Air America radio waves hello to Hub (coming to Boston)

[TrueAmerican]

http://theedge.bostonherald.com/tvNews/view.bg?articleid=43752
By Dean Johnson
Saturday, September 11, 2004

Air America, the fledgling liberal radio network featuring Al Franken and Janeane Garofalo, will soon be on the air in the Boston area, according to local radio sources, likely on some combination of local Clear Channel properties WKOX-AM (1200) in Framingham and WXKS-AM (1430) in Boston.

Clear Channel managers were unavailable for comment, but Herald sources indicate both stations are expected to simulcast a mix of Air America shows along with programs by such syndicated liberal talkers as Ed Schultz.

Air America began broadcasting earlier this year and is now heard in 26 radio markets across the country. It's a format that best succeeds, according toone critic, ``in cities that have large universities or (are) political hotbeds, such as state capitals.''

more

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

[expatriot]

1. Is this Clear Channel involvement with AAR good or bad?

It could be good because then it means AAR is very lucrative...

it could be bad if CC thinks they can later influence AAR if they are an 'investor.'

[My Pet Goat]

2. I'm not sure I like it...

will they ever try to exercise editorial influence? Unfortunately, they seem to be the only investors right now that have realized liberal talk + big urban markets = $$$

[radiclib]

4. HOT DAMN!

About frikkin' time!:bounce::bounce::party::beer::toast::bounce:

[mom cat]

23. Oh WoW! This is the best news all day!

:dem::bounce::bounce::toast::loveya: AIR:party:AMERICA :yourock::toast::bounce::bounce::kick:

[0rganism]

6. It's excellent. They are profit-uber-alles

This paves the way for a lot of new talent on the left side of the tuner.

[rocktivity]

11. I think they're just hedging their bets

I'm sure Clear Channel would like nothing more than to be percieved as finally "waking up" to the potential of liberal talk radio. However, Randi Rhodes says that CC told her that no matter how well she did, she would NEVER be syndicated. (She negotiated with them for the freedom to seek her own syndication deal, and the rest is history.)

I suspect that Clear Channel sees the writing on the wall, and are attempting a pre-emptive strike against President John Kerry engaging in any kind of corporate media "reform." They want to be able to say, "You want to break us up? On what grounds? WE'RE fair and balanced!"

:headbang:
rocknation

[LTR]

12. CC is NOT an investor

They are merely picking up programming from AAR on a barter basis, just like they would pick up Sean Hannity for a station. AAR has switched their business model from renting or running radio stations to run the network as a whole to the more traditional cherry-pick syndication approach. A wise move, and smart in that they have also created a brand name that is becoming well known.

One thing about CC is that they value profits over politics. They are like McDonalds, in a sense that they create new product and hope it succeeds, like the Big Mac, rather than fizzle out, like the Arch Deluxe. In short, they like branding, and the power that comes with creating CC-branded formats. Does your city have a Top 40 station called 'Kiss'? More often, that's CC, who owns the name (though some rival companies stations use the 'Kiss' name via loophole).

They also like creating new niches. We saw this with 'Jammin' Oldies' a few years back. They recently tried 'Real Oldies' on some of their struggling AM stations. They even have their own branded RW talk stations, featuring CC/Premiere 'talents' such as Glen Beck, Rush Lowbrow, etc. CC obviously saw their new 'progressive talk' format do very well on a signal in Portland that was until recently given up for dead. As a result, we are starting to see CC turn some of their dying stations into 'progressive talk' outlets. Notice they are branding them all by that label? They issued a cease and desist ruling this week to a station in Madison, WI that tried to beat CC to the punch by rushing out their own liberal talk station. Not because of the format, but because they used the term 'progressive talk'. CC is getting a station there ready to go on with the format next week.

