No Air America in Tampa or Orlando...Where's the gloating?

It was widely reported a month ago that stations in Tampa and Orlando would pick up the AAR feed.

WEUS 810 was named on Air America's website as its new Orlando affiliate. As reported on the Orlando board, that station is now on the air... but with the True Oldies Channel.

A Tampa newspaper reported that a station there was in negotiations to take AAR. Rumors placed that station as WQYK-AM, 1010. But that station has instead gone to a classic country format.

Air America goes 0-for-2 in two big Florida markets. Why did the station managers/owners get cold feet? Was it the possibility of boycotts? Fear of a "takeout" by Special Ops in Tampa? Fear of infuriating the mighty Jeb?
Lack of listeners in counties that sit on the balance between red and blue in Presidential races? What rational explanation is there for two AM stations go to MUSIC formats in this day and age?

> It was widely reported a month ago that stations in Tampa
> and Orlando would pick up the AAR feed.
>
> WEUS 810 was named on Air America's website as its new
> Orlando affiliate. As reported on the Orlando board, that
> station is now on the air... but with the True Oldies
> Channel.
>
> A Tampa newspaper reported that a station there was in
> negotiations to take AAR. Rumors placed that station as
> WQYK-AM, 1010. But that station has instead gone to a
> classic country format.
>
> Air America goes 0-for-2 in two big Florida markets. Why did
> the station managers/owners get cold feet? Was it the
> possibility of boycotts? Fear of a "takeout" by Special Ops
> in Tampa? Fear of infuriating the mighty Jeb?
> Lack of listeners in counties that sit on the balance
> between red and blue in Presidential races? What rational
> explanation is there for two AM stations go to MUSIC formats
> in this day and age?
>

I guess I dont see the news here. So they decided to go to music. No big deal. Perhaps they decided they could make more money with the oldies.

Oldies is gear towards an audience that is more familiar with AM radio. (This will make me sound old) but I do enjoy a good AM music station if it is processed correctly.

Re: No Air America in 19 of the top 50 markets

To paraphrase scripture, what does it profit a company to gain (#231) Charlottesville, (#254)State College and (#76)El Paso and not clear:
6. Philadelphia
7. Houston
19. Tampa
20. St. Louis
21. Baltimore
27. Riverside
29. Kansas City
31. Salt Lake
32. Las Vegas
33. Milwaukee
35. Charlotte
37. Orlando
40. Norfolk
41. Indianapolis
44. Nashville
45. Greensboro
48. Jacksonville
50. Hartford

Plus #23 Pittsburgh carries only Thom Hartmann (none of the "network" programs) and #25 Cleveland takes only Jerry Springer directly through Clear Channel. WPTT, Pittsburgh and WTAM, Cleveland signed before AAR began distributing the respective shows.

Add to this the fact that many of their so-called "affiliates" are Class D AM's with poor signals or rim-shot stations and do not cover much of their assigned markets.

No reason for gloating here.

Re: No Air America in 19 of the top 50 markets

Riverside carries an hour of Rhodes and Franken (they're a daytimer).

> Add to this the fact that many of their so-called
> "affiliates" are Class D AM's with poor signals or rim-shot
> stations and do not cover much of their assigned markets.

If you have enough affiliates, agencies don't care.

Re: No Air America in 19 of the top 50 markets

>
> If you have enough affiliates, agencies don't care.
>

This is a crock of sh**. Agencies care about HOW MANY LISTENERS
so they can run their cost-per-thousand and other formulas.

Number of stations means nothing to an agency.

Such ignorance, clearly you have never worked in a
commmercially-successful radio station.

Re: No Air America in 19 of the top 50 markets

> >
> > If you have enough affiliates, agencies don't care.
>
> This is a crock of sh**. Agencies care about HOW MANY
> LISTENERS
> so they can run their cost-per-thousand and other formulas.
>
> Number of stations means nothing to an agency.
>
> Such ignorance, clearly you have never worked in a
> commmercially-successful radio station.

Always nice to have such an eloquent response from someone new to R-I. Unfortunately, you have no idea where I've worked or that worked that I've worked at a network and syndicated shows. While I have, working at a station has nothing to do with selling national time.

