so just how bad does the Chicago AAR outlet suck?

[Gabi Hayes]

starters: today is totally non AAR programming....religious/REAL ESTATE/other bogus garbage

yesterday they had reruns of Lionel (?}, Springer, Randi (who they run as reruns, instead of Majority Report, Sgt. Schultz taking her timeslot)

and, of course, they go off the air at dusk, so no Malloy...didn't hear reruns of him at all, but I listened yesterday only long enough to get suckage impression

I'll listen in my car (which is about 40 minutes total) during the day, but that's cause there isn't anything other than college radio worth listening to

oops.....Ring of Fire is on now, so maybe they'll have five hours of AAR today, out of the fifteen they could run

[hlthe2b]

1. I was so excited when Denver-Boulder got AAR.....

but, I can count on one hand how many times I've listened. They totally screwed it up and like CHICAGO, we have all kinds of infomercial type crap on the weekends. So, I stream and will eventually get XM, I suppose.

[Gabi Hayes]

2. I have Sirius....reception is terrible....can't listen most of the time

when they go XM, I'm getting rid of Sirius, and sticking to computer

very very disappointed in the terrible programming choices so far.

but, hey...they've had four days already!

[hlthe2b]

4. why do you think sirius (satellite) reception is so bad? Do others have

similar problem with XM in your area?

I've been trying to gauge how likely I'd be to get decent reception since I live in Central Denver, residential area with some high rises, but work out in the foothills. I've been playing with a GPS based athletic monitor to try to see what kind of satellites I can connect to. In town, there is some difficulty (3 are required) due to tree overhanging and tall buildings, but I can eventually find the satellites. Out in the foothills, I actually seemed to have less trouble. I don't know much about satellite reception , so this little experiment may have no bearing on Sirius or XM reception...?

:shrug:

[Gabi Hayes]

5. I couldn't get XM at all last year at my house....Sirius is almost as bad

It's line of site for those little dishes, and I've found that there's almost no tolerance for getting out of alignment.

the only way to know whether you can get it at your house is to have somebody come over with an antenna, and aim for the spot in the sky for XM in your area. Sirius has different alignments, depending upon where you live.

I just get a lousy signal where I am.

[Robbien]

3. Over here on the far north side, AAR 850 is very weak

the stronger religious station 840 overpowers the signal from 850 where you only hear 850 in the background of the shill from the rabid right.

[Gabi Hayes]

7. somebody linked a picture of WAIT (former name) signal

it goes from NW to SE.

If you're straight north, you're probably out of luck.

If you don't listen much during the day, like me, it doesn't make much difference


you can buy a little transmitter that plugs into your computer headphone jack, though, which allows you to receive that signal on any radio in the house....Best Buy/Radio Shack have them

well worth the twenty bucks

sometimes I keep the computer streaming all night, and listen in bed...cept it usually makes me too mad to sleep

[xray s]

14. here's the map

http://www.radio-locator.com/cgi-bin/pat?call=WCPT&service=AM&status=L&hours=D

[pstans]

6. It is not the radio stations fault for not having weekend programming

It is not the radio stations fault for not having weekend programming. AAR doesn't have much weekend program and on XM, which I have, they play reruns on the weekends. Other than Ring of Fire, Laura Flanders, Revoultion Starts Now, and Politically Direct it is all reruns on XM over the weekend.

[Gabi Hayes]

8. It's the station's choice to play the garbage they do play, and they

have a choice of AAR reruns

they play a different rerun set than both the streaming and satellite versions

Lionel? reruns of reruns (Randi)

no Malloy or Majority Report at all, which they don't carry, and COULD over the weekend, if they so choose

hope they have LOTS of money to ride out the very small listenership they'll be getting with these sorts of decisions

who knows, though, maybe Springer reruns are what the audience craves

but, then, that's what ratings are all about, and I'm sure that's the main reason they're in the game

WAIT has changed formats very frequently over the last few years, btw

[alcuno]

9. On Sat. AM, you should be listening to "This is Hell" anyways.

The reception is much better right now than Friday night. I'm just grateful it's here and willing to put up with it.

[Robbien]

10. Saturday mornings used to be my time for errands. Not any more.

ThisIsHell is the one of the two best shows around (the other is Bob McChesney).

[Gabi Hayes]

12. HA!! I just listened to the stream of him and Seymour Hersh

He's going to be keynoting a conference on freedom from of the press/media this week in Champaign

why does it have to be during the week?

I'm thinking about driving down Tuesday right after school...I could just make his opening address if I leave immediately

[Robbien]

13. I am also trying to rearrange my schedule to see if I can drive down

The best minds of media reform will be there. I hope to make it down.

[Gabi Hayes]

11. I do...it was very good in spots yesterday

I just found a poster they sent me...it had been rolled up in its tube for over a year...very hard to flatten out

first places I ever heard Sibel Edmonds or Karen Kwiatkowski, for just two

only place you hear most of their guests

Love that National Beer....hard to find any others with twist off cans