Changes you would make at Air America

[quinnox]

Throwing this out there to see what the consensus is on the various shows.

I would ax Franken's co-host, she doesn't add much if anything to the show and is rude to callers by cutting them off so quick.

Rhodes I would look at the ratings, and if they are decent for her show then fine, but if there is room for improvement then make some changes, maybe tone down the strident tone of the show. Or perhaps bring in Ed Schultz to take over her slot.

I am not familiar with the other shows, these two are the only ones I have heard.

What changes would others make?

[BigMcLargehuge]

1. Hire Mike Malloy

Put him on in Randi's spot. Move randi's show to The Majority Report spot. Move the Majority Report to weekends only.

[Wapsie B]

17. Yes.

Malloy needs to be there doing his thing M-F.

[wndycty]

The only change I would make. . .

. . .is I would syndicate the programming. The fact that a station has to take all or none is real bad. For instance I bet a lot of stations would carry Franken's show but not others. I love the programming but stations should have the options of picking and choosing what they want.

[gasperc]

38. majority report is an excellent show

:beer:

[shoelace414]

2. ..

Franken is the weakest host.. Kathryne Lampher (or whatever her name is) is carrying the show.

I wouldn't make any changes at all to Randi Rhodes.

[BigMcLargehuge]

3. Hire Mike Malloy

Put him on in Randi's spot. Move randi's show to The Majority Report spot. Move the Majority Report to weekends only.

[skypilot]

4. Lose that fucking dittohead.

I used to kinda like that they had this guy on to keep us abreast of what the dittoheads were thinking but I have had enough of this prick.

[BigMcLargehuge]

6. that's my favorite segment on O'Franken!

I love listening to him get spanked every day.

[skypilot]

10. I like it that he gets spanked too...

...but there's only so much arrogant stupidity that I can take and I've just about had it with that asshole. He's also getting more and more weasely in his responses. He just pisses me off anymore.

[Delano]

33. I don't mind having a dittohead on...

But I wish they could find a morre entertaining one. Either a smarter, morre challenging one, or a dumber, funnier one.

That guy just sounds like your typical right-of-center, thinks he's a decent guy, right-wing dumbass. Boring.

[sleepyhead]

54. I've never really heard that.

I don't listen all that carefully, mind you, so I may be wrong, but I think they are WAY too easy on him. Mainly it seems that they just pat him on the head and say, "Aren't you cute?" It's getting old.

[expatriot]

5. i'm torn about the commercials....

on one hand, I love the fact that we have such a great medium of communication that can finance itself but on the other hand it is one of the great annoying things about AM radio.. it seems commercials take up 1/3 of the time.

You think they could get some kind of financial support to cut down on the commercials a bit. Man, all AM radio stations have so many commercials.

[Robbien]

7. All of AirAmericas shows are contentious talk shows

They should have investigative shows such as ThisIsHell, Bob McChesney, Democracy Now and Peter Werbe in order to make it more interesting. After a couple of hours of hearing AAR's hosts respond to callers, I get bored and turn it off. All the shows right now are the same format, only the hosts change, and it gets monotonous.

[quinnox]

11. I like that one

That is a good idea, more variety in format.

[eleny]

14. I like that idea

But I do like Franken, Randi and MR. I'd like to see them add Malloy and Guy James.

A big thumbs up to Laura Flanders, btw. She runs a tight ship and covers a lot of information during her weekend program.

[RafterMan]

21. Majority Report doesn't take callers

That's what I like most about it.

[Catfight]

8. Make it available on AM in all the areas that only carry conservative

radio shows 24/7. The biggest thing is they have got to be available everywhere, just like conservative talk radio. I have absolutely NO CHOICES for talk radio in Florida. ZERO. So I listen to NPR but NPR misses a huge audience during the rush hour traffic with the shows they choose. It makes for a long and boring commute. I'd love to hear anything available besides Insannity or Snitz..whatever his name is.

[PROGRESSIVE1]

9. Replace Franken with Mike Malloy!

[kentuck]

12. Change the 3-hr slots to 2-hr slots....

Why 3-hrs? Because Rush and Hannity do it?

Randy and Al should forfeit 1 hour from their shows and give another voice an opportunity. We should not follow the conservatives with the 3-hr programs...

[LittleApple81]

13. Boy... AT THIS POINT ALL I WANT IS FOR THEM TO SURVIVE.

They will be able to improve with time. I have discovered "morning sedition" and "unfiltered" during the Reagangasm and I like them. None of the programs is perfect BUT I AM SO HAPPY TO HAVE THEM AROUND. Please, send your suggestions (after all we are liberals) but try to support as much as you can.

