The end for Air America

PJ_Lukin

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Air-America-Radio-closing-apf-431347943.html?x=0&.v=5

Conservative radio is booming and the one and only real progressive station is biting the dust.

g under p

PJ_Lukin wrote:

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Air-America-Radio-closing-apf-431347943.html?x=0&.v=5

Conservative radio is booming and the one and only real progressive station is biting the dust.

I know I heard this today, well when and if a conservative gets back into power the use for a station like this will surly be needed. It's needed now just to keep up with the conservatives growing powerful influence.

Peace

_

PJ_Lukin wrote:

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Air-America-Radio-closing-apf-431347943.html?x=0&.v=5

Conservative radio is booming and the one and only real progressive station is biting the dust.

There are plenty of progressive stations left - only now they're scrambling for programming. If you'd like to help save them, please see my other thread.

igotid88

about 95% of talk radio is conservative. that's too much. basically took 40 years to get there. liberals should be given a chance.

I liked air america when it first launched. but then they got rid of their best radio hosts.

whatsgoingon

In general Radio is dying . If would figure that the people least likely to switch from radio would be old people who tend to listen to AM radio so conservative stations gain in numbers...Aren't most programs are syndicated anyhow? Thats why the Internet is key and blogging has been the new craze...I think in the future we will start to see more video blogs become popular. I think we will see cars being able to connect to the Internet via built in wifi connections in the future ( currently available on luxury cars) where you will be able to stream "radio" station from your car.

concertaholicshirt

On the subject of 'progressive' radio, Pacifica is still going strong, and there are others out there, too. Air America died because it generally sucked and made awful business decisions. They started out with a lot against them by giving Al Franken a huge and unwarranted contract that bled them dry with almost no return. For the most part, his show bit the big one. Randi Rhodes kicked his ass as a radio personality, and she should have been the anchor of the station. She had a long and proven record at generating ratings and ad revenues. Franken had limited, if any, radio experience, and it REALLY showed. When the network started, she had been beating Rush in her local market, and could have built on replicating that nationally. Instead, she was sucking wind against Hannity by following the pitiful Franken's show and the little spillover audience it offered. Now... don't get me wrong... I think that Randi is as vile a demagogue as Rush is, but both of them are very effective entertainers, and that's what this is all about. I despise the tactics of Rush, but sometimes he cracks me the hell up. I despise the tactics of Randi, but sometimes she cracked me the hell up. Franken was painful listening, and he was far from the only host on the network about whom that could be said. Once his contract drove Air America into the poorhouse, they never were able to recover. It was poor business and mostly poor radio, plain and simple. Entertain the people, and they will listen.

gimmesometruth27

concertaholicshirt wrote:

On the subject of 'progressive' radio, Pacifica is still going strong, and there are others out there, too. Air America died because it generally sucked and made awful business decisions. They started out with a lot against them by giving Al Franken a huge and unwarranted contract that bled them dry with almost no return. For the most part, his show bit the big one. Randi Rhodes kicked his ass as a radio personality, and she should have been the anchor of the station. She had a long and proven record at generating ratings and ad revenues. Franken had limited, if any, radio experience, and it REALLY showed. When the network started, she had been beating Rush in her local market, and could have built on replicating that nationally. Instead, she was sucking wind against Hannity by following the pitiful Franken's show and the little spillover audience it offered. Now... don't get me wrong... I think that Randi is as vile a demagogue as Rush is, but both of them are very effective entertainers, and that's what this is all about. I despise the tactics of Rush, but sometimes he cracks me the hell up. I despise the tactics of Randi, but sometimes she cracked me the hell up. Franken was painful listening, and he was far from the only host on the network about whom that could be said. Once his contract drove Air America into the poorhouse, they never were able to recover. It was poor business and mostly poor radio, plain and simple. Entertain the people, and they will listen.

franken left air america in early 2007 to concentrate on his senate run. he stopped being paid by them when he stopped being an on air personality...

concertaholicshirt

Yeah.. but they filed bankruptcy on October 13, 2006; four months before he left for the Senate run. His huge contract and minimal revenue generated were definitely contributing factors in the bankruptcy. And, if I remember correctly (which I frankly, no pun intended, wouldn't swear to) I'm pretty sure he was a SOB who wouldn't willingly renegotiate his contract when they fell on hard times, causing further damage to the fledgling network.

gimmesometruth27

concertaholicshirt wrote:

Yeah.. but they filed bankruptcy on October 13, 2006; four months before he left for the Senate run. His huge contract and minimal revenue generated were definitely contributing factors in the bankruptcy. And, if I remember correctly (which I frankly, no pun intended, wouldn't swear to) I'm pretty sure he was a SOB who wouldn't willingly renegotiate his contract when they fell on hard times, causing further damage to the fledgling network.

if you got a huge contract would you want to renegotiate? would you really be a team player?

if i knew i was going to make a senate run and knew i was going to need some serious cash to do so, i would have said "NO, PAY ME!" if i was going to be content running my "minimal revenue" radio show i would have renegotiated. i am thinking this is why franken did not renegotiate....

