AAR has filed for bankruptcy, does it make a difference to you?

[msongs]

from today's LA Times (paraphrase):

the parent of AAR has filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

the company cannot pay its bills.

the network will stay on the air during the chapter 11 process.

the outfit is an estimated $16 million in the hole.

the network management has become a revolving door with frequent turnover.
-----------------------------

it is on a local station that goes off the air at sunset and the signal is very weak during the day. I tried it a few times but there were so many commercials it was unlistenable, so it made no matter to me, but there are people who like it and advocate it.

Msongs
www.msongs.com/political-shirts.htm

[upi402]

1. it's terrible news

i'll listen even more and try even harder to use their sponsors' services.

[shimbo]

16. Nobody Cares

That's why AAR is filing for bankruptcy. I predicted its demise over a year ago based on datamining techniques that shows there's no public support -

http://www.realmeme.com/roller/page/realmeme?entry=air_america_meme_another_successful

[FormerDittoHead]

19. Where's the "prediction"??

You show a spike on a chart a year ago, but I don't see any such "prediction".

Any number of things could have happened and that chart could have spiked back up.

Technical analysis is not a science.

I predict the sun will explode.

[datavg]

23. HUH?

"Technical analysis is not a science."

The hell it isn't. Corporations pay IBM to have people on staff that do nothing but data mining, five days a week.

The servers I support (pSeries 690/590/595) are well suited for that kind of thing. IBM sells them to big banks, large research universities, etc. Sandia Labs in New Mexico has rooms of them.

[FormerDittoHead]

25. The METHODS of T/A are science, however...

This guy tracks google hits and claims (I saw no "prediction" that AAR will "fail" in Oct '06) to make predictions based upon the charted results.

If you claim *that's* scientific, I have some goose barnacles to sell you.

Just because a business pays out money to do something doesn't mean it has the reciprocal value.

You can use a super computer to calculate horoscopes.

The cost benefits of data mining for many applications are controversial.

Investing using technical analysis is controversial (to say the least).

PS: I read candlestick charts, but I know their limits.

[newyawker99]

26. Hi datavg!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[leesa]

32. No. You're full of it. The issue is that it's a start-up needing to play

small and poorly managed radio stations. Hopefully they can work out their Chapter 11 issues. They have had fantastic growth for a new venue.

[Nictuku]

2. I'm addicted to Randi Rhodes

I hope they are able to get out from under chapter 11 and reorganize successfully.

[Zensea]

3. Actually no, except in the abstract

I don't watch TV & listen to the radio only very rarely. I get my news and commentary other ways.
It is disappointing that such a station can't stay afloat for whatever the reason, but it doesn't make any difference to me, which is the question.

[rodeodance]

4. of course i care. ---any L voice is a loss to all.

[CTyankee]

10. Won't Sirius or Jones pick up AAR people?

Let's not be glum. AAR had competition and the competition has won out. That DOES NOT mean that liberal talk radio can't be saleable to the general public. The general public has had it with RW crap on the airwaves. They are looking for better voices. So what if AAR is not the only liberal game in town? Ed Schultz and Stephanie Miller are two good examples of what is popular in the general public. I like Stephanie better than Ed but I don't think Ed is as bad as some paint him to be. He's just not the attractive personality that Stephanie is.

[Vox Acerbus]

5. Yes I'll miss Rachel Maddow...

I listen via XM and subscribe to Maddow's podcast. Will miss it greatly if AAR goes.

[earth mom]

6. Not really because they killed AAR when they fired Mike Malloy.

That's when I knew the writing was on the wall and AAR wasn't going to be true to it's supposed intentions of being a real and true liberal "voice". The thugs are very good at getting what they want-we should all know that by now. :puke:

[pnorman]

7. To me, it makes a LOT of difference.

I bought an XM sat. radio specifically so I could get AA without that streaming hassle. But I can live without it, since I have DU and so many other sources of info. And being retired, I have plenty of time. But there are a lot out there whose main source of an alternate point of view was AA on the car radio. Many of them have neither the time nor the know-how to look elsewhere. For their sake, I hope something good can be done for AA.

pnorman

[autorock]

8. Never listened to it at length

I'll take Opie and Anthony or any rock station over it any day.

Occasionally AAR would have some good points but honestly, can't they do any better than celebs like Springer and Franken?

[pnorman]

18. Perhaps for no rational reason,

Springer really gets on my nerves. But Franken, although he's too "DLC-like centrist" for my taste, is generally a pleasure to listen to. Yes, it's mainly a matter of personal "taste". Randi Rhodes can get a bit too shrill at times, but overall I not only enjoy her but I LEARN from her. Likewise,with Thom Hartmann. To me, that's the whole point. And whatever I "learn", is rigorously cross-checked for accuracy. I have a Google toolbar on my browser that gets mucho exercise. I can even use Google & Wikipedia on my smartphone!

About 12 years back, I dropped cable. And without cable, TV viewing is all but unviewable at my downtown location. So I haven't watched TV since then. I don't miss it, especially since I now have a good and reliable DSL connection.

pnorman

[calmblueocean]

9. What bugs me is that this will be spun as a failure of the format

...instead of a failure in management.

