How would you make Air America better?

[3121guitarist]

Before they go off the air for good...lol

More issues, less ranting. More different, radical guests. More cultural issues, not just politics. Debates that are not always about current news; just good set up debates. More conservative guests, for interplay, like what Thom Hartmann does. More actual talk show hosts, not people who seem to not know much about talk shows. Not so much parading for the democrats; makes it look like Air Dlc. Should be a free form left network, not just democratic party centered.

[Flabbergasted]

1. I think they need more call in guests to get people interested.

[Ian David]

2. Replace The Young Turks with Rachel Madow or Stephanie Miller

Get Randi Rhodes a perky, upbeat co-host who giggles a lot (I'm kidding!)

I miss Mark Marin. Make him Al Franken's co-host. Or, make Al's show one-hour shorter, and give that hour to Mark Marin.

Give Margaret Cho her own show.

[AlCzervik]

5. The Young Turks were on when our local liberal guys went on vacation

last month, they sucked, when the local guys got back almost every phone call they took that day was from listeners begging them never to go on vacation again.

[Ian David]

8. I don't trust "Ex-Republicans," for one thing.

Secondly, they are NOT what I want in a morning show.

In a morning show, people need something like Rachel Maddow. She covered a lot of material in a short amount of time.

Besides, the young turks suck.

[AlCzervik]

12. Our local guys are "The morning retort" and what i really like about them

is they cover local and statewide issues along with national stories. I go back between them and Stephanie Miller. It is almost impossible to get any local coverage without a rw slant so they're a great resource to have here.

[Beaverhausen]

13. I agree with you about Stephanie Miller. Her show is awesome

She should be on every air america station and I bet she would single-handedly save the network.

[Joey Liberal]

3. Make their web site better

I just tried to listen to Randi Rhodes via their web site, and I was prompted to take that survey again. Get more hosts like Randi Rhodes.

[EST]

4. Dump Franken

[Skidmore]

6. Get better advertisers. See if Costco or other blue

companies would advertise there. Also I agree with the OP about including mroe cultural issues.

[devilgrrl]

7. agree with skidmore. More Blue advertisers, add music programming

hire Thom Hartmann and Bernie Ward.

[BelgianMadCow]

9. "before they go off the air for good...lol"

The way you wrote that, sounds like it's a certainty in your mind that they will go off air for good. And that you find that funny.

I'm mistaken I hope?

[DaveJ]

10. Air America is perfect as far as I'm concerned

I don't know anything about the finances of radio or specifically where the expenses are, but with all the other total crap that is on other stations, for a AA to be in the red is absurd.

[ncteechur]

11. Well...

I like Mark Riley and he should be on at a decent hour. Keep the Young Turks. I like Al Franken and he really is (whether you like it or not)a force behind AAR. I like Randi but have grown a bit weary lately, but she is tough and we need that.

I don't really know much about the after 5 group although I do miss Rachel in the mornings. And I definately miss Mike Malloy--he was tough and wouldn't let up on the Bush crime family.

Perhaps shorten all shows to a max of 2 hours (some an hour and a half) so more variety can be on AAR. 3 hours of anyone even if I like them is a bit much.

[disndat]

14. Get back Mike Malloy

for a start. Shorten 3-hour shows, and/or, 3 days a week and 2 days a week so they can have a larger roster of talk show hosts.

[EFerrari]

15. It can't only be talk because that's stultifying. They need more

variety, more comedy, more call in.

And, the hosts need to dig deeper. Not only know that Diebold may be a problem but fer christsake, know how and where and a little bit of when.

Listen to Peter B. Collins and notice the difference in format and in his grasp of most hot topics. He's on 3-6 pm PT.

http://www.peterbcollins.com/

[itsrobert]

16. Dump!

DUMP MADDOW! Terrible.
DUMP YOUNG TURKS. BORING
DUMP FRANKEN: SHOW IS STALE
DUMP ECO TALK: BORING
DUMP LAURA FLANDERS
DUMP AIR AMERICA NEWS ON THE HOUR. REPLACE WITH ABC/CBS/CNN NEWS.
ADD: THOM HARTMAN
ADD: MIKE MALLOY
ADD: JIM LAMPLEY
KEEP RANDI RHODES: THE ONLY TRUE STAR OF AAR.

[KharmaTrain]

17. Marketing, Marketing, Marketing....

AAR was an undiscovered secret to many. Many listeners happen to stumble on it and there wasn't much outreach to increase the audience. The problems with how the network was structured and always staying one step ahead of the bill collector made it difficult to do much promotion and this was a critical flaw that I think led to the network's real troubles. Without any growth and shrinking revenues they could no longer get the loans or find the backers to keep it afloat. The next time a better way to fund and market such a network is a must.

[tinfoilinfor2005]

21. yes, yes, yes!

I saw a HUGE Randi poster on Broadway in NYC. Big deal. Everyone in NYC listens to Randi. How about posters in Florida, Ohio, other states that need to hear the truth? I have an AAR poster in my back car window to advertise the local station. I would like to see more.

[dsc]

18. more powerful stations

In my market, 30 miles from Raleigh, I can't get the AAR station. It is a very, very, low power station in Chappel Hill. At night it falls to about college station level. That is literally preaching to the choir.

[Graybeard]

19. Mike Malloy 9pm - Midnight

Who they have in that time slot now are weak and boring.

[erinmblair]

20. Get the old lineup back!!

This is what the old lineup looked like when I first started listening to Air America:

Morning Sedition with Marc Maron and Mark Riley.
Unfiltered with Rachel Maddow, Lizz Winstead, and Chuck D.
Al Franken and Katherine Lanpher.
Randi Rhodes
Majority Report with Sam Seder and Jananene Garafolo.
Mike Malloy

I really loved that lineup and it was the best! :D I think they should get that lineup back!

~Erin