What do you think about Air America charging to download shows?

[Armstead]

Air America has adopted a new "Premium" service. As a result, Air America Place (a seperate independent site) will stop providing free downloads of their shows. So if you don't listen to Air America shows at the time of broadcast, you no longer have the ability to listen later, unless you pay. You also can't download to listen to in the car, etc. without paying a fee.

[MADem]

1. They need to get their revenue from advertisers, like CNN and others do

A lot of these news programs used to have premium web video costs, but they are going to an advertiser-supported model, because the pay-to-play paradigm is unsupportable over the long haul.

[Armstead]

2. Personally I think they shouold offer free downloads for a day or two

My own opinion is that they have a right to have a premium service for access to archives, but they should also continue to allow free downloads of their most recent shows of the day or week.

[JDPriestly]

3. In LA, AAR broadcasts only in the early morning and while I am

at work. I don't get to listen to it. The station plays Clipper games every night. Surely that team is not playing every night. It seems to me that sports fans get more than their share of radio/TV time. I want AAR in the evenings, not Clippers. I don't want to have to pay for it. I like all the daytime shows. I bet Rush Limbaugh can be downloaded for free. Am I wrong about that?

[Armstead]

4. I think Rush Limbaugh charges too -- But that's to be expected

Exclusiveness based on ability to pay is part of being a right winger.

But Air America is supposed to be about social change and liberalism, as well as trying to msake a buck. I find it disturbing to see liberal sites going to the same extent of privitization of public discourse. They should be offering something better.

[JDPriestly]

30. Charging will mean that new listeners who might try it out

won't try it long enough to understand. Also, it means that the very people who need to be drawn into the Democratic fold, students and others of limited means, won't be able to stream it.

[howmad1]

10. Limpballs podcasts

Limpballs charges $49.95/year for unlimited podcasting. I'm really getting fed up with AAR. Seems to me AAR is forming a circular firing sqaud. We're losing them in Phoenix. Station sold to a rightwing whacko religious group. Quality of advertisers is a joke. Al Franken getting boring as hell. Randi Rhodes and Mike Molloy are the only things worthwhile. Wish they would get George Soros, Al Gore or Amy Goodman to put together a real progressive broadcast facility. If AAR keeps this crap up, I'm afraid the whackos win another one.

[Blue Belle]

26. Rush Limbaugh charges just to stream his show...

and he has corporate sponsers coming out his ass. I think of Air America as the David fighting this huge Goliath of Conservative radio... and if they need to charge for downloading previous broadcasts to keep up than I don't have a problem with it.

[joefree1]

5. Ya mean Corporations won't support liberal Radio?

And we have to?

Kinda like clean air, health insurrance, and social security, If we don't support Air America the corporatist would love nothing better then to see Liberal radio go bye bye.

[mucifer]

6. All the time they haven't charged they've lost money.

Archieving costs money.They don't make that much. I wish it was free. I wish everyone could download. But, it's not realistic.

[Armstead]

8. I don't think Air America did the archiving before.

Air America Place is a seperate site (a "fan site") that did the archiving and made the shows available.

So the costs weren't borne by Air America itself.

[mucifer]

35. Actually AAR pays AAP they were gonna archieve themselves

but they found it easier to just pay AAP because Bob does such a great job.

[ikojo]

20. There is always bit torrent.....

[Occulus]

25. And they don't utilize P2P because.......?

Let the public bear the cost of archiving and distribution. Just maintain one fast server, and let the public distribute using its bandwidth.

Why is that concept so hard to "get"?

"I wish it was free. I wish everyone could download. But, it's not realistic."

Of course it is. The RIAA knows this all too well....

[wtmusic]

7. It's a business like any other

let them make their dime. I'd be interested to hear how many people crying about paying have supported AA in any way, shape, or form.

[Armstead]

11. No, the Intrnet is a new paradigm

It raises the question of whether the "commons" of information and debate will be oopen to the public or locked away behind walls that only the affluent have access to.

Air America should certainly be able to make na buck. But it seems like there ought to be more of a "happy medium" where the basics remain accessible.

[NYCGirl]

12. But, as you say, the "basics remain accessible".

Streaming is still free, and there will be "highlights" of past shows available for no charge. It's just the archives that cost; bandwidth is very expensive.

[wtmusic]

15. Without getting into a debate about the validity of copyright

it seems that those who claim the internet is a new "paradigm" are seldom providers of content.

The only reason it's become a new paradigm is that it makes enforcement of copyright provisions difficult. In essence: does the ability to get away with it make it right?

I drive over the speed limit all the time, mostly because I can get away with it. Does that make it my right?

[Armstead]

16. I'm a purveyor of free print content

I work for a newspaper that's distributed in mail to targeted subscribers for free. It's also distributed free to everyone in public locations. We make our money through advertising. The more people who pick up our free paper, the more we can pay our bills and make some money.

We also offer paid subscriptions for people who want extra convenience outside of our target audience. But it's an added bonus. People can still get it for free.

So the paradigm of free access vs. paid is not a new issue. But Air America is supposedly also about spreading information and ideas. If the only people who are able to access their content "on demand" are people who have the money to pay for it -- and who already agree with it -- the other supposed role of Air America of spreading truth and stimulating change is undermined.

