Cybercast news: Air America re-launch faces uphill battle

[raccoonradio]

http://www.cnsnews.com/ViewNation.asp?Page=/Nation/archive/200705/NAT20070523a.html

(full disclosure: I think CNS is right-leaning, part of Media Research Ctr)

"(TALKERS' Mike) Harrison also praised Air America's hiring of David Bernstein as vice president of programming as
'a definite step in the right direction,' because 'he's a true, seasoned, professional radio programmer' and 'not a political operative. He has no agenda other than to succeed in broadcasting, and that's what they need.'"

 

[Al Johnson]

This is about a week old.

See Baroosk: Air Talking Radio: America Radio Gets A Makeover

Or Fighting Irish: Liberal Talk Radio: Air America 2.0: But will it float?

 

[raccoonradio]

Apparently there's a new blog site out there called airamericasucks.com but the blogger says he's a liberal who does
like most of the hosts on AAR, and the ideas they express, but he has problems with AAR's management. ("I will be criticizing their decisions on this blog.")

A post from today, for example, says: "Apparently Monday Randi made a negative comment about the Mark Green interviews, and some on Randi's message boards are speculating that Randi wasn't sick today (as her website indicates). I sure hope there isn't infighting, but I'll tell you, Randi can do much better than Air America."

So...he likes AAR (but not necessarily the management of it...) but calls the site airamericasucks...? hmm.

 

[raccoonradio]

But the discussion is getting beyond the radio boards to the general Net news audience...and it goes
along with the AAR re-launch on Monday.

 

[Radio_Realist]

I can understand why someone might want to resuscitate a brand name that did OK for a while, but then disappeared. But I cannot for the life of me imagine why anyone would want to revive the Air America brand name. I can imagine why someone would want to start a second liberal talk network. I might not agree that it's a good business decision, but I can understand why someone might do it.

But I'll never understand why whoever wants to start a liberal talk network wouldn't start a brand new network with a brand new brand name that doesn't carry major amounts of negative baggage.

Getting a liberal talk network to fly will be an uphill struggle. Loading it down with the name Air America (or "Err America", as some people know it) just adds a bigger burden to overcome.

 

[smedge2006]

can understand why someone might want to resuscitate a brand name that did OK for a while, but then disappeared. But I cannot for the life of me imagine why anyone would want to revive the Air America brand name.

Perhaps because, despite the best efforts of the ideologically motivated to conflate "Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection" with "out of business", Air America never went out of business. It never died or even went into a coma. It has continued pumping out programming and a core of affiliates has stuck it out. The name brand carries some cachet with the target audience. Just like most of the airlines that go in and out of bankruptcy protection don't change their brand names, AAR didn't change theirs.

Cybercast News Service is a right-wing operation. Why would they do anything but bash AAR?

 

[Al Johnson]

Loading it down with the name Air America (or "Err America", as some people know it) just adds a bigger burden to overcome.

"Some people?" Or just you and one other?

Not clever. Not even original.
And one who claims to be (or have been) a communications professional should know the correct pronunciation of "err" is ur.

 

[Radio_Realist]

know the correct pronunciation of "err" is ur.

I also know that a slight mispronunciation of a word to make a pun is permissible. I even have a license to permit me to do so. It's called a "poetic license".

 

[Al Johnson]

know the correct pronunciation of "err" is ur.

I also know that a slight mispronunciation of a word to make a pun is permissible. I even have a license to permit me to do so. It's called a "poetic license".

It's not a "slight" mispronunciation.
Poetic license is deviations from the established rhythm or from correct grammar. It is not deliberate mispronunciation to make something rhyme. That is hack poetry (and more often, bad song lyrics).

Puns are not poetry.
This is not a good pun. "To err is Truman" is a good pun.

 

[Radio_Realist]

Air America never went out of business. It never died or even went into a coma.

I'll have to agree that it didn't die. But it was as comatose as a radio network can get. Regardless of the specific details about how close to death Air America went, no one can seriously suggest that the "Air America" brand name is an asset to any attempts at building or rebuilding a liberal radio talk network.

You can pick nits all you want, the bottom line is that thanks to all that has happened with that brand name in the recent past, the brand name "Air America" is not an asset, it is a liability.

 

[Al Johnson]

Air America never went out of business. It never died or even went into a coma.

I'll have to agree that it didn't die. But it was as comatose as a radio network can get. Regardless of the specific details about how close to death Air America went, no one can seriously suggest that the "Air America" brand name is an asset to any attempts at building or rebuilding a liberal radio talk network.

You can pick nits all you want, the bottom line is that thanks to all that has happened with that brand name in the recent past, the brand name "Air America" is not an asset, it is a liability.

Why did they even think they needed a "brand name" in the first place? Probably because NPR has a "brand name" and that seems to have been their frame of reference starting up. It was probably the only radio brand name they knew because hardly anybody in talk radio syndication uses one. Yes, Rush babbles about "EIB" but that's just part of his shtick. Nobody outside the industry has heard of Premiere Radio. CBS, Fox and ABC use the brand name on newscasts but not on their talk shows.

OK, turnkeys have brand names. ESPN is an established name from cable TV and ABC Sports but even they don't make as much of "ESPN" as Air America makes of "Air America." Salem is a turnkey talk operation and they don't position themselves as "Salem" on the air. It also seems a lot of libtalk stations are backing off the "Air America" positioning.

Here are Air America's assetts:

A registered domain name.
A trade mark of dubious value.
Randi Rhodes personal services contract.

Liabilities:

Debt outstanding
Leased equipment and studio/office space.
New York LMA.

The Green's paid a bunch of money for this and they're supposed to be smart. And some of you don't believe me I say it's not just about money in radio. Pride/ego trumps avarice/greed/business every time.

Back to the original topic: They have a new website. So what? Every broadcaster (almost) has a website. Some websites are destinations with constantly updated content, something people go to on a regular basis. That includes this site, Yahoo!, MSNBC and others. What does Air America's website have to draw anybody? The day's guest list (yawn!)? Daily Kos and The Huffington Posts are destinations for the liberal audience. Love it or hate it, there is something there and what's there keep's changing. Air America's website is just another Internet billboard. It's (bad and ineffective) promotion for them; it offers little of value to the reader. This shows the current management is as dumb as all their predecessors. They still think the "Air America" name is a draw. They still think that (to paraphrase) "if you're liberal, they will come."