The conservative echo-chamber believed Air America Radio would be dead on arrival, but new recent data is proving otherwise
The conservative echo-chamber believed Air America Radio would be dead quicker than George Bush’s Social Security privatization plan, but new recent data is proving otherwise. Barely a year after its formation, and contrary to conservative spin, Air America Radio is building an audience at a rate that any radio station would envy.…
Article comments
— go to most recent comments26 - El Bicho
RJ,
in your post it does sound good for AAR because radio makes money off selling commercials which are sold based on the ratings of the station they are going to appear on.
27 - RJ
Well, you're correct in pointing out that higher ratings for AAR are obviously good for AAR.
My point (which was probably rather muddled) was simply that right-wing radio has a vastly larger listenership than left-wing radio.
But left-wing radio listeners only have one place to go. Right-wing radio listeners have several places to go, so their numbers are essentially diluted.
28 - Eric Berlin
The advantage of the right-wing (tripe...) is that they've been on the air for 5, 10, or 20 years.
The left-wing (tripe...) is not catching up.
29 - El Bicho
"right-wing radio has a vastly larger listenership than left-wing radio."
So what? Advertisers don't care about diluted ratings. Unless all three stations are owned by the same company and are they selling joint spots, it doesn't matter how many combined listeners all the stations have.
30 - Chabuka
Thank Goodness...Americans are finally waking up and looking for answers...the truth, in other words...I am hopeful...and Colorado...(my home state)is starting to smell the coffee..life is good and getting better..the clouds are breaking up...next comes the full light of day and the sun...
31 - Brainster
Okay, I found an article that talks about a 0.5 rating as of the 2nd quarter 2005, so it looks like your 300% increase in a year number is accurate. I could quibble a bit and point out that was under the old format, but if we take the 0.9 for 3rd quarter they've still shown a solid increase.
Of course, I could critique your obvious plagiarism of the Denver Post column on this today, but I'm sure that's just an oversight?
32 - Dave Nalle
>>I've just come back to Santa Clara CA from listening to Air America in Ann Arbor MI on WLBY-AM 1290 AM. I was surprized to hear Jerry Springer and Bill O'Reilly on it. What's with that?<<
Well, IMO O'Reilly is basically a liberal in many ways - usually on all the wrong issues. So he should fit right in.
Actually, I'm not surprised you encountered this. It makes sense for a station that wants to reach a broad audience to pick up some AAR stuff to balance out some conservative talkers. I'd do that before I carried some of the more marginal right wingers. Or I'd do what our best local talk radio has done which is to cut the bad right wingers and replace them with non-partisan shows like Clark Howard.
Dave
33 - RJ
El Bicho:
Again, you are correct. The advertisers will pay according to what the ratings tell them.
But I'm not concerned about how much money a station is making via ads.
I'm talking about right-wing vs. left-wing radio.
And, right now, right-wing radio is still kicking left-wing radio in the teeth. And they almost certainly will for the foreseeable future, if not forever and ever, Amen. ;-/
34 - Arlene Montemarano
F Y I - LIBERAL TALK RADIO - EASY WAY TO LISTEN -
There are some programs on Air America that are worth paying attention to. Here is a website for the archives of one of them (no commercials, and you can download and listen to any of her programs any time at all.).........Incredibly convenient:
www.randirhodesarchives.com
She is a very articulate, smart lady,(maybe the smartest in talk radio), with extraordinary common sense, who uses original documents as her source material most of the time. I would go so far as to say that she is by far the best Civics teacher this nation has had.
It would be hard to listen to an entire program from these archives and not be impressed by her.
35 - Dave Nalle
I've only listened to Rhodes a couple of times, and she does at least seem to be articulate - unlike most of the other AAR hosts. But her content is so heavily slanted to the left that it's hard to listen to. Her guests include the most virulent hatemongers and propagandists like Greg Palast, John Conyers and Paul Krugman. She does have more moderate folks on, but never, ever anyone from an opposing position. She basically makes the show a platform for preaching one point of view with no debate or discussion.
