How many stations does Liberal Talk Network AAR really have?

[Radio_Realist]

On the AAR website, I went to their stations list and found 85 affiliates. That doesn't seem too shabby. But then when I looked up the station for the city where I live, and went to its website, and compared their schedule with AAR's, I discovered that the station in my town that AAR lists as one of "their" stations only carries the syndicated Thom Hartman show. That's it. None of the main AAR Network shows at all.

There's no Air America Mornings w/ Mark Riley & Rachel Maddow
There's no Springer on the Radio w/ Jerry Springer
There's no The Al Franken Show w/ Al Franken
There's no The Randi Rhodes Show w/ Randi Rhodes
There's no The Majority Report w/ Janeane Garafalo & Sam Seder
There's no The Mike Malloy Show w/ Mike Malloy

All the AAR station in my town carries is Thom Hartman.

They also don't carry any of AAR's weekend programming, opting instead for local brokered content and syndication from other sources.

Which raises some questions.

First, of the 84 other stations listed as part of AAR's "network", how many of them only carry only one or two shows out of all the programming that AAR offers? I realize I could do the work of looking up each station's website and then comparing what they actually carry versus the AAR list, but I'm too lazy. Is AAR's representation of themselves as a liberal "network" just wishful thinking or marketing hype? Or does "progressive" actually mean "we wish we really were a network, and hope we're making progressive steps towards becoming one someday".*

Understand, I agree with those who contend that radio stations should have some local content. Personally, I think the more local content the better. So I wouldn't hold it against AAR if some of their affiliates dropped Air America Mornings w/ Mark Riley & Rachel Maddow in favor of a local AM drive-time program, or dropped The Mike Malloy Show w/ Mike Malloy in favor of random noise. As for the latter, the local AAR "affiliate" in my town switches their transmitter over to a pair of dry cell batteries after sundown anyway, so it doesn't much matter what they put on the air, no one can pick it up anyway. But is the AAR station in my town typical of the stations AAR claims as its own, or is it an anomaly?

Second, if Springer, Franken, Rhodes, and Malloy have their shows named after them, why are the only billed as "with" and not as "starring"? They don't even get "with" spelled all the way out, just "w/". I mean, what more does a host have to do to get "star" billing for a show with his (or her) name in the freakin' title?

* #23

Data on AAR's programming came from http://www.airamerica.com/schedule. Data on the scheduling on my local station came from my local AAR station's website. All Copyrighted information belongs to whoever owns the copyright. Void where prohibited. Licensed drivers only. Your milegage may vary. Contents may have settled during shipping.

 

[FightingIrish]

The stations listed on their site are ones that carry any AAR programming. That would also include Thom Hartmann, who is distributed via Air America Syndication (same time as Franken).

A few other ones may carry only one show from them, such as WJNO in W. Palm Beach (Rhodes), WSRQ in Sarasota, FL (Springer), and that AM station in Atlanta (not sure of the new call letters, but they carry Franken only).

I don't think there are any stations nowadays that carry the entire schedule straight from AAR, except for XM and an KYTI-FM in Sheridan, Wyoming, which airs it on a secondary HD channel on FM.

You can check for yourself, and save yourself time for the other things you don't like yet obsess over:

http://ltradio.blogspot.com/

And I don't see any problems with this. For example, most ESPN, Sporting News Radio and FSN affiliates cherrypick shows anyways. Relevant Radio affiliates air their own shows too. And need I get into NPR or PRI? Shall I name more networks? Let's look at TV. Many affiliates for all the networks occasionally pre-empt or do not air select programs.

I don't see why you expect the bar to be raised for AAR. Then again, maybe I do...

 

[Radio_Realist]

And I don't see any problems with this. For example, most ESPN, Sporting News Radio and FSN affiliates cherrypick shows anyways.

I agree that being cherry-picked is not a problem. I believe I devoted an entire paragraph to my agreement that having stations decide to replace some of AAR's programs with their own local content is a good and positive thing. Let me just scroll down and look.

.......

Yes, a quick scroll down to my paragraph that begins "Understand, I agree with those who contend that radio stations should have some local content" does indeed say that very thing. Did you miss that paragraph?

