Air America Archives - How to get them.

[benburch]

Hey, folks,

Many of you have written me in recent days asking that I archive Air America's shows at my website http://www.WhiteRoseSociety.org

I asked for permission to do just this back in January, and was assured that archives would be available directly, and that I ought instead to direct people to those archives.

Well, Air America is up and running, but they seem to have become delayed in their archiving plans. Moreover, it seems that the archives, when they become available, will be in RealPlayer format rather than portable-player-friendly MP3s.

I am prepared to begin archiving Air America's main shows at once as MP3s, I could start tomorrow.

What I lack is PERMISSION.

And that's where you come in. I need you folks to write to Air America at [e-mail] and ask them to please allow White Rose to archive their shows.

If I can get permission, I will have archives online the very next day for at least Franken, Rhodes and Garofalo. (I need additional equipment and funds to archive more than this.)

So, If you could help out by asking them to give me permission, I will help out by providing my usual efficient free archive service to y'all.

Thanks!

-Ben Burch
White Rose Society Webmaster
http://www.WhiteRoseSociety.org/

P.S. Please keep this kicked. Thanks!

[RamboLiberal]

1. Done - Love your website

:kick:

[DoctorMyEyes]

2. Ben, you are a gem!

And a true patriot! I'm writing to Air America right now. Thank you so very much for all that you do!

[salvorhardin]

3. Thanks Ben!

For anyone who cares...

Dear Air America,

I am writing to encourage you to give permission to Ben Burch over at http://www.whiterosesociety.org to archive your programming. Ben has been providing this invaluable service free-of-charge to the entire progressive community for many months now. Allowing Ben to provide archives of your programming will only help increase Air America's exposure.

I understand the enormous complexity of starting up an entire radio network and thus why your own archives may have taken a back seat to more pressing issues. However, Ben is ready to go immediately (at least for Franken, Rhodes and Garofalo). He only needs your permission.

Finally, I would like to address the format your own archives will be provided in. I would hope that you would provide your archives in a more portable format than Real Audio. While it would be nice to see an open-source format such as Ogg Vorbis (.ogg files), MP3 is acceptable as well. I know there are copyright issues to contend with, but providing the archives in a portable format (if not an open one) under a suitable license agreement such as the Artistic License (see http://www.opensource.org/licenses/artistic-license.php) should address most of these issues.

Respectfully yours,

[otohara]

4. Done

they must make it easy for us to listen for shows we've missed due to one reason or another.

I hope to read soon that they have given you permission Ben - thanks for your efforts.

[Commendatori]

5. Consider it done

I'd just love to be able to hear the first day - the stream wasn't working and I don't receive it. :(

[mistertrickster]

6. So you're the guy who runs WhiteRoseSo--thanks for that, dude.

Done and kicked.

You rock, keep up the good work.

[benburch]

7. Thanks, folks...

If they get a flood of requests, I'm hoping they will say yes. If not, then we're no worse off...

[eleny]

8. Done!

[benburch]

9. Great!

Post this around if you are on any web boards I don't get to? Thanks!

[freeminder]

10. Hey Ben! Good work!!! Here's what I wrote

Hello,

I'm loving the voice AA is putting out there, and tune in whenever I can via your website. However, since I'm in europe, I don't always succeed in catching the hosts I want to hear live. Since you don't seem to be archiving the shows, would you please allow Ben Burch of whiterosesociety.org to do so?

I would really appreciate it,

best regards,
Bart

PS : while I'm writing you: what really got me into talk radio was Mike Malloy. Unfortunately, the network he was on decided to stop broadcasting. I think his message was passionate, compelling and extremely entertaining. He would be a great addition to your programming.

[freeminder]

11. and a kick on my way out

:hi:

[benburch]

12. I got a reply...

They are supposed to have one of their people communicate with me on this matter...

In part;

"Ben,

We are feverishly working on both the technical aspects/capability and
business implications of the choices in front of us and we are close
from a timing perspective to begin offering this."

So an archive *is* coming from them. I do hope that I can still convince them to allow me to archive in MP3s in addition, or at least to archive their material in some format people find more usable than MP3s.

Keep writing them, folks.

-Ben Burch

[bullimiami]

13. done as well

real files aint gonna fly on the old liberal ipod.

[Crunchy Frog]

14. Done!

By the way, I would do just about anything to access an archive of the April 1st Morning Sedition that had Wes Clark on it.

[ConsAreLiars]

15. Done

(edit: what follows is the message sent to AAR)

I'm in Seattle and so rely on the web and regularly listen to Majority Report (excellent!) after work. Thanks to the "no work today" situation I've heard some of the others on occasion, but would really like to see the shows archived as mp3's on WhireRoseSociety.org. I can point folks to that site as a resource, and I have also used the archives to copy shows onto CD's for friends who otherwise would never have a chance to hear progressive radio. Even if you get archives on your own site, copies there would held spread the word and reach more listeners, and that is the whole point, after all.

And please, please, please, add Mike Malloy to your line-up. Right after Garafalo/Seder would be perfect; any time would be good as long as an archive is available.

Thank you for doing so much already,