Good News... "Air America" is Really on its Last Legs!

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Good News... "Air America" is Really on its Last Legs!

Posted: 5/12/2004 9:28:38 PM EDT

... or so it would seem.

www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1134488/posts

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Air America has shut its sales offices in Los Angeles and Chicago and is recasting its business plan, the network's president said on Wednesday as troubles beset the liberal talk show network.

With Air America not broadcasting in those two cities after a financial dispute in April, network president Jon Sinton said, "There's not much sense in having sales offices in cities where you don't control a station."

About 15 to 20 people were laid off in the closing of the sales offices, the latest sign of problems for Air America, launched on March 31 as a liberal alternative to the country's predominantly conservative talk show culture led by right-wing icons like Rush Limbaugh.

Since it started, Chairman Evan Cohen, Vice Chairman Rex Sorensen and Head of Programing David Logan have left while co-founder Mark Walsh has stepped down as chief executive to take a smaller role in the organization.

Sinton said Air America was in "high-level affiliate discussions in Chicago and Los Angeles" and other cities.

Sinton said the company had moved away from its original business model, which was to lease and totally control the radio stations in which its programing ran.

Rather, Sinton said Air America has found success with traditional affiliate relationships, under which it provides about 20 hours of programing per day in many cases in exchange for the ability to sell a certain number of minutes per hour of advertising.

"The business model has changed with our on-air success. The fact that we are moving the needle so quickly with affiliates has surprised us and negated the need for us to control our own stations," Sinton said.

After its launch, a dispute with business partner Multicultural Radio Broadcasting led to its programing being yanked from the air in Chicago and Los Angeles.

Air America, which is said to have more than $30 million in financing, is operating in about nine markets, and on satellite radio and the Internet. Its Web site said that 15 more stations will be coming in May.

"We're always looking for new financing, but the investors we have are committed and we would we like to raise more money," said Sinton, who said that certain people on the board with long-term radio experience have recently taken over key decision-making roles in a departure from the past.

Serious errors in business judgment account for Air America's problems, rather than its slate of programing, say various radio industry insiders.

"It makes you wonder why everybody is leaving the company," said Michael Harrison, editor for Talkers, a magazine about Talk Shows.

"I think the concept of liberal radio is great, but they went about it wrong. They first insisted that stations take an entire line-up. The odds of getting enough stations to take a whole line-up are so impossible."

Posted: 5/12/2004 9:40:37 PM EDT

[#1]

Wasn't there a movie by the same title, "Air America"?

Gibson?

Seem to remember a plane, crashed into the top of a tree, about to fall to the ground.

Regardless, that's the story of this latest liberal flop.

Posted: 5/12/2004 9:42:46 PM EDT

[#2]

Barely 2 months. I knew it would fail, but never imagined it would die so quickly.

Next: Al Gore's retarded cable news network.

Posted: 5/12/2004 9:44:34 PM EDT

[#3]

I have listened to this station off and on trying to get an idea of what they are thinking. One thing I notice that is differant between them and the conservation radio programs. On the conservative programs they have actual commercials where someone is selling a product like beds are vitamins. WHile on Air AMerica all the ads seem to be public service announcements or feel good ads.

They can not exist for long that way

Posted: 5/12/2004 9:47:25 PM EDT

[#4]

Posted: 5/12/2004 9:48:46 PM EDT

[#5]

They wanted access to the airwaves but didn't want to pay for it.

They wanted nothing less than full-day scheduling with full control - basically a monopoly on the stations carrying the show.

Liberalism to a "T".

Check this out:

Liberal radio is airing bad jokes and worst taste

The United States "is on the slippery slope to theocratic fascism." "The Catholic Church has been secretly encouraging oral sex for years."

Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld "ought to be tortured." President Bush should be taken out and shot.

Those are a few nutso nuggets from the hosts of Air America Radio, which calls itself the new liberal voice. The fledgling network is carried in New York on WLIB, 1190 AM.
.
.
.
.
During a day of torture by radio, I heard ads for Hewlett-Packard, Greyhound and, especially, General Motors. I asked GM why it appeared in such shows.

Ryndee Carney, GM's manager of marketing communications, said the ads were wrongly picked up from an earlier deal with WLIB. She said the station was ordered to "cease and desist" yesterday, and added: "GM will not advertise on any Air America affiliates."

One of their major advertisers in the largest market in the nation (New York City) is dumping them.