You can check for yourself, and save yourself time for the other things you don't like yet obsess over:

I did check the link you provided. It also gave me yet another list labeled of "The following is a listing of radio stations across the country that air at least some liberal talk shows. Some of these stations may air other types of programming as well." But it didn't indicate which ones carried more than one AAR program.

I did notice that the link you provided was for a blog for "liberal" talk radio. Did you not have any links for progressive talk? *

I don't see why you expect the bar to be raised for AAR.

Well, it's like this. The bar can be set one or two inches from the ground, or it can be set six or seven feet off the ground. Or it can be set somewhere in between. So the issue, as I see it, isn't whether the bar should be raised extra high for AAR. But don't you think that the bar for AAR should at least be placed somewhere on the uprights? (Sports metaphors do often get convoluted, don't they?)

I mean, if a radio network manages to get around half of their programs cleared on most of their affiliates, that seems to me to be a fair and reasonable success. But that's a far cry from getting one entire secondary show carried.

What would you consider a reasonable amount of clearance to be considered having successful market coverage? 50% of the shows offered? 25% of the shows offered? Is having only one of your programs carried something to brag about?

* #24

All Copyrighted information belongs to whoever owns the copyright. Void where prohibited. Licensed drivers only. Prices slightly higher west of the Rockies. At participating stores only.

 

[FightingIrish]

I did notice that the link you provided was for a blog for "liberal" talk radio. Did you not have any links for progressive talk? *

Oh, sorry. Here ya go:

http://www.geocities.com/liberalprogressivetalk/
http://www.opednews.com/progressive_radio.htm
http://www.angelfire.com/wa2/prodemtalk/
http://www.progressivetalk.org/

Awww, screw it. Here's something to keep you busy for awhile, before mom tells you to turn off the lights:

http://search.yahoo.com/search?p=progressive+talk&fr=FP-tab-web-t414&toggle=1&cop=&ei=UTF-8

Also, you might be able to answer this question for me. Since you're so hung up on the liberal/progressive thing [EDIT], perhaps you can tell me why so many conservative radio talkers call themselves "Libertarian". Neal Boortz, Tony Snow, Mancow, Laura Ingraham, Charlie Sykes and Jason Lewis, among others, all consider themselves to be "Libertarian", yet all they do is spout GOP and pro-Bush propaganda. They don't even seem to agree with many of the things Libertarians do. In fact, I recall reading somewhere that Boortz was once booed offstage at an actual Libertarian event.

Why do some conservatives call themselves "Libertarian"? Are they ashamed to be called 'conservative'? Enlighten us, Radio Fantasist.

#1


[EDIT=name calling]

 

[fred flintstone]

• AAR does refer to itself as a "liberal" talk network. The generally accepted name for the format (which includes AAR programming) is progressive talk.
• Why are you still beating this liberal-progressive thing into the ground? You stated your position. People discussed it. What more do you want? (Could it be everyone MUST agree with you on everything?)
• Many AAR "affiliates" are smaller, automated operators and just take the network feed (with no local programming and no programming from other syndicators). This includes the smaller market stations and some in larger markets. *
• I agree that listing stations which only carry Hartmann is stretching things, since AAR does not consider him part of their network operation.
• From the beginning AAR has been obsessed with station count, with quantity over quality.
• This is all old news and has been discussed repeatedly on this board over the last two and a half years. Where have you been.
• You apparently are too lazy to look things up and get some facts; not too lazy to b*tch at length.
• Despite your name, your posts suggest you are a political groupie - not a radio person. You clearly don't understand the concept of networks or the network-station relationship in broadcasting.
• Your posts suggest your real complaint about AAR is ideological and has nothing to do with their business practices or on-air product. I have no problem with axe grinding, accompanied by full and truthful disclosure.

I don't think there are any stations nowadays that carry the entire schedule straight from AAR

Irish, you should do a little more homework on this one. (* See above)

 

[Radio_Realist]

perhaps you can tell me why so many conservative radio talkers call themselves "Libertarian".

They don't. They call themselves libertarian. The word "Libertarian" refers to a member of the Libertarian Party. The word "libertarian" refers to a political philosophy. Without going into great detail, the libertarian and conservative philosophies intersect on issues involving taxation, fiscal policy, and national defense. They diverge on issues pertaining to social morality. Those who are libertarians do not support the conservative agenda on things like stricter laws regulating peoples' private behaviour.

