How about...Air America on college radio?

[Bob Nelson]

--- Sid Schweiger <sid@wrko.com> wrote:
> >>They do have some money to throw around...<
> 
> Without affiliations in the #2 and #3 markets, I
> seriously doubt it.

Yeah, I was kinda being satirical here...if they can't
get in Chicago or LA, try college radio! Yeah, right.
:)

> Not bloody likely.  You'd see an immediate revolt by
> their investors, who don't give money to such causes
> out of the goodness of their collective hearts. 
> They are looking for a return on their investment. 
> Freebies don't do it.

(Cheech and Chong voice): "Like, wow, man...you mean
if we don't sell advertising we'll, like, go out of
business? FAR OUT, man!" :) Yes.

> If that's what you really believe, I want some of
> what you're smoking.  AA's biggest problem, aside
> from the generally poor quality of its programming,
> is circulation. 

Yes--though in all honesty the shows I mentioned
which are run on some college stations do get to a
target audience. Not a big audience, but the folks
who listen to college radio would me more likely
to check out "Democracy Now" than conservative shows.
And even then, it may not be too many people.


 AA is, so far, on marginal or downright
> crappy signals, since all the 50-kW blowtorches are
> already taken.  They need to get onto high-power,
> wide-coverage stations, and they need to do it fast,
> before the investors panic.  Nickel-and-diming
> themselves onto college stations isn't gonna cut it.

Yes, and maybe this is something they should have done
long ago...First, only focus on doing individual
show syndication and do the shows well. Bit by bit
they would pick up an audience, though then again
talk radio is a response to the left-dominated TV
media (all but Fox News, pretty much). I've heard
some liberals say "there is no liberal media (bias)".
I'd like to have some of what THEY'RE smoking! :)
 
> So if those student DJ's are in class, who's going
> to run the network programming and roll over those
> commercials with non-commercial matter?  Not every
> college station is automated yet.  

Mine, WMWM, sure isn't though they say we'll get a
computer soon and do some kind of automation but it's
taking a long time for WMWM to gets anything like that
going. We do have a guy named Shaun Hayes
who runs shows like "Radio Nation" and "Counter
Spin" once a week and he puts the PSAs in. Once
a week, though. (He's not a student but an outside
volunteer.)

Then we come to
> school vacations and holidays, when non-comms can be
> off the air and not have it count against the
> required minimum operating schedule.  How does that
> help AA?

Exactly.

> Bottom line: What you're proposing is for AA to add
> audience without adding revenue.  That is fiscally
> irresponsible in the extreme.
> 
> Whether you're on the commercial or non-commercial
> side of the aisle, broadcasting is a business. 
> Those in broadcasting who forget it are doomed to
> failure.

Which is what AA is quickly learning. I would wonder
if the network is trying at this point in Boston to
see if they can maybe sell ONE of its shows to
a smaller station here. Bob Bittner, gotten any calls
from them yet? :)