I'm speaking of network buys. More stations will equal more listeners. However, I see networks like TRN moving shows like Michael Savage from huge talk stations to small ones because the smaller station will also clear Rusty Humphries, Tammy Bruce, and Jerry Doyle. The third-tier shows listed won't get more than 1,000 listeners on the new fleawatter, but it counts as an affiliate. Why do you think networks offer special "best of" feeds for lesser shows? So stations with no weekday availability will clear it on the weekend and help rack up the affiliate count.

That's enough for now.

Re: No Air America in 19 of the top 50 markets

First of all, what does this have to do with the post referring to AAR's potential distribution problem in the Tampa/Olando corridor?

Secondly, you fail to point out that the markets listed below only account for 20% of the radio listeners in the top 50 markets. If you factor out the markets in hopelessly RED-neck states like NC, TN, TX, UT, and VA that means AAR is hitting 90% of its prime audience with its current affiliations. Not bad for a network.

> To paraphrase scripture, what does it profit a company to
> gain (#231) Charlottesville, (#254)State College and (#76)El
> Paso and not clear:
> 6. Philadelphia
> 7. Houston
> 19. Tampa
> 20. St. Louis
> 21. Baltimore
> 27. Riverside
> 29. Kansas City
> 31. Salt Lake
> 32. Las Vegas
> 33. Milwaukee
> 35. Charlotte
> 37. Orlando
> 40. Norfolk
> 41. Indianapolis
> 44. Nashville
> 45. Greensboro
> 48. Jacksonville
> 50. Hartford
>
> Plus #23 Pittsburgh carries only Thom Hartmann (none of the
> "network" programs) and #25 Cleveland takes only Jerry
> Springer directly through Clear Channel. WPTT, Pittsburgh
> and WTAM, Cleveland signed before AAR began distributing the
> respective shows.
>
> Add to this the fact that many of their so-called
> "affiliates" are Class D AM's with poor signals or rim-shot
> stations and do not cover much of their assigned markets.
>
> No reason for gloating here.
>
<P ID="signature">______________
http://talkingradio.blogspot.com/</P>

Pure Fiction

The point is AAR has more distribution problems than just Tampa and Orlando.

You failed to to do you math. Did you guess or did you just make stuff up to support the axe you wish to grind? The markets listed (excluding Pittsburgh and Cleveland)account for 25% of the 12+ population of the Top 50 Arbitron markets (See Arbitron Fall 2005 Red Book).

RED-necked? Apparently you have a strong feeling against working class White Southerners (whom you assume are conservative). Are you an elitist?

You also don't know much about politics or broadcasting. Radio stations do not broadcast to states; they broadcast to Metro areas. If you will check, you will notice that the counties in many of the Metro Area markets listed voted "Blue" in the last Presidential election (and the one before) despite being in so-called Red States. Few markets are all-Blue or all-Red. All it takes is a plurality to put a state in one column or the other. Further, most markets have changed colors at least once in the last 20 years. Most have also voted different "colors" in Senate, Congressional, State and Local races over that time. (Check the USA Today website or do a Google search for other sites reporting election results.) Any market area has a substantial Red or Blue core population but the undecideds always determine the outcome. Bottom line: Any large market is going to have a substantial Blue segment.

90% of its core audience? This is even worse than you attempt to quote Randi when you weren't sure what she had said but you were willing to accept it as fact. This is just pulling numbers out of the air.

Stop making stuff up.

Maybe you a still bitter because I challenged your Randi post and you are going to get even by attacking my posts. If that's the game you want to play, get your facts straight for a change. Your failure to get your facts straight with your Randi post is why I challenged you in the first place. I grant I could have been more tactful. But now you are in no position to complain about my tact or the lack of it.

Re: Pure Fiction

> You failed to to do you math. Did you guess or did you just
> make stuff up to support the axe you wish to grind? The
> markets listed (excluding Pittsburgh and Cleveland)account
> for 25% of the 12+ population of the Top 50 Arbitron markets
> (See Arbitron Fall 2005 Red Book).

Okay I say 20% you say 25%. Let's split the difference and say its 22.5%

> RED-necked? Apparently you have a strong feeling against
> working class White Southerners (whom you assume are
> conservative). Are you an elitist?

No just a realist. 75% of the white Southerners voted for Bush. If you're a Democrat there's not too much potential in that environment.