There are also things which liberatarians and conservatives agree on for totally different reasons. Conservatives may oppose an action because they believe the action is immoral, while libertarians may oppose the same action because they don't think it's any of the government's business to regulate that action one way or another.

As for libertariains being booed off the stage at a Libertarian event, the Libertarian Party, though it gave itself the name "Libertarian" is something of an extreme lunatic fringe group, and tends to be an embarrassment to many who embrace the libertarian philosophy. Basically, the Libertarian Party about as much to do with the libertarian philosophy as the Democrat Party has to do with democracy, or the Republican Party does with preserving our nation as a republic.

Why are you still beating this liberal-progressive thing into the ground?

Why do you regard making casual drop-ins of a few words in a lengthy post as "beating this thing into the ground"? Lighten up. It amuses me to think of barsook going to all the trouble of keeping a running count of how many times I mention it, and it must amuse barsook or he'd have dropped it a while ago. And it seems that FightingIrish is another who can't manage to see anything other than those references.

 

[evnlee]

Lighten up. It amuses me to think of barsook going to all the trouble of keeping a running count of how many times I mention it, and it must amuse barsook or he'd have dropped it a while ago. And it seems that FightingIrish is another who can't manage to see anything other than those references.

You know, Liberace once sued a British tabloid that called him a "deadly, winking, sniggering, snuggling, chromium-plated, scent-impregnated, luminous, quivering, giggling, fruit-flavored, mincing, ice-covered heap of mother love".

Liberals can't abide the thought of being called out when they label themselves 'progressives' ( # 25 ) and I think they protest too much. It's just too bad the term 'liberal' is now deragatory, and they feel the need to make up a new term to hide behind

 

[FightingIrish]

• AAR does refer to itself as a "liberal" talk network. The generally accepted name for the format (which includes AAR programming) is progressive talk.
• Why are you still beating this liberal-progressive thing into the ground? You stated your position. People discussed it. What more do you want? (Could it be everyone MUST agree with you on everything?)
• Many AAR "affiliates" are smaller, automated operators and just take the network feed (with no local programming and no programming from other syndicators). This includes the smaller market stations and some in larger markets. *
• I agree that listing stations which only carry Hartmann is stretching things, since AAR does not consider him part of their network operation.
• From the beginning AAR has been obsessed with station count, with quantity over quality.
• This is all old news and has been discussed repeatedly on this board over the last two and a half years. Where have you been.
• You apparently are too lazy to look things up and get some facts; not too lazy to b*tch at length.
• Despite your name, your posts suggest you are a political groupie - not a radio person. You clearly don't understand the concept of networks or the network-station relationship in broadcasting.
• Your posts suggest your real complaint about AAR is ideological and has nothing to do with their business practices or on-air product. I have no problem with axe grinding, accompanied by full and truthful disclosure.

I don't think there are any stations nowadays that carry the entire schedule straight from AAR

Irish, you should do a little more homework on this one. (* See above)

I did. Even a lot of little latchkey operations drop a show or two or plug in something else. I did miss WWTQ in Memphis, which, it appears, is all-AAR for the time being, though they did have some local shows plugged in. Not sure what they run on weekends, where a lot of stations break away. I have to say, their website is pretty ridiculous looking considering they're owned by Entercom and located in a market the size of Memphis. (http://www.680wwtq.com/home)

KCCT in Corpus Christi, TX doesn't even have a website, so they may just do the whole schedule. They don't carry Schultz.

Are you personally aware of other affiliates that run the network 24/7? To answer your question, yes I did do my homework. Wanna know something interesting? The site I referenced earlier, http://ltradio.blogspot.com, is mine. I thought I'd throw it up there to give Radio Fantasist a hard-on. Speaking of...

perhaps you can tell me why so many conservative radio talkers call themselves "Libertarian".

They don't. They call themselves libertarian. The word "Libertarian" refers to a member of the Libertarian Party. The word "libertarian" refers to a political philosophy. Without going into great detail, the libertarian and conservative philosophies intersect on issues involving taxation, fiscal policy, and national defense. They diverge on issues pertaining to social morality. Those who are libertarians do not support the conservative agenda on things like stricter laws regulating peoples' private behaviour.

