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Myron Baloney Update

> > The only non-PSA local spots I remember hearing in recent
> > months have been in the Traffic.com slots.
> >
> > Every other non-PSA spot I hear is (Jones) network.
>
> Are you listening to the broadcast signal at 1190 AM, or on
> the Internet?

1190 -- how else would I be hearing the traffic reports?

There's just no local advertising outside the Traffic.com slots.<P ID="signature">______________
also known as tombetz.</P>
 
Re: Traffic Update

> The radio mindset is that it's more important
> for the listener to think we do traffic than to do traffic
> well. Besides, the key consideration is the money the
> station gets for running the traffic reports anyway.

Do AAR even get money for running the traffic reports?

I wouldn't be surprised to find that it's a straight barter deal with Traffic.com, traffic reports for three minutes (though I haven't timed it) of adjacent air time.<P ID="signature">______________
also known as tombetz.</P>
 
Re: AAR's Business Model

> No, there's a third scenerio, which even Maloney, that
> full-time AAR basher, is peddling: that the new owners of
> WLIB (if there are new owners) will keep the libtalk format
> and some, but not all of the AAR shows.

I think your key word there is "some".

If indeed Randy Michaels/P1/etc. are involved in a new LMA of WLIB starting 4/1, some things could likely be assumed if the station keeps libtalk:

* Jones' liberal talk shows will get clearance in NYC for the first time, Ed Schultz especially. This could be bad news for AAR's Randi Rhodes, as a Randy Michaels/P1-led LMA group would certainly place their own show live in afternoon drive.

* This presents an interesting dilemma, as Rhodes may well have gotten some decent numbers in afternoon drive on WLIB, if you believe some of the various numbers that have leaked out from AAR and others.

Do ANY of the AAR shows stay on WLIB, or do they move to another signal? Remember, with a new LMA group, they're not running the show - they're dealing with a new operator who can run or not run whatever shows they want.

My point, I guess, is that it appears somewhat unlikely that full-time AAR programming will air on a single signal in NYC after 4/1, if this news is true. AAR's full-time 24/7 model puts it as an anachronism in radio. In NYC, stations that do that are insignificant players (WSNR/Sporting News Radio, etc.).

-OA<P ID="signature">______________
Ohio Media Watch - <a target="_blank" href=http://ohiomedia.blogspot.com>http://ohiomedia.blogspot.com</a></P>
 
> 1190 -- how else would I be hearing the traffic reports?

WLIB has a live/local stream at <a target="_blank" href=http://www.1190wlib.com/>http://www.1190wlib.com/</a>, a website put up by local management there a few months back. Last time I heard it, they did run the traffic and local news updates on the stream. This is a different stream than the Air America feed.

> There's just no local advertising outside the Traffic.com
> slots.

That well may be true. But AAR does have a local sales manager at WLIB, and that'd be at least one "employee" affected by the change rumored to be happening in April.

-OA<P ID="signature">______________
Ohio Media Watch - <a target="_blank" href=http://ohiomedia.blogspot.com>http://ohiomedia.blogspot.com</a></P>
 
BTW, the self-proclaimed persecuted one has decided to post a link to this board on his Unequalizer site. He claims he is under attack by the "unhinged" crowd (he needs to pay Hannity a few cents royalty everytime he uses one of his catchphrases.)

The attacker is supposedly the attacked. It's always the same with these people. Hysterically rant about something, complain when someone calls them on it, state they are being persecuted, and then beg for cash by asking people to click click click click on those Amazon links. The victim mentality at work. Supposedly he needs the money for his "investigations." Well, that and the fact he doesn't seem to be doing anything else with his day.

I also notice his Photoshop fun with Franken is starting to come close to the edge of being anti-semitic, when it does make sense. He also has slapped Franken's face on Iranian currency. Whatever.
 
> > 1190 -- how else would I be hearing the traffic reports?
>
> WLIB has a live/local stream at http://www.1190wlib.com/, a
> website put up by local management there a few months back.
> Last time I heard it, they did run the traffic and local
> news updates on the stream.

