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Al Franken off to Lake Woebegone

M

mwebster

Guest
Al Franken - who talks Noo Yawk but says he's from Minnesota - has moved himself and his show to Minneapolis.
<blockquote>MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - Al Franken has moved his radio show from New York City to his home state of Minnesota, but he still isn't ready to announce a U.S. Senate run for 2008.

The comedian and host of "The Al Franken Show" on Air America radio, began broadcasting his show from Minneapolis last week. He says he made the move because, "I just always consider myself a Minnesotan."

While Franken acknowledges the new locale might not bring as many guests into the studio, he won't address whether it's a step toward an eventual Senate candidacy. Franken recently told The Associated Press that he hasn't made a decision yet.

"I think I'll be deciding early to middle 2007," he said.

Should he seek an elected office, Franken says his key issues would include developing alternative fuel sources, universal health care and dealing with corruption in Iraq. Franken recently returned from his third USO trip, making stops in Kuwait, Afghanistan and Iraq.

Though many would expect the liberal Franken to favor bringing the troops home, he says that wouldn't be the best move.

"I think we are at a point where we have painted ourselves into a corner," he said. "But I know that pulling out now would be like ... the perfect bad ending to a perfectly badly done war."</blockquote>
He says he has not decided whether he's really going to run but he's already picked his campaign positions. Except he's sort of waffling on the war in Iraq - maybe waiting to see how the mid-term elections play out. Let's see how DLC Al plays as a candidate in DFL country. Al, Minnesota has a long record of voting progressive - not moderate or "new democrat."

Franken once again displays his ignorance of radio when he "acknowledges" being in Minneapolis could make it more difficult to book guests. Hey, Al, you don't have to have people in the same room to interview them. Ever heard of satellite links (ok, that would mean money and money means selling more bumper stickers)? OK, ever heard of the telephone? Terry Gross never has people in the room with her when she interviews them. But this is what you can expect from the same idiots who scr*wed all their Sirius listeners to get a deal on studio space in DC (which they almost never use, and when they already had an "affiliate" with studio space).
 
> Franken once again displays his ignorance of radio when he
> "acknowledges" being in Minneapolis could make it more
> difficult to book guests. Hey, Al, you don't have to have
> people in the same room to interview them. Ever heard of
> satellite links (ok, that would mean money and money means
> selling more bumper stickers)? OK, ever heard of the
> telephone? Terry Gross never has people in the room with
> her when she interviews them.

Umm, I'd assume that Air America hasn't moved its studio location from its new NYC digs, and I'd assume that they are still operating the network and board-opping Franken's show from the new studio they built for him. I'd presume a guest could walk in, sit in a chair in that studio and appear on Franken's show just as they did before, only without him in the room, no?

That is, if he's averse to phone interviews, which he never has seemed to be when I've heard him before.

-OA<P ID="signature">______________
Ohio Media Watch - <a target="_blank" href=http://ohiomedia.blogspot.com>http://ohiomedia.blogspot.com</a></P>
 
> But this is what you can
> expect from the same idiots who scr*wed all their Sirius
> listeners to get a deal on studio space in DC (which they
> almost never use, and when they already had an "affiliate"
> with studio space).

You mean WWRC?

When Randi Rhodes did her show from WWRC's "studio space" once, she said she was actually doing it from their (rather unpleasant, as she described it) transmitter shack. It's a fully-automated station, and really doesn't have studio space; certainly not space you'd want to invite a big-time politician guest into.<P ID="signature">______________
also known as tombetz.</P>
 
> > But this is what you can
> > expect from the same idiots who scr*wed all their Sirius
> > listeners to get a deal on studio space in DC (which they
> > almost never use, and when they already had an "affiliate"
>
> > with studio space).
>
> You mean WWRC?
>
> When Randi Rhodes did her show from WWRC's "studio space"
> once, she said she was actually doing it from their (rather
> unpleasant, as she described it) transmitter shack. It's a
> fully-automated station, and really doesn't have studio
> space; certainly not space you'd want to invite a big-time
> politician guest into.
>

Slight correction....XM as part of the exclusive deal, provides studio space for Air America to access...ive comment on it needing to be integrated into bring more DC interviews into the picture during the runups to the 06 midterms....

Randi on her most recent trip, did use the XM studio space rather than WWRC.
 
> Randi on her most recent trip, did use the XM studio space
> rather than WWRC.

I haven't figured out why Sam Seder has been using the Center for American Progress' studio (the same studio Bill Press originates from) instead of XM's studio when he broadcasts from D.C. <P ID="signature">______________
also known as tombetz.</P>
 
WWRC's Transmitter "Shack" Is Not In DC

>
> When Randi Rhodes did her show from WWRC's "studio space"
> once, she said she was actually doing it from their (rather
> unpleasant, as she described it) transmitter shack. It's a
> fully-automated station, and really doesn't have studio
> space; certainly not space you'd want to invite a big-time
> politician guest into.

Not only that....but the transmitter "shack" is in Silver Spring,MD -- a long trip from downdown DC. I used to work there.
>
 
Re: WWRC's Transmitter "Shack" Is Not In DC

And amazingly I actually heard them in a NY suburb this morning a little after 6 AM.
 
Re: WWRC's Transmitter "Shack" Is Not In DC

> And amazingly I actually heard them in a NY suburb this
> morning a little after 6 AM.

That is amazing, especially since that station can't be heard clearly in most of Northern Virginia and parts of DC. But then, as you've said in another post, you listen on a GE SuperRadio, which most people don't have. My neighbor, who lives 15 miles from the nearest AM transmitter, says he can't get ANY AM stations in his house. I can, but that's because I also have a SuperRadio.
 
