Liberal Talk Show Shuts LA, Chicago Sales Offices

[demdave]

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Air America has shut its sales offices in Los Angeles and Chicago and is recasting its business plan, the network's president said on Wednesday as troubles beset the liberal talk show network.

With Air America not broadcasting in those two cities after a financial dispute in April, network president Jon Sinton said, "There's not much sense in having sales offices in cities where you don't control a station."

About 15 to 20 people were laid off in the closing of the sales offices, the latest sign of problems for Air America, launched on March 31 as a liberal alternative to the country's predominantly conservative talk show culture led by right-wing icons like Rush Limbaugh.

Since it started, Chairman Evan Cohen, Vice Chairman Rex Sorensen and Head of Programing David Logan have left while co-founder Mark Walsh has stepped down as chief executive to take a smaller role in the organization.

http://www.reuters.com/printerFriendlyPopup.jhtml?type=industryNews&storyID=5125267

[NashVegas]

1. I've Gotta Wonder About Their Financier Committments

You never know what kind of ratings you get until 2-3 months after the fact. And most sign ons prepare to lose money for the first year, at least.

There be some wimpy Dems in the background.

[xchrom]

2. please -- get your business thing together

you should hava market in l.a. for god's sake -- all over cali.

[boobooday]

3. Radio is a sick business

I just read all about the radio business until I could :puke: because I was writing a paper about the results of deregulation.

It is pretty much completely centralized now. Programming has nothing to do with what people want. They know that they can create the "top forty" just by playing the "top forty" over and over again, and the only way to get in is through the Clear Channel affiliated "indies," who get your song on the CC playlists.

Sales are centralized through a company called Katz, which is also owned by Clear Channel. But they represent the other major owners too, CC's so-called "competitors."

I could see how these guys could make it "difficult" if you know what I mean -- (air lease problems???). I also came across some bizarro stuff about William Casey and Capitol Cities. The charge is that Capitol Cities was started by the CIA (remember, Casey was the first "businessman" to be appointed CIA Director under Reagan, but the rumor(?) is that he was always CIA). Capitol grew, until finally, under Reagan (when the fairness doctrine was also eliminated) they bought the ABC network, and Casey was suddenly Sam Donaldson's "boss," or at least that was the joke in DC. Donaldson was a major Reagan critic.

ABC Radio hired Rush Limbaugh a few years later. Now look at the monolith they have become. Is there a CIA connection???



http://www.wgoeshome.com

[oregonjen]

4. there was a thread yesterday that Randi Rhodes said

that the top guys who left were actually repubs planted there to cause AAR to fail.

[DonP]

6. Tinfoil hats required?

"the top guys who left were actually repubs..."

That's kind of a stretch isn't it? I hope she was kidding? Did she talk about black helicopters knocking over the broadcast towers too?

LA and Chicago are two of the top thre radio markets in America and the source of most syndicated program as well.

If they don't solve these two market's access issues quickly, they are in a world of hurt. They need those markets to draw advertisers and score the arbitron numbers they need to create a revenue stream.

[shance]

7. Why would that be unusual?

Considering the level of spying, privacy invasion and sabatoge that is enacted by many who abuse their power?

Not to mention how lucrative Rush and all the other right wingers are at spinning the Republican machine.

They arent about to let others get on the air and start exposing the truth without a fight. Look how difficult its been for Al Gore to get near buying a media network. There are obstacles everywhere it appears.

Of course its believable. In fact, its expected.

[KAZ]

9. Yeah, that's way beyond the Repukes.

Where have you been the last 10 years? I'm not privy to AAR's problems in these markets, and neither are you.

[Logansquare]

12. It's true, though. Cohen was a Repub fundraiser and may have defrauded

some people in Guam (where he apparently was raised). Check out these articles/sites:
http://www.guampdn.com/news/stories/20040322/localnews/123444.html
New radio venture planned
By Steve Limtiaco
Pacific Daily News

and also this:
Auntie Charo
http://charo.guam.net/display.htm?title=WHAT%20A%20BUMMER!&cat=Pago
WHAT A BUMMER!
Date: 2004-05-07 20:49:33

So it seems that two Guam investors in Air America liberal talk show have probably lost their investment big time.....I can't for the life of me figure out how smart man Rex Sorensen hooked up with Evan M-Cohen.......seems to me that when EMC left the island that he was supposedly dying of a brain tumor.......one of Steve Nygard's columns in the Business Journal said that many people on Guam wanted to know where he was..........hmmmmmm, could it be that all the bills weren't paid before the man's exit? I know, it was because they wanted to know where to send the get-well cards!
Okay so these two men with money to burn invested in talk America.........left of the Clintons, the Kerrys, the Howard Deans, etc...........I understand that the beginnings were bumpy..............According to the Drudge Report:"In yet another sign of trouble for Air America Radio, the liberal talk network entering its fifth chaotic week on the air, co-founder and chairman Evan Cohen resigned Thursday, as did vice-chairman and investor Rex Sorensen.(snip)The departures of Cohen, a former political operative from Guam who was among the network's initial investors, and Sorenson, an investor who owns radio stations in Guam, mark the second executive shake-up at the fledgling network in as many weeks."
Sad that we couldn't 'shine' in the U.S. of A.! So.......hope that Mr. EMC isn't still bothered by that brain tumor........

[CharlesGroce]

5. I haven't listened diligently or anything...

and that's probably because they seem pretty boring to me. Also, interviewing a bunch of comedians who agree with you on everything isn't very interesting either.

Like I said though, I'm not an avid listener, and on the occasions
I have listened, I've been bored to tears.

[ldf]

11. bored to tears

get some kleenex and listen to randi.

[leQ]

17. i agree... its like preachin to the choir

i dont need reinforcement of what i believe.

[jeffrey_X]

8. This is bullshit. I'm in Chicago and this sucks!!

W(hy)TF can't they get a station up and going in Chicago???

[KAZ]

10. Me too. I'm back with Roe and the missing Gary.

There is a Christian talk show on 1150(I think) on the afternoon drive, that has some back and forth with callers. That's about it. We have rightwing or uber-rightwing. SCLB!

[Cronus Protagonist]

13. I'm in LA and I can't get it

So you're not alone.

http://brainbuttons.com/home.asp?stashid=13

[Scairp]

14. I'm 35 miles from L.A.

I could never get it either. Had to listen on the internet just I had always done with Randi. What they need to do is find some really smart radio person to consult. There must be someone out in radio land who could help sort this mess out and get the network back on track. We need this liberal messenger, and not just for this election year, we need it permanently.

[Chicago Democrat]

16. Get a sattelite radio

Its really cool. and under 100

[democracyindanger]

15. Smart move

"There's not much sense in having sales offices in cities where you don't control a station."

They're probably at least a couple months away from securing a station in either market, so keeping offices open where you don't do business would be a total waste.

[bobbyboucher]

18. I get it in Sacramento and

Franken is somewhat boring and doesn't come close to going for the kill like I would, but whatev. Rhandi Rhodes is KICKING ASS!!!! I was disappointed early, but am now a fuckin'fan.

Rock on AirAmerica. Believe me, there are plenty of people/businesses who would advertise but I get the feeling it is being run by a bunch of yahoos.

It will work, what the fuck? Who's running that show?

And also dust Garrafalo, she can't handle the pressure.