can Thom Hartmann save Air America?

[evnlee]

apparently, not in Portland.

http://news.mainetoday.com/updates/012511.html?total=22&next=10#begin

"WLVP (870 AM) dropped Air America at 6 a.m. Friday and replaced it with the national sports network ESPN Radio.

Nassau Broadcasting, owners of WLVP, decided to drop Air America because of significant changes at the network recently, said Patrick Collins, senior vice president for Nassau Broadcasting in Maine.

Collins said the changes, included the departure of Air America’s star personality, Al Franken."

I guess Rhodes aint getting it done, either.

How soon till the moonbats start crying 'foul'?

 

[Radio_Realist]

I'm afraid nothing will save Air America as a brand-name liberal talk network. That's a dead horse that will never, ever be resuscitated. However, that is not to say that individual liberal talk hosts might not do well in national syndication. Nor is it to say that some of those individual liberal talk hosts might not be part of the Air America package.

But the chances of there being a strong, stable, nationwide network of stations that all carry most of the Air America line-up, which is what must happen for Air America to be a successful, brand-name liberal talk network, are pretty much slim and none.

For that matter, the chances of there ever being a single, brand-name conservative talk network in this country are equally slim. The main difference is that no one is attempting to create a national brand-name conservative talk network. I believe that no one is making that attempt because anyone with the means to do so realizes the futility of such a project.

 

[Al Johnson]

Yes, as a brand Air America is more a liability than an asset.

WLVP was a turnkey. No Stephanie Miller. No Ed Schultz. No Mike Malloy. The newspaper article sounds like nobody in Portland ever head of any of them. And management never considered any of them.
Now it's turnkey ESPN. There is no such thing as a turnkey with decent numbers.
Nassau didn't promote it. They didn't try to program it. They didn't try to sell it. And they've been looking to unload Air America for two and a half years.

What did you expect? I'm surprised it took them this long to get around to flipping. When they backed down from flipping in 2004 they only promised to keep Air America until after the election.

 

[kaufcom]

Envlee said

I guess Rhodes aint getting it done, either.
How soon till the moonbats start crying 'foul'?

Do you have some numbers to share with us? My numbers show Rhodes up 21% in Portland, ME in the last book.

Then RR said

I'm afraid nothing will save Air America as a brand-name liberal talk network. That's a dead horse that will never, ever be resuscitated. However, that is not to say that individual liberal talk hosts might not do well in national syndication. Nor is it to say that some of those individual liberal talk hosts might not be part of the Air America package.

Do you realize that you just contradicted yourself?

But the chances of there being a strong, stable, nationwide network of stations that all carry most of the Air America line-up, which is what must happen for Air America to be a successful, brand-name liberal talk network, are pretty much slim and none.

To quote Monty Python and the Holy Grail "they're not quite dead yet."

The loss in Portland, ME only accounted for 3/10ths of one per cent of AAR's coverage. In fact, their coverage has more less stabilized since the Greens took over a few months ago. After losing about a dozen stations around the start of new year, Portland is the first drop in over two months. As discussed elsewhere, Nassau Broadcasting was hardly committed to the format, (they didn't even make the effort to pick up Schultz and Miller, preferring to take the entire satellite feed.) They have joined about a half dozen other stations who have flipped to ESPN sports and realized ratings loses of over 40%.

 

[evnlee]

Envlee said

I guess Rhodes aint getting it done, either.
How soon till the moonbats start crying 'foul'?

Do you have some numbers to share with us? My numbers show Rhodes up 21% in Portland, ME in the last book.

After losing about a dozen stations around the start of new year, Portland is the first drop in over two months.

Um, Baroosk. C'mon now. Really.

If Rhodes was 'getting it done', wouldn't she still be on the air in Portland Me?

Did the 'amazing' 21% increase change the station owners mind? Because she's done soooo well there, well, let's just say high school soccer games are taking her place. Ouch.

Say Baroosk.... How many 'new afilliates' have the Greens brought? Any?

The station owner basically said since Franken split, he's dumping AAR. That's a song and dance I;ve heard before.

 

[kaufcom]

If Rhodes was 'getting it done', wouldn't she still be on the air in Portland Me?
Did the 'amazing' 21% increase change the station owners mind? Because she's done soooo well there, well, let's just say high school soccer games are taking her place. Ouch.
The station owner basically said since Franken split, he's dumping AAR. That's a song and dance I;ve heard before.

I don't know why you have such blind faith in station owners. All this guy did was switch the satellite receiver in the closet from the AAR to the ESPN channel. I guess you're also a big fan of the owner of KOMY in Santa Cruz, who claimed he wasn't able to sell even one spot on AAR in a year and half. (Meanwhile the other lib talk station in the market had sold dozens of spots.) Or do you like the owner of KQDS in Duluth who pulled lib talk on the same day that station gained 2 share after not showing up in the ratings for years. Or is your real hero the operations manager for WSAI in Cincinnati who claimed that lib talk was "too political" and claimed to be the "grim reaper of liberal talk radio."

