Posted on 03/03/2006 8:37:21 PM PST by LdSentinal
While Air America Radio's loss of two affiliates in Phoenix and Missoula, Montana is generating news this week, the company itself probably hasn't been able to give either city a second thought.
Why? In a development sure to rip the heart right out of the liberal radio network's already ailing body, it appears extremely likely their leased New York City flagship station WLIB-AM will soon abandon Air America programming.
Even worse, litigation looks probable over the station's lease.
While the network's last day on WLIB isn't known for certain, an internal source providing backing documentation points to the end of March. At this time, Air America parent Piquant LLC has no firm back-up plan for where in the nation's largest radio market its programming will now air.
Some inside the firm are already referring to WLIB in the past tense.
Without WLIB, Air America faces an immediate, crushing blow. Worth perhaps 100 small markets combined, an on-air presence in New York City is absolutely vital to the company's survival. If an immediate and suitable replacement isn't found, the consequences would be dire.
What percentage of Air America's audience would disappear overnight, the Radio Equalizer can't say for sure. Could it be 40%? Fifty percent?
Taking control of Inner City Broadcasting Corporation (ICBC)- owned WLIB is said to be a consortium of industry heavyweights, including former Clear Channel executive Randy Michaels and Boston-based broadcast investment firm Alta Communications, in partnership with ICBC.
If they put Michael Savage on, maybe he could save it?
Maybe NPR or PBS will pick them up.
Savage may be too insane even for the lefties.
Hmmm, what's fifty percent of nothing?
My prediction of it lasting one year didn't come true, but, damn, I was close!
It stinks so much, it's either bad garbage or good cheese. (stole that from somewhere)
May the gapped-tooth maroon have as much success with his political endeavors.
Awww, that's sad.
Swordmaker, when I read about the lawsuit CBS radio filed against Howard Stern, I got thinking (and I'm probably the last one) about the future of broadcast commercial radio. The inroads of digitized music formats such as the iPod and Rio, and satellite (commercial free for now) radio, etc, I wonder how the revenue stream is. A lot of broadcast radio ad dollars flow in because of people on their way to places (by personal transport or by mass transit).
Whatever happened to the much ballyhooed Al Franken show? Remember when he was supposed to be a competitor to Rush Limbaugh? Also, whatever happened to that much ballyhooed "liberal radio" network the was supposed to be a counterbalance to conservative talk radio?
Libs don't listen to radio -- they're too busy talking to themselves.
Stick a fork in it...Heh, heh.
What percentage of listenership do they need to stay afloat --- and what % do they now have, I wonder. Did they really ever have a listenership?
I'm a conservative, but I can only take five minutes of Savage before I have a heart attack. I fantasize about locking my liberal brother in a room for 24 hours with Savage screaming in the background!
I listen to AA for entertainment... all the callers are little old ladies and unemployed AFL-CIO wannabes.
They had their chance. Not even Democrats can tolerate it anymore. This party is begging for an enema and there's not a drugstore in sight.
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