Air America Radio Announces 11 New Stations

[WhiskeyRobber]

Press Release:


Air America Radio Announces 11 New Stations


NEW YORK-October 22, 2007-Today Air America Radio announced 11 new stations across the country that would be picking up its programs.

Mark Green, President of Air America Radio, stated, “We’re delighted that the radio network is seeing a new trend of broadcasting Air America Radio shows. It confirms our confidence in our Hosts and Network."

David Bernstein, Vice-president of Programming, added,” This is good and important news because it shows a positive trend line for Air America. At the same time, we’re also pleased at the report form Lycos.com’s annual list of the most searched-for radio talk show hosts on the Web. The top 5 list features Howard Stern, Tom Joyner, Opie & Anthony, Rush Limbaugh and Air America’s own Lionel!”

The stations joining the Air America network include:


KJLL-AM, Tucson

WTAN-AM, Tampa

WDCF-AM, Tampa

KXLJ-AM, Juneau

KKEE-AM, Astoria, OR

WWWT-AM, Washington, DC

WWWT-FM, Washington, DC

WWWB-AM, Washington, DC

WBDB-FM, Watertown, NY

WVPO-AM, Philadelphia

WPLY-AM, Philadelphia



Air America will now be heard on 67 affiliates as well as XM and Sirius.

 

[BarryATL]

Is it me not knowing markets? It appears that some of these stations are not in the markets listed. WVPO appears to be closer to Newark than Philly and WPLY is nowhere near Philadelphia. Also, WDCF is in Dade City, FL. Is that considered Tampa now?

I will qualify that I am looking at the maps on radio-locator.com.

 

[DToTheJ]

Air America Radio Announces 11 New Stations

The stations joining the Air America network include:

WWWT-AM, Washington, DC

WWWT-FM, Washington, DC

WWWB-AM, Washington, DC

Air America will now be heard on 67 affiliates as well as XM and Sirius.

I guess this will go toward the "Left, Right And Whatever We Want" quota that "3WT" now lives by... Also gotta love AAR trumpeting three individual stations in "Washington" when the reality is it's a strong AM-er with two rimshots. Keep spinnin'!

 

[smedge2006]

WTAN and WDCF are jokes. They are roughly comparable to the former Santa Cruz affiliate, KOMY, and its eccentric owner. The WTAN signal barely covers its city of license (Clearwater) with a city-grade signal, and is a fuzzy apparition once it reaches the east end of Tampa. WDCF is on an adjacent frequency to WTAN and only reaches the rural eastern third of Pasco County, north of Tampa. The owner's specialty is brokered programming (he runs a commercial announcing that "for less than the cost of a 60-second commercial, you can buy a whole hour on WTAN"). The current lineup is a mishmash of self-promoting health, business and sports talk shows that varies from day to day, as well as foreign language programming in afternoon drive on Fridays. Believe me, the owner will not cancel these programs as they bring in $$$. I suspect that he will simply use Air America as filler for when he isn't running paid programs.

 

[kilohertz]

This very typical of Air America. These are a bunch of stations that either do not show up in market ADIs or there not even in the market. If you listen to the people on Air America they never confront that fact the product is bad, and they have no numbers anywhere around the country except maybe Portland. Before anyone posts here and claims I'm just another right-winger bashing progressive radio I don't care about politics. In fact the more great formats there are on AM the more it helps everyone. Air America is just plain bad radio. What a shame.

 

[Arbitorn]

A-A would do better to not announce that it's going to have stations in these markets. That way when they manage less than a half-share, no one will be disappointed. Checking the facilities, most have less power than your average hairdryer and no competitive signal over any significant population. One of the Philly stations has 24 watts into the Poconos at night - what a blowtorch!

 

[yocco]

WVPO is a 250 watt radio station in Stroudsburg PA...in the Poconos. It can barely be heard in Allentown..let alone Philadelphia. What a joke...but what would you expect from AA.