The Right Wing has been declaring for years that nobody wants liberal radio, nobody will listen to it, and that AAR will end in bankruptcy. Now they're saying that this shows they were right. I first heard that AAR declared bankruptcy when I turned to a local right wing station and the host said that "This shows that liberals don't understand markets. 'Oh, I know! I'll start a little coffeeshop! I'll start a little radio network!' It doesn't MATTER what you want, the only thing that matters is what the MARKET wants! And these lalaland liberals don't get that..."

Blah blah blah, ad infinitum.

But AAR's situation is really one of bad management, not a failure of the format. They were told they had more money and resources when they first started than they actually had available, and it's been the process of taking care of the debt they produced that's ultimately responsible for this bankruptcy, as I understand it. AAR has squandered a lot of great hosts through inept bungling and poor communication, too -- Malloy, Maron, Lizz Winstead and others. But liberal radio is here to stay, and is growing in popularity. I'm a paid subscriber to all their shows, and I'll always be grateful to AAR for getting liberal radio on the air nationwide.

[Zensea]

11. Until another company fills the gap ...

which would not surprise me if it happens.
The demand is obviously there and if it was only mismanagemnt someone is bound to attempt to do so.

[jimshoes]

12. For me, yes I dig it a lot

I listen to Sam Seder, then Franken, then Randi (I really love her show) and I'm starting to get into Rachael Maddow's show as well. So yeah, I'll miss them all if AAR leaves us.

[Rockstone]

13. AAR is not everything

first - the 11 is a reorg
second, the personalities can go to other stations if ARR folds

there are plenty of liberal voices, it just so happens that liberals don't like to be upset 24 hours a day like conservatives do, so the all day radio doesn't fare as well.

if a station wanted to make it, they woould have to reinvent the model so it wasn't packed with worthless off target commercials over and over again all the time.

[SoCalDem]

14. I have not listened since they left Sirius

I never really "clicked" with any of them. I think they had a good idea, but they did not develop it correctly. There ARE lots of progressives who should have had a voice on their network, but they went with the "star" idea..Franken is not all that entertaining, Randi's a bit abrasive, and Janeane was rarely there..

They would have been better off to have snapped up a bunch of people like Guy James, and BUILT a following..It would have been cheaper and a lot more entertaining too..

The "money people" they had were either not very savvy, or they never planned for AAR to really succeed.

[blues90]

15. I am troubled by it .

You see , I was turned onto AAR by my wife about a year ago . She has been listening from the begining and went through the start where they were on the taken off the air and then got back on . She talked about the hosts all the time and laughed at night listening to the morning sedition .

She finally after many attempts to get me into it came over to the computer and clicked on the stream and said just listen to the Malloy show , if you don't like it then at least you tried .

Well after a bit of Malloy I had the speakers turned up and have listened ever since and even got XM so I would not miss a show .

Then morning sedition was dropped and then Malloy and this was quite a shock , I was hoping Malloy would get a new contract and when he did I thought great ! at least Malloy will be there to get me through each day ranting about all that was troubling me .

well you know the rest of the story .

It is not just AAR but all the affiliates because not one of them would have got their start if not for AAR but a few of these hosts seem to think they make it on their own , they did not exist before and some now try to separate themselves from AAR instead of working as a team all to support eachother .

I am pissed Malloy has been removed and I don't like the new line up much or the shifting of slots .

Without AAR and the affiliates we have nothing and I don't like that .

[tech3149]

17. It bothers me because I value what they are trying to do

There is a market for liberal/progressive voices on commercial radio. People like Randi, Thom Hartmann, Mike Newcomb, Bernie Ward, Ray Taliafaro, and so many others prove that. Those with radio experience who were affiliated with AAR hinted toward the problems in management and marketing that plagued the organization from the beginning. I would guess that these people were basically moles who got involved with the intention to submarine the effort. I hope that reorganization will put some true radio professionals in command positions and they will be more aggressive in marketing. If done right, I'm sure there wouldn't be time to run "best of" shows to fill out the week or cover days off.

[MODemocrat]

20. When Mike Malloy left, I lost interest in AAR

It's a shame that so many good lefties won't be on the airwaves; but, I'll bet they get picked up somewhere else.

[BlueAlert]

21. I never really listened to AAR

I usually listen to NPR.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

22. I never listen to talk radio of any sort

I prefer music for both working and driving.

[valerief]

24. It better stay in biz. I bought XM specifically for it. And jazz.

Everything else, except maybe CSPAN, is crap on the radio.

[Nimrod2005]

27. No problem here...I love AAR and am happy they filed

this will help them restructure some deals and move on stronger and better.

[liberal1973]

29. I agree with you

That this will help them restructure and move on stronger and better.

[DireStrike]

28. I never listen to radio, so no.

I dunno when people have time to listen to the radio. I guess a lot of people drive?

[bermudat]

30. I stopped caring about Air America when they switched to XM without

considering their listeners. And when they fired Marc Maron and Mike Malloy. I can listen to Randi Rhodes on my computer.

[stepnw1f]

31. Nope.... as Long as They are Still On the Airwaves

AAR will survive.