[Malva Zebrina]

15. the unfiltered show has improved and so has the majority report

Unfiltered today was really quite good.

I am listening to Franken now. Obviously he is reading from some research done by his staff. I do not think he is up on what is really happening--and he is stuttering over it. It seems incoherent.

I know he has a following but as far as I am concerned he is faking it and thinking he can ride along on his book and name. But, it does not quite make it compared to the information awareness of the other shows.

Randi is really good and is certainly experience and knows the facts. She is strident sure--so?

I never listened to Malloy because I could never get the stream to work.

[evil_orange_cat]

16. I wouldn't make any changes with the hosts...

but I'd try to change their programming so they can take more calls... I want to see more public discussion. It seems as if Franken (and his annoying co-host) praddle on with a private conversation when they probably should be having more discussion. And with Randi, I'd get rid of her nerdy producer guy that just laughs in the background, and maybe team her up with somebody. I think radio shows are better when there is actual conversation, not just one person speaking into a mic.

[funkybutt]

19. if you listen to randi, you should know

that's her thing...she doesn't do guests or cohosts. Pretty sure she won't compromise on that. I would like to hear a little more from the guy in the background...he could offer more.

[SiouxJ]

18. Replace an extreme liberal with a barely moderate one?

No thanks! AAR would lose me completely if they swapped Randi for Ed.

And Franken's co-host (Katherine Lanpher) is very good. Franken needs her experience to carry the show; he has said so. He's a novice and she's an old pro. She keeps the thing moving! She's just doing her job when she cuts them off. She HAS to do that. I've been listening since day one and I've never heard her be rude. Randi yes, (and it's expected) but Katerine is quite tactful. I've heard her ask some great questions during interviews too. Actually, I think she adds quite a lot to the show. Yeah, her laugh annoys me a little but that's ok.

[RafterMan]

26. She's necessary, but bad

Al definitely needs a handler, but I think she needs to work on the "tactful" part. She could warn the guests with, "hey, we've only got about a minute left..." or something.

Right now, she could be replaced with an egg timer.

[SiouxJ]

31. Nah, she's fine

it's Franken that needs a little work. He's great but he needs to work on his flow. Too much stuttering.

[Alpha Wolf]

20. get rid of franken

i'm sorry. i've tried. I've forgiven. but franken's show SUCKS! How could he be so good on TV and so horrible over radio. The entire show sounds like it is produced out of some zit-faced teenager's garage. I'm thinking something like the community cable shows they parody on SNL.

[Armstead]

22. Cut back Franken and Randi by an hour and add M. Jackson

Michael Jackson (formerly of KABC) ought to be put on in the daytime. He's a clear liberal, but also a great broadcaster and interviewer with mainstream appeal. (No it's not THAT Michael Jasckson.)

Time could be made with some reshuffling.

Franken is good when he's good, but often he seems to slip into a stupor and gets monmotonous. I think he'd be better if his show was shorter and thus, more focused.

Same with Randi in the otehr way. Three hours instead of four.

Move Unfiltered to drive-time morning or early evening before Majority Report. That's a really good show, and much better than Morning Sedition.

All this would open up time for some other shows like Jackson or others.

I'd put Malloy on late nite. Also would give Peter Werbe a weekend show.

And of course, find a spot for Guy James.

[Beacho]

23. Add some new talent

First on my list would be Malloy, Guy James, and Tom Hartman.


Malloy for the mornings for about two hours

I think Guy James likes doing one show, so maybe a Saturday. But I think he'll do fine in the afternoons

Tom Hartman is fantastic for nuance and great information regarding history, science, ecomomics, et al, and would be a great evening broadcast.

I fully agree with another poster about sticking to a three hour format. I'd go for variety over show length

[TheWizardOfMudd]

24. Air-condition the goddamn studio!

:)

[King_Crimson]

25. Mike Malloy...

PERFECT in prime time...8p.m.-11p.m.

[NewJeffCT]

27. More live shows on the weekend!!

Would be perfect for the aforementioned Mike Malloy or Ed Schultz.

I don't like tuning in and hearing something I heard on Thursday or Friday again.

[truebrit71]

28. Very simple. HIRE MIKE MALLOY...Oh, and get a friggin Chicago station

..again...one that has a decent signal..

[IkeWarnedUs]

48. Get a friggin Chicago station - amen!

Even if it isn't much of a signal. Just get back on the air here!