Anon

gimmesometruth27 wrote:

if you got a huge contract would you want to renegotiate? would you really be a team player?

if i knew i was going to make a senate run and knew i was going to need some serious cash to do so, i would have said "NO, PAY ME!" if i was going to be content running my "minimal revenue" radio show i would have renegotiated. i am thinking this is why franken did not renegotiate....

Ok now I'm confused. In this thread you say he should have the right to keep what is his and and not be a team player. Lots of "I's" there.

But in another thread you blast a guy for being "only concerned about themselves".

viewtopic.php?f=13&t=121158&start=105

So which it is? Get off the fence.

gimmesometruth27

JB811 wrote:

gimmesometruth27 wrote:

if you got a huge contract would you want to renegotiate? would you really be a team player?

if i knew i was going to make a senate run and knew i was going to need some serious cash to do so, i would have said "NO, PAY ME!" if i was going to be content running my "minimal revenue" radio show i would have renegotiated. i am thinking this is why franken did not renegotiate....

Ok now I'm confused. In this thread you say he should have the right to keep what is his and and not be a team player. Lots of "I's" there.

But in another thread you blast a guy for being "only concerned about themselves".

viewtopic.php?f=13&t=121158&start=105

So which it is? Get off the fence.

i was talking about a large salary, which has absolutely nothing to do with his health care plan. he wa planning a run for the senate and he may have had a difficult time getting donations. so why not parlay that salary into his run for senate?? there is a difference. insurance is a matter of life and death for many people, the ability to run for office is only for the people who have the money to make a run. i do not even see what you are getting at. its apples and oranges.

are you going to contribute to the subject of this thread or just look to call people out?

Anon

gimmesometruth27 wrote:

JB811 wrote:

gimmesometruth27 wrote:

if you got a huge contract would you want to renegotiate? would you really be a team player?

if i knew i was going to make a senate run and knew i was going to need some serious cash to do so, i would have said "NO, PAY ME!" if i was going to be content running my "minimal revenue" radio show i would have renegotiated. i am thinking this is why franken did not renegotiate....

Ok now I'm confused. In this thread you say he should have the right to keep what is his and and not be a team player. Lots of "I's" there.

But in another thread you blast a guy for being "only concerned about themselves".

viewtopic.php?f=13&t=121158&start=105

So which it is? Get off the fence.

i was talking about a large salary, which has absolutely nothing to do with his health care plan. he wa planning a run for the senate and he may have had a difficult time getting donations. so why not parlay that salary into his run for senate?? there is a difference. insurance is a matter of life and death for many people, the ability to run for office is only for the people who have the money to make a run. i do not even see what you are getting at. its apples and oranges.

are you going to contribute to the subject of this thread or just look to call people out?

I'm just trying to find a steady pattern. In one thread you say it is ok for a guy to get what's his because he signed a contract and is owed that money. He shouldn't give it back to the betterment of the station because it is of "minimal revenue". In another thread you call a guy out for not wanting to be taxed more to pay for health insurance for others.

So a normal person with good insurance should pay more so others can get what he has but a multi-millionaire shouldn't take a pay cut to keep a station running, which would keep people employed and probably give them health insurance. Thanks for clearing that up.

gimmesometruth27

JB811 wrote:

I'm just trying to find a steady pattern. In one thread you say it is ok for a guy to get what's his because he signed a contract and is owed that money. He shouldn't give it back to the betterment of the station because it is of "minimal revenue". In another thread you call a guy out for not wanting to be taxed more to pay for health insurance for others.

So a normal person with good insurance should pay more so others can get what he has but a multi-millionaire shouldn't take a pay cut to keep a station running, which would keep people employed and probably give them health insurance. Thanks for clearing that up.

you never answered my question, what would you do? i am willing to bet you would not renegotiate because you would say you "earned" that contract...people are selfish by nature, so its ok if you would do the same thing as franken. evidently he was on to something because he is now an esteemed senator of minnesota and his former employer is in the tank....