Air America Radio has jumped the shark

Give me a break! Lionel? Are these people freaking retarded?
http://ltradio.blogspot.com/2007/04/lionel-slides-into-seders-slot.html

Liberals aren't interested in getting info from 1930's media.

I'm a liberal and I listen to Seder and Hartman and all most all of the AAR shows quite often. You're spouting the typical right wing BS.

It is 1930's media, and I have better things to do than listen to someone bitch.

As far as I'm concerned radio is for music, and I get my information from newspapers, the web and TV.

if you want to make a comment about yourself then do it. Your original comment is straight out of the right wing playbook.

And you should see the steam coming out of right wingers ears when you call radio "1930's media".

it's all downhill from here. Maybe we can hope for a spinoff.

Who the hell is this guy? I've never heard of him.

I had such high hopes for AAR's new owners--now it's just sad. I would imagine this is a sign that they'll end up replacing the entire lineup at some point. Too bad--I absolutely ADORE Rachel Maddow.

He's more of a libertarian IMHO but in comparison with Limbaugh and Hannity he was a flaming lefty.

I haven't heard him lately.

The Greens need to do things to start turning things around at the network and stop the loss of affiliates. People here assume AAR was some strong radio force...it wasn't. The Greens kept it from what most felt was a certain death last year and now have to make up for a lot of lost ground. They can't do it with a Sam Seder...unfortunately.

The road back for AAR is through getting some show that will attract moderate talk stations (the few that still exist) and to get a "name" in the talk radio world to get those stations. It could be that Lionel will be the "door opener" that will get AAR on bigger stations and in more markets that will enable them to clear more programs and start to turn a few dollars.

Right now the Greens are throwing a lot of their Green in keeping this network viable...they can't do this indefiniately and doing something is better than nothing.

How'd that work out?

I don't speak for the network...I'm just trying to explain what appears to be a strictly business move. If it was personal, Sam would not have been offered a weekend show. Unfortunately, they can't market Sam to radio stations where Lionel is a known name and can attract some new stations or keep existing ones from cancelling. Lionel also has a track record in New York that could help the local affiliate get some ratings that both the station and the network desperately need.

Springer wasn't a radio person...just as much as Franken wasn't. He never adjusted to the medium and got lazy over time. The move to get Springer was a gesture to Clear Channel that put AAR on a 50,000 watt station. When Springer was yanked, so was the 50,000 signal and now AAR isn't even on in Cincinatti. So how'd that work out?

That was a Clear Channel show that was brought to AAR to syndicate. "Unfiltered" was done for and CC wanted to put Springer in more markets. Hence, the pieces of the puzzle came together. The problem with Springer though is that he spread himself way too thin. He's not a radio guy, and never was. He's too tied up in other projects like TV.

It was really great to see Seder's progression as a green radio co-host to the confident, passionate personality we hear today. I'll miss him on weekdays, but I do see why the change was made. They need to keep affiliates and it's all about the $$$ and ratings.

I'm working on a blog entry that I'll put up tomorrow that says the same thing.

http://ltradio.blogspot.com

When I first heard about Lionel, I was wondering why they made that move. Then I realized that there's no way they'll be able to bump Stephanie Miller off existing progressive talk stations. Instead, they'd have to go after totally different stations. In addition, prying someone like Lionel away from an established (albeit a weak) syndicator like WOR gives them a little more clout and credibility in the industry.

Let's face it, AAR's growth has been pretty stagnant as of late. And this enables them to expand their reach. In a strange and twisted way, this move makes sense for AAR. After all, if they simply went about things the way they've been doing, their days would be numbered, and as pissed off as many listeners may be at AAR today, I highly doubt they'd prefer a radio landscape without AAR.

The Greens need to make some waves quickly with WWRL...and Lionel could help in that effort...pulling in some former WOR listeners. He's also a known radio commodity...while others here may not know of him...Program Directors and General Managers do...and that's what is the deal maker and breaker for AAR at this point.

I just did a private survey of the status of Progressive Radio around the country and was shocked to see how many stations had dumped the format. For a growing majority of people, there's less voices, not more than a year ago...with the chance of even less outlets in the near future. The entire Progressive Radio concept is at a make or break point right now...and I would prefer not to say what I see coming ahead.

I've seen your blog and read your posts and really do appreciate what you do...a lot of very informative stuff. Hope you don't mind me throwing a couple cents around now and then.

Cheers...

:toast:

n/t

AAR is fighting to stay alive, and all this place wants to see is it get taken outside and shot

stupid

Randi the young turks is boring as hell in the morning. the original guest that started the show were the best.

in that time slot, so whoever Air America replaced him with was dumped from my local AAR affiliate and I have a feeling many others. I think they need better sales people to sell commerical time to sponsors, not shuffling to the middle of the road programming.

There problem is that AAR is anti-establishment and they're being boycotted by advertisers. That's why you her all those snake oil commercials.

I think we're only 3 years in at this point. It took the conservatives quite a long time to dominate the airwaves. But really thats only a few big time hosts who are doing the dominating: Limbaugh, Hannity, etc... Then there are the also rans who are having as much trouble as AAR: Savage, Ingraham, etc...

Limbaugh's initial syndication was subsidized. They lost a LOT of money on Rush before they made any. So lets just have patience and let these guys try to make a business out of progressive radio.

--Randy Quaid as Russell Casse in Independence Day

Actually, I've been saying it ever since I learned of AAR. People listening to only what they want to hear is the problem with the right wing, and I don't want it to be our problem.

That's the problem with news as well, the Republicans listen to their news. Now Keith Olbermann, who seems like a nice guy I agree with on the issues, is out there doing it to our side.

The only time the opinion of a political party should be the subject of the news, is when it makes the news.

Fair and Balanced is bullshit.

The job of a reporter is to find the truth, even when it may contradict the doctrines of a party or parties.

Journalism is supposed to be a de-radicalizing force, that calls either side on their BS.

I only wish we had real journalists anymore.