 

[4dude]

Xcellent

 

[livingfruitvirus]

KJLL-AM, Tucson

WTAN-AM, Tampa

WDCF-AM, Tampa

KXLJ-AM, Juneau

KKEE-AM, Astoria, OR

WWWT-AM, Washington, DC

WWWT-FM, Washington, DC

WWWB-AM, Washington, DC

WBDB-FM, Watertown, NY

WVPO-AM, Philadelphia

WPLY-AM, Philadelphia

Yyyyyyyeeeeeah......this is how that list SHOULD look:

KJLL-AM, Tucson, AZ
WTAN-AM, Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL
WDCF-AM, Dade City, FL
KXLJ-AM, Juneau, AK
KKEE-AM, Astoria, OR (at least they didn't say Portland here)
WWWT-AM, Washington, DC
WWWT-FM, Manassas, VA
WWWB-AM, Frederick, MD
WBDB-FM, Ogdensburg, NY (hardly even close to Watertown)
WVPO-AM, Stroudsburg, PA (would've been more accurate to say Wilkes-Barre or Allentown. this station is almost 80 miles north of Philly)
WPLY-AM, Mount Pocono, PA (see above)

Air America will now be heard on 67 affiliates as well as XM and Sirius.

AAR is not on Sirius.

 

[kilohertz]

Let's have a big round of congrats to the crew at Air America. Tom, Randy and the rest have killed another radio station. Air America is now off the air in Austin, Texas. So hey Tom keep on booking on all those boring authors, and keep debating right-wing flacks that no one has ever heard of. Go ahead Rhandi and tell us how you are number one based on TSL. Ah, if you only had some cume. Ed! Keep telling us you're number one. "Where America comes to talk"! Rachel not even being on Countdown almost every other night can help you. What a sad, sad joke.

 

[HHH]

AIR continues to line up second and third-tier stations, which was their problem from the start.

In most markets, they were never anywhere near on the same footing as their competition. They were mostly on rimshots, and obscure stations that the mass public didn't know about. Aside from a few bus cards here and there, their local promotion was mostly invisible.

So when people use them as an example of how "liberal" commercial talk radio is not viable, it is ridiculous. By the way, equally as ridiculous was Bill O'Reilly's astonishing analysis that "AIR failed because the American public does not react favorably to talk radio based in name calling and personal attacks". He's kidding, right?

By the way, nobody ever talks about the right wing Salem Talk format, which is heard on some very good signal stations in many markets.
They are on good signals in New York, LA, and Boston, among many others. See any ratings? But they survive due to Salem's deep pockets.

 

[FightingIrish]

Let's have a big round of congrats to the crew at Air America. Tom, Randy and the rest have killed another radio station. Air America is now off the air in Austin, Texas. So hey Tom keep on booking on all those boring authors, and keep debating right-wing flacks that no one has ever heard of. Go ahead Rhandi and tell us how you are number one based on TSL. Ah, if you only had some cume. Ed! Keep telling us you're number one. "Where America comes to talk"! Rachel not even being on Countdown almost every other night can help you. What a sad, sad joke.

KOKE in Austin flipped due to a sale to a guy who does Spanish-language formats. He brought in his own ideas for what he wanted to do. And with AM signals (and sometimes FM) that happens quite often. Otherwise, progressive talk was probably brining in better ratings than they could possibly hope for with any other format on that weak signal.

As for the new markets, I wrote something about it on my blog, and kinda figured where these signals were. I also linked to Radio Locator pages on them.

Here's how it all works out:

KJLL - Tuscon. They've been carrying Stephanie Miller for awhile, along with hot talk programming. Recently added Ed Schultz. In the past few weeks started carrying Randi Rhodes. Also carry Dr. Laura, Tammy Bruce, Alan Colmes and a lot of infomercials.

3WT - Washington, DC, Warrentown, VA and Frederick, MD. Added Rhodes last month. Good coup for them, as she airs in afternoon drive and these are some strong signals. WWRC, which carries other AAR shows, has a very poor signal and is heavy on paid programming.

WTAN and WDCF - WTAN is in Clearwater and WDCF is northeast of Tampa.

KXJL - Juneau, AK. New sign-on with 10,000 watts. Hey, the caribou have to listen to something!

KKEE - Astoria, OR. Currently running sports. No word on when they'll flip, or what shows they carry. KPOJ in Portland likely comes in there, albeit with some static.

WBDB - Ogdensburg, New York. Nowhere near Watertown, but they were simulcasting a Top 40 station in that market. This one is on FM.

WVPO and WPLY - Poconos. Nowhere near Philly. Signal of one or the other does have a chance of reaching Allentown, Wilkes-Barre, Scranton and northern New Jersey.

http://ltradio.blogspot.com/2007/10/air-america-inks-11-new-affiliates.html

 

[chrisdebello]

WVPO-AM has been known to show in the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton book with better than a 1 share but that was when there was some level of local programming. Doubt that'll happen with this brainstorm.