I guess it's a good show if you swallow everything the DNC and left wing extremists say with no critical thought at all. But if you're at all familiar with the realities of some of the issues facing our country, it's impossible to listen to without banging on the radio and shouting 'no, no, no you're wrong, how can any thinking person believe that'.
Dave
36 - PlacitasRoy
If you want the story on how the Moony Times can create a pure bullshit story that someone with limited analytical skills will believe, read this: "How to Fake News: Intermediate Level" www.mahablog.com/2005.07.31_arch.html#1122894735460
Anyone who would believe Foxhole news or the Mooney Times is going to be propagandized and remain willfully ignorant.
37 - Eric Berlin
Dave -- You're back at it with some classic opinion-as-fact ranting.
Krugman and Conyers are not "virulent hatemongerers." You may disagree with them, but you're -- to use language you might grasp -- 1,000% wrong.
So go monger somewhere else, okay?
38 - PlacitasRoy
“AA is at the bottom, with dropping ratings in most markets, with the exceptions of Portland and Denver”
Obviously you are engaged in wishful thinking or are just willfully ignorant.
Albuquerque market:
KOBB-The big 50,000 Reich-wing boomer " Down 5% (9.2 to 8.7)
Air Am Affiliate Up 10% (2.2 to 2.4)
The new talker (since 4-1) anchored by the 25 year KOBB big boomer's morning guy Down 37% (2.4 to 1.5)
There was a pretty good analysis about “How is Air America Doing” at www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2005/7/8/92849/52300
Liberal talk radio trends ahead of Limbaugh among 25-54 in Miami Raw Story
Advance trend numbers for spring radio ratings in the Miami market, leaked to RAW STORY, reveal that liberal talk posted hefty gains against the once-indomitable Rush Limbaugh.
IN PARTICULAR, THE ED SCHULTZ SHOW ACTUALLY PASSED LIMBAUGH AMONG THE 25-54 AGE RANGE IN THE NATION'S TWELFTH LARGEST RADIO MARKET. SCHULTZ SCORED A 3.4 RATING TO LIMBAUGH'S 3.2, CLIMBING 1.1 RATINGS POINTS FROM THE WINTER FIGURES.
Al Franken, whose Air America program runs head-on with Rush in the noon to 3 p.m. slot, also made strides, posting 2.1 ratings among 25-64, up from 1.5 in the winter.
WMAL (630). Reich-wing talk in DCD HAS LOST 41 PERCENT OF ITS CORE 25-TO-54-YEAR-OLD AUDIENCE IN THE PAST 12 MONTHS , dropping from 158,200 individual listeners per week to 116,600. www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/07/25/AR2005072501649.html
39 - RJ
Whistling in the dark... ;-/
40 - Dave Nalle
>>Krugman and Conyers are not "virulent hatemongerers." You may disagree with them, but you're -- to use language you might grasp -- 1,000% wrong. <<
Eric, I don't just disagree with them, I object to them and their tactics. I call them hatemongers because they use a techniques of deception and misrepresentation to stir up partisan hatred. They manipulate emotions and promote fantasy as truth and gullible people believe them. They're bad for the nation. And if you want an example, just do some research on Conyers campaign to prove that Bush 'stole' the 2004 election in Ohio.
Dave
41 - Eric Berlin
So Conyers looked into possible voter fraud in Ohio -- so what? There were a lot of suspicious circumstances involving voting in that state, yet there was no serious move to contend the election.
Particularly with regard to economic issues, Paul Krugman is a voice of reason in a world gone mad. I think you'd even agree with him, Dave, when he runs through the damage Bush's don't tax-and-spend policies is inflicting on the nation's future.
I don't know as much about Conyers, but from what I've heard, he's an intelligent and articulate progressive voice in the United States Congress.
So, you still haven't convinved me that your "virulent hatemongering" comment was nothing more than virulent hyperbole.
42 - Dave Nalle
Ok, let's look at Albuquerque. Here are the Arbitron numbers.
