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mburbank · #1

I spent one afternoon trying to listen to Air America.

I found it unlistenable, not because of it's content, but because there seemed to be significantly more time spent on commercials than any station I had ever listened to.

I have never listened to Republican talk radio, but I know it's tremendously popular. Do any of you listen to it, as opposed to reading aboyt it when something really outrageous happens? If so, whta is the commercial load?

If it's anything like Air America's, I cannot understabnd for the life of me how it could be so popular.

Preechr · #2

I travel a LOT, so I spend a heck of a lot of time listening to the radio. FM music stations suck, so I tend to listen mostly to talk radio, which is largely conservative shows. I remember hearing a speech years ago given by Rush Limbaugh to some DC group regarding the issue of commercial break frequency and length, and unlike his talk show, it was actually quite impressive. That speech seemed to be delivered by a different guy than he who hosted his show. That sort of clued me in to the idea that Rush is mostly a character.

The problem, as he described it, was exactly what turned you off to Air America. People won't listen if you hammer them with too much commercial interruptions. Back then, most talk radio was just as annoying in that regard as has been Air America, but I've noticed mostly all of the shows I hear have toned it down as per Limbaugh's recommendations. The job of any talk show host is to keep you entertained just enough to hold you through the breaks. They basically spend 2-3 hours teasing what's coming up next and repeating the same 5-10 minutes worth of content over and over. Sometimes, the interviews are interesting... well, this isn't about if I get anything out of the experience...

I think the main reason for the failure of Air America is their hosts' fundamental misunderstandings of some key aspects to successfull talk radio programming. It's more about how you say it than it is what you say, for instance. I listened a little, and it always seemed their rythym was way off. Nevermind the generally vapid and immature commentary, their presentation was amateurish.

It just wasn't good radio.

mburbank · #3

Yeah, I'm afraid I concur. I think liberal talk radio is potentially possible, but this wasn't it. Unles you found some way to drastically reduce commercial interuption, like if Soros just bankrolled the losses, youd have to first of all accept that your product could be entertaining and score points, but it would by neccessity be as shallow and surface level as right wing radio. Unless you are commercail free, you can't do depth. And wether or not you beleive Air America was striving for depth (and I sure as hell don't know, I only listened to it once, and I should have been in their target audience) Liberals have a very hard time seeing temslev as 'surface lvel' or thinking that the 'surface level' has any merit. It's 50% true and 50% snobbery. That's the game in talk radio, and if you don't think it's a good game, don't play.

If it were up to me, I'd focus strictly on humor. Satire can score all the points you need, rile people up, entertain them, and you don't have to take the time to back it up. You could back it all up on a web site, go into depth in text and keep referring people their. In place of right wing red meat, put left wing mockery.

Radio is an awsome media for information, IF it's unninterupted, or briefly interrupted. In five minute (if that) snippets, stick with jokes, slaps and teases.

Preechr · #4

Well, unlike right-wing radio, many of the stations carrying Air-America were actually PAYING FOR the privilege of doing so. Considering the target audience, the ad revenues had to be pretty good, and then multiply that by ad frequency and length... I suppose the content had to have shared the blame as well. Unfortunately, most of the commentary was simple mockery, though. Maybe they just needed a better writing staff....

Hmmm....

Miss Modular · #5

When I worked at Cornell, I used to listen to "Unfiltered", which I enjoyed. This was after they launched in 2004. I used to stick around and listen to Franken's show, but kind of shut it off once Randi Rhodes came on. Although she's probably the most talented of all the Air America Talk Show Hosts, I can only stand so much talk radio. It lasted two and a half years, which is a HELL of a lot longer than most people thought it would.

Jane Fonda and Gloria Steinem are launching a new radio network directed toward women. Maybe theirs will fare a little bit better.

sspadowsky · #6

I blame Randi Rhodes. It seemed the only time I ever got to listen to Air America was when she was on, and it was like Sean Hannity on estrogen pills. Franken's show was OK, but it seemed like his co-host (can't remember her name) carried the show more than he did, since she had a radio background.

It's been a long time since I listened to that station, but now that you guys mention it, I distinctly recall the incessant commercial breaks to be a major irritant.

Ultimately, I think what turned me off was that political talk radio is political talk radio. I heard everything I hated about Limbaugh and his ilk, just from the opposite end of the spectrum. If you want to get attention in talk radio, no matter what your political affiliation, you have to be bombastic, grating, and fuckin' annoying.

KevinTheOmnivore · #7

Rhodes is terrible.

THe bottom line is that it's a business, and you still need to provide a good product. Like them or not, most of the folks you'll hear on the bigger conservative stations have been working their way up and paying their dues in that business for years now. Many of the come from either a communications or radio background.

Not to say folks on Air America didn't, but look at the two heavyweights. Limbaugh had years of broadcasting experience, and understands radio better than most. Franken, although very talented and funny, to my recollection had never done it before in his life.

kahljorn · #8

The first thing i learned when I was a kid about rush limbaugh (my dad listened to him everyday whenever we drove somewhere and it seemed like it was on 24/7) is that he is a comedian and entertainer before a political commentator. I would think the same would go for anywhere else. I guess that's to be expected with any service wherein your ability to gain money is directly proportionate to how many jackasses you can keep listening.
Although in town on the FM here we have a classical music/ arts channel with a really interesting news bits where they discuss politics and current events and I've always enjoyed it even if it's boring because they don't have any hi-larious jokes..

Miss Modular · #9

My own personal opinions on these hosts aside, I think they should start syndicating some of the more successful shows, rather than to have companies pick the entire Air America package.

I hope I make sense.

KevinTheOmnivore · #10

That makes total sense, and it's how conservative radio was built. A lot of the Air America personalities did start from the grassroots, but they also sort of suck. :/