The Radio Equalizer: Brian Maloney

05 February 2007

New Haven Liberal Talk Radio, Air America

LIBTALK'S YALE BAIL

New Haven Latest To Lose 'Progressive' Format






With today's news that its programming will be pulled from New Haven's airwaves, it appears even that bastion of campus radicalism can't support so- called "progressive" talk radio.

With little fanfare, Connecticut's "The Voice" 1300, also known as WAVZ- AM, pulled the plug on Franken, Rhodes & Co. and flipped to ESPN Radio.

Also taking a hit in the move are non- Air America libtalkers Stephanie Miller and Ed Schultz.

The New Haven cancellation follows the recent removal of very similar programming from Santa Cruz's KOMY- AM, also located in a liberal university area.


In the most recent New Haven ratings survey, WAVZ was a no- show, while conservative sister talker WELI made the top ten. Amazingly, talk stations from Hartford, New York City and Bridgeport beat WAVZ in its own backyard.

Interestingly, Air America's buyout by Manhattan property baron Stephen L Green has so far done little to restore confidence in the network's operations. Instead, the impending loss of Al Franken seems to be overshadowing Green's future plans and deep pockets.


Your Amazon orders that begin with clicks here, regardless of what you ultimately purchase, greatly help to support this site's efforts. Thanks again!

Technorati tags:

published by Brian Maloney at 16:45

22 Comments:

  • Filthy racist, Fat, draft dodging chickenhawk Owen would like us to believe that sharp ridicule and criticism of the right's utter destruction of the United State's reputation in the world (our most priceless asset) is somehow America bashing. Molly Ivins said it best that ridicule by the have-nots is the finest kind of criticism, while ridicule by the haves of the have-nots is kicking a cripple when he is down.

    It is the pasty waddling Jesus Freak pigs of the right who have bashed America into a bankrupt pariah nation. What Air America does in speaking truth to power is the finest sort of sheer patriotism, as opposed to the phony draft-dodging pseudopatriots of the right using our troops as human shields for their utterly failed, discredited policies and stolen elections.

    You guys are hangin a revolution on yourselves. I'll be lookin for Owen, comes the revolution.

    (Silver Star Viet Vet, Spec. Forces)

    By Blogger gregrocker, at 05 February, 2007 18:47  

  • Freedom of Choice

    Hey, Greg:

    Check out the numbers for this market, #110 on the list. As Brian noted, the Air America station in New Haven registered no listeners in these ratings. Off the chart!

    I cannot get Air America where I live, but at times I hear it when I travel. I have heard "humor" that is not funny, Franken going on and on in a most negative way with no specific suggestion for improvement, and Robert Kennedy, who is almost impossible to listen to due to both his words and unfortunately due to his speech difficulties. America bashing and whining do not seem to be attracting listeners----I wonder why.

    By Blogger Chromium, at 05 February, 2007 21:41  

  • And you'd think it would work in a liberal college town like New Haven. Guess things were not really on the up and up at Radio Towers Park in Hamden, where WELI, WAVZ and Top 40 outlet WKCI are located.

    And realize this, WELI, as a Cheap Channel station, had its news dept. become a sacrificial lamb. Now news will be outsourced so to speak from Syracuse, Providence or who knows where. This is Quinnipiac Broadcasting's WQUN's time to pounce on the local news scene--or do people have to rely on WTIC 1080 in Hartford for radio news?

    Checked the Arbitron ratings for New Haven (c/o All Access) and WELI is in 8th place behind two Bridgeport stations, Hot/Mainstream AC WEZN (7th; 4.9), owned by Cox and Cumulus owned AC WEBE (5th; 5.3).

    The top station in Elm City, Rock legend 99.1 WPLR, owned by Cox with 7.0. It was as high as 10.3. One of their celebrated DJ's, Brian Smith, is now PM Drive host on WICC 600, which from 5:00AM to about 9:00 PM is live local news/talk.

    Clark Howard, once on 1-4, is now relegated to 9-midnight, replacing Dream Doctor. By the way, WELI measures 1.1 in Bridgeport numbers, which puts WICC in 3rd (8.4) behind WEZN and WEBE,(2nd and 1st respectively).

    Those three stations seem to really be joined together in Park City ratings. In fact I have labeled those three as The Big three with WEBE posting double digits (11.5).

    By Blogger The Real Bob Anthony, at 05 February, 2007 22:27  

  • Perhaps, many outlets realize that the sweetheart deals and incentives provided by the Republicans, through the neocon moneychangers who infiltrated Air America, to embezzle and to smear progressive radio simultaneously (Jerry Springer, please) realized the time was ripe to jump ship and embrace "Stupor Bowl" programming....

    Another possibility is that a new gatekeeping crew is in the making...and they actually have industry savvy without the governmental financial backing...

    Too early to tell. In fact, the culture of corruption so prevalent in conservative circles is so pervasive industry-wide, it will be months before an accurate and definitive determination can be made as to the Green venture's true plans and motivations. Any remarks I could make at this point would be pure conjecture.

    I'm not deceived by "stats"....they are just tools of the enemy.

    But I will continue to monitor and report on the situation....

    By Blogger hashfanatic, at 05 February, 2007 23:39  

  • Note that the new format is ESPN. I would think that New Haven could pick up ESPN 1050 out of NYC fine, though maybe NY's ESPN station (WEPN) has some local talkers while the new WAVZ would be
    totally syndie (exc. for some local
    play by play, maybe). Still despite
    that, CC sees sports as an easier
    sell than libtalk.

