The Radio Equalizer: Brian Maloney

13 March 2007

Mark Green, Air America Radio, Presidential Debates

'PRESIDENTIAL' STUNT

Air America's Silly Debate Offer







Calling himself Air America Radio's new president, Huffington Post columnist Mark Green has made GOP leaders an offer they should swiftly refuse.

Green, whose brother Stephen recently purchased Air America Radio in conjunction with RealNetworks CEO Rob Glaser and others, said today he would be willing to host an upcoming debate by GOP presidential candidates.

Given the recent controversy over the refusal of Democrat Party candidates to participate in a FOX News- sponsored debate, his "invitation" smacks of a good old fashioned radio stunt. Since many people believe Air America is dead and gone, Green may be resorting to desperate measures in order to gain publicity for the network.

From his HuffPo piece:


Air America Makes Fox-y Invitation

After Nevada Democrats dropped Fox as a host of its Democratic presidential debate -- and after Fox denounced the move as anti-free speech and "Stalinist" -- I thought...damn right! How dare the progressive party in America not allow the conservative Fox to air its presidential debate. So I today contacted key Republican party chairs in the four early primary and caucus states to ask that Air America host their Republican presidential debates.

A blow for speech and against Stalin in one swoop:


Dear Republican Chairman Ray Hoffmann of Iowa, Republican Chairman Paul Willis of Nevada, Republican Chairman Katon Dawson of South Carolina and Republican Chairman Fergus Cullen of New Hampshire,

As the new president of Air America, I'd like to offer to host or co-host one of your upcoming presidential debates.

Why us? First, this would allow your debate to reach many voters. Combining our 2 million radio audience, along with our satellite, internet and web audiences, means that some 2.5 million Americans would hear or read about the debate..

Second, it would allow Republicans to differentiate themselves from Democrats - embracing a debate hosted by a progressive media outlet after Nevada Democrats canceled a debate scheduled to be hosted by the conservative Fox Cable News Channel. The MoveOn organization spurred 265,000 people to complain about the original plan, calling Fox a "mouthpiece for the Republican Party." In reply, Fox's Mort Kondracke called the Nevada Democratic Party's rejection of Fox a "Stalinist" violation of "free speech and free debate."


Hey Mark, the biggest difference between FOX and your network is that it has real viewers, as opposed to your fantasy "listeners". If you truly expect to be taken seriously, why not start by being honest about Air America's true reach?

AAR Outhouse: Pete at IHillary


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published by Brian Maloney at 19:19

20 Comments:

  • Al Sharpton got more bones than Mark Green will ever glean.

    By Blogger Unknown, at 13 March, 2007 22:17  

  • Sharpton's running now?

    Brian, what point are you trying to make?

    Are you trying to say Green's overestimating the network's listenership? By what means? Do you STILL believe progressive listeners sit on the benches in front of their buildings, listening to their cheap transistor radios and complaining about their constipation like Gambling's do?

    Is it the idea of AAR hosting any debate at all (which, I frankly, find silly, at this juncture)?

    Like it or not, AAR remains a force in progressive talk radio, along with others (Radio Power, Head On, Pacifica, Nova M, etc.)

    Now, your premise has always been that Fox News has been the patriotard ghetto of the airwaves...yet, all that money, all that talent, and they STILL can't get ONE SINGLE NEWS ITEM CORRECT?

    Sounds like corporate welfare to me.

    Considering the fading influence of neoconservatism and the lack of the Republican leadership to offer concrete solutions, not to mention the lack of a viable candidate, I'm thinking the American people get more bang for the buck from AAR any day....

    Plus, I never thought I'd say this, but it's nice to hear commercials on AAR again....loads of 'em.

    By Blogger hashfanatic, at 13 March, 2007 23:42  

  • I don't see the problem. Air America offered to host or co-host a debate with "any other national media company as a co-host" INCLUDING FOX.
    Although I'm not sure either entity can truthfully be labeled "fair", their combination would certainly provide balance.

    It seems like both political parties could accept a debate like this. I guess the ball is in the Republican's court now. Let's see what they do with it.

    By Blogger Ezsuds, at 14 March, 2007 01:02  

  • and if they don't, do we get to call them "nazis" or stalinists?