 

[evnlee]

If Rhodes was 'getting it done', wouldn't she still be on the air in Portland Me?
Did the 'amazing' 21% increase change the station owners mind? Because she's done soooo well there, well, let's just say high school soccer games are taking her place. Ouch.
The station owner basically said since Franken split, he's dumping AAR. That's a song and dance I;ve heard before.

I don't know why you have such blind faith in station owners. All this guy did was switch the satellite receiver in the closet from the AAR to the ESPN channel. I guess you're also a big fan of the owner of KOMY in Santa Cruz, who claimed he wasn't able to sell even one spot on AAR in a year and half. (Meanwhile the other lib talk station in the market had sold dozens of spots.) Or do you like the owner of KQDS in Duluth who pulled lib talk on the same day that station gained 2 share after not showing up in the ratings for years. Or is your real hero the operations manager for WSAI in Cincinnati who claimed that lib talk was "too political" and claimed to be the "grim reaper of liberal talk radio."

[EDIT]

And~ why do you hate station owners? At least, the ones that yank Err Amerika? And Clear Channel?

Arent you the guy that incorrectly tried to place CC to blame for 'banning the Dixie Chicks, when it was Cumulus, not Clear Channel that did it?

Just because they pulled a failing format doesn't mean they 'want to fail'. :


[EDIT-vulgar]

 

[kaufcom]

[EDIT]quote]

[EDIT]

The station owner basically said since Franken split, he's dumping AAR.

And if you believe that, I have a bankrupt liberal talk radio network to sell you.

And~ why do you hate station owners? At least, the ones that yank Err Amerika?

I don't hate all station owners, just the stupid ones who operate their programming department out of a closet and can't sell even one spot in a year and half.

And Clear Channel?

Everybody hates Cheap, I mean Clear Channel

Just because they pulled a failing format doesn't mean they 'want to fail'. :

But they keep failing. Ratings on lib talk stations that picked up new formats are down 40%.

[EDIT-vulgar]

 

[Radio_Realist]

Do you realize that you just contradicted yourself?

No, I did not. For Air America to be a success as a national brand-name for syndicated liberal news/talk, then all of it's host have to be successful. If only a few of them are successful, but the name "Air America" is not heard more-or-less nationwide during all day parts, then as a national brand-name for syndicated liberal news/talk, Air America would be a failure. Being a successful at syndicating a few shows is not the same as being a successful network.

Ratings on lib talk stations that picked up new formats are down 40%.

Which "proves" that airing liberal news/talk messes up stations so badly that even new formats won't save them.

 

[kaufcom]

I said

Ratings on lib talk stations that picked up new formats are down 40%.

RR said

Which "proves" that airing liberal news/talk messes up stations so badly that even new formats won't save them.

Do you realize how stupid this sounds?

 

[Radio_Realist]

Do you realize how stupid this sounds?

Yes, I do. It's an example of pointing out an absurdity by being absurd in reply.

 

[Ultimajock]

I don't know why you have such blind faith in station owners. All this guy did was switch the satellite receiver in the closet from the AAR to the ESPN channel. I guess you're also a big fan of the owner of KOMY in Santa Cruz, who claimed he wasn't able to sell even one spot on AAR in a year and half. (Meanwhile the other lib talk station in the market had sold dozens of spots.) Or do you like the owner of KQDS in Duluth who pulled lib talk on the same day that station gained 2 share after not showing up in the ratings for years. Or is your real hero the operations manager for WSAI in Cincinnati who claimed that lib talk was "too political" and claimed to be the "grim reaper of liberal talk radio."

...or the idiots at WOSH in Oshkosh who cancelled Tom Leykis (in 1994, when he was positioning himself as "liberal" -- he's always claimed during the shows themselves to be a political moderate) ***after only four days, one of them being Thanksgiving Day***??...

 

[evnlee]

Envlee said

I guess Rhodes aint getting it done, either.
How soon till the moonbats start crying 'foul'?

Do you have some numbers to share with us? My numbers show Rhodes up 21% in Portland, ME in the last book.

After losing about a dozen stations around the start of new year, Portland is the first drop in over two months.

Um, Baroosk. C'mon now. Really.

If Rhodes was 'getting it done', wouldn't she still be on the air in Portland Me?

Did the 'amazing' 21% increase change the station owners mind? Because she's done soooo well there, well, let's just say high school soccer games are taking her place. Ouch.

Say Baroosk.... How many 'new afilliates' have the Greens brought? Any?

The station owner basically said since Franken split, he's dumping AAR. That's a song and dance I've heard before.

Baroosk, will you answer any of the above questions?

