AAR- Someone tell me when

[peaches2003]

Jerry Springer's contract is up??? No wonder AAR is having problems! I turned it on and the topic of the day is 'Should we tell pregnant women to stop smoking or drinking?' WTF! Is this what AAR is supposed to be for. He is AWFUL. 9 - noon is an important talk show time period. I actually turn my XM to Fox News' Brian and the Judge. If raises my blood pressure but at least they are discussing pertinent news!

[goclark]

1. I had no idea that fool was on AAR!

[Gabi Hayes]

2. don't they have several NPR stations? I have Sirius, and they

have three NPR/PRI stations, as well as CBC and two BBC internationals

you should check and see.

Dianne Rehm, Fresh Air, a Philadelphia-based talk show, Brian Lehrer from NYC, and somebody out of San Francisco, as well as Talk of the Nation (bleaahhh) later, are all on the NPR ones, and CBC has excellent shows, too

[NYCGirl]

3. He was talking about that because some states are trying to pass laws to

"protect the fetus" which could effectively chip away at Roe v. Wade. The discussion has come about because of a serious threat to women's rights.

[Ezlivin]

4. No offense to Springer fans, but I'd prefer more "meat"

Jerry seems like a nice, progressive guy who bends over backward to show respect to each caller.

But I'd like a more confrontational approach (not to the callers, but to the politicians).

There have to be plenty of "unknown" progressive talk show hosts that could put together an interesting show.

[rusty charly]

5. he does a lot of women's issues

but h should stay on the stories of the minute. that the advantage of radio: "this just in!"

[still_one]

6. Yes, sometimes he goes off to auxillary issues

but for the most part he is not a bad liberal advocate for our side. Incidently, AAR is doing fine. The only group that has been calling for its dimise is the right wing blogs and O'Rielly, and that has been for over two years

[brooklynite]

7. Try Stephanie Miller out of Boston...

available over the web from WXKS:

http://www.am1430wxks.com/main.html

[flakey_foont]

11. I agree

I love Steph and her crew

[benburch]

8. Like Al Franken...

...he is planning to run for office in '08. Which will end his on-air career at least temporarily.

[hlthe2b]

12. What's Springer planning to run for?

I'm not surprised, but first I've heard...

[benburch]

15. Rumor is House of Representatives. nt

[bdamomma]

9. Listen to Stephanie Miller

she is so much better.

[dogday]

13. That is who I am listening to right now

I love her show.....

[Strelnikov_]

10. Since When Is AAR Having Problems? n/t

[peaches2003]

18. Unfortunately

AAR has recently lost a lot of their local stations and they are always in $$$ trouble.

[LSK]

22. which stations?

[peaches2003]

25. Atlanta for one, NYC for another

and I think others have been mentioned here like Phoenix. Doesn't matter what the reasons are. If AAR is off the air they are not being heard.

[Strelnikov_]

23. They Have Lost Some Affiliates Due To The Reich Buying Up The Stations

My understanding is that all of these stations had good lister numbers.

They are well aware of what a threat AAR is, considering their concentration (correctly so) on pervasive broadcast talk radio.

As for advertisers, they are having problems. Speaking truth to power does not endear one with the status quo.

Bobby Kennedy went over all this in the Ring of Fire show three or four weeks ago.

On edit: 6/24/06 Ring of Fire, about 1/3 point.

[WA98296]

14. Thank God we get Thom Hartman 9-12. Best listening.

[zalinda]

16. Thom I like, can't stand Miller

And, Springer is there to bring mod repubs over to the dem side of the street. He's not a Malloy or Rhodes. Springer gets them to listen and then they will listen to Franken. If these guys can get them to listen, then there is hope. Not everyone likes fire and brimstone, or Miller's whackiness.

zalinda

[peaches2003]

17. I agree

If Al Franken runs for the Senate he will have to leave his show and I hope hope hope that Thom Hartmann will be on AAR/XM from noon-3 ET!

[bluestateguy]

19. Sometimes his show is good

Other times, you're right, it can be a real bore. AA is going to lose Franken next year when he begins his Senate campaign. I would replace Franken with Sam Seder, give Garafolo a new co-host and give Springer a co-host who can put a little more life into the show. Mark Riley maybe?

[in_cog_ni_to]

20. AAR is having problems? Since when?

Where did you hear that? What kind of problems are they having?

[LSK]

21. AAR is struggling so bad, they gave Randi a 4 year contract

O'Leilly is that you????

[Strelnikov_]

24. Commercial Progressive/Liberal Radio Is Not Viable

There is a ready market of over 40% of the populace in even the reddest of areas that are not currently served by political talk radio. What every business model requires, a ready-made market.

Problem is, the money boys (advertisers, station owners) are from the other side of the political divide, and most apparently would prefer to lose money. Even worse, they are now apparently buying up AAR affiliates with good numbers in order to push them off the air. No station, no problem.

So much for the free market.

Instead of trying to ‘fight the last war’, that is, model progressive talk radio after Reich-Wing radio, a different (and not really innovative), approach is needed.

This approach is . . . . use the NPR model.

In larger, left leaning cities, commercial Progressive radio will be viable due to the critical mass of advertisers. In smaller, or redder, markets, where most of the advertisers are prejudiced, funding would come from the ‘Corporation For Progressive Radio’ to offset losses.

As Liberals/Progressives, we would need to donate $100/200 a year to the corporation (I used to donate this much to NPR). If 1/6 of Kerry voters donated $100/yr., $1 B a year could be raised.

My belief is that until those in the Red areas (Phoenix, Missoula, Atlanta, etc. etc.) are provided access to an alternative to Reich-Wing propaganda radio, Progressive politicians will make limited inroads. Some discount the effect of Reich-Wing propaganda radio on the political shift, and dumbing down, of the electorate, particularly the ‘working class’. I do not. Radio is low cost (for the consumer), convenient, and pervasive among the ‘working class’.

My experience with all cities, and particularly ‘Red’ cities (St. Louis, Kansas City, Denver, Des Moines, Albuquerque), is that the older/university neighborhoods are ‘Blue’, surrounded by ‘Red’ suburbs which are the enclaves of the middle and ‘working’ classes. That is, the part of the electorate that has been consistently voting against their best interest. Therefore, the primary strategy would be to ‘serve’ these areas. The ‘Blue’ would provide a critical mass of funds, with the CPR providing funds to keep the enterprise ‘just in the black’.

A secondary strategy would be a salient into smaller markets with larger universities (Columbia, MO, Springfield,. MO, Iowa City/Cedar Rapids, IA, Fort Collins, CO) and therefore a younger demographic. The dynamic in these smaller cities would be similar to the larger cities, with the relatively large progressive base proving the revenue to operate nearly self-sufficient.

A third, and probably the most important, strategy will be an air-drops into (typically ‘Red’) smaller cities that are rural regional centers (Quincy, IL, Topeka, KS, Waterloo, IA, Quad Cities, IA). These operations would probably require the most funds from the CPR.

Parallel to all of the above, ownership of stations should be the priority, or the sorry situation in Missoula and Phoenix will simply continue. With an adequately funded CPR, when a station comes up for sale, they would be ready. On-line funding drives could even be effected to raise funds to outbid the Christo/Corporatist oligarchy.

One other change is that the on-air ‘personalities’ would need to accept that they are part of a movement, and park their ego, and need for $1 M/yr paychecks, at the door.