Ah. The last time I heard it (just after they put it up) it was still running the standard AAR network feed, with no local shows (like Leftovers, which I very much enjoy). I'm happy to hear that this situation has changed.<P ID="signature">______________
also known as tombetz.</P>
 
Re: AAR's Business Model

> My point, I guess, is that it appears somewhat unlikely that
> full-time AAR programming will air on a single signal in NYC
> after 4/1, if this news is true. AAR's full-time 24/7 model
> puts it as an anachronism in radio. In NYC, stations that
> do that are insignificant players (WSNR/Sporting News Radio,
> etc.).

Of course, stations like WEPN, the supposed flagship for ESPN Radio, clears plenty of local content as well as Premiere's Jim Rome on delay, unlike the vast majority of ESPN affiliates NOT owned by the network that run the thing as a turnkey operation.

WOR, as I mentioned above, is probably the closest thing (of any significance) to such an operation in NYC, seeing that they clear every WOR network show sans perhaps a few weekend shows, and fill the rest of the time with time paid for by other syndicators.

"The WOR Network"... basically a bunch of shows heard on WOR.
 
Re: AAR's Business Model

> Of course, stations like WEPN, the supposed flagship for
> ESPN Radio, clears plenty of local content as well as
> Premiere's Jim Rome on delay, unlike the vast majority of
> ESPN affiliates NOT owned by the network that run the thing
> as a turnkey operation.

And indeed, ESPN knows full well that they couldn't mount WEPN as a 24/7 repeater of their network. Does the phrase "road kill" mean anything? They wouldn't be able to get a FRACTION of a share out of WFAN with a full network schedule.

> "The WOR Network"... basically a bunch of shows heard on
> WOR.

In a way, AAR is very nearly "The WLIB Network", which may be the only reason it draws any ratings at all on 1190.

In a market which eschews programming that is not based there, AAR made a big deal about being based in New York City. And Brooklyn native Randi Rhodes still carries an accent and attitude that screams New York, despite her many years in Florida (though to be fair, South Florida is at times considered New York City's most southern borough).

While AAR has apparently thrown around money like it was penny candy, and doesn't really seem to have much business sense, that may have been a decision they stumbled into and got lucky with. If AAR had been based anywhere else, it would have been an asterisk in the NYC local ratings.

-OA<P ID="signature">______________
Ohio Media Watch - <a target="_blank" href=http://ohiomedia.blogspot.com>http://ohiomedia.blogspot.com</a></P>
 
AAR: The Harvard B School Case Study

I am looking forward to the day Harvard's Business School takes a good hard (non-political) look at Air America's so-called "business model."

Some predictions on what they'll say:

- These people never had a real business model; just "good intentions." They operated with a public sector/non-profit mentality and culture - not a business mind-set and culture.

- Their "network" model had already been tried and failed (by ABC) in the early 80's. Then, as now, this model condemns a program provider to mostly marginal stations.

- The "network" model was replaced by Ed McLaughlin's syndication model, which is the industry standard: Find a successful local host, get some satellite time, and sell the program/host (not the "network" brand) to the strongest stations you can get. Keep upgrading stations and time slots.

- Alternatively, there is the Salem model. Use a cash cow (in this case a brokered preaching format) to buy under-valued stations, and use a talk network to program your own stations (other stations are gravy). The real money in this business is in stations - not in providing programming. Salem does have one marketable host, Mike Gallagher, and for his program they fall back on the syndication model. ESPN Radio operates under a the Salem model but with an established network "brand." Like Salem, they fall back on the syndication model to sell their stronger individual shows/hosts to established sports talk stations in larger markets. And like Salem, they also use the network to provide programming to major market stations they own.

I am surprised at how the immediate reaction of many people on this board and the New York board is to call for Air America to "buy" (meaning LMA) another New York station. The numbers published so far suggest WLIB has been a cash drain. But since they don't think like business people, and they may start thinking "we've got to do something!!" - they could go ahead and do it anyway. In all likelihood they will end up over-paying to lease a struggling ethnic station at the high-end of the band hardly anybody can receive.

