Air America Radio cuts leased hours on WLIB

[mwebster]

All Access is reporting that the Mike Malloy Show (hours one and two)aired for the last time on WLIB last night. The station will revert to Caribbean programming at 10 pm (instead of midnight). Air America Radio leases time on WLIB to clear its progressive talk programming in New York. This reduction in leased hours may be a cost-cutting move.

AAR has been financially beleaguered since its launch in April, 2004. AAR had similar LMA agreements with stations in LA and Chicago originally but these ended abruptly two weeks after launch when, according to the owner of those stations, AAR's rent checks bounced. Outside of WLIB, AAR now has traditional syndication deals with stations which clear its programs. AAR has also started to sell subscriptions for online access to programming.

WLIB is owned by Inner City Broadcasting, headed by former Manhattan Borough President Percy Sutton. Ratings for Air America Radio's programming on WLIB has still not returned to the levels enjoyed by WLIB's former Caribbean format. Reportedly, AAR's lease on WLIB has more than a year left to run. If further cutbacks are forthcoming, WLIB may cut AAR's weekend programming and/or the evening Majority Report with Janeane Garofalo (which most AAR "affiliates" do not clear). Also at risk may be AAR's pre-AM drive program with former WLIB host Mark Reilly (hired by AAR as part of their agreement with WLIB).

AAR provides almost no local programming for WLIB and AAR's local New York operation has been described as a "computer in a closet." AAR has hired some local sales personnel in an effort to generate revenue. Pre-recorded traffic and weather reports are provided by a company near Philadelphia.

 

[IHearRumors]

> All Access is reporting that the Mike Malloy Show (hours one
> and two)aired for the last time on WLIB last night. The
> station will revert to Caribbean programming at 10 pm
> (instead of midnight). Air America Radio leases time on
> WLIB to clear its progressive talk programming in New York.
> This reduction in leased hours may be a cost-cutting move.
>
>
> AAR has been financially beleaguered since its launch in
> April, 2004. AAR had similar LMA agreements with stations
> in LA and Chicago originally but these ended abruptly two
> weeks after launch when, according to the owner of those
> stations, AAR's rent checks bounced. Outside of WLIB, AAR
> now has traditional syndication deals with stations which
> clear its programs. AAR has also started to sell
> subscriptions for online access to programming.
>
> WLIB is owned by Inner City Broadcasting, headed by former
> Manhattan Borough President Percy Sutton. Ratings for Air
> America Radio's programming on WLIB has still not returned
> to the levels enjoyed by WLIB's former Caribbean format.
> Reportedly, AAR's lease on WLIB has more than a year left to
> run. If further cutbacks are forthcoming, WLIB may cut
> AAR's weekend programming and/or the evening Majority Report
> with Janeane Garofalo (which most AAR "affiliates" do not
> clear). Also at risk may be AAR's pre-AM drive program with
> former WLIB host Mark Reilly (hired by AAR as part of their
> agreement with WLIB).
>
> AAR provides almost no local programming for WLIB and AAR's
> local New York operation has been described as a "computer
> in a closet." AAR has hired some local sales personnel in
> an effort to generate revenue. Pre-recorded traffic and
> weather reports are provided by a company near Philadelphia.
>

All Access got it wrong. It's Satellite Sisters on WLIB from 10pm-12am, followed by Inner City's Imhotep Gary Byrd (who has been on for the last several months) from 12am-5am. AAR is trying to get back those overnight hours from Inner City; when that happens you'll see the Caribbean show and possibly a delayed broadcast of Malloy's show in the midnight-5am slot.

And btw, WLIB currently airs Caribbean programming only on weekends; Gary Byrd's show on weeknights is another thing entirely (and quite entertaining IMO).

If you have any evidence to show that AAR is going to cut back Majority Report or Mark Reilly, please post it here. As far as I know, no such plans are in the works. But I don't know everything ...