2004 Avg W2005
KKOB 10.0 9.9 Conservative
KAGM 0 2.4 Conservative/Local
KABQ 1.2 1.2 Air America
KTBL 1.1 .6 Conservative
Conservative stations total 12.9 Share with an increase of 1.8 over last year. This is largely due to the premier of KAGM with their local talk format which stole some Share from KTBL and Conservative talk giant KKOB, but also attracted new listeners.
But here are the key facts.
KKOB has stayed stable, matching last year's average in the first quarter of this year.
KAGM - which carries AAR - is also stable, at 1.2 share, matching last year's average.
Overall, conservative talk radio listenership in Albuquerque is up 40% more in the first quarter of this year than the total listener share of KAGM.
So in short, AAR in Albuquerque is basically dead in Albuquerque and going nowhere.
Oh, and BTW. Your share numbers of Albuquerque are all incorrect. Mine are straight from the Arbitron site. Go check them. Is that the only way you can make it look like AAR is doing well?
Dave
43 - RogerMDillion
"AAR in Albuquerque is basically dead in Albuquerque and going nowhere."
Let me get this straight. The last quarter matched last year's average, which by the way there was no AAR in the year's first quarter, and you proclaim them as dead?
Dave, I know you think you know about radio with your insightful comments like "A 2.0 share is still enormously less than a 5.5 share," but what exactly is your background or are you basing this on talks you've had with friends in radio?
With such amazing foresight, I'm sure Bezos was glad you didn't advise him while Amazon was starting.
44 - Dave Nalle
>>Let me get this straight. The last quarter matched last year's average, which by the way there was no AAR in the year's first quarter, and you proclaim them as dead? <<
I only averaged the 3 quarters in which they were operating. I do have some idea what I'm doing.
>>Dave, I know you think you know about radio with your insightful comments like "A 2.0 share is still enormously less than a 5.5 share," but what exactly is your background or are you basing this on talks you've had with friends in radio?<<
I know enough about radio to know how the Arbitron ratings work and I know how to do basic math. My hands-on experience is mostly as a co-host on a call-in show in college which got me into a great deal of trouble and isn't at all relevant.
So are you going to tell me that 5.5 isn't almost 3x 2.0? Do you really think a 1.2 is good in a market where conservative stations have almost 10x that share? Is the drop of .7 from the fall to the winter quarter a good sign for AAR in Albuquerque?
>>With such amazing foresight, I'm sure Bezos was glad you didn't advise him while Amazon was starting.<<
I bought stock in Amazon. Does that count?
Dave
45 - Dan
Thanks for the Randi Rhodes link Arlene.
I listened to what I think is the most recent broadcast. She sounds like an angry emphatic drunken person.
She's actually making a claim that people have "died" because of Valerie Plame's "outing". She says: "Covert operaters were stuck in hostile territory, couldn't get out, some of them were killed, some of them have been captured, some of them will just be executed".
If this is true, this would be a major story. If it's not true, and Rush Limbaugh were lying about something of this magnitude, it would be a major story.
This is what is so pathetic about "Error America". (I've just coined that, so remember to give me proper credit) They don't understand the appeal of Rush Limbaugh. They attempt to mimic a caricatural of him that is based on what they think his appeal is. They think he is in a perpetual state of rage; he's not. They think he plays fast and loose with the truth; he doesn't. They think that simple exposure to repetitive sloganeering will win the day.
46 - Dave Nalle
Rush seems to be in a perpetual state of amusement rather than rage, which makes him more attractive than he would be otherwise. He also occasionally finds something good to say about a liberal, much to their surprise. I still think he's pretty tedious overall, and I don't see how adopting the same tactics or coarsened versions of them is going to help ingratiate anyone to a listening audience.
Dave
47 - Calvin
The only thing I get from this article is the author has a fear that Air America is about to lose its advertisement revenue due to poor ratings.
48 - PC
Man! You conservatives sure love bashing Air America. It just kills you that a station that just started just two years ago has managed to get this big this fast. I will give it to you it does not have the ratings of conservative radio, but it also does not have the 20 years of building those ratings either.
