CRUCIAL to our effort...IMO...is

[elizm]

Air America Radio...How do we get it in more stations in order to reach everybody in America? THIS is where we will get our message out since we cannot depend on the corporate media. How do we get more stations to get Air America Radio? I'm not sure what prompted the decision for Clear Channel to bring AAR to Charleston, SC on Dec. 17, but I can tell you that it is making a huge difference...so many are listening already. (When I got in from DC on Jan. 6th, the guy at the airport driving the shuttle bus had it on!!! So cool!) So I think those on DU who don't have it in your area yet should try and get a local effort going to get it there. THINK how much time people spend commuting to work and would tune in!!

[SHRED]

1. Yes!

We need AA everywhere.

Los Angeles doesn't have it but San diego does...go figure.

[elizm]

2. How can people work locally to get it there?? n/t

[SHRED]

3. Don't know

I live in San Diego area.

That LA basin needs a progressive radio voice badly.

[mrdmk]

6. I live in Orange County and try to listen KLSD in San Diego

It is not easy to say the least DX'ing a low powered AM station in Southern California. But, we clear up a few things here. KLSD is pro-ported to be a progressive radio station. KLSD carries both Air America and the Jones Radio Network. KLSD is a station owned by Clear Channel which is suppose to change the hourly news broadcast from Air America to CNN radio news (I think). The last I heard that Air America is trying to get into a Los Angeles radio station.

[mourningdove92]

4. I live in Texas.....nuff said.

We need liberal radio. All I get is Savage, Beck, Limpballs, Hannity, Snow, and Laura Ingram. HELP.

[elizm]

7. Don't say that!!! I live in SC...

Just as bad...But Clear Channel wants the bucks...if they think they can get the listeners they will take it there.

[48pan]

5. Simple

Radio is a business. Make it profitable for the station and they will run Air America. That means advertisers have to buy advertising and listeners have to listen.

What do Howard Stern, Don Imus and Rush Limbaugh have in common? They are entertaining (or at least they used to be).

If it's entertaining, people will listen. Air America isn't entertaining. It seems angry. I find myself switching over to sports talk. I don't like being depressed all the time.

[elizm]

8. 6 million listeners disagree...

[48pan]

9. If you are buying those figures... nt

[elizm]

11. Do you think cc would have brought it to SC...

If they didn't have a growing listening audience?? South Carolina of ALL places???

[icehenge]

15. Same here. I like most of there programming

I'm in Tennessee and I listen over the internet.
I'd wish it was played on a local station but at least
I get to listen sure is helpful to me.

[SmileMaker]

10. Air America needs to invest in powerful transmitters and advertising too

I just drove from NC to NJ - and I got CBS, ESPN and WABC almost the entire way. I was thrilled to get the AAR Atlanta station a little bit north of Philadelphia, and in places further south but it wasn't very strong. AAR absolutely needs to be heard nationally. Also, Thom Hartmann should get some time to be heard (maybe play one of his weekday shows on a weekend). In Central NJ, the reception for the NY station is often interered with by static and other stations. I listen on the web. Boosting that signal to the power that CBS has might be a smart strategic move that cover a major portion of the east.

[housewolf]

12. LA has Pacifica's KPFK

It's not Air America but it's listener-supported public radio so there are no corporate sponsors (i.e., no commercials) and it's about as Progressive as I've heard on radio anywhere...

Pacifica has stations in LA, SF, Boston, NY and (of all places!) Houston. They sponsor some programs that all the staions carry and then each local station does their own local programming. It's been around since the late 1950's and has somehow been able to maintain its independence. The stations are valued progressive voices in their communities. Pacifica's "Democracy Now" by Amy Goodman is one of the mainstays of progressive programming and is now carried on a number of independent media stations and even Dish tv.

So besides Air America with it's popular talk-radio format, another tactic we could take is explore what it would take to expand Pacifica's reach.

There are many other progressive radio shows and stations - a group in Colorado recently bought a station and transformed it into a progressive format. There are many independent shows and stations across the country, and many of them stream live on the internet.

I don't know if anyone's done this yet or not, but a directory of progressive stations and shows would be a most valuable resource. If it hasn't been done, I could put it up on my website.

My point here is that there are many opportunities for folks at a local level to expand the reach and diversity of progressive radio beyond what we might initially think. It just takes creativity, will and commitment at a local level to do it.

[elizm]

13. So how would local groups go about...

bringing progressive radio to their area. Where would they start...say if there was going to be some type of campaign... that we know DUers are capable of carrying out!

[AtLiberty]

14. I was bummed when it only lasted in Chicago a month or so...

Chicago should be FIRST on the list.

[Left coast liberal]

16. When the station came to Seattle last fall...

I heard a story that it used to be a little "shit-kicking" country western station. The owner was approached and he said, "Well, I can't get fewer listeners than I have now!"

So maybe we can approach wierd little AM stations, send letters to the Station Directors.

I don't know if it will work or even if this story is true, but this being America, it all comes down to dollars and cents.

Meanwhile, anybody can see the demand is huge! Maybe AAR should put together a "Press Kit" to help anyone that wants to lobby a station.

Just a thought...

[Pirate Smile]

17. It is starting in Washington DC tomorrow.

You are right, it needs to be everywhere.

[Eric J in MN]

18. :"Easy Ways to Help Air America Radio"

Buy a hat or t-shirt.

Spread the word.

Put up a flyer.

More at:
http://www.moveleft.com/moveleft_essay_2004_07_11_easy_ways_to_help_air_america_radio.asp

[DearAbby]

19. What is also Needed is AAR to allow two three hours a day to local issues

That way people know exactly what is being done within the Party in their local area, able to plan and organize events on a local level. Each station having a personality talking just local issues.