There are also things which liberatarians and conservatives agree on for totally different reasons. Conservatives may oppose an action because they believe the action is immoral, while libertarians may oppose the same action because they don't think it's any of the government's business to regulate that action one way or another.

As for libertariains being booed off the stage at a Libertarian event, the Libertarian Party, though it gave itself the name "Libertarian" is something of an extreme lunatic fringe group, and tends to be an embarrassment to many who embrace the libertarian philosophy. Basically, the Libertarian Party about as much to do with the libertarian philosophy as the Democrat Party has to do with democracy, or the Republican Party does with preserving our nation as a republic.

Why are you still beating this liberal-progressive thing into the ground?

Why do you regard making casual drop-ins of a few words in a lengthy post as "beating this thing into the ground"? Lighten up. It amuses me to think of barsook going to all the trouble of keeping a running count of how many times I mention it, and it must amuse barsook or he'd have dropped it a while ago. And it seems that FightingIrish is another who can't manage to see anything other than those references.

Reminds me of an old saying: "If you can't dazzle them with brilliance, baffle them with bulls--t!"

He's trying to argue the whole thing based on me capitalizing a word. Yeah, like I heard them capitalize them on the air. Sorry, you lose. And try to be a little more coherent next time.

BTW: A few "casual drop-ins" and you keep a running tally? ???

You know, Liberace once sued a British tabloid that called him a "deadly, winking, sniggering, snuggling, chromium-plated, scent-impregnated, luminous, quivering, giggling, fruit-flavored, mincing, ice-covered heap of mother love".

Liberals can't abide the thought of being called out when they label themselves 'progressives' ( # 25 ) and I think they protest too much. It's just too bad the term 'liberal' is now deragatory, and they feel the need to make up a new term to hide behind

Evelyn, why are you even here? Your only purpose on this board is to troll. You obviously don't know anything about radio except for the stuff Limbaugh and Hannity tell you to believe. Mega dittoes!

[EDIT].


[EDIT=ad hominem]

 

[raccoonradio]

I recently noted on AAR's stations list that WDEV in Waterbury VT was mentioned (actually listed as Montpelier)

>>Montpelier/Barre/St Johnsbury, VT - WDEV-AM 550

http://www.wdevradio.com/

They do not carry a single program from Air America or any other nationally syndicated "progressive" programs and to the best of my knowledge have not or will not. Note the absence on that site of the AAR logo, or
"progressive talk" talking points, or any programming like Franken, Rhodes, Schulz, Steph Miller (not AAR
but progtalk) etc. So why does AAR list them on their site?

 

[FightingIrish]

I recently noted on AAR's stations list that WDEV in Waterbury VT was mentioned (actually listed as Montpelier)
Montpelier/Barre/St Johnsbury, VT - WDEV-AM 550

. They do not carry a single
program from Air America or any other nationally syndicated "progressive" programs and to the best of
my knowledge have not or will not. (A regional show "True North" might be leftist but it's not from AAR, etc.)

I think they carried Thom Hartmann at one time (I have them listed as a secondary outlet on my site). I just checked WDEV's site and don't see any reference to him, so I'm not sure if they still do. ???

 

[raccoonradio]

Yes I think they did have Hartmann, though I believe he wasn't an AAR product at the time and still may not be.

Meanwhile an intriguing post from the WVAA board (1390 Burl VT, WDEV's sister station. Will have to check this out:

" 8/17/06--Interesting that I / we find out that the must listen to talk radio programming in the Champlain Valley is moving back down the dial (AND being cut back to only 'daylight' hours), from a small artical in in the Free Press talking about ESPN radio programming. What's the line up going to be when the change goes into effect??"

Does that mean AAR is going to WDEV after all...? Will have to check out the B. Free Press online to find out more.

 

[raccoonradio]

update: Burlington Free Press reports AAR is moving back to AM 1070 in that area (daytime only) while WVAA
1390 goes to ESPN and local sports...see Vermont board for details

 

[FightingIrish]

update: Burlington Free Press reports AAR is moving back to AM 1070 in that area (daytime only) while WVAA
1390 goes to ESPN and local sports...see Vermont board for details

I put that up on my blog this morning. Sounds like they wanted to expand sports and bring in local play-by-play (which can be very lucrative).