Biggest concern: New WLIB management goes Urban Talk and picks up Radio One's "network."

Best hope: New WLIB management goes libtalk on the model of the Clear Channel libtalkers and AA still clears Franken, Rhodes (delayed) and maybe Malloy gets back on in New York. It's likely than Rhodes may play better than Schultz in New York PM Drive, but Randy Michaels may have other considerations here.
 
Re: AAR: The Harvard B School Case Study

The point that is being overlooked is that the reason the LMA thing didn't work out was not because it was a failed idea, but because radio stations want too much money for them and AAR didn't have that kind of money to throw around after one of the founders turned out to be cooking the books, as it were. I wouldn't make this into much af a case study. You would need to really look at the network model that existed for more than 1 month to make any real connections.

I think it is actually a great idea, if you have the money. You play all your national ads all over the nation. You run the stations (all c's and D's) on a shoestring with a little weather channel local weather and your own top of the hour news. The only issue is with getting the LMA's which cost too much, even for little C and D stations. So, won't work. This is a money issue- not a concept issue. If and when the dollar an hour preachers and infomercials decide to go to the i-network et cetera and LPTV stations then these little stations will be begging for an LMA just to keep the station on the air. Not to mention when the MBA sons and doughters of today's Ford dealers take over the Business and decide Dad's 20 year commitment to 1000W WEAK is not in their best interests.

> I am looking forward to the day Harvard's Business School
> takes a good hard (non-political) look at Air America's
> so-called "business model."
>
> Some predictions on what they'll say:
>
> - These people never had a real business model; just "good
> intentions." They operated with a public sector/non-profit
> mentality and culture - not a business mind-set and culture.
>
>
> - Their "network" model had already been tried and failed
> (by ABC) in the early 80's. Then, as now, this model
> condemns a program provider to mostly marginal stations.
>
> - The "network" model was replaced by Ed McLaughlin's
> syndication model, which is the industry standard: Find a
> successful local host, get some satellite time, and sell the
> program/host (not the "network" brand) to the strongest
> stations you can get. Keep upgrading stations and time
> slots.
>
> - Alternatively, there is the Salem model. Use a cash cow
> (in this case a brokered preaching format) to buy
> under-valued stations, and use a talk network to program
> your own stations (other stations are gravy). The real
> money in this business is in stations - not in providing
> programming. Salem does have one marketable host, Mike
> Gallagher, and for his program they fall back on the
> syndication model. ESPN Radio operates under a the Salem
> model but with an established network "brand." Like Salem,
> they fall back on the syndication model to sell their
> stronger individual shows/hosts to established sports talk
> stations in larger markets. And like Salem, they also use
> the network to provide programming to major market stations
> they own.
>
> I am surprised at how the immediate reaction of many people
> on this board and the New York board is to call for Air
> America to "buy" (meaning LMA) another New York station.
> The numbers published so far suggest WLIB has been a cash
> drain. But since they don't think like business people, and
> they may start thinking "we've got to do something!!" - they
> could go ahead and do it anyway. In all likelihood they
> will end up over-paying to lease a struggling ethnic station
> at the high-end of the band hardly anybody can receive.
>
> Biggest concern: New WLIB management goes Urban Talk and
> picks up Radio One's "network."
>
> Best hope: New WLIB management goes libtalk on the model of
> the Clear Channel libtalkers and AA still clears Franken,
> Rhodes (delayed) and maybe Malloy gets back on in New York.
> It's likely than Rhodes may play better than Schultz in New
> York PM Drive, but Randy Michaels may have other
> considerations here.
>
 
First on the beach always takes the bullets...

>
> - Their "network" model had already been tried and failed
> (by ABC) in the early 80's. Then, as now, this model
> condemns a program provider to mostly marginal stations.
>
But ABC put satellite dishes in hundreds of radio stations for the first time. Ed McLaughlin's success in Rush would not have been as easily accomplished without the infrastructure ABC Talkradio put in place. Ed M. used the ABC Talk channel (DATS 18, later SEDAT 54) when he launched Rush in 1988.

