WDME 103.1 format flip

[CygnusX1]

Oops.

RIP Air America

(The network) expired nine weeks short of its sixth birthday, after waging a heroic battle against advertiser indifference and listener apathy.

LOL, "heroic". They were a network that almost nobody liked and almost nobody listened to, not because of their wackjob views but because most of their "talent" wasn't any good.

http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1955848,00.html?xid=rss-topstories

 

[ray ting]

As I was saying just recently...

http://www.rbr.com/radio/20354.html

 

[RSKaz]

Great news. Now, if someone would only bring progressive radio to Portland...

Was, tried, failed with 870/1470

That makes 6 talk stations in Bangor now if you count sports...the WZON's, WVOM, WEEI, and the 2 conservatalkers on 1340 and 1400

One can argue it failed due to lack of managerial direction, and a concerted sales effort, not for lack of format. Who knows what would have happened with the proper marketing.

 

[ray ting]

RSKaz -- Well, I suppose that the argument could be made that the world is flat, too.

But that doesn't change the reality that Air America's product just plain stunk. I'm not knocking or defending their political point of view. What I'm saying is that there were no compelling reasons for anyone to listen.

Marketing? Nope. Probably 99% of GM's and PD's knew of Air America, yet how many wanted to actually carry their programming on their stations? And on a local level, we'd be hard-pressed to find any Air America station in any market that consistently cracked a 1.5 share.

Bad radio is bad radio. Politics aside.

 

[RSKaz]

RSKaz -- Well, I suppose that the argument could be made that the world is flat, too.

But that doesn't change the reality that Air America's product just plain stunk. I'm not knocking or defending their political point of view. What I'm saying is that there were no compelling reasons for anyone to listen.

Marketing? Nope. Probably 99% of GM's and PD's knew of Air America, yet how many wanted to actually carry their programming on their stations? And on a local level, we'd be hard-pressed to find any Air America station in any market that consistently cracked a 1.5 share.

Bad radio is bad radio. Politics aside.

Indeed. One could argue the earth is flat. But then, conservative radio has a solid lock on that subject as well as birth certificates, death panels, Jim Crow, gold, and any number of "sky-is-falling" topics for the fearful.

I'll stick with my sources who have confirmed the attempt to bring progressive radio to Portland was half-hearted at best.

 

[ray ting]

Your first paragraph above is amusing and glib -- truly -- and I got an honest chuckle out of it.

But it points out the problem with "progressive" radio: You, just like the programmers of Air America, seem to put ideology ahead of audience attraction.

I won't argue with your inside information that 870/1470 went about airing the format half-heartedly. But that doesn't change the fact that the network failed to engage listeners not only in Portland, but in every market.

Again, I hope that someone -- somewhere -- comes up with a liberal/progressive talk format that works and can be syndicated. It would be great for radio.

But defending Air America only dooms radio to repeat the same mistake.

 

[allvetsnv]

The problem with Air America was no one listened! Left wing radio sucks and its boring. In Los Angeles KTLK 1150 has been on for a few years and sometimes doesn't even register in the ratings. The weak signaled Iranian station 670AM in the San Fernando valley has higher numbers. If liberal talk doesn't work in a hard core leftist city like LA it isn't going to work anywhere. I understand that Steven King has his leftist views so it understandable why he doesn't mind losing money on a format that will put you to sleep.