    If you're gonna do "computer in a closet" radio, in the city where
    George W. Bush '68 and John F.
    Kerry '66 attended college,
    CC thinks sports will give
    them at least some ratings.

    By Blogger raccoonradio, at 06 February, 2007 03:08  

  • >>has so far done little

    One lib blog, Talking Radio, notes
    that in a certain period of time,
    19 stations have dropped AAR/prog talk--
    and 13 of them have done so since
    November. Maybe the new AAR owners
    can turn it around but you wonder if
    Jon Sinton's prediction of "500
    stations in 5 years" will be more
    than a bit off.

    Heck, it's not even on in Boston
    anymore, let alone New Haven.

    By Blogger raccoonradio, at 06 February, 2007 03:11  

  • "...Jon Sinton's prediction of "500
    stations in 5 years" will be more
    than a bit off...."

    Yes, I absolutely agree.

    By Blogger hashfanatic, at 06 February, 2007 08:22  

  • Owen
    Shut the hell up, you filthy little degenerate con over country knuckle dragger.
    You have no idea what real America wants. Real America is a lot different than what chicken hawk sociopathic AM talk radio presents, by Limbaugh, Savage and the rest. When you listen to right wing radio, those knuckjle draggers that call in are the fringe. You are fringe, Owen, you filthy little "R" over America con sheep.
    Real Americans are not being shoveled the shit your heros spoonfeed the fringe on the AM radio.
    YOU ARE THE FRINGE.
    Unknowingly you are also an enemy of America
    Problem with A.A is they spend too much time sucking up to the Democratic party, instead of really speaking the truth.
    One thing is for sure Owen, you are the fringe and America is not represented by the filthy pimps on right wing radio.

    Air America does not speak enough truth to power. They try but are clouded in this "r' vs "D" crap.
    The "D" is better, but they must be fairly assessed, unlike the right who never questions their own ideology, the left must not fall into the same trap.

    By Blogger Minister of Propaganda, at 06 February, 2007 09:13  

  • maybe it is because liberals can think for themselves, so they don't have to tune into a radio station to get their marching orders every day?

    or maybe they are too busy being productive members of society and don't have the time to spend listening to people they agree with?

    By Blogger hardcore conservative genious, at 06 February, 2007 09:23  

  • I'm not deceived by "stats"....they are just tools of the enemy.

    And there you have it: the moonbat mantra!

    By Blogger BF, at 06 February, 2007 10:04  

  • Well, you ARE the enemy as well...

    Speaking of which, I believe I hear "V the K" calling for you....

    By Blogger hashfanatic, at 06 February, 2007 10:25  

  • Hash, MoP, and a few others seem to be psychoticly projecting their faults here. Interesting. They are examples of the deranged left acting out. What a pair of mental cases.

    By Blogger PCD, at 06 February, 2007 14:07  

  • maybe it is because liberals can think for themselves, so they don't have to tune into a radio station to get their marching orders every day?

    Hey Hardcore,

    But why isn't anybody in New Haven tuning into Air America for their reputed wit and wisdom? Even independent liberal thinkers should want to know the questions of the day to ponder.

    By Blogger Chromium, at 06 February, 2007 14:17  

  • Fudgepacker, "mental cases" or not, we still vote...and will crush you under the heel of our boot soon enough...

    There are literally thousands of other fascist-based websites where comments from the opposition are not posted, and you can lull yourself into a false sense of security (I actually prefer that)....

    Missouri....the important difference is that we actually READ....

    By Blogger hashfanatic, at 06 February, 2007 17:52  

  • HAHAHAHA! Hash, it is LIBERAL sites such as Daily "CRAP", Democrat Underground, and MANY IF NOT MOST Liberal sites who censor and delete opposing posts.

    Get help Hash. You are losing it big time.

    By Blogger PCD, at 07 February, 2007 08:27  

  • Fudgie, you're too busy obsessing about killing liberals, sending lemmings to slaughter, and murdering babies in far-off lands to even read in the first place...

    We don't expect much else of you (but, then again, we never did anyway...)

    Parasite.

    By Blogger hashfanatic, at 07 February, 2007 09:39  

  • This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

    By Blogger Chromium, at 07 February, 2007 10:40  

  • Hey Hash,

    Please do not read while driving!

    (Or do you always travel by public transport or chauffeur driven vehicles?)

    I would think that at least some of the motorists traveling on (or stuck in traffic on) I-95 and I-91 would have tuned in to Air America, but the stats say only an insignificant amount, if any.

    By Blogger Chromium, at 07 February, 2007 10:44  

  • Missouri,

    If Hash could drive, he'd have crashed on the split on the Q bridge long ago.

    Actually, if people tried to flag down and stop Hash on I-95 at Mianus, he'd have flipped them the bird and drove off the colapsed bridge.

    By Blogger PCD, at 07 February, 2007 11:17  

  • "Don't you realize that there are people out there who want to shoot anyone who is an American."

    Exactly, thinkcon....precisely why the Bush Crime Family and everything they represent is worth fighting against.

    By Blogger hashfanatic, at 07 February, 2007 14:48  

  • PCD,

    While I live in Missouri now, I once lived in Milford, and I know firsthand about the Q-bridge split you are talking about!

    By Blogger Chromium, at 08 February, 2007 09:27  

  • Missouri,

    Howdy neighbor. Been in Seymour, West Haven, and New Haven.

    By Blogger PCD, at 09 February, 2007 10:12  

Post a Comment

<< Home


 
Page Rank Checker

Powered by Blogger