Chairman, partner leave Air America

[Chicago Democrat]

(snip)
Sinton said Cohen was forced to resign by investors unhappy with the way he handled a clash with Multicultural Radio Broadcasting Inc., owner of Air America's Chicago and Los Angeles stations.

After an acrimonious and public dispute, the two companies severed their relationship, leaving the network off the air in two of the nation's top three markets. (Air America remains on the air in 16 markets, including New York City.)

"I think that other shareholders were upset with the way that escalated so quickly," Sinton said. "I don't think that needed to be handled in such an argumentative fashion."

Cohen has previously said that Air America's investors include former broadcasters Thomas Embrescia and Norman Wain, TV pioneer Norman Lear, and Sheldon Drobny, the Highland Park entrepreneur who originally founded the company before selling most of it to Walsh and Cohen in November.

Sinton said he was unaware whether Cohen and Sorensen will retain their ownership stakes in the company. Cohen did not return phone calls

(snip)
Rest at...
http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/chi-0405070289may07,1,7735251.story?coll=chi-business-hed

[Chicago Democrat]

1. This is actually good news folks.

These fat cats made mistakes, big stupid mistakes. Things can only get better.

[Norquist Nemesis]

2. Oh Gloom and Doom!

I'm glad to see they took action. If I were a shareholder I'd be pissed about the way it was handled too. I'm really looking forward to when they get back on in the Chicago market...till then, it's streaming. :D

[lapfog_1]

3. Knives have been sharpened.

The VRWC has been waiting to pounce on every bit of bad news about
AA. Drudge puts these little rumors (bounced checks, LA gone,
resignations, bounced payroll, more resignations) into the echo
chamber and everyone jumps on it. (Just saw the payroll crap on
MSNBC).

This is horrible PR management. We could ignore this if what we
want is a little sounding board where only the preachers and the
choir attend (and violently agree with each other, except of course,
everyone on the left will slit each other about who is progressive
or leftist ENOUGH!).

However, if the perception is that there are financial problems,
it will follow that advertisers will find it harder to market this
network to corporations (who are a little bit leery already, given
that most left leaners don't like corporations, and don't trust them,
etc). So, lack of ads... eventual lack of revenue, no return for
investors, pull the plug.

Can't afford this guys. Only a few "starting out" f*ckups are
allowed. Get it right.

[Chicago Democrat]

4. Yes this is all true

BUT on the plus side there is Norman Lear! I didn't know he was an investor. With any luck has turned all that 1970s millions into tens of millions or a hundred million.

They need to get on more stations right away and with new blood they might turn it around.

[madrchsod]

6. there are only two stations

between the mountains--that`s not going to make a dam bit of difference in the heartland. the only signal worth a dam in chicago is 930 because it reaches over a hundred miles west(950 reached out here but was weak)and 930- is religious so those guys aren`t going to sell anytime soon, so there`s not going to be any air america past maybe naperville..they have along way to go. for me i`ll just listen to b&b on 670am, hell they ripped the tribune/ cubs over the shooting and broke the news about rummy....

[Chicago Democrat]

7. I downloaded the shows from Air America Place

here...

http://airamericaplace.com/

but then I bought a Sirius Satellite Radio and that is most excellent.

[Missy Vixen]

5. Lack of ads?

>So, lack of ads... eventual lack of revenue, no return for
investors, pull the plug.<

Were you listening today?

Air America was featuring Toyota and Xerox ads, as well as several other new advertisers. I'm only sorry I didn't write them down.

The unique streams number has been recordbreaking since Day 1. They managed to sign up fifteen new stations in the middle of the Drudge "rumors," as well as coming to terms with DISH Network.

Hopefully, whomever is in charge of programming will continue to tweak the schedule (c'mon, let's hear it for Mike Malloy in the 11-2 AM time slot!) but they're getting some fairly heavy ad hitters already.

Julie

p.s. I'll be writing to Toyota next week to thank them for advertising; we're planning on a Prius for our next vehicle anyway.

[lapfog_1]

8. I listen almost every day... webcast only

as the NorCal stations listed don't seem to be up yet (and I check
almost every time I get in my car).

The initial ads were all pretty non-corp. The ads now are a direct
result of the early numbers on listeners (some ad buyers, like
Toyota, will simply buy ad time on EVERY station that meets a minimum
of listeners and costs XXX/sec).

BUT, my point is that no matter who is bankrolling it (good to hear
that Norman Lear is part of this), they can't (or shouldn't) go on
forever losing money (which we all know that they are doing right
now, it takes at least a year for a new radio network to break even
and I doubt that AA is going to be that much different). IN THE MEAN
TIME, the more bad stories about finances can make ad space buyers
reluctant to purchase future time on a network that may not be there.
Mismanagement can ruin any enterprise, no matter how popular it is
with its public.

[Alpharetta]

9. Thanks for your post. Great news about DISH network.

DISH is great.

They carry FreeSpeechTV with the "Democracy Now" news show, which is tough to get on any other cable or satellite provider.

and now they've added Air America? I am SO happy with DISH network. As a liberal, I am so glad DISH network carries the stations I want.

/not a paid ad. I promise. Just a happy customer.

[Chicago Democrat]

10. DISH Network gives Democracy NOW?? and FreeSpeech TV??

OK Im sold, Wow I need to change, downloading sucks.

[Teddy_Salad]

11. There will be no Malloy in 11pm to 2am slot

Not in the forseeable future anyway.

AirAm's flagship station is WLIB 1190AM in NYC.
WLIB is owned by Inner City Broadcasting and AirAM leases 19 hours per day of programming time from them.

So, here in NY at midnight each night, Air America goes off the air until 5:00AM.
Between these times WLIB still runs its overnight show, the same one it had in the pre-Air America days.

So I think it very doubtful that Air America would put on it's very own overnight show if it couldn't air it in its biggest market.

Lets hope this all changes in the near future.