    By Blogger hashfanatic, at 14 March, 2007 01:41  

  • Like it or not, AAR remains a force in progressive talk radio

    And WHCU remains a force in the Ithica market. That doesn't mean they should host the next presidential debate either.

    yet, all that money, all that talent, and they STILL can't get ONE SINGLE NEWS ITEM CORRECT?

    When all you've got is hyperbole, you ain't got nothin'. So all I have to do to prove you wrong is show they got ONE thing right, eh? Well, they did report that Chuck Schumer won his last Senate election, so I guess you're outta luck.

    Are you trying to say Green's overestimating the network's listenership? By what means?

    Well, the ratings for one. AAR got close to 2 million listeners back in Fall 05 but right now, they're barely breaking 1 Million.

    The first round of Winter ratings have started to be released. Is AAR gaining significantly anywhere? Have they replaced those 12 or so stations they lost during the bankruptcy yet? Have they regained the 75,000 listeners or so they lost in the move from WLIB to WWRL?

    I'll give you a hint: the answer to all of these questions is two letters long, starts with an 'N' and ends with an 'O'.

    By Blogger BF, at 14 March, 2007 10:04  

  • BF:

    Thanks for posting. When I read the drivel that MiniProp, Hash and Greg spew, I feel someone should respond. I'm glad you took a turn.

    By Blogger Chromium, at 14 March, 2007 10:38  

  • HASH:Are you trying to say Green's overestimating the network's listenership? By what means? Do you STILL believe progressive listeners sit on the benches in front of their buildings, listening to their cheap transistor radios and complaining about their constipation like Gambling's do?


    That is exactly the audience that listens to right wing radio, 70+ folks stuck in the 50's who never went to high school (acceptable in the 30's and 40's in America), old folk, I see them when it gets warm out, hanging by the beach or bay on the bench listening to Hannity. Too funny, are you in NY hash? IF you aren't its a pattern everywhere

    BF
    Have they regained the 75,000 listeners or so they lost in the move from WLIB to WWRL?

    Hello, 1600 has a garbage signal, and you neglect to mention with AAR on 1600, the station has had their highest ratings EVER, or at least in 20 years. they have not even rewgistered in the book for 7 years or so until AAR came on. whatever listenership they lost, is due to the poor signal.
    don't try that spin, I will catch you EVERY single TIME

    see Missouri, I know my radio, your buddy is deceiving you, I post the truth 100% of the time. You thank him for posting what you want to hear, whuch is as usual the right wing story book

    By Blogger Minister of Propaganda, at 14 March, 2007 10:51  

  • yes, i'm in new york

    and i'm not operating according to ratings, i'm going by what i hear out in public, amongst the people

    and i'm seeing something curious

    OLDER people seem to be taking to hartmann, and these are folks who tend to listen to limbaugh as well

    amongst UES bars, lounges, cigar-ish sort of places, the aar hosts are the talk of the town, media-wise (awareness of other online progressive radio outlets has regrettably not spread as of yet)

    amongst hardcore outer-borough hawkish loyalists, however, it's open season on fox, particularly because they are seen as "carrying the water" for the bushies

    and their concerns are not being addressed

    just observations, nothing scientific about it

    By Blogger hashfanatic, at 14 March, 2007 11:12  

  • bf, the chuck schumer comment is not a "news item"

    it is the byproduct of the quality of the candidates we elect, and part of the final demented horror that state government in new york has become

    and a joe bruno type would hardly have represented any improvement, to any sane person's judgement

    what i'm referring to is peccadilloes like taking a typical rethug child sex predator like foley, and purposefully and slyly identifying him as a democrat

    the osama/obama crap, etc.

    and actually having the temerity to believe that viewers on both sides of the aisle are too ignorant to recognize propaganda served up as news, for what it is

    By Blogger hashfanatic, at 14 March, 2007 11:18  

  • mop, the "relocation" of aar's dial position to the sticks and the weakening of signal strength in the new york market is a dirty little secret that neocon flyover-state pundits think they can get away with, but rarely do

    yet green's investment appears to be building strength, even with the dark forces positioned against it

    on the other hand, who knows what green represents to progressive radio as a whole

    look to a green-hosted morning or evening show in the near future

    always count on mark green to find a way to assert himself in performance

    By Blogger hashfanatic, at 14 March, 2007 11:25  

  • Contrary to many of the commenters, I think Fox is newsworthy. Yes, it has its conservative, but also has its liberal people.

