him the boot, gracefully, and repair his mis-steps in democracy.

We are more ashamed of him than feared possible. For crying out loud....

[robbedvoter]

12. WLIB in the NY area - 1190 AM

 “Air America Radio will be available immediately in top markets across the country, and our distribution channels will continue to expand in the coming months via affiliation agreements with partner stations across the land,” said Air America Radio President Jon Sinton. 
Air America Radio will debut its programming on radio stations WLIB (AM 1190am) in New York, WNTD (AM 950) in Chicago and KBLA (AM 1580) in Los Angeles and a station in San Francisco to be named before launch.<<
http://www.centralairmedia.com/index.php?option=com_frontpage&Itemid=1

[Citizen Daryl]

27. Dish Network?

That's what I've been hearing.

Oh please oh please oh please oh please...

[rocktivity]

30. You can listen online to some awsome music and sound clips

at http://www.wlib.com

You can also go to the Air America site and try to sign up, but there seems to be a delay in getting your e-mail password--big surprise!

:headbang:
rocknation

[Arger68]

13. YES!!!!!!!

Hopefully I can get it in Southern MN!!!! Still can do the internet connection thing, though!!!!:bounce:

[madrchsod]

14. hi- welcome to du

my grandmothers kin is from your town...been there many times as a kid

[newyawker99]

18. Hi Arger68!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[TiredTexan]

15. I'm in Ft. Worth, Texas.

Anyone know where we are supposed to go to get streaming? Does anyone know whether we would be able to get these programs if we had XM Radio? Are they going to be available for later downloading and listening, like those available at Whiterosesociety.com?

[jamesinca]

22. XM Satellite Radio Channel 167

Streaming audio from the website.

[TiredTexan]

23. Thanks, I went out

and purchased all the equipment and am now setting it up.

I'm in hog heaven.

[shockingelk]

16. AWSOME!

I miss Katherine!

[gemini62167]

24. I sure hope they plan to make their streams available.

It will be useless to try an get their message out if they don't stream over the net. Doing this only by satalite or fee based streaming is not going too smart. None of the righ wing radio wing nuts are charging us to hear them blow hot air our in our face.

I'm hoping they have live stream and make it known to us, so us mountain folk up in Vermont can listen in. . .

[shockingelk]

25. An AM station picked up "O'Franken" here yesterday

Like, 12 hours ago ... just the O'Franken factor. Am stoked anyway!

[buycitgo]

17. only eighteen more hours!

I keep checking the radio station, to see what the reception's going to be like...not so hot at night; pretty low power in Chicago.

I don't think it's going to be very easily received throughout the entire metro area

hope I'm wrong

I'm EXCITED, though; almost like Christmas?

[dflprincess]

19. Yipee!!!!

I just hope I can pull it in at work AM doesn't work so well there.

[indigo32]

21. Yay!!!!

I'll still have to stream it in though.

[Jeff in Cincinnati]

26. Arg!

How long does the confirmation e-mail take?! I'm dying here! And why the hell didn't they start registering potential listeners weeks ago?!

[Love Bug]

29. I just visited their website for the first time in weeks -- WTF?

I don't see any link for streaming--in fact, I don't see any links at all. Last time I visited they had a website! Perhaps they're planning on some great unveiling of a new look today.

On edit: Ok, I figured it out. I needed to use a different url

[amish_enforcer]

38. where to go?

On edit: Ok, I figured it out. I needed to use a different url

What is the URL, I'm just looking at the info page @ http://www.airamericaradio.com with no links.....help! I want to listen! :D

[reprobate]

31. XM radio has it on channel 167.

[Snellius]

32. Too bad Franken won't be heard by many of those who need to

Liberal radio in LA, NY, Chicago, Portland? "San Francisco -- Coming Soon". That's it?

I don't think Limbaugh has much to worry about. YET.

[qb]

33. Woo Hoo! I'm there! I was just wondering about 1330 as a possible

Air America station - as a commercial all-news station it was pretty lame. Too bad MPR sold it to Starboard.

[qb]

34. 11:00 AM: Perfect transition from dry news to biting satire!

I wonder how many news junkies are saying "What the F***?"
Franken's doing a "drug-free" show! Great Rush slam.

[qb]

35. Bob Kerrey on 2nd hour, Michael Moore on 3rd hour!

Al made a point of saying Moore is no longer a Nader booster - he's a John Kerry booster.

[qb]

36. He's doing "Condoleeza Rice vs. the Facts" now!

The president is going DOOOOWWWWWN!

[qb]

37. Promo: "Fact-based, drug-free satire!" BwaHaHaHa!

[sidpleasant]

39. A prediction

Two of Air America's stations (WLIB and KBLA) seem to have been targeted at minority communities before they switched to the new network. WLIB's web site still describes the station as "Caribbean Hits and More!" and KBLA seems to have previously been a Spanish language news / talk station calling itself Radio Unico. I predict that "Hillbilly Heroin" Limbaugh, O' Reilly, etc. will soon assert an interest in media diversity that they've never evidenced before and will denounce Air America for stifling the voices of minorities to broadcast far - left agit - prop.

By the way, what the hell is Air America doing on XM? XM is part - owned by evil GOP media empire Clear Channel.

[Magleetis]

40. I listened

to todays show on KPOJ AM620 out of Portland streamed over the net. They would drop out during the local commercials, but other than that the quality was good. I am so happy that this network is up and running. What a show Michael Moore and Al Gore were great. The truth is coming out. We will prevail in Nov.

[TroglodyteScholar]

44. Other than that....?

The absence of commercials is a good thing. I'll be listening to KPOJ's stream from now on...

[Dulcinea]

41. Please hurry & come to the Atlanta airwaves!

Opposite Boortz!

I despise Neil Boortz.

[jackstraw45]

42. Tape Delayed and Weak Signal in Los Angeles

They "tape delay" programs - no LA calls unless from streaming listeners.

1580 AM - get a better signal, please!

[Almost_there]

43. WLIB is a bit weak outside NYC

WLIB is a pretty low power channel, I'm about 25 miles outside of NYC, and the signal is spotty when I'm driving, but, I've never paid attention to WLIB (is that W-Liberal??) before today. 770, 880, and I think 1010 have at least 25,000 watt transmitters, 770 has 50,000 (I used to catch Yankee games in Canada and Virginia when the sun went down!), so, they've got to get on some major power stations as well. Good start, just keep it going!

I do wish that they were a bit less into the prescripted bits, sounds like Stern or Opie and Anthony or something like that... Just going for cheap laughs. I like serious talk, but, that's just me.

~Almost

[DonP]

45. Possible wet blanket here

I'm sure this will get me flamed, but ...

I hope this whole project has legs for the long haul.

I work in the business and the big question for any new show will come from advertising support and ultimately the ratings books that are used to create revenue.

Even with the start up money provided by the backers, the programming will eventually have to generate enough revenue, from advertising, to support itself.

Radio is the ultimate democracy where people vote every few seconds with their push buttons. If it's entertaining and enlightening on a regular basis it will beat the crap out of Rush or anything else in the daypart. If it drags or they have trouble keeping the show interesting or attracting guests they are going to have problems.

I listened today and the show was interesting but had a lot of start up glitches. It made me wonder who they have handling production, because a bump here and there is normal, but it sounded like they didn't get enough rehearsal time in.

BTW, there was some print press coverage but no in-market advertising in the Chicago DMA. I hope they get their promotional stuff up and running soon to build tune in.