Change At AAR Affiliate Relations

[fred flintstone]

All Access:

Air America-Envision Terminate Deal, AAR To Handle Own Affiliate RelationsALL ACCESS has learned that the affiliate relations arrangement between AIR AMERICA RADIO and ENVISION RADIO NETWORKS has been terminated and that AAR will be taking affiliate relations duties in-house.An AIR AMERICA spokesperson told ALL ACCESS that "we’ve reached a scale in our growth where it makes sense to internalize our affiliate relations. We look forward to working directly with our affiliates and forging long-lasting relationships with them."The network's TAMARA KARCEV is now handling affiliate relations directly.

AAR has been consistently less than candid and forth-coming in their public pronouncements."Everybody lies."- Gregory House, MDTherefore, it's hard to say what's REALLY going on here. Envision is a small entrepenurial firm handing a handfull of weekend barter shows hardly anybody has heard of. The founder used run affiliate relations for Premiere Radio. One wonders who is walking away from whom here? Is AAR impatient for more clearances more quickly? Is AAR a difficult client and now worth it? Is AAR capable of doing affiliate relations themselves (given their demonstrated level of management incompetence)? Will this mean a change in the quality of stations AAR clears? Would it have made more sense for AAR to go with an established distributor (like Jones, even Premiere) assuming they'd be willing to work with AAR?Something doesn't quite add up.Stay tuned.

 

[kaufcom]

All Access:

Air America-Envision Terminate Deal, AAR To Handle Own Affiliate RelationsOne wonders who is walking away from whom here? Is AAR impatient for more clearances more quickly? Is AAR a difficult client and now worth it? Is AAR capable of doing affiliate relations themselves (given their demonstrated level of management incompetence)? Will this mean a change in the quality of stations AAR clears? Would it have made more sense for AAR to go with an established distributor (like Jones, even Premiere) assuming they'd be willing to work with AAR?Something doesn't quite add up.

I spoke with a senior member to AAR's management about six months and was told that they planned to terminate Envision and let their in house team handle affiliate relations as soon as Envision's contract expired. That's all there is to it.

 

[fred flintstone]

Sounds like you have some inside info.Why did they terminate Envision? Were they dissatisfied in some way? Are they planning some change in direction?

 

[kaufcom]

My understanding is that they just wanted to take their affiliate operations in house.