AAR off the air in Philly

[T Wolf]

As reported in the Inquirer this morning, the partial airing of Air America (AL Franken and Randi Rhodes) on WHAT 1310AM will be gone after today.

*****
Newsmakers | Air America, but not anymore in Phila. - 9/30/2005 03:01 AM EDT
By Alfred Lubrano, Inquirer Staff Writer
Al Franken and Randi Rhodes are getting the boot from Philadelphia airwaves, as WHAT-AM (1340) is pulling off programming from Air America, the liberal talk-radio network...
*****

No real explanation of why, but after today, the fifth-largest (or are we 6th behind Houston) city in America will not have even the minimum (7 hours per day) exposure to progressive radio. WHAT has a weak signal and was difficult to pick up, even within the city limits.

I hope this is not an omen for the future.

[lady lib]

1. T Wolf, could you call WHAT 1340, ask them what's going on,

and post their answer? Thx.

[trekbiker]

2. same thing happening here in Sacramento

today is last day for AAR on 1240 AM

[NYCGirl]

3. That was discussed here yesterday; it looks like AAR will be on another

station in Sacramento.

Edited to add link:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=4929277

[warrior1]

5. AAR will be on in Sacramento

1320 am. Just changing channels.

[trekbiker]

10. good... cant go without my "Morning Sedition" commute

the more Progressive radio choices the better.

I like Christine Craft on 1240 but after her the programming goes downhill. 1240 was chipping away at the AAR lineup in favor of local talk. some of it good, some boring.

[ochazuke]

4. Doesn't look like Air America Radio's plan

I think they like to own the station so this kind of thing doesn't happen. Looks like that Philly station was just renting out air time to them.

Maybe AAR will get their own station there.

[Davis_X_Machina]

6. If AAR becomes a syndication service...

...their cash flow would immediately improve, but they could easily be muzzeled, as they can't compell stations to deliver their programming.

If AAR wants to own-and-operate stations, they don't have to worry about program directors spiking their content, but they'll have to spend serious money on bricks-and-mortar.

It's a dilemma I don't envy them having.

[NYCGirl]

7. They have both. AAR has just started a syndication company. NT

[obreaslan]

9. I hope they get their own station here....

I live in South Jersey, but work in Philly. The station they were on had no power. You could barely pick it up outside the city limits. Once you crossed the bridge, it was gone.

To solve the problem, I went out and got Sirius Satellite Radio because they carried the full 24 hour broadcast of AAR. You know how that went. :grr: Now I have no AAR other than streaming over the internet, but that doesn't help in the car. :(

[mvd]

11. Hopefully it will go to a bigger station

:hi:

[Coastie for Truth]

8. San Francisco Market - my Alinco DJ-C1 (0.7 watt) sends

a stronger signal then KQKE -- and driving alongside a PG&E "distribution" line (not "transmission" but "distribution" lines) kills KQKE.

I would go back to daytime KGO in a heart beat if they would drop their day times "moderates" and pick up AAR and Jones ("Big Ed").

In the evening I switch between KGO and KQKE. If Bernie has been on the juice I switch to KQKE - then switch back for Ray Taliafero. (Bernie is good when he is sober).

[cyberpj]

12. I'm 1/2 hour away from Philly and could rarely get the signal. nt.

[MrSlayer]

13. It was on a weak station to begin with. Going to miss it though.

It sucked that we only got the two shows and that they were on a really weak station but it was better than nothing. Maybe after I hit the Powerball tomorrow night I'll put them on a better station.