Many of the ABC Talkradio affiliates were anything but marginal. In fact, they are among the leaders in talk radio to this day in their respective markets
(WOKV Jacksonville, WERC Birmingham, WGOW Chattanooga for example). ABC Talkradio introduced the full-time talk radio format to many sub-Top 50 markets, where it had previously been unviable due to the cost of staffing a fulltime talker.

> - The "network" model was replaced by Ed McLaughlin's
> syndication model, which is the industry standard: Find a
> successful local host, get some satellite time, and sell the
> program/host (not the "network" brand) to the strongest
> stations you can get. Keep upgrading stations and time
> slots.

But the problem confronting progressive talk is like the one that confronted
talk radio of any sort in 1982: How do you get stations to make the leap to a whole-new format with only a show or two available? If ABC Talkradio hadn't been there in 1982, probably Rush would have had fewer affiliates on which to launch his show six years later.

Hostility from conservative listeners has already doomed liberal talk on conservative stations, a point first identified cogently by Jon Sinton. Therefore, prog-talk must stand on its own frequencies, not on scraps from the GOP-Talk label.

>
> - Alternatively, there is the Salem model. Use a cash cow
> (in this case a brokered preaching format) to buy
> under-valued stations, and use a talk network to program
> your own stations (other stations are gravy). The real
> money in this business is in stations - not in providing
> programming. Salem does have one marketable host, Mike
> Gallagher, and for his program they fall back on the
> syndication model. ESPN Radio operates under a the Salem
> model but with an established network "brand." Like Salem,
> they fall back on the syndication model to sell their
> stronger individual shows/hosts to established sports talk
> stations in larger markets. And like Salem, they also use
> the network to provide programming to major market stations
> they own.

Actually, ESPN has been leaning away from larger sports talkers and toward affiliations with smaller groups and weaker stations in order to clear its product. An example is the Genesis group in Florida, which consists of two
crippled Class B's and a Class D with little possibility of adequate nighttime coverage.

>
> I am surprised at how the immediate reaction of many people
> on this board and the New York board is to call for Air
> America to "buy" (meaning LMA) another New York station.
> The numbers published so far suggest WLIB has been a cash
> drain. But since they don't think like business people, and
> they may start thinking "we've got to do something!!" - they
> could go ahead and do it anyway. In all likelihood they
> will end up over-paying to lease a struggling ethnic station
> at the high-end of the band hardly anybody can receive.

If they get on another New York station on this basis, they'll be bashed. If they don't, they'll get bashed. They need to stick to their own compass because the people offering "advice" are doing so from a hostile perspective, much like the crowd that yells at a man on a ledge, "Jump! Jump!"

>
> Biggest concern: New WLIB management goes Urban Talk and
> picks up Radio One's "network."
>
> Best hope: New WLIB management goes libtalk on the model of
> the Clear Channel libtalkers and AA still clears Franken,
> Rhodes (delayed) and maybe Malloy gets back on in New York.
> It's likely than Rhodes may play better than Schultz in New
> York PM Drive, but Randy Michaels may have other
> considerations here.
>
Little chance of a clearance for any AA shows in a non-LMA situation in New York, not because they lack merit, but because of the business model. So many small-time brokered stations, and the spot-driven stations are uniformly hostile no matter what the ratings are.

570--Salem
660--Sports
710--Owned by a conservative who seems to shy away from controversy unless he's paid to run a show (O' Reilly)
770--Conservative
820--Non-commercial
880--News. Makes millions. No reason to change.
1010--Ditto.
1050--ESPN Brand.
1130--Owned by Bloomberg. A REPUBLICAN politico.
1560--Radio Disney brand.

As you can see, the choices are few, in fact none. To be on in New York, one must LMA. Unless Infinity decides to blow up its AM's the way it has wrecked its FM's, that's the way it will stay in NYC. Perhaps a slot on HD, but I wouldn't bet on it, and advertisers would get very few ears for their money.
 
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