What is the deal with Air America?

[SouthernDem2004]

I heard something about them being in serious finacial difficulty when I was flipping channels on Sirius. No idea which news channel said it. Anything actually going on?

[EstimatedProphet]

1. It's O'Liely crap

All lies. Don't listen to them.

[walldude]

2. They are asking for donations

but they also just moved into brand new studios. Malloy and Randi have been bitching about the management. It's hard to say what the hell is going on. I don't think they are going anywhere though, they are still just over a year old and have been growing exponentially..

[blondeatlast]

3. This has been debunked maybe a hundred times--literally--on DU.

They are growing by leaps and bounds.

Every fledgling buisiness is gonna hurt in the growing stages, but they seem to be managing nicely.

This is TP funneled through the Heritage Foundation mouthpieces. Don't buy it.

[flowomo]

4. here's the Mediaweek story... make of it what you will...

Air America Radio Asking For Listener Donations
September 27, 2005
By Katy Bachman

In an unusual move for commercial radio, Air America Radio quietly launched Sept. 21 a loyalty program that includes asking for donations from listeners, a strategy more common to noncommercial stations and political action committees.

According to the network’s Web site, listeners become an “Air America Associate” by making a cash donation to the network.

A spokesperson said the program, modeled after The Nation magazine’s associates program, was developed in response to requests from its listeners “to spread the word about programming.”

Since Air America launched in March 2004, the network has signed 70 affiliates, but has not had an easy time getting a financial foothold, bouncing checks during the initial launch period. Recently, the network had to repay $875,000 to the Gloria Wise Boys & Girls Club, which helped fund the start-up network.

http://www.mediaweek.com/mw/news/recent_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1001181556

[NYCGirl]

5. And then there's this story...make of it also what you will...

Investors seek to bring AAR to smaller communities

The co-founders of Air America are forming a company to buy rural radio stations to spread the reach of the liberal-oriented radio network. Northbrook (IL) venture capitalists Anita and Shelley Drobny, who retain a minority interest in Air America, are seeking to raise an initial $5 million to buy eight or nine stations in communities with fewer than 100,000 residents.

http://ltradio.blogspot.com/2005/09/investors-seek-to-bring-aar-to-smaller.html

[Davis_X_Machina]

7. What we do here in Maine...

...is make donations to the station, which then provides local non-profits with ad time & production support, it's money to the station, and publicity for the non-profit, which maybe wouldn't have the money on their own.

[mainegreen]

8. Bouncing checks is not that big a deal necessarily

I could easily imagine them having at least 2 accounts: 1 they pay out of and another that holds all their cash. More people can write checks out of the first account than the larger, second account. If someone writes a check, they must request the funds be transfered from the second account to the first. Should that not happen, a check will bounce even if the company technically has the money. Its actually a good system to protect any companies finances

[JHB]

6. It's an attempt at magic by RWers.

They think if they repeat it enough it will be true.

It's such a touchstone with them that liberal talk is doomed to failure that any normal bump for a growing business is touted as a sure sign of it's imminent (and long-predicted by them) collapse.

[Sgent]

9. I want to see the ratings

Everything hinges on the ratings. Good arbitron = no financial problems. Even if AA went Chapter 7, if the underlying hosts have good ratings, they will be snapped up by someone(s).

[KharmaTrain]

10. Radio & Records Has Most Affiliates

AAR is not in any serious financial troubles...or no more so than any other broadcast company considering advertising revenues are way down thanks to the crappy economy. Radio stands behind network and cable television, newspapers and now internet in getting the "grease"...thus you hear less advertising and the quality of the advertisers are "bottom feeders".

http://www.radioandrecords.com/RRRatings/

That's where you can research ratings...most the AAR affiliates are listed there. Keep in mind these stations are not owned by AAR...most are owned by Clear Channel. That company has a big interest in seeing AAR suceede and ensures the network will stay viable and growing.

There's a lot of disinformation that has been tossed about AAR. I was an early critic of the network's set-up...since I saw financial troubles and their growing pains. See "Left Of The Dial" and this documentary plays out these problems and how they were resolved. Since then the network has found it's footing and is enjoying one of the success stories in a radio world awash in losing stations and formats.

The Sirius/XM situation is also one that helped AAR. They went with a sure deal with XM and this pissed off a lot of Sirius listeners. Previously both services carried some of AAR, but the new deal guaranteed more revenue to go to AAR...thus I would say a stronger financial move...not one of a network in financial distress.

AAR is doing well. It's not ideal and I would love to see other Progressive voices start being heard...but it's broken through to become a steady, viable and popular radio network.