Re: WWRC's Transmitter "Shack" Is Not In DC

> My neighbor, who
> lives 15 miles from the nearest AM transmitter, says he
> can't get ANY AM stations in his house.

Does you neighbor live in a stucco house?

I used to live in a building where stucco was covered with aluminum siding.

Talk about your Faraday cage... I had to use a Radio Shack tunable loop to get anything AM at all!<P ID="signature">______________
also known as tombetz.</P>
 
Re: WWRC's Transmitter "Shack" Is Not In DC

> > My neighbor, who
> > lives 15 miles from the nearest AM transmitter, says he
> > can't get ANY AM stations in his house.
>
> Does you neighbor live in a stucco house?
>
> I used to live in a building where stucco was covered with
> aluminum siding.
>
> Talk about your Faraday cage... I had to use a Radio Shack
> tunable loop to get anything AM at all!

It's part stucco and part vinyl siding. But my house has wooden siding and I can't get decent AM reception on a fairly decent component receiver -- for AM it's the SuperRadio or the car radio.
>
 
Re: WWRC's Transmitter "Shack" Is Not In DC

> > And amazingly I actually heard them in a NY suburb this
> > morning a little after 6 AM.
>
> That is amazing, especially since that station can't be
> heard clearly in most of Northern Virginia and parts of DC.
> But then, as you've said in another post, you listen on a GE
> SuperRadio, which most people don't have. My neighbor, who
> lives 15 miles from the nearest AM transmitter, says he
> can't get ANY AM stations in his house. I can, but that's
> because I also have a SuperRadio.
>
But we're talking apples and oranges here. I received them via skywave and if you are in the DC are you'd only get the groundwave signal. Also, their signal was heard for maybe 5 minutes and then faded into the noise on 1260. The superradio is a good receiver for what it is but it doesn't compare with a communications receiver and a good antenna. The other issue is RF intensity. In NY we are blasted with high levels of RF not only from the many 50 KW AM stations here but all the other radio services. Where I can here NY AM stations clearly during the day over 100 miles away from the transmitter, here in NY you can barely make out WBZ which is 50 K directional towards NY during the day. Radios here have a tough time seperating signals compared with most of the world.
 
> > But this is what you can
> > expect from the same idiots who scr*wed all their Sirius
> > listeners to get a deal on studio space in DC (which they
> > almost never use, and when they already had an "affiliate"
>
> > with studio space).
>
> You mean WWRC?
>
> When Randi Rhodes did her show from WWRC's "studio space"
> once, she said she was actually doing it from their (rather
> unpleasant, as she described it) transmitter shack. It's a
> fully-automated station, and really doesn't have studio
> space; certainly not space you'd want to invite a big-time
> politician guest into.
>

Nothing like biting the hand that feeds you. Suck it up and be professional about it, sheeesh.
 
AM Reception

> But we're talking apples and oranges here. I received them
> via skywave and if you are in the DC are you'd only get the
> groundwave signal. Also, their signal was heard for maybe 5
> minutes and then faded into the noise on 1260. The
> superradio is a good receiver for what it is but it doesn't
> compare with a communications receiver and a good antenna.

Unfortunately, most people don't have decent AM receivers, especially at home. The manufacturers seem to regard AM as an afterthought and put all the emphasis on FM. In fact, many of the new devices don't even have an AM band. BTW, when I lived on the west side of Manhattan, I couldn't get a decent signal from 50,000 watt WCBS-AM, although WABC, WOR, and WINS came in fine. On the other hand, WCBS came in fine on Cape Cod.
 
> > You mean WWRC?
> >
> > When Randi Rhodes did her show from WWRC's "studio space"
> > once, she said she was actually doing it from their
> > (rather unpleasant, as she described it) transmitter shack. It's
> > a fully-automated station, and really doesn't have studio
> > space; certainly not space you'd want to invite a
> > big-time politician guest into.
> >
>
> Nothing like biting the hand that feeds you.

Rhodes did no such thing.

Rhodes was much more diplomatic about the surprise she faced than I was in describing what she said. I was reading between the lines of what she said on-air. She expressed appreciation to WWRC for providing their facilities for her, despite the fact that the transmitter is really an hour's drive from DC proper.

Of course, she has never returned to use their facilities again, and probably never will.<P ID="signature">______________
also known as tombetz.</P>
 
> > Franken once again displays his ignorance of radio when he
>
> > "acknowledges" being in Minneapolis could make it more
> > difficult to book guests. Hey, Al, you don't have to have
>
> > people in the same room to interview them. Ever heard of
> > satellite links (ok, that would mean money and money means
>
> > selling more bumper stickers)? OK, ever heard of the
> > telephone? Terry Gross never has people in the room with
>
> > her when she interviews them.
>
> Umm, I'd assume that Air America hasn't moved its studio
> location from its new NYC digs, and I'd assume that they are
> still operating the network and board-opping Franken's show
> from the new studio they built for him. I'd presume a guest
> could walk in, sit in a chair in that studio and appear on
> Franken's show just as they did before, only without him in
> the room, no?
>
> That is, if he's averse to phone interviews, which he never
> has seemed to be when I've heard him before.
>
> -OA
>
He does lots of phone interviews, so I can't see this being a problem. The only issue would be his program on Sundance Channel - if that's still airing. It makes it more interesting to see the guest when they're being interviewed, but can always put up a photo or whatever.
 
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