Most markets show AA either holding steady or sliding towards oblivion as they place at or near bottom. That includes San Diego which was recently spun as a success story.

I think I get it now:
1)AA knew the numbers were going to be ugly, so they come out and hype the last set of ratings,
2) Exude confidence that it’s only going to get better over time.
3) Then ignore the ratings when they finally come out.

Talk about Smoke-n-mirrors machine. Mwahahaha

As for the stereotypical angry white male, you said it — sterotypical. If you listen to the callers, it’s obvious that there’s also “angry” white females, black, hispanic etc. Interesting that liberal voters tune in, if nothing else to keep tabs on what the other side thinks. Not likely with conservative listeners regading AA.

I guess the differnece is that perhaps Rush entertains the politically concerned/engaged where Stern & Imus entertains those not inclined to vote.

Bottomline, AA laid out some ambitious goals and are failing miserably. If they presented themselves as alternative programming and let the chips lay where they fall, it’d be different. Until AA offers beef instead of more vegan swill, it’d still be marginal, which says a lot about those who love it

>>>The TRUTH is that I can’t see the relevance of Howard Stern or David Duke in this discussion.”

Why can’t you? The success of right winged radio goes hand in hand with the niche marketing to a particular demographic, primarily older white males. The voting trend of older white males skews Republican, as well, so all the stars are alligned for the success of that type of entertainment. Howard Stern is successful with a YOUNGER DEMOGRAPHIC, which proves that a talk show host doesn’t have to target old white males to get ratings.

–Cobra

>>>Interesting to note that the original and low-ranked NYC (a bastion of liberals) programming that was replaced by AA still had twice the ratings that AA only dreams of getting. Seems more would rather listen to jazz & 3rd world music than listen to barking moonbats.”

Again, let’s examine the TRUTH. The TRUTH is that Rush Limbaugh’s ratings in NYC are doubled, sometimes TRIPLED by shock jock Howard Stern’s. What is your explanation for Howard Stern, (under attack by the Republican appointee controlled FCC)outperforming right winged radio?

As far as Bill Bennett gaining 120 stations, I’m not surprised. If the demographics of the audience you’re targeting reads as such:

>>>The stereotypical talk radio listener is the angry white male fuming along to Don Imus while stuck in rush hour traffic or gramps puffing on his pipe to Limbaugh’s latest aural rampage. In fact, it’s true that radio skews male and older. Fifty-eight percent of listeners are men, age 18 and older, compared with 42 percent of same age women. According to Arbitron, three out of 10 listeners are seniors over age 65. For adults ages 55 to 64, the news/talk/information format remains one of the most popular, along with stations that play classical music and adult standards, such as Frank Sinatra and Cole Porter.”
http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m4021/is_2001_Oct_1/ai_79052842/pg_2

Given this scenario, David Duke could easily be successful as a conservative talk radio host, as the audience for his viewpoints is already in place. Hey, Duke did win 55% of the white vote in the Louisiana gubernatorial race, right?

–Cobra

Interesting to note that the original and low-ranked NYC (a bastion of liberals) programming that was replaced by AA still had twice the ratings that AA only dreams of getting. Seems more would rather listen to jazz & 3rd world music than listen to barking moonbats.

As for #2, why worry about what others think? Listen to what you want. Free market, and all that.

Lastly, I have no idea what Rush Limbaugh’s rating were in 1988. I do know that he grew his network steadily from a handful of stations to over 600. Sean Hannity grew his network steadily to over 400 stations. If Air America’s bunch can turn it around and do the same thing, more power to them.

La Shawn Barber tries to lay a few licks on Air America Radio, following up on Brian C. Anderson’s commentary in the L.A. Times, “Why the Liberals Can’t Keep Air America From Spiraling In.”

On the other medium of choice for many news-seekers, ca…

>>>but supply and demand is how businesses work.”

There would NEVER be entreprenuers or small businesses if your belief is that the ONLY “successful” businesses are those who achieve a greater market share than their competitors.
I know people who put out a minimal investment into hot dog carts. Through hard work and determination, these people support themselves with these carts, and actually, make a good deal of profit. Will they ever acheive the market share of Nathan’s? I sincerely doubt it, but there is no question that they have been “successful.”