 

[evnlee]

..or the idiots at WOSH in Oshkosh who cancelled Tom Leykis (in 1994, when he was positioning himself as "liberal" -- he's always claimed during the shows themselves to be a political moderate) ***after only four days, one of them being Thanksgiving Day***??...

They gave him three days? Consider that a prize

 

[kaufcom]

Evnlee said

If Rhodes was 'getting it done', wouldn't she still be on the air in Portland Me?

Rhodes' ratings were up 21% in Portland. Frankly, I don't think the owner in Portland even looked at the ratings. He just went into the closet and changed the channel.

How many 'new afilliates' have the Greens brought? Any?

None yet. But at least they have seemed to stop the bleeding.

The station owner basically said since Franken split, he's dumping AAR. That's a song and dance I've heard before.

Do you really believe that AAR was pulled because of Franken?

 

[evnlee]

Evnlee said

If Rhodes was 'getting it done', wouldn't she still be on the air in Portland Me?

Rhodes' ratings were up 21% in Portland. Frankly, I don't think the owner in Portland even looked at the ratings. He just went into the closet and changed the channel.

How many 'new afilliates' have the Greens brought? Any?

None yet. But at least they have seemed to stop the bleeding.

The station owner basically said since Franken split, he's dumping AAR. That's a song and dance I've heard before.

Do you really believe that AAR was pulled because of Franken?

"It was simply time to put the best product possible on 870 AM WLVP and without question that is ESPN sports radio” said Patrick Collins, Senior Vice President and General Manager for Nassau Broadcasting Maine."


http://www.nassauholdings.com/NassauPressCenter/pressreleases/pr_07_060107.htm

,

 

[kaufcom]

"It was simply time to put the best product possible on 870 AM WLVP and without question that is ESPN sports radio” said Patrick Collins, Senior Vice President and General Manager for Nassau Broadcasting Maine."

Why do you think that the owner of this station is smart? He operated a turnkey AAR affiliate. Collins didn't even offer Schultz and Miller like most other full time lib talk stations. He literally, retransmitted the satellite feed. Now he's doing flipping the channel on the satellite receiver and picking up ESPN. Is this your idea of a programming genius?

 

[evnlee]

"It was simply time to put the best product possible on 870 AM WLVP and without question that is ESPN sports radio” said Patrick Collins, Senior Vice President and General Manager for Nassau Broadcasting Maine."

Why do you think that the owner of this station is smart? He operated a turnkey AAR affiliate. Collins didn't even offer Schultz and Miller like most other full time lib talk stations. He literally, retransmitted the satellite feed. Now he's doing flipping the channel on the satellite receiver and picking up ESPN. Is this your idea of a programming genius?

your right. He would have been better off with Ratsy Rhodes' 21% increase :


It still does not deny my original statement~ she just got replaced by high school sports!

Baroosk~ why are all these station owners 'smart' when they put AAR on, and 'dumb' when they remove it?

Why is Clear Channel ' progressive' when they put AAR on, and 'Evil Republican Myrmidons' when they take it off?

I'll say this: your consistent.

 

[raccoonradio]

Not much effort put into the station--prob. no local hosts (as in Boston). The website was really minimal--
no mention of the lineup, news headlines, contact info, etc. It was computer-in-a-closet and the format
changed in the blink of an eye (no advance notice). Though the station was saved from going to ESPN
a couple years back...
The idea is that not only is sports a better sell but (and maybe this is WHY it's a better sell) it would
appeal to a broader demo. Some people are into lib or conservative talk but they feel many more would
be into sports, and if you gotta have a low-budget syndie operation it's better to talk about Barry
Bonds and steroids than Bush and the war, etc.

Conservative hosts HAVE had some success, granted, and perhaps someday the libs could re-produce it,
but the allure of sports finally got to Nassau (WLVP's owner). You'd think with all the buzz about the
upcoming elections (and yes, debates & other talk are WAY early this time) that talk radio of the liberal
stripe might catch on but Nassau's response is, are you ready for some football? Baseball...hoops...

>>Why is Clear Channel ' progressive' when they put AAR on

If it hadn't been for CC, AAR would have been on very few stations, even less than what they ultimately wound up with (60-80 at its peak?)

 

[kaufcom]

Why is Clear Channel ' progressive' when they put AAR on, and 'Evil Republican Myrmidons' when they take it off?

CC is actually a fairly decentralized company. They have lots of smart managers like John Quinlan with KTLK in Los Angeles, and Cliff Albert with KLSD in San Diego. In these markets lib talk is doing great and they have local hosts and do promotions. However, in some markets like Cincinnati which is run by the self appointed "grim reaper of liberal talk" Darryl Parks and New Haven where the lib station was run by host on CC's right wing station, Jerry Kristafer, there were no local hosts and no local promotions. These are the markets where lib talk allegedly failed.