The only way AAR will get numbers on these peashooters will be if the Arb Diaries are handed out to people in the parking lot.

 

[kilohertz]

You are a 100% right about second and third stations along with no promotion and bad product. This what you get when you put people on the air who don't know what their doing. Liberal talk can work because it has in the past with all kinds of people like Neil Rogers, Jay Marvin, Berni Ward all the way back to the early 60's. When you put people on like Tom Hartman, and rubes like Ed Schultz you have little or no chance to make it happen. Plus throw in NPR and no signal and dead dial spots and it's RIP.

 

[HHH]

For what it is worth, AAR has a cume of 109,600 on their dedicated XM channel, according to the newly released Arbitron Satellite report.
"America Right", the XM right wing channel, has a cume of 132,400.

This may be an indication of how things might play out on terrestrial if the services were equally available.

 

[SeanMGilbow]

For what it is worth, AAR has a cume of 109,600 on their dedicated XM channel, according to the newly released Arbitron Satellite report.
"America Right", the XM right wing channel, has a cume of 132,400.

This may be an indication of how things might play out on terrestrial if the services were equally available.

To which I once again note the latest numbers from Talkers magazine:

Ed Schultz (Jones Radio Networks, not AAR)--3.25 million listeners (tied with, among others, Bill O'Reilly)

Thom Hartmann, Lionel and Randi Rhodes (AAR), Stephanie Miller (Jones), Alan Colmes (Fox News Radio)--1.5 million listeners each

The numbers are based on Spring 2007 after many progressive talk stations flipped formats.

http://www.talkers.com/main/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=17&Itemid=34

 

[kilohertz]

Yes, but if you break it down to each market their in they either don't show or they have bad numbers across the board. Example: in LA, NYC, and San Fran they have less thank a share or maybe a share (depending on show) adults 25-54. Hartman has like .09 and a .06 in most markets except Portland. Rhodes and Schultz have a .09 to a 1.1. Others in the same format run in the high 2 to 3 shares. Now what would you rather have and what would you rather sell? By the way Bill O has no numbers either in most markets.

 

[Oldbones]

For what it is worth, AAR has a cume of 109,600 on their dedicated XM channel, according to the newly released Arbitron Satellite report.
"America Right", the XM right wing channel, has a cume of 132,400.

This may be an indication of how things might play out on terrestrial if the services were equally available.

How do the demographics of satellite radio subscribers compare to terrestrial radio listeners? I'm guessing younger & more liberal-leaning, so this slants the results.

AIR continues to line up second and third-tier stations, which was their problem from the start.

By the way, nobody ever talks about the right wing Salem Talk format, which is heard on some very good signal stations in many markets.
They are on good signals in New York, LA, and Boston, among many others. See any ratings? But they survive due to Salem's deep pockets.

Good analogy...Salem is the conservative equivalent of AAR, only difference being that they (1) own most of their affiliates and (2) are better business people. Both have dreadfully bad programming that only appeals to the extreme audience.

AAR's problem from the start was second and third-tier talent. Had they built their line-up slowly with hosts who had qualifications other than the proper ideology they might have stood a chance. As it was, they debuted with a not-ready-for-prime-time lineup and turned off everyone but the hard-core lefties.
IMHO, if they want to succeed with a liberal talk network, blow it up, lose the AA name and put together a quality staff (even if it's only 2 or 3 shows to start) and do it right (so to speak).

 

[DaleGriffin]

For what it is worth, AAR has a cume of 109,600 on their dedicated XM channel, according to the newly released Arbitron Satellite report.
"America Right", the XM right wing channel, has a cume of 132,400.

This may be an indication of how things might play out on terrestrial if the services were equally available.

Also have to remember, in most the country there is no AAR so if they want it they have to go get it. I know people who listen to the local affiliates for News during Rush or Sean and listen to their sat radios for music. That said this is all an indication of nothing.

 

[RBA]

For what it is worth, AAR has a cume of 109,600 on their dedicated XM channel, according to the newly released Arbitron Satellite report.
"America Right", the XM right wing channel, has a cume of 132,400.

This may be an indication of how things might play out on terrestrial if the services were equally available.

And on Sirius: Sirius Left has a cume of 59,100 and Sirius Patriot (Yes, you are only a "Patriot" if you are a right winger ) has 46,800.