Number two, the above mentioned quotes weren’t about programming, but presumptions about what I AS AN AFRICAN AMERICAN LIBERAL is “supposed” to think, or enjoy.

Number three, I will repeat myself…what was RUSH LIMBAUGH’s market share in 1988? Compare it to what Air America has accomplished in one year.

–Cobra

In any case, did you read the L.A. Times article that LaShawn referenced? Seems like Air America is having a pretty rough go. For a new venture with unlimited growth potential, it must be disappointing to them to be actually losing market share so early on. After an initial spike of interest, Air America is losing market share, even in liberal towns like San Diego, San Francisco and Philadelphia.

I readily admit that I’m no fan of Air America. Frankly, I can’t think of a more unpleasant lineup of “personalities,” nor a more revolting point of view. But I have no desire to try to force them off the air, as the left has tried to do to conservative talk radio ever since Rush Limbaugh came on the scene. I’m quite willing to wait, and let the marketplace determine Air America’s fate.

>>>Well, Cobra, no one here is suggesting that you shouldn’t enjoy Air America, if that’s your cup of tea.”

But that’s EXACTLY what these posters are suggesting. And here is the illustration:

>>>I can’t imagine the average black person listening day after day to a bunch of whiny white liberals cracking bad jokes about white conservatives, especially with someone like Tom Joyner in the marketplace.”
–LaShawn Barber

>>>Ditto that Black liberals LOVE to hear other Black liberals attack White conservatives, but they just don’t believe “Rich White Men”at Air America represent their victimhood”
–Frank Zavisca

I guess I failed the GOP designed “Afro-authenticity” test, huh?

Again, what were Rush Limbaugh’s ratings in 1988? How many stations was he syndicated on back then?

After JUST ONE YEAR, according to this week’s Time Magazine:

>>>Clear Channel, a major funder of Bush and the Republicans, isn’t a liberal philanthropy. It’s picking up “progressive radio” because this is the fastest growing format in the country; and that is because Air America has proved it attracts listeners and advertisers. From an original audience of 120,000, the network more than tripled to 400,000 within three months, and now, according to the latest Arbitron ratings, reaches 2.137 million listeners a week, with 129,900 tuning in for the average quarter hour. Now and again, at least in New York City, Franken’s midday show has out-pulled his right-wing nemesis Bill O’Reilly’s; Randi Rhodes has lured more listeners than Hannity; Garofalo and Seder topped the rabid Michael Savage…”
…And, as Carolina Miranda reported for an item I wrote in the Apr. 4 issue of TIME, AAR is enjoying monthly double-digit ballooning in ad sales revenue — a rate that Jon Sinton, AAR’s president, expects to continue for the next two years. Commercials for national brands like Geico and Volkswagen can now be heard along with spots for Verbal Advantage vocabulary builders (one of Limbaugh’s early sponsors), sexual potency pills and “clinical hypnotherapist” Wendi Friesen’s promises of happiness, weight loss and freedom from nicotine addiction if you’ll just let her talk in your sleep”
http://www.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,1045633,00.html?promoid=rss_top

So if listenership has INCREASED, some right winged talk shows are being BEATEN head to head, and Ad revenue has significantly GROWN, again I ask the question, what makes Air America a “failure?” If you simply say that “they’re a failure because they don’t have higher ratings than Rush Limbaugh”, you don’t understand the concept of niche marketing, and should take a serious look at what the term “success” means to you.

–Cobra

LaShawn, as I pointed out, there were as many as THREE on air African American personalities, not to mention an out and proud lesbian in Rachel Maddow. I’m an avid listener of Air America, and I’m an African American. I enjoy listening to talk radio that doesn’t engage in idolatrous worship of Bush and simple-minded recitations of RNC talking points. I enjoy listening to talk radio that doesn’t serve as a propaganda megaphone for the Pentagon, and corporate money-changers. I enjoy listening to talk radio that doesn’t tell me I deserve to have my civil rights violated because I happen to be a minority living in America.
In short, THIS particular African American LOVES Air America Radio.

–Cobra

Other failures come to mind, such as the ex-actor and current failure Ed Asner, who used Rush Limbaugh’s drug problem to say something quite delusional and inexplicable. The statement was roughly, “We got Rush Limbaugh; now we’re going after Sean Hannity.” Ok, Ed. Whatever you say.