Lets get to the meat of the matter. For 30 years the right has spent billions on radio, TV, organizations, and think tanks spreading your lies to get people to vote for your tired ineffective policies. You finally got your chance to run the country the way you think it should be run, but along the way to power something happened you hit reality.
Reality number one your policies don't work. Reality number two the majority of the American people don't like your policies so what you had to do was use the fears and bigotry of middle class white America against gays, minorities, and the belief that liberals wanted to take away their bibles. It's a strategy that has worked up until now. It took us on the left awhile to realize what you were doing under the radar with an added dose of questionable election practices.
With all of the billions of dollars, lying, cheating and all the grand plans you manage to lose the popular vote in 2000 and only get %51 of the vote in 2004 against the worst possible candidate the democrats could put up against a sitting president during war time.
Let me now put everything into perspective for you. Four decades ago when the left decided to take on the right wing cabal that ruled this country this country was very conservative and whites were about %80+ of the population. With those obstacles we still managed to get Civil rights, Women’s rights, Worker’s rights including a number of progressive laws passed e.g. abortion.
Conservatives have been loosing this war of ideology since the 1960's and you will continue to loose it. In 1972 Richard Nixon a sitting president during an unpopular war crushed George McGovern in the presidential race and now in 2004 another northeast liberal against a sitting president during a somewhat popular war was almost beaten the conservatives had to use every trick in the book to get a Bush win. The only reason that the right managed to get this far in the pass ten years is because we on the left fell a sleep because after all of our gains since the 1960s we figured that the country was moving naturally to the left which it did, but not enough.
Well that sleep is over. We are back in the fight this time we have a greater portion of the population on our side. We are going to use every medium at our disposal, this time there will be no rest until every progressive agenda is the law of the land, and we won't do it by lying and cheating. We are going to be honest in explaining are views and vision for this country and inspire the people of this country to reach for the greater good of all.
See you in the trenches.
49 - GOPHater
Just another example of how the right is going down. Everyone should do their part, in every little way they can, to make sure the fall is particularly hard. The sooner the better.
50 - Dave is all good
I'd worry a little less about AA's ratings and a little more about:
The New York Post’s John Mainelli reports that Air America has issued a statement admitting its connection to The Gloria Wise Boys & Girls Clubs, which lost nearly $10 million in New York City contracts last month after investigators uncovered "significant inappropriate transaction and falsified documents." One irregularity was the $480,000 transfer to Air America.
"We are very disturbed that Air America's good name could be associated with a reduction in services to young people, which is why we agreed months ago to fully compensate Gloria Wise," the network said.
Yeah...Air America is disturbed...now that they've been caught :^ (bellyup)
51 - billy
so? a fews right wingers will have a spasm at their computers over it, big deal. do you think this is relevant at all? will this stop aar? no.
52 - Dave is all good
billy, billy, billy...I guess your real point is, AA never got started...now go sit in the corner...again
53 - billy
i guess you dont bother to read to blog before you comment, they are up 500% in one year in Colorado. i guess when you are a right winger and even when you are in control of the government cant really change a damn thing, whats up must be down to exist in your world.
54 - Dave Nalle
>>this time there will be no rest until every progressive agenda is the law of the land, and we won't do it by lying and cheating.<<
"We will bury you." - Nikita Kruschev
"We have buried the putrid corpse of Liberty" - Benito Mussolini
I wish you all the success that these, your ideological forebearers had.
Dave
55 - Dave Nalle
>>i guess you dont bother to read to blog before you comment, they are up 500% in one year in Colorado. <<
I guess the government schools didn't teach Billy much math. That's ok, that's what keeps people loyal to the left.
Here's a little test. Which is a larger increase, 500% of 1 or 2% of 500?
Dave
56 - David R. Mark
Isn't it possible that AAR can bring listeners in who otherwise weren't listening to the radio?
As a result, AAR would increase its listenership, while conservative stations would go unchanged.
It seems unlikely that AAR would draw heavy listenership from conservative stations. Maybe it steals some from NPR, but I think it's more likely that it's grabbing people who would otherwise not listen to any AM radio.