In short, CC does not own AAR, and has little power over their content, aside from yanking it from their stations. But if AAR really starts to succeed on these CC stations, AAR will hold the advantage, unless CC decides to start producing their own liberal talk shows (I heard that they are trying to get Randi Rhodes, who they had refused to syndicate in the past, back into the fold). The idea of CC doing their own liberal talk thing and ditching AAR is a possibility if they all of a sudden decide they don't like AAR, but this could backfire miserably, and their struggling stations would go back to obscurity.

Either way, AAR comes out ahead.

Politics has nothing to do with CC getting into bed with AAR, but it has everything to do with money.

[otohara]

25. The Only Influence I See So Far

like in Denver, they are not running Unfiltered (one of my favorites) and Mike Malloy - I wonder if Malloy is on other stations that AAR on CC stations?

So it looks as if their programers based on focus groups or personal taste is picking and chosing which shows run and what time (only Franken is live in Denver)

On weekends more local and sports programming is on here...

They will not have influence on content...

[SoCalDem]

26. Can't you just see the freeps' heads exploding??

AAR on THEIR radio stations???

It's actually a good thing..If (and I think they will) the AAR shows OUT-DRAW listeners ...and the rightwingers LOSE listeners, they will be going buh-byeeee..:)

We all know that freeps do not like to share, so I can see some of them boycotting the clearchannel stations in a peevish snit..

:)

[edbermac]

3. Yay!!! It's about frickin' time!

[radiclib]

7. Hey Ed

Did we both use the word "frikkin"(sic) at the exact same moment? Should we be creeped out, or what?:wow:

[expatriot]

5. 30th station

Its on 28 now. Atlanta will be 29, Boston 30.

[The Political Eye]

8. Yahooooooooooo!!!

I am so glad to be able to tune in when I am in the car.

Look out RKO! Howieee! Howieee!

[shawmut]

9. hallelujah!

:toast:

[SheWhoMustBeObeyed]

10. You lucky!

I'm still tethered to streaming audio ever since AAR blinked on and then off in Chicago. X( And I don't have the dough to sign up for satellite radio. Quelle drag...

[Born Free]

13. `"political hotbeds, such as state capitals "

Harrisburg Pa is such a place with nothing but right wing hate radio blasting away all day. South Central Pa is the right wing stronghold in the state, with constant right wing propaganda. I would love to see Air America make inroads into this area, but until it does some of us can continue to listen on Sirius.

[frank frankly]

15. PA needs Air America BAD, REALLY BAD!

here in Pittsburgh we've got way too much conservative talk and nothing else...

[bushwakker]

14. good news - i can turn on my radio again

[JoFerret]

16. Look forward to it Boston

It's a breath of fresh air.

[robbedvoter]

17. It appears that rumors about AAR's death were exaggerated

How long ago was that now? 3-4 months? Frodo? Other guys here on DU dissing AAR? Comments?

[Kathy in Cambridge]

20. Frodo sleeps with the fishes

[Justice]

18. Excellent!

[Kathy in Cambridge]

19. Randi Rhodes will kick Severin's ass-and Howie Carr's too!

they're in the same time slots!

:bounce:

[americanstranger]

27. I'm wondering, though...

The mention of Schultz has got me wondering whether Randi is gonna be frozen out of Boston.

-as

[Kathy in Cambridge]

28. I don't particularly care for Ed Shultz

I really hope that's not the case.

[Bush was AWOL]

30. For some reason, in Columbus, we get Schultz

instead of Rhodes.

[DS1]

21. HOORAY FOR FRAMINGHAM!!!

I just happen to live on the highest point in town :bounce: :bounce:

[neonplaque]

22. Cleveland/Akron? Bring it here!

I don't care how much money CC makes off the network... as they own so much of the radio dial, we should use them to bring them down. As long as they don't have control of content, it's a good thing.

[AlCzervik]

24. My sister will be thrilled, i keep telling her about aar

but she cant stream it at work, so woohoo Boston!

[SKKY]

29. This is very good news...

...If you guys listen to AAR, get on their website and purchase something. If we all get something like a bumbersticker, t-shirt, mug, etc, we can help them stay on. We need a liberal media outlet like them.