Posted: 5/12/2004 9:49:26 PM EDT

[#6]

Quoted:
I have listened to this station off and on trying to get an idea of what they are thinking. One thing I notice that is differant between them and the conservation radio programs. On the conservative programs they have actual commercials where someone is selling a product like beds are vitamins. WHile on Air AMerica all the ads seem to be public service announcements or feel good ads.

They can not exist for long that way

I cant even listen to right-wing talk radio. It's nothing BUT ads. They talk for 5 minutes and then "We've got to go to a commercial".

Posted: 5/12/2004 9:58:07 PM EDT

[#7]

Quoted:
Quoted:
I have listened to this station off and on trying to get an idea of what they are thinking. One thing I notice that is differant between them and the conservation radio programs. On the conservative programs they have actual commercials where someone is selling a product like beds are vitamins. WHile on Air AMerica all the ads seem to be public service announcements or feel good ads.

They can not exist for long that way

I cant even listen to right-wing talk radio. It's nothing BUT ads. They talk for 5 minutes and then "We've got to go to a commercial".

I know, that's my point.

BUSH SELLS STUFF!!!!

Posted: 5/12/2004 9:59:31 PM EDT

[#8]

Air America originally was a CIA front company/paramilitary organization. They did 'special' work with aircraft for the CIA during/before Vietnam. The libs HATED everything about it, just like they hated/hate the regular CIA.

There was a movie made about this, titled (oddly enough) 'Air America'...

Now, they name their 'World Saving Radio Network' after a semi-official anticommunist CIA front org...

Posted: 5/12/2004 10:00:49 PM EDT

[#9]

I had a fealing it would fail. Who wants to listen to a bunch of communists spout off on how they hate bush and love kerry.

Posted: 5/12/2004 10:09:13 PM EDT

[#10]

Quoted:
I had a fealing it would fail. Who wants to listen to a bunch of communists spout off on how they hate bush and love kerry.

Im sure the conseratives who listen to Rush pay attention. How many libs would pay attention, if they wanted anyone to listen they would need something to keep them entertained. How many people out there listened to it and switched the station becuase they dont want to hear about Bush they want celebrity news.

While Conserative radio listeners probaly want to hear something useful.

Posted: 5/13/2004 12:05:05 AM EDT

[#11]

Wouldn't the biggest problem with liberal radio be that the vast majority of their ideas don't hold water when scrutinized? Emotion will only take you so far in an argument, at which point you better come up with some logical reasoning or callers will pick you apart. Outside the abortion issue I've yet to see any liberal tenet that made sense when broken down logically.
But I do agree that conservative talk radio has waaay to many commercials.

Posted: 5/13/2004 7:11:02 AM EDT

[#12]

THAT is some funny shit! Certainly not unexpected though.

Even rich limosine liberals don't have enough money to prop up this loser station with its loser message.

They only appeal to a small minority of the electorate....admittably some of the craziest, whacked out loons on the planet, but a relatively small bunch. We all knew that it would take a huge infusion of seed capital to get them off the ground, THEN they would have to acquire ADVERTISERS! They did get a large chunck of money from Soros and a few others...but NO long-term open checkbook cash to keep them up for very lone.

They needed to get some big advertising $$$ fast to get the cash-flow going. Let's face it, no advertiser other than another loser liberal toon is going to give Air America any advertising cash because NOBODY listens to the station, and if nobody listens to the station (Except for the DU losers!), their product messages aren't being heard.

Air America was doomed from the start. Libs continue to believe that they are "mainstream" and moderates and that we are all crazy, right-wing neocons. They still think that the country will fall in line behind them to listen to their socialist trips. BS...and this proves it.

Posted: 5/13/2004 7:16:57 AM EDT

[#13]

Quoted:
Wouldn't the biggest problem with liberal radio be that the vast majority of their ideas don't hold water when scrutinized? Emotion will only take you so far in an argument, at which point you better come up with some logical reasoning or callers will pick you apart. Outside the abortion issue I've yet to see any liberal tenet that made sense when broken down logically.

I actually tried to listen to that stuff yesterday for a while. There were a couple of things I noticed while listening to Randi Rhodes. She mentioned how much she hated several conservatives whose names where mentioned and mentioned how much she hated one particular state in the great unwashed middle of the country that only had a few pockets of enlightened within it. Seems like a lot of hate to me.

It seems to me so much of liberalism stems from emotions or how something feels. If it feels good do it and it must be right. That goes for morality as well as policy. How can you justify your position simply with emotions and feelings? Basically I found it intellectually vapid. Radio lacks the ability to transfer feelings visually requiring reasoning as it's means. Unfortunately for the libs most of their arguments fail the test of reason and logic.