... and before Dave Nalle starts blasting me personally, I don't listen to AAR. I did occasionally listen to Rachel Maddow prior to the election, but not since. Those familiar with my blog know of my beef with the local AAR station in NYC, over their constant use of Wendy Friesen advertisements.
57 - Dave Nalle
>>Isn't it possible that AAR can bring listeners in who otherwise weren't listening to the radio?
As a result, AAR would increase its listenership, while conservative stations would go unchanged.<<
Sorry not to have mentioned that myself. It's perfectly possible. Though I think it's more likely that they are stealing listeners from NPR, which I think is unfortunate. NPR provides much better left-leaning programming and I would hate to see it hurt. NPR communicates a liberal message while being pleasant to listen to. AAR takes that message and couples it to a painful immitation of extreme right demagoguery and the result is even worse than right wing radio.
Of course the real answer is that AAR probably gets some listeners from right wing stations who were listening because it's all there was to listen to, some from NPR and some new listeners as well.
>>nd before Dave Nalle starts blasting me personally<<
Why would I do that when you say something that makes sense and doesn't reek of partisan bias?
Despite your paranoia, I only have an issue with you when you say things which are blatantly distorded by ideological prejudice.
Dave
58 - RJ
"a number of progressive laws passed e.g. abortion."
That wasn't a law. It was a laughable USSC ruling from justices who had been appointed many years before.
59 - Steve
Not surprising really. You can play Conservative radio talk show host at home. Just log onto the GOP website, and download your talking points for the day. Any question comes up, just repeat the appropriate talking point. No need to inject any intelligent commentary or original thinking, just repeat the party line verbatim.
So it's not surprising that people are getting tired of listening to Rush Limbaugh talk... he's become a parody of his own self.
60 - Dave Nalle
>>Not surprising really. You can play Conservative radio talk show host at home. Just log onto the GOP website, and download your talking points for the day.<<
Can you tell me which GOP website those are on, because I can't find them no matter how hard I try.
Dave
61 - John
Air America's rating's booming? Hard to tell, the numbers in your source were for the station as a whole, not just for the Air America broadcasts. However, the Pioneer Press sees things differently, http://www.twincities.com/mld/twincities/entertainment/12277313.htm
and by the way, they are one of the most liberal newspapers in the country who happen to cover Al Franken's home state of Minnesota. And is Air America back on the air yet in Chicago and LA? Those are the number 2 and 3 markets in the country and last I heard you had to subscribe to satellite radio to get Air America.
62 - Casey
To Dave:
First you really haven't listened to randi Rhodes who you say: "but never, ever anyone from an opposing position. She basically makes the show a platform for preaching one point of view with no debate or discussion." I seem to recall Oliver North, Hannity more than once and more that I can name right now. Now you name the opposition that Ruch Limbaugh allows on his show to debate.
Which no one seems to want to mention Limbaugh Gave his show away free in the beginning to get on stations. Air America isn't free and it isn't a couple hour show. They are selling a 24/7 idea which makes it harder.
And maybe YOU should do a little checking about:
The New York Post’s John Mainelli reports that Air America has issued a statement admitting its connection to The Gloria Wise Boys & Girls Clubs, which lost nearly $10 million in New York City contracts last month after investigators uncovered "significant inappropriate transaction and falsified documents." One irregularity was the $480,000 transfer to Air America.
You'll find that happened during Cohen's stint which was very short at startup. Maybe you should do some checking about what AAR has done for
this same outfit...
63 - Dave Nalle
>>First you really haven't listened to randi Rhodes who you say: "but never, ever anyone from an opposing position. She basically makes the show a platform for preaching one point of view with no debate or discussion." I seem to recall Oliver North, Hannity more than once and more that I can name right now. <<
I have only listened a few times on the web because it's not on the air here. But in those instances she never had an opposing viewpoint and if you look at the list of guests on her website none of the non-liberals you mention are listed, and it's a long list.
>>Now you name the opposition that Ruch Limbaugh allows on his show to debate.<<
I never said one word about the quality or nature of Libaugh's show.