[indigobusiness]

29. Increase Janeane Garafalo's Prozac dosage...

for starters.

http://sludgereport.blogspot.com/

[Delano]

34. Andd give her lessons in plain English.

She uses too much strident activist talk (she especially loves "paternalistic, racist society", etc.) Those points can be made in plain English, rather than using activist buzzwords that just turn off non-activist types.

She's so funny and personable in movies, I wish she could bring that out a bit more on the show.

For the record I am a total Garofalo fan.

[indigobusiness]

36. I'm sure she's a lovely person...

...just a little bitter...and in love with her own voice.


http://sludgereport.blogspot.com/

[indigobusiness]

51. Not to mention being a douchebag...

and not a "real" blonde.


http://sludgereport.blogspot.com/

[kaitykaity]

30. Marty Kaplan is a snore.

I'm glad baseball comes on at 7.

I would split up Garafalo/Seder. They're like little
kids performing in front of the family. They get rowdy
and act up, and it's horrible because most people don't
care about their little inside jokes.

[Delano]

32. Hire Mike Malloy

This is a no-brainer.

[obnoxiousdrunk]

35. Have Randi train

Al for a month. There is so much Al can go with just name recognition. It's time to learn the tricks of the trade. Who better than Randi can do that. Honestly Al sucks & Randi rocks.

[cheezus]

37. No. Catherine is BETTER than Al. Randi could even tone UP!

and Ed Schultz is a republican.

I think they should have a daily-show style news parody show.

[ChavezSpeakstheTruth]

42. Hey they have Liz Winstead - the Daily Show creator - why not news parody?

?

[cheezus]

44. I'd make it more "this hour has 22 minutes"

than daily show. drop the interviews (save them for the real shows), and get rid of the fake interview/expose stories. But there's enough stuff where they couldfill an hour minus commercials making fun of the news.

[Snellius]

39. The sarcasm and cynicism is only fun for a while

but I can't listen for very long, as much as I agree with what they say. I would like to be inspired more than pissed off. Like music or poetry or rappers or a show for kids or some kind of fire-side chat for bloggers. A little more history and less histrionics. More Chomsky, less Limbaugh from the left. Garofalo is perfect.

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

40. MIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIKE MALLOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOY! N/T

[deeprig9]

41. the whole thing is a bad idea

The demographic doesn't exist for lib talk radio. Libs tend to be younger, young people usually listen to music. Conservatives tend to be older, older people are more inclined to listen to news radio instead of 96 WAVE for example, and it's a tough racket. Listen to the ads on the AM talk channels.... it's all for geritol or life insurance, electric wheelchairs etc.... Bengay.... see where I'm going with this? "old people" stuff..... because that's who mainly listen to talk radio. Seriously.


Sure, there are young people, plenty of people who will listen and enjoy, but not enough to sell enough ads to stay in business. Air America pays to be carried from what I've read, while most talk shows GET PAID to be carried because the station can clean up on advertising.


I'm not just making this up.... I have a media background.

[newyawker99]

46. Hi deeprig9!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[thebigidea]

47. its always best to turn to Neil Boortz fans for ideas on liberal radio

[dmr]

43. I'd love to hear Mike Malloy again

I miss him. He would be a strong asset for AAR.

I enjoy the O'Franken Factor (very much), Morning Sedition, the Majority Report, and love 'tell-it-like-it-is' Randi Rhodes, whom I've been listening to for years. I never miss Randi, whether live or through the archives.

I just can't get into Unfiltered.

One thing I'd like to see on their website is a schedule for week-ends; airtimes for repeated shows and their original airdate.

But definitly bring in Malloy, and maybe Guy on Saturdays.

[malatesta1137]

45. BERNIE WARD

nuf said

[ibegurpard]

49. Provide streams in more than just RealPlayer format.

Replay shows during the night.
As for all the hand-wringers embarrassed about the "stridency," feh!

[Andy_Stephenson]

50. Hire Guy James and

Mike Malloy.

[OneTwentyoNine]

52. Simple...Malloy and Guy James.

Or is that to easy for the air heads at AA to figure out on their own.??

David

[Hubert Flottz]

53. I'd get Al to interview these guys!

Chris and Jay

www.republicanpress.com

These guys are VERY funny and No it's not really a GOPer webpage!

[Mika]

55. Malloy in place of Majority

Janeane Garofalo's and Sam Seder's silly banter drives me nuts. I listen, despite them, for their guests. Even then the interviews are somewhat juvenile. Its a good weekend show. I used to love Janeane but some of her bigoted stereotypes bother me.


Malloy's voice really needs a spot on AA.