[NYCGirl]

18. But people can just turn on their radios or stream the programs to hear

content for free. That is not changing.

[Armstead]

21. For many we have to be at our computers to listen

With downloads I'm able to listen in the car or elsewhere on mp3 p
I don't object to their having premium services. But they ought to at least make the ability to listen to their shows as accessible as possible, if their goal is really to combine political change with business principles.

[wtmusic]

22. point well taken

and it does seem they are working against their role to provide an alternative to RW hate radio by charging for access.

They seem to have a hard time making money through advertising alone. Maybe they will adopt a Michael Moore approach of charging, but turning the other cheek when sites mirror the content.

Takes me back to Abbie Hoffman's "Steal This Book".

[egadsbrain]

9. They're gradually losing me.

I used to listen almost all day and quite a few nights when I could. Cancelling "Unfiltered" and "Morning Sedition," adding "Springer", losing Kathernine Lamfer(sp) and replacing "Mike Malloy" (in NYC) with the idiotic "Satellite Sisters" has me returning to NPR more and more.

So, for this former AAR fan, new programming sucks and I have to pay for the shows I really like?!?

:thumbsdown:

[alarimer]

37. In Corpus Christi they are adding Bill Press

and Ed Shultz. I hope they don't replace Randi Rhodes with one of them or I will be pissed. The station doesn't even have a website yet but I will try and contact them to say I will no longer listen if they do.

I don't know who Bill Press is but I don't really care for Schultz.

[derby378]

13. It's still free for the time being...

...so if you've been putting off d/l'ing that Randi Rhodes episode where she went off on the Army's 2004 bullet shortage, now's your chance.

[NYCGirl]

14. BTW, Air America Place will still be handling the archives. But now,

they'll be getting paid to do so.

[leeroysphitz]

17. Air America has every right to charge money for the service

they provide. They aren't and never claimed to be a non-profit company and they aren't in any way affiliated with the corporation for public broadcasting. They need to and ought to make a profit.

Having said all that as A consumer still allowed to "vote with my wallet" I'll be DAMNED if I'll EVER pay a dime to listen to Jerry f@cking Springer...

[NYCGirl]

19. Well, you can subscribe only to the show(s) you want, or get a

subscription for all the shows (which includes Springer, who you are free to ignore). The better bargain is all the shows.

[mtnsnake]

23. The most important aspect, AFAIC, of AAR is it's live broadcast because

it gives all those people who are riding around in cars or sitting in their offices listening to radio, while on the job, a better alternative to Limbaugh and his ilk. Before AAR, the rightwing shows were about their only source of entertainment, other than NPR. Now that AAR exists, there's a chance that it will catch the ear of some otherwise brainwashed listeners and maybe influence them in the correct direction and steer them away from Limbaugh and Hannity.

[Armstead]

24. I agree, but many of us live outside their coverage areas

Until liberal (or even balanced) media becomes more prevalent on the airwaves and conventional cable, it's important for the alternatives to also be as accessible to the general public as possible.

[Strelnikov_]

27. Voted 'Fine With Me'. Pay For Commercial Free Downloads

However, they probably should have downloads of the shows with commercials for free, the advertising revenue from which will help to offset costs.

This whole discussion, however, points out the uphill battle we face.

They need revenue. Most advertising revenue streams are cut off from them (similar to the K-Street project effect). The rich 'liberals' are not willing to step up to the plate and provide the infrastructure funds like the Reich-Wing outlets get (Scaife, Bradley, etc etc.). Less well-off liberals bitch about having to pay for something that does have a production and distribution cost.

[Armstead]

32. Free with ads would be a good option to offer

I think offering the options free ad-supported podcasts or non-ad premium streams would be one way to generate some money while still allowing access.

The problem is that people already have to pay for basic access to the Internet. If after that they have to pay to access all content, it pretty soon gets unaffordable overall.

I don;t mind paying for a daily newspaper if I can toss a quarter into a paper box or buy at a store. But when you start to add up all of the costs for online, advertising is still a viable base for media operations to keep them accessable.

[Nutmegger]

28. What's this with Air America Place??

Jeez, I haven't heard that. That sucks!

I understand why AAR is doing this though. I wish them nothing but success; they need the money from what I hear.

On edit: how will this affect White Rose???

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

29. No Reason To Have a Problem With It On My End At All.

They're a business and if the need an additional revenue stream than god bless em!

[FreedomAngel82]

31. Stephanie Miller's show did the same thing

So for a Christmas present I got her podcast subscription since it's my favorite radio show. Is WRS still going to have Malloy's show and Randi's?

[joefree1]

33. Or Ed Schultz

Can you tell he's my favorite?

[Selatius]

34. This is CAPITALISM, people. Our society is built on MONEY! Damn it!

This isn't socialism land where payment comes in the form of "I promise to provide you a good/service in exchange for your promise to do the same with me for our mutual survival."

You don't like that? You want to bitch about paying the damn fee? Grow up, people. This is a society built on money. No money? No service.

[Armstead]

36. kick