>>Which no one seems to want to mention Limbaugh Gave his show away free in the beginning to get on stations. Air America isn't free and it isn't a couple hour show. They are selling a 24/7 idea which makes it harder.<<
Actually, you can pick up any of their individual shows to add to a station line-up which carries a mix of different shows.
Dave
64 - Casey
I can't really point to it right now but I have read where they stated they were a 24/7 deal. Now Randi Rhodes is on some Clear Channel stations because she had that in her agreement. XM has inserted some shows in the lineup but still carries all the AAR shows. I will try and see if I can find where they say they are 24/7 as it was just in passing. I do know it was said in relation to the ratings they received.
I will tell you that she did interview Oliver North because I heard it and she brings it up a lot because he got so mad at her he got up and left the interview, she also has had Hannity plus the other GOP guy that has a TV show. I can't think of his name right now.
65 - casey
Here is where I got that 24/7 from:
In order for Air America programming to be heard on any radio station, that station must first take the significant step of changing its format. Getting more than 67 and counting radio stations to change everything they broadcast, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, for the opportunity to carry Air America's programming is far more substantial an accomplishment than getting 124 right-wing radio stations to switch out one three-hour conservative talk show for another.
66 - Dave Nalle
I wonder about that 24/7 commitment thing. I've seen stations which have Randi Rhodes and some of the other shows without having the full package. But as you said, it may be the result of prior commitments. I would imagine that if Clearchannel told them they wanted just one or two shows Air America would be insane not to cooperate, given the enormous market share Clearchannel has. I was on vacation recently in a town where 9 out of 11 stations were owned by Clearchannel.
Dave
67 - casey
What other shows have you seen on other stations. I know about Randi Rhodes because she made a point of explaining about Clear Channel and AAR agreeing to the deal. I can't think of any of the other shows that are on air. How about a little information...
68 - james
I guarantee that Air America will not even exist by the end of 2005. "America Coming Together" and George Soros other pet projects won't work. Liberal radio can and does work, but it's a grass roots effort, and anything with dirty money will fail. Franken and Garafolo will have to find another job for 2006. Mark my words.
69 - Dave Nalle
>>What other shows have you seen on other stations. I know about Randi Rhodes because she made a point of explaining about Clear Channel and AAR agreeing to the deal. I can't think of any of the other shows that are on air. How about a little information...<<
I went through about a billion stations the other day trying to figure out which were right wing and which were left wing. I ran into a couple which were a mix of both, and I know one of them was broadcasting the Rhodes show without the rest of Air America. To figure out what else was being broadcast I have to find the stations again, which may not be so easy, since I searched about a dozen different markets and maybe a total of 100 stations.
Dave
70 - El Bicho
John,
AAR is on in
Chicago, IL - WCPT-AM 850 AM
Los Angeles, CA - KTLK-AM 1150 AM
71 - casey
Since Randi spent a great deal of time explaining that Clear Channel and AAR agreed before AAR started to broadcast and I think I've explained it at least twice that isn't exactly a revelation.
72 - billy
i am going to copy james' post guaranteeing AAR will be gone by the end of 2005. i would venture to guess that he is wrong and merely is hoping they go away.
73 - casey
>>Franken and Garafolo will have to find another job for 2006. Mark my words.
Franken is already writing another book and Garafolo is now in the new West Wing series.
>>George Soros other pet projects won't work. Liberal radio can and does work, but it's a grass roots effort, and anything with dirty money will fail.
I take it you have some evidence to back up these statements? These should be good...
74 - billy
these people are a joke. on a right wing blog i just visited people are saying aar is defunct, off the air, bankrupt, shut down by the police, etc.
how out of touch and desparate are they? i just listened to aar 10 minutes ago and its coming in just fine?
75 - Dave Nalle
>>i am going to copy james' post guaranteeing AAR will be gone by the end of 2005. i would venture to guess that he is wrong and merely is hoping they go away.<<
And then, when the network is gone, but Randi Rhodes and Springer still have syndicated shows you'll claim he was wrong. Yay.
Dave