Posted on 01/28/2006 3:36:12 PM PST by Libloather
Radio station sale forces Air America to seek new home
Laura Newpoff
The Business Journal
From the January 20, 2006 print edition
One of the first things Bob Christy did when he found out his liberal talk radio station's format was changing to religious broadcasting was to offer his worried staff an exit strategy.
"I told them I'd give two-weeks pay to anyone who wanted to leave that day," Christy said. "But nobody did."
Christy is general manager of KXXT 1010-AM in Phoenix, home of the Air America Radio format since September 2004.
The station was acquired in October, part of a three-station deal, and KXXT's format was expected to change Feb. 1.
The employees are hanging on because they hope Christy can get a deal done to buy a new station to keep Air America alive in the Valley.
"I'm working on putting together a deal for a new home for Air America," said Christy, who was behind the launch of the programming in Phoenix. "It's been consuming a lot of my time, and there's been wonderful support from clients. I'm doing this on my own. I'm putting my own personal finances on the line."
KXXT, the local KXEG 1280-AM religious station and a station in West Palm Beach, Fla., were sold by Phoenix-based James Crystal Enterprises for $20 million to Denver-based Communicom Broadcasting, which specializes in religious programming.
Christy said the Feb. 1 format change date may be delayed.
The potential loss of Air America in Phoenix would create a void for liberals who want an alternative to the conservative radio voices of Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity. Air America made its national debut in March 2004 as the first commercial liberal talk-radio network with controversial hosts such as Al Franken and Randi Rhodes.
Christy said there's no conspiracy behind KXXT's purchase even though many Web blogs have suggested Arizona's conservative community didn't want Air America around leading up to an election year. The change at KXXT will result in nine Christian radio stations in the Phoenix market.
John Craft, a professor at Arizona State University's Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communications, said Phoenix is a "very conservative" radio market, and it's healthy to have a balance of programs that cater to different points of view.
"The reason Rush Limbaugh does so well is that older people listen to the radio, and in most markets, older people tend to be more conservative than younger people," Craft said. "Phoenix has a high older demographic. A lot of people who live in east Mesa or Sun City listen to talk radio that tends to be very conservative. That doesn't mean you shouldn't have anything but that."
Christy said the sale of the station "doesn't have anything to do with politics" but simply was a business decision.
Communicom is a venture of Rich Kylberg, an investor who for decades has bought and sold radio stations. Communicom currently operates WLNO-AM, which airs religious broadcasting in the New Orleans market.
Executives from Communicom could not be reached for comment.
When he took over KXXT, Christy said the station didn't register in terms of revenue and wasn't even in the ratings book. But after nine months, it became profitable and jumped to No. 3 in local AM station ratings. The format combines Air America's national lineup mixed with local talk show hosts such as Charles Goyette.
Launching the station, Christy saw an opportunity to counter the five conservative talk stations in Phoenix and provide a voice to the "other side of local and national concerns."
ASU's Craft said radioshould be a free marketplace of ideas. "If you have all different kinds of political and religious programming and all kinds of philosophies out there, then the public should be able to find what they are interested in," he said. "But everything's for sale if the price is right."
According to The Project for Excellence in Journalism's State of the News Media report in 2004, despite early financial and technical difficulties, Air America has turned things around by securing funding, signing high-profile advertisers and expanding its presence into what now stands at about 70 radio stations.
The report also credits Air America for drumming up publicity through hosts such as Franken and Janeane Garofalo, who have beaten some of their conservative counterparts, such as Bill O'Reilly, in the ratings.
As for KXXT, 10 full-time employees hang in the balance as Christy scrambles to find a new station.
"This is a viable business," he said. "This is an example of a little local business that can be really profitable and important in the community."
Get connected
KXXT-AM: www.kxxt1010.com.
They probably figured that one more or one fewer Value Meal didn't make that much of a difference anyway.
I almost - I said, "almost" - feel sorry for this poor, dumb sap who's putting his personal finances into keeping AirHeadAmerica going. Idjit.
Not sure what the ratings are like in Phoenix. I tried listining to it a couple of times, but I found the jokes actually, well, evil.
The Fall Arbitron book just came out 1/17/06 for Phoenix. KXXT-AM had a 1.2 (12+ audience) which placed the station 25th in the market. Not very good.
The Fall Arbitron book just came out 1/17/06 for Phoenix. KXXT-AM had a 1.2 (12+ audience) which placed the station 25th in the market. Not very good.
They still don't understand that the shrill Socialist bleating coming from the mainstream 5th column rags simply doesn't play outside of a few loony liberal enclaves.
Rush was saying how one AA affiliate had to pay the station, rather than the station pay them, to broadcast. LOL!
On that note:
"The reason Rush Limbaugh does so well is that older people listen to the radio, and in most markets, older people tend to be more conservative than younger people,"
They cannot grasp how wrong they are, and cannot fathom that most of the American electorate has rejected their message.
The reason Rush does so well is that Rush does so well.
Stuff that in your pipe and smoke it, comrade!
"The reason Rush Limbaugh does so well is that older people listen to the radio, and in most markets, older people tend to be more conservative than younger people," Craft said. "Phoenix has a high older demographic. A lot of people who live in east Mesa or Sun City listen to talk radio that tends to be very conservative. That doesn't mean you shouldn't have anything but that."
They don't even have their premises right. Hell, more "older people" that I know lean lib b/c they're all afraid they're not gonna get their precious prescription medications and SS benefits. So many mortgage their own kids' futures in elections for selfish reasons.
This Air America thing has been quite entertaining and amusing I must say.
What is this? Al in a condom? Seems appropriate...
Anytime you see Bill O'Ego mentioned as a conservative, anything else mentioned in the article is equally suspect. I notice they make no mention of Stuart Smally and Garbarfalo beating Hannitty, much less Rush, in ratings.
Huh? Whaa?? Please, tell me the West Palm Beach station that carries Err Amerika is going religious....that would sooooooooooooo funny.
"The reason Rush Limbaugh does so well is that older people listen to the radio, and in most markets, older people tend to be more conservative than younger people," Craft said.
That's because their much more wiser and smarter.
Did someone shoot the messenger?
Rob Glaser, founder and CEO of RealNetworks, Inc.
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