 

[evnlee]

update: Burlington Free Press reports AAR is moving back to AM 1070 in that area (daytime only) while WVAA
1390 goes to ESPN and local sports...see Vermont board for details

I put that up on my blog this morning. Sounds like they wanted to expand sports and bring in local play-by-play (which can be very lucrative).

ahhh yes...the everpresent lucrative local play by play

sooo...I guess that the play by play for those huge Vermont Lake Monsters, or that storied sports college, the UVM catamounts is a better sell then Err America

I guess high school football garners more ad billing then AAR. Makes sense!

 

[FightingIrish]

update: Burlington Free Press reports AAR is moving back to AM 1070 in that area (daytime only) while WVAA
1390 goes to ESPN and local sports...see Vermont board for details

I put that up on my blog this morning. Sounds like they wanted to expand sports and bring in local play-by-play (which can be very lucrative).

ahhh yes...the everpresent lucrative local play by play

sooo...I guess that the play by play for those huge Vermont Lake Monsters, or that storied sports college, the UVM catamounts is a better sell then Err America

I guess high school football garners more ad billing then AAR. Makes sense!

You'd be surprised.

Local play-by-play programming can be pretty lucrative. I worked on-air at a small-market FM station once that aired local Div II college sports (never mind that we had an AM in the building - the 100,000 watt FM rocker commanded bigger bucks for football, and the occasional basketball and hockey games). As it was explained to me, there is big money in this, and much more than any syndicated talk programming. There's a reason stations air local play-by-play.

I'm sure they found that there was the opportunity to rake in dough with local games. Of course, teams play mostly at night, so that prompted the switch. And right before the school year, too.

Of course, if you ever worked in radio, you'd understand this.

 

[evnlee]

update: Burlington Free Press reports AAR is moving back to AM 1070 in that area (daytime only) while WVAA
1390 goes to ESPN and local sports...see Vermont board for details

I put that up on my blog this morning. Sounds like they wanted to expand sports and bring in local play-by-play (which can be very lucrative).

ahhh yes...the everpresent lucrative local play by play

sooo...I guess that the play by play for those huge Vermont Lake Monsters, or that storied sports college, the UVM catamounts is a better sell then Err America

I guess high school football garners more ad billing then AAR. Makes sense!

You'd be surprised.


Of course, if you ever worked in radio, you'd understand this.

not surprised that any sports, even in a small market, would generate more $$$ then AAR

I don't know about small markets, I've only worked for 2 stations in Atlanta, the # 10 market!! I'll take your word for what passes as 'lucrative billing' in po-dunk!

Please biggie size my fries and drink, FI!

 

[Radio_Realist]

He's trying to argue the whole thing based on me capitalizing a word. Yeah, like I heard them capitalize them on the air. Sorry, you lose. And try to be a little more coherent next time.

The thing is, capitalizing that particular word makes it a proper noun and refers to members of a political party. One has to actually check off the appropriate party affiliation block on one's voter registration card to be an official "Libertarian". I thought I explained the difference between being someone who believed in a particular philosophy and someone who was a registered member of an organization. Didn't you understand the difference?

BTW: A few "casual drop-ins" and you keep a running tally?

No, keeping the running tally is barsook's responsibility. I was just trying to be a nice guy and help him out.

 

[OhioMediaWatch]

I believe WDEV was indeed one of Hartmann's first pre-AAR affilates, when he was syndicating on his own from up there.

And the sports format on 1390 in Burlington does make sense. Play-by-play of ANY sort makes a lot of money for stations even when you don't think it would. Local high school and college sports, primarily.

 

[raccoonradio]

>>those huge Vermont Lake Monsters

Yes--I was at one of their games recently, me and about 1,200 other folks ...right now VLM games are on
WEAV 960/WXZO 96.7, from across the lake in NY, but if they wound up on the new WCAT 1390 it would make sense (next yr maybe?)...as the sticks for the 1390 are in the Intervale section of N. Burlington, not far from
Centennial Field. (If you got on Colchester Ave/US 2 & 7--from the ballpark and drove maybe a mile or so into
Winooski, you'd be at the waterfall I was at during the trip...and what was then WVAA was all over the dial of my portable, as the towers were nearby). Certainly could be picked up by those at the game, though so can
960/96.7...