    The news people are as balanced in their coverage as the MSM is in theirs.

    But, the audacity of AAR even comparing themselves to FOX NEWS is way out there.

    Sure, if you compare AAR to Sean Hannity, you might be more correct, but not their newspeople who would be conducting the debate.

    By Blogger tradersmith, at 14 March, 2007 11:31  

  • Hash: True or False: The Ratings for AAR in NYC have
    A) Increased
    B) Decreased
    since the Summer of 2006. If you say A), you're lying.

    If you want to look at WWRC's performance before picking up AAR, that's fine. But that means' that WLIB's previous performance before AAR becomes fair game. And I don't think you want that particular story retold.

    "and i'm not operating according to ratings, i'm going by what i hear out in public, amongst the people"

    You're speculating that your self-selected cloister of Manhattan Friends is more indicitave of the entire market at large rather than actual verifiable facts?!? "Reality-based" indeed...

    By Blogger BF, at 14 March, 2007 12:58  

  • BF:
    again obscuring the fact that WWRL has a garbage signal one can barely hear in sme partts of NYC, at night the signal is barely listenable.

    keep obscuring the facts Fox flunkie

    once more WWRL scored a .8 with AAR , the highest rating the crap signal has EVER seen in NYC, possibly in 20 years, possible EVER. In 7 years WWRL has never shown up in a ratings book. with AAR they registered and beat several higher power stations such as Bloomberg radio and ESPN radio, both on flame throwing frequencies
    Has AAR ratings dropped in NYC? YEs
    can less people hear the station than WLIB? YES

    By Blogger Minister of Propaganda, at 14 March, 2007 16:39  

  • Wow,
    so in NYC, AAR beat out the 4th (or 5th?) News station and "beat" the 2nd rated Sports station even though the actual numbers say differently.

    All you've proven is WWRL is the #1 liberal News/Talk station in NYC that broadcasts on a suboptimal signal. Out of a field of 1. Congratulations!

    By Blogger BF, at 14 March, 2007 17:04  

  • Mini Prop:

    Check out this reference, TALKERS Magazine:

    http://www.talkers.com/main/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=17&Itemid=34

    According to these numbers, Rush Limbaugh has over 13,500,000 listeners per week, Hannity has over 12,500,000, while past top draw on AAR, Al Franken, had over 1,500,000 (but less than 1,750,000).

    I trust these numbers more than I trust your "walk-by" observations.

    By Blogger Chromium, at 14 March, 2007 18:57  

  • "But that means' that WLIB's previous performance before AAR becomes fair game. And I don't think you want that particular story retold."

    Why? What "particular story"?

    WLIB was a black radio station, with programming targeted to black people, particularly West Indians...in a city with many such people.

    Then it became a progressive, political talk outlet, in a city with many such people.

    What more is to be said about that?

    By Blogger hashfanatic, at 14 March, 2007 19:45  

  • Then again, with Maloney's buddy Bernstein having infiltrated AAR as PD, God alone only knows what's next...

    By Blogger hashfanatic, at 15 March, 2007 09:31  

  • Well Hash, WLIB was averaging between a 1.4 and 1.8 before they switched over to AAR. Afterwards, they averaged between 0.6 and 1.4.

    By Blogger BF, at 15 March, 2007 10:24  

  • That wouldn't suprise anyone familiar with the high number of West Indian immigrants in the New York area...I would think the vast majority would have felt betrayed by the format change and would have naturally tuned out...

    And this all assumes that anyone apart from the moneychangers take the ratings themselves seriously.

    So what's your point?

    By Blogger hashfanatic, at 15 March, 2007 11:21  

  • I think it is a shame that you have chosen to let Hillary Clinton be the basis of all your newscasts. Why? Are the corporations that are paying for your radio program telling you to do that? There is so little liberal media and you have chosen sides. That is so very UnAmerican. I've listened to Air America for as many years as you have been off and on. You have let me and many other Americans down. Just like the present administration, you truly are on your own agenda. SAD!

    I am listening to NOVA from now on

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 26 April, 2008 19:13  

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