How much longer do you expect AAR to last with it's current management?

[pstokely]

If they keep firing people, I expect less than a year, hopefull the good hosts can find a place on sateradio radio

[zulchzulu]

1. See the movie "Left Of Center"...AAR is a work in progress...

...and no, it will be around for a while. Otherwise, we're fu*&ed.

[pstokely]

3. If so, it will take years before it can really compete with hate radio

No Full Time AAR affiliate in Missouri

[zulchzulu]

4. There is one in MO, albeit a tiny signal...

I've wondered why St. Louis doesn't have a strong AAR signal...KMOX is a screamer with all the wrong voices...

[pstokely]

5. That station only airs Al Fraken

[Fluffdaddy]

2. December 2008

[bluestateguy]

6. At least the rest of the Bush presidency..

It will never be what right wing radio is. Nor is that necessary.

[pstokely]

7. A Chimp impeachment means death for AAR then

[Union Thug]

9. I like the idea of WINS (workers independent news service) better than AAR

Because the struggle of workers is perpetual in this society and economy. AAR obviously doesn't care about it's employees' interests.

[Union Thug]

8. Over the past three days...

Malloy was fired and there were three arch-conservatives appearing as featured guests (on the Al Franken show alone).

I'd say AAR was a great idea but is quickly becoming a centrist, DLC inspired enterprise. Frankly, I've lost interest. The way they killed off Malloy makes me sick, and drives home the point that they are no different than any other faceless gaggle of corporate bastards.

[pstokely]

12. Al Fraken has been on vaction this week

They need to find better guest hosts

[datasuspect]

22. it's all about the benjamins

$$$$$$$$

[MannyGoldstein]

10. They Need A Liberal Rush Limbaugh

Look, Rush is Satan.

But, at least a few years ago, Rush was amusing, compelling, and often insightful. He'd draw insane conclusions from his insights, but they were insights nonetheless. (Nowadays, since he's off dope, he's just bitter and loud.)

The AAR hosts that I've heard range from pretty good to somnambulific.

[pstokely]

13. Randi needs to go against Rush

[datasuspect]

23. maybe a "texas cage match" on pay per view.

[napi21]

11. I believe it will be around for a long time.

Oxyrushwasn't an overnight success either, remember that.It may have been a little too soon for Malloy, although he wasn't anymore left wing than Rush is right, he was a very strong and loud voice. I liked to listen to Mike, but I must admit,I never had him on when my husband orrelatives were here. My husbandeven gets a bit putoff sometimes by Randi. Hubby & my relativesare all Dems, but they're just not into the really hard core stuff.

I believe mike will resurface, and we'll have him back on a stream somewhere.

[pstokely]

14. It may be around for years with little listeners

[MaryRN]

15. I WAS a listener...until August 8th.

[countmyvote4real]

16. Not long. AAR can’t commit to their mission statement.

With three (?) different management teams in three years, that mission is being reinterpreted like a bad case of “telephone.” Most sad for listeners is that AAR has fallen into a pattern of developing shows with an audience and then pulling the rug out from under them, all the while believing they are building a better mousetrap. I guess they can’t decide what mouse they want to trap or captivate.

Some of my lost favorites:

Marty Kaplan
Unfiltered (I’ve never returned to the official AAR stream during that time slot. Thanks to Stephanie Miller. I stream her show from Clear Channel Boston.)
Morning Sedition (Rachel is fine, but I’d rather sleep because I can. Only Steph makes me want to take the time to wake up and tune-in.)
Mike Malloy (He was/is the best and I’m kind of tired of being jerked around.)

And then there are the individual modifications to the remaining shows and the loss of co-hosts. Janeane Garofolo’s departure hasn’t hurt The Majority Report as much as Katherine Lanpher’s has neutered The Al Franken Show. On this theme, Rachel has never been as much fun as she was when Lizz Winstead was there.

I don’t have a car commute (or a car). I don’t have a working radio in my apartment. I only started streaming or paying any attention to any talk radio with the launch of AAR. I’m internet based so I have plenty of options that don’t include a web stream.

My life will go on if AAR wants to attract a more centrist audience that doesn’t really care enough to vote, let alone actively seek out the homogenized AAR signal. I don’t need AAR and obviously it’s best not to get too attached to a routine when it seems determined to fail. So be it.

AAR will be forced to shut down or re-brand the moniker before or by the end of next year. They’ve gone from building an audience to driving them away with program changes too many times.

Sadly, I will miss the weekend “magazine-style” shows, but I heard they pay to be played, so they may not be lost forever.

Fond farewell to AAR. We hardly knew ye or ye or ye.

[LTR]

17. AAR will sell itself off

That's my prediction.

And whatever owner buys it, they'll keep it all liberal. AAR has built a pretty strong brand name. Unfortunately, unless they stop screwing up so badly, that name won't be worth squat.

I'd like to see someone buy it and operate it like a real business. The current ownership/management group seems to treat it like either a toy or a propaganda machine, and in order for something like AAR to succeed, this is the wrong way to do it. An owner's gotta get aggressive with it, and show others that it's possible to make money with this type of format.

And yes, this is how conservative talk radio became big. They treated it like a business, and as soon as it started making money, everybody else copied one another. If they just want a big megaphone, they should have done public radio like Pacifica. If they want to play with the big boys, they've gotta play by their rules.

[REP]

19. Thy're Starting To Treat It Like a Business

Getting rid of underperforming shows (low revenue for the cost; small audience) and getting shows/hosts that have their own sponsorship and audience to bring to the network is showing some strategy.

[Fluffdaddy]

20. They should Treat it like a Business. Time for AAR to sink or swim

Disclaimer: I'm Big AAR fan and premium member that been tuning in from the very first hour AAR went live. But either there's a market for Left leaning radio/network or there's NOT. I don't understand why AAR is not doing better after 3 years

[LTR]

21. Yeah, but these moves smack of desperation

They're just plugging holes.

And how many CEO's have they had?

The way I see it, it seems like AAR's management consists of way too many egos and people that don't know what's going on. They will have a hard time surviving at this point, especially if they're trying to alienate their listeners. If they were smart, they'd just sell it while "Air America" still has good name value.

[B Calm]

18. Less than a year. You don't fire your BEST without losing the support

from your base!