Air America Radio in tentative deal to be sold; Al Franken to depart

Star Tribune & AP ^ | January 29, 2007

[presidio9]

Air America Radio, a liberal talk radio network, said Monday that it had reached a tentative agreement to be sold to the founder of a New York area real estate company.

[Hillarys Gate Cult]

Sounds like it was bad. The only reason I mentioned Ellen DeGeneres was that her next sitcom was in development at about the same time and after her talk show started it's run. Ellen's talk show took off so at least she has some excuse.

[Jhensy]

Janeane Garafolo actually left Air America about 5-6 months ago, and absolutely no one noticed, LOL.

[doug from upland]

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DFU SONG: Video Killed the Radio Star (liberal radio network song)
DFU SONG PARODIES | 11-2003 | Lyrics, Doug from Upland

Posted on 11/30/2003 6:08:59 PM PST by doug from upland

http://www.cobras.org/midi.htm

MIDI - VIDEO KILLED THE RADIO STAR

(musical intro)

I was listening to Hannity or Rushbo
When I tried another station...why?...I don't know
I heard someone and I said, man does this guy blow

Ooh-a-ooh

In no time I quickly reached the right conclusion
I determined that he needs a brain transfusion
The poor guy was really suffering delusion

Oh-a-oh...the guy was crazy...ooh-a-ooh...he's freakin' crazy

Liberals stunk my radio up...liberals stunk my radio up
Just 10 seconds...that's enough...now, it's in the trash can

CNN and Jennings spew the same old prattle
Those who watch them follow like they're sheep or cattle
In their heads we're sure we heard something rattle

Ooh-a-ooh...the guy was crazy...ooh-a-ooh...he's freakin' crazy

Liberals stunk my radio up...liberals stunk my radio up
Just 10 seconds...that's enough...and that decision had not been tough
Now, it's in the trash can...stuffed down in the trash can

(musical interlude)

I'll miss that old Grundig

Liberals stunk my radio up...liberals stunk my radio up
Just 10 seconds...that's enough...and that decision had not been tough
I won't put up with that stuff...always whining while in a huff

(musical interlude)

Liberals stunk my radio up...liberals stunk my radio up
Liberals stunk my radio up...liberals stunk my radio up
Liberals stunk my radio up...liberals stunk my radio up
Liberals stunk my radio up...liberals stunk my radio up
Liberals stunk my radio up...(fade)

(musical finish)

[Hillarys Gate Cult]

Something I noticed about conservative radio hosts versus leftist radio hosts. If one uses the old math exercise showing sets and subsets illustrated by circles to display their listenership some interesting results appear. Take Rush and and Hannity. Rush would be a giant circle with Hannity as a smaller one plus other conservative hosts with various size circles. All of the small leftist circles put together are still not even close to Rush alone.

Now for the interesting part. Circle overlaps of conservative hosts ( listeners who like two or more ) are deep. Rush and Hannity's circles would be fairly similar. A Michael Savage circle would overlap much less than those two but still more than any leftist circle to each other.

Leftist host's small circles would mostly only touch on each other with few common medium overlaps. I see many leftists who love just one host but totally despise others.

This shows that many of them are single issue special interest people. Not exactly the best target audience for advertisers

[Phantom Lord]

Not exactly the best target audience for advertisers

Thats why the bulk of Air America commercial spots were filled with PSAs.

[Hillarys Gate Cult]

According to the libs, there's a high demand for leftist radio and their stations are a success everywhere, right up to the time they go completely off the air.

Even bong water recycling businesses don't want to advertise with them.

[RobRoy]

>>What? Franken is still on their payroll even though they are bankrupt? You gotta be kidding<<

Depends on how you define "payroll". ;)

[Hillarys Gate Cult]

It's called more liabilities. But they did find a fool to separate from his money for the old and new ones.

Thom Hartmann is supposed to replace Franken. At the start of AAR, stations could only get it all shows or nothing. As all of their business plans do, this failed. Many AAR affiliates only wanted Franken's show. They compromised with the "affiliates" as letting them buy Franken's show bundled with Randi Rhodes. About 80% of stations who carry only Franken also carry Rhodes show.

Anybody who had radio industry experience help me out with this one. Can AAR do a "bait and switch" giving the stations Hartman in place of Franken? Wouldn't that require a new contract?

[Phantom Lord]

Anybody who had radio industry experience help me out with this one. Can AAR do a "bait and switch" giving the stations Hartman in place of Franken? Wouldn't that require a new contract?

I have no knowledge of the legal or radio industry. But I suspect that AAR knew it was a sinking ship and in the contracts it said, ya, we know we suck, Franken sucks, and he is likely to leave soon since we haven't paid him in six months so we reserve the right to replace him with another equally boring host that no one will listen to.

[raccoonradio]

Supposedly when this is brought up, libs on messageboards deny it (that "stations could get it all shows or nothing"). As it is, a couple lib shows that might have minor entertainment value, Stephanie Miller and Ed Schultz, come from a syndicator named Jones....while the AAR stable has produced nothing but clunkers. And even with Miller and Schultz, stations got extremely low ratings, to the point of it going off the air
in Boston, Providence, (this week New Haven may join the
list) and many other solidly blue cities.