Posted: 5/13/2004 7:32:19 AM EDT

[#14]

Quoted:
THAT is some funny shit! Certainly not unexpected though.

Even rich limosine liberals don't have enough money to prop up this loser station with its loser message.

They only appeal to a small minority of the electorate....admittably some of the craziest, whacked out loons on the planet, but a relatively small bunch. We all knew that it would take a huge infusion of seed capital to get them off the ground, THEN they would have to acquire ADVERTISERS! They did get a large chunck of money from Soros and a few others...but NO long-term open checkbook cash to keep them up for very lone.

They needed to get some big advertising $$$ fast to get the cash-flow going. Let's face it, no advertiser other than another loser liberal toon is going to give Air America any advertising cash because NOBODY listens to the station, and if nobody listens to the station (Except for the DU losers!), their product messages aren't being heard.

Air America was doomed from the start. Libs continue to believe that they are "mainstream" and moderates and that we are all crazy, right-wing neocons. They still think that the country will fall in line behind them to listen to their socialist trips. BS...and this proves it.

The biggest indicator that it would fail:

Like many liberal ideas, it involves force-starting the entire thing...

Libs are a big believer in 'If you build it, they will come'.

They built it, no one came.

Anyone with business sense could have told them that you can't just manufacture a phenomenon, you can't create a market. But libs & business sense don't mix...

Contrast this to conservative talk radio, which started off as a local phenomenon & then took off when people realized how much of a market there was for it...

Posted: 5/13/2004 7:34:11 AM EDT

[#15]

If I understand the beginnings of Rush correct, he started out in a small market and just grew as the demand for his show grew - just like growing any other business. From what I hear about "Air America", they felt like they could launch a nationwide program at the start. Bad move - BUT, whose to say these types know anything about business anyway

.

Besides, who need them? We already have NPR if you want to hear intellectual bashing of conservatives - they do an excellent job of it every day. They have the business model down right. They just sit and beg twice a year.

Posted: 5/13/2004 7:37:08 AM EDT

[#16]

The liberal maggots will just have to go back to subliminal messaging in crappy movies...

Posted: 5/13/2004 7:37:53 AM EDT

[#17]

I cant even listen to right-wing talk radio. It's nothing BUT ads. They talk for 5 minutes and then "We've got to go to a commercial".

Yea too bad basic economics are in effect and you actually have to make money so you can pay the employees, stations, and make a profit. I can see how Air America can’t compete in this environment where they are actually expected to produce a product people want to listen to and sponsors want to support.

DUH…

Conservative radio has commercials BECASE they have a abundance of listeners and therefore sponsors that will PAY for ad time.

Posted: 5/13/2004 7:38:28 AM EDT

[#18]

The best thing about Air America is that it gives Americans an opportunity to see Al Franken and Randi Rhodes for the moronic boobs they really are. If they represent the best of Liberalism, then they are the Right Wing's most effective tools for re-election and gaining new seats in congress. I'll take the playas over the whinas everytime.

Posted: 5/13/2004 7:50:04 AM EDT

[#19]

Their ship is sinking and the best they can say is, "Our business models were lacking, but our product is sound...."

Heheheh. Keep dreaming.

Posted: 5/13/2004 8:10:34 AM EDT

[#20]

Quoted:
Their ship is sinking and the best they can say is, "Our business models were lacking, but our product is sound...."

Heheheh. Keep dreaming.

Even worse if your business models and products are based on failed careers.

Ben

Posted: 5/13/2004 8:13:33 AM EDT

[#21]

Quoted:
Quoted:
Their ship is sinking and the best they can say is, "Our business models were lacking, but our product is sound...."

Heheheh. Keep dreaming.

Even worse if your business models and products are based on failed careers.

Point.

Posted: 5/13/2004 8:57:27 AM EDT

[#22]

I think it could actually work. In the 70's and early 80's in Colorado, most of the talk show hosts were quite liberal.
They might have to tone it down for the ads, but if you look at the election numbers, there are a whole lot of liberals in this country.

Posted: 5/13/2004 11:37:56 AM EDT

[#23]

Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
Their ship is sinking and the best they can say is, "Our business models were lacking, but our product is sound...."

Heheheh. Keep dreaming.

Even worse if your business models and products are based on failed careers.

Point.

Start up the wrong way with too big of a area, pick the wrong audience, use terrible business models, deliver a terrible product, and too boot use a patriotic name to disguise propaganda that aims to take away our rights.....

Ben

Posted: 5/13/2004 11:52:30 AM EDT

[#24]

I have listened to Al Franken before and he is awful on the radio. He does much better in controlled enviroments like sketch comedy.