 

[Scribbler]

> All Access got it wrong. It's Satellite Sisters on WLIB
> from 10pm-12am, followed by Inner City's Imhotep Gary Byrd
> (who has been on for the last several months) from 12am-5am.
> AAR is trying to get back those overnight hours from Inner
> City; when that happens you'll see the Caribbean show and
> possibly a delayed broadcast of Malloy's show in the
> midnight-5am slot.
> And btw, WLIB currently airs Caribbean programming only on
> weekends; Gary Byrd's show on weeknights is another thing
> entirely (and quite entertaining IMO).

Huh? WLIB currently airs Caribbean programming only on the weekends (right), but if AAR gets control of the the M-F overnight hours it will put Caribbean programming in the midnight-5am slot?!!! That makes absolutely no sense. Is that what you meant to say? Keeping Gary Byrd WOULD make sense, since his talk show would be compatible with AAR's other programming.
>
> If you have any evidence to show that AAR is going to cut
> back Majority Report or Mark Reilly, please post it here.
> As far as I know, no such plans are in the works. But I
> don't know everything ...

That was wishful thinking on the part of mwebster, who's posted hundreds of messages on these boards since last summer, most of them attempting to trash Air America, about which he has a serious "thing." He combs the Internet for what he considers negative stories about AAR and then gleefully posts them on Radio-Info, usually on the News/Talk board. However, he seems to know so little about radio that he characterized a decision by KPTK in Seattle to move Al Franken into PM drive as a "defeat" for Franken. KPTK is a 50,000 watt AM owned by CBS Radio.

 

[davideduardo]

>
> AAR has been financially beleaguered since its launch in
> April, 2004. AAR had similar LMA agreements with stations
> in LA and Chicago originally but these ended abruptly two
> weeks after launch when, according to the owner of those
> stations, AAR's rent checks bounced.

This story is not true. There was a payment withheld by AA for what they perceived was time they did not use the affiliates, and the owner rejected the argument and cancelled the LMA.

 

[autopaint-1]

> This reduction in leased hours may be a cost-cutting move.
>
>
> AAR has been financially beleaguered since its launch in
> April, 2004. AAR had similar LMA agreements with stations
> in LA and Chicago originally but these ended abruptly two
> weeks after launch when, according to the owner of those
> stations, AAR's rent checks bounced.

From today's Fybush report;

WLIB (1190) has pulled Air America's late-night talker Mike Malloy from its schedule....

(www.fybush.com)

And as I have said before, all the predictions which some people make up, in the end just make the person posting look silly and ill informed.If you read Scotts NY notes you'll have abetter idea of what is going on with WLIB (and cost cutting is not the issue here).

http://www.fybush.com/nerw.html

The reason for local black oriented programing on the overnight was due to community complaints about losing a station aimed at an inner city audience.

 

[Scribbler]

Satellite Sisters Now On WLIB, M-F

> All Access is reporting that the Mike Malloy Show (hours one
> and two)aired for the last time on WLIB last night. The
> station will revert to Caribbean programming at 10 pm
> (instead of midnight).

No, it won't. The Satellite Siters, syndicated by ABC, started on WLIB tonight and will continue, Monday through Friday, from 10 pm to Midnight. And there's no "Caribbean programming" at Midnight either. Gary Byrd does a left-wing talk show from Midnight to 5 am.

> AAR had similar LMA agreements with stations
> in LA and Chicago originally but these ended abruptly two
> weeks after launch when, according to the owner of those
> stations, AAR's rent checks bounced.

Wrong. See the post from David Eduardo further along in this thread.

> Ratings for Air
> America Radio's programming on WLIB has still not returned
> to the levels enjoyed by WLIB's former Caribbean format.

Wrong. David Eduardo posted the following on the News/Talk board:

>>Actually, the 25-54 numbers are truly better, and the format is more
>>salable given the cume is probably unduplicated on WABC and WOR.
>>In 35-54, the improvement is about 50% over the old Caribbean programming.

The virtually meaningless 12+ numbers are about the same.

> Reportedly, AAR's lease on WLIB has more than a year left to
> run. If further cutbacks are forthcoming, WLIB may cut
> AAR's weekend programming and/or the evening Majority Report
> with Janeane Garofalo (which most AAR "affiliates" do not
> clear). Also at risk may be AAR's pre-AM drive program with
> former WLIB host Mark Reilly.

More wishful thinking by mwebster.