> You also don't know much about politics or broadcasting.
> Radio stations do not broadcast to states; they broadcast to
> Metro areas. If you will check, you will notice that the
> counties in many of the Metro Area markets listed voted
> "Blue" in the last Presidential election (and the one
> before) despite being in so-called Red States. Few markets
> are all-Blue or all-Red.

Democrats are not going to carry a Southern or border state for next 15 to 20 years. That means you can write off Charlotte, Greensboro, Nashville, and Houston. It doesn't matter is you carry Harris County in Texas if you are loosing the state by 20 points.

> All it takes is a plurality to put
> a state in one column or the other.

The last time I checked we had a two party system so majority rules (or in the cast of Bush v. Gore it was supposed to rule.) If Perrault runs again we can start to talk about pluralities.

> most markets
> have changed colors at least once in the last 20 years.

Yes the South went from predominantly Democratic to predominantly Republican. Can you say "Southern Strategy."


> 90% of its core audience?

If you eliminate the markets in hopelessly red states, AAR's current distribution reaches 90% of the potential audience. Go ahead and add up the markets in your Red Book.

> Maybe you a still bitter because I challenged your Randi
> post and you are going to get even by attacking my posts.
> If that's the game you want to play, get your facts straight
> for a change. Your failure to get your facts straight with
> your Randi post is why I challenged you in the first place.
> I grant I could have been more tactful.


I'm glad you brought that up. I was right about Randi's number and you were wrong. Randi did beat Hannity in New York amoung Men 25-54 3.3 to 2.9. not just among Jews driving Volvos in Greenwich Village as you sarcastically stated.<P ID="signature">______________
http://talkingradio.blogspot.com/</P>

Re: Pure Fiction

>
> Okay I say 20% you say 25%. Let's split the difference and
> say its 22.5%
>
No. I did the math. It is 25%. Not 20%. Not 22.5%. But I am starting to see your problem.


>
> Democrats are not going to carry a Southern or border state
> for next 15 to 20 years. That means you can write off
> Charlotte, Greensboro, Nashville, and Houston. It doesn't
> matter is you carry Harris County in Texas if you are
> loosing the state by 20 points.
>

So what? We are talking about radio, radio markets and radio audiences here. Not election results. Unless you are saying AAR's only purpose is to influence the outcome of elections. And, no, they never will do that. Not for the reasons you think. But because people generally listen to stuff they already agree with. But, even in those so-called "red neck" states you so arrogantly dismiss, there are markets with enough people predisposed to listen to progressive talk radio to make the format worthwhile to advertisers. Also keep in mind political talk radio tends to do better when the ideology it represents is out of power.


> > All it takes is a plurality to put
> > a state in one column or the other.
>

> The last time I checked we had a two party system so
> majority rules (or in the cast of Bush v. Gore it was
> supposed to rule.) If Perrault runs again we can start to
> talk about pluralities.
>

Again, you don't even pay attention to politics. "Other" candidates (like Ralph Nader) are often sufficient in a close race to deny either "major" candidate a majority.


> > most markets
> > have changed colors at least once in the last 20 years.
>
> Yes the South went from predominantly Democratic to
> predominantly Republican. Can you say "Southern Strategy."
>

It's from the Nixon Administration. That was over 30 years ago. Again, you are willing to spout any nonsense that comes into year without bothering to check the facts.

>
>
>
> I'm glad you brought that up. I was right about Randi's
> number and you were wrong. Randi did beat Hannity in New
> York amoung Men 25-54 3.3 to 2.9. not just among Jews
> driving Volvos in Greenwich Village as you sarcastically
> stated.
>

You were lucky. Once again, you didn't have clue what you were talking about but you came here anyway and started spouting off. And if you knew anything about the radio business, you would know it is common practice for radio people to trot out some obscure cell in the Arbitron tables and claim victory - or to massage the numbers and claim victory.

But it's not your fault how you turned out. I blame indulgent parents and a permissive school system that puts more emphasis on "self-esteem" and "self-expression" than on rigorous use of facts and correct use of logic. Exhbit A is your comment: "Okay I say 20% you say 25%. Let's split the difference and say its 22.5%." In the real world there are right and wrong answers. And I apologize for being sarcastic in the face of stupidity.