I still think liberal radio can work but Air America has too many faults with it.

Posted: 5/13/2004 11:54:53 AM EDT

[#25]

Quoted:
I think it could actually work. In the 70's and early 80's in Colorado, most of the talk show hosts were quite liberal.
They might have to tone it down for the ads, but if you look at the election numbers, there are a whole lot of liberals in this country.

Didn't one of those liberal talk show hosts (Alan Berg) get shot to death?

Posted: 5/13/2004 12:05:17 PM EDT

[#26]

Rush's parody on the Air America programs is great!!

Posted: 5/13/2004 1:12:08 PM EDT

[#27]

Quoted:
The biggest indicator that it would fail:

Like many liberal ideas, it involves force-starting the entire thing...

Libs are a big believer in 'If you build it, they will come'.

They built it, no one came.

Anyone with business sense could have told them that you can't just manufacture a phenomenon, you can't create a market. But libs & business sense don't mix...

Contrast this to conservative talk radio, which started off as a local phenomenon & then took off when people realized how much of a market there was for it...

One thing the left often claims: consumer demand is created by marketing. They think consumers are mindless twits who are controlled by rich fat cats and cleaver marketing people. They simply don't grasp the free market.

Posted: 5/13/2004 1:13:35 PM EDT

[#28]

Quoted:
I think it could actually work. In the 70's and early 80's in Colorado, most of the talk show hosts were quite liberal.
They might have to tone it down for the ads, but if you look at the election numbers, there are a whole lot of liberals in this country.

Liberals sometimes obain a local market, but don't seem capable of growing to a larger market share.

Posted: 5/13/2004 1:17:41 PM EDT

[#29]

Quoted:
Quoted:
I think it could actually work. In the 70's and early 80's in Colorado, most of the talk show hosts were quite liberal.
They might have to tone it down for the ads, but if you look at the election numbers, there are a whole lot of liberals in this country.

Liberals sometimes obain a local market, but don't seem capable of growing to a larger market share.

Remember, that the poll-percents include the non-caring Dems too (eg the unionites, minorities, & others who vote Dem not because they care (or even believe), but because the prevailing groupthink says so)...

Posted: 5/13/2004 1:26:39 PM EDT

[#30]

So Al Franken is back in the unemployment line?

He couldn't even get a REAL job and "Job Out" of Saturday Night Live

Posted: 5/13/2004 1:42:26 PM EDT

[#31]

How will the dumbasses in DUh blame THIS on Bush?

Posted: 5/13/2004 1:51:44 PM EDT

[#32]

They'll 'blame it on Bush' when the Secret Service puts the smackdown on Air America's Randi Rhodes for calling for the assassination of the President a few days ago - Liberal radio is airing bad jokes and worse taste

... The queen of venom, Randi Rhodes, followed Franken in the host slot. Her imitation of a cracker military type telling a soldier to “insert this fluorescent light bulb into that man’s buttocks” was revolting. She compared U.S. prisons in Iraq to the “Nazi gulag” and said, “The day I say thank you to Rumsfeld is the same day I’ll say thank you to the 12 people who raped me.”

Rock bottom came when she compared Bush and his family to the Corleones in the “Godfather” saga. “Like Fredo, somebody ought to take him out fishing and phuw,” she said, imitating the sound of gunfire.

Posted: 5/13/2004 2:05:07 PM EDT

[#33]

Quoted:
One thing the left often claims: consumer demand is created by marketing. They think consumers are mindless twits who are controlled by rich fat cats and cleaver marketing people. They simply don't grasp the free market.

Exactly. I remember being possessed of this exact idiocy when I was a leftist.

Posted: 5/13/2004 2:29:53 PM EDT

[#34]

Unfortunately it's still on in Minneapolis. I tried to listen to Franken for a few minutes today & that was truly painful because he is so lame. He is reduced to taking sound bites from Rush's show & dissecting them. He has a one sided argument criticizing Rush. Very pathetic.

I hope that he finds something else to do, preferably with his "comedy." He has said that, if this Air America doesn't work out, he's moving from NYC to Minnesota & running against our Republican senator in 4 years. He's originally from St. Louis Park, MN but he's just like Hillary, giving a bad name to carpetbagging. Given that MN is so ultraliberal, he should be able to buy his election, just like our Democratic senator, Mark Dayton, of Dayton's, Marshall Fields, & Hudsons wealth. IIRC, he dropped $25 million buying his way into the Senate.

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Good News... "Air America" is Really on its Last Legs!

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