Air America Radio is stuck in the ratings cellar
Now that it's possible to compare ratings for this spring to last year's start-up, it's clear the network has yet to climb out of the cellar.
Air America's overall ratings, which rose initially after all the free publicity, faded before the November election and haven't recovered.
Still, it isn't yet time to call the coroner. "Air America is going to take a long time to grow ratings," said Michael Harrison, editor and publisher of the trade publication Talkers magazine. "People unfamiliar with our industry think ratings are like box-office receipts. But they're not. Radio ratings are slow to build.
"The network got an initial bump from the enormous amount of free press it got. There was a curiosity factor. Now, it is settling in."
Air America's programming is carried in part or in whole on 67 stations (ed.-66 as of yesterday). Most are in smaller markets, such as Albuquerque, N.M., and Albany, N.Y. (Locally, it airs on KTNF-AM, 950.) The flagship show, hosted by author, former "Saturday Night Live" writer/comic and Minnesota native Al Franken, airs from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. weekdays.
Franken originally named his show "The O'Franken Factor" (now "The Al Franken Show") to tweak his archrival, populist pundit Bill O'Reilly, whose TV show "The O'Reilly Factor" on the Fox News Channel outdraws all other cable talk shows and whose "The Radio Factor" draws more than 3 million listeners nationally.
Measured season-to-season — the most accurate way to assess audience preferences, because listening patterns vary throughout the year — Air America has lost audience in major markets, including New York and Boston, since April, May and June of 2004.
Franken, best-selling author of such anti-conservative tomes as "Rush Limbaugh Is a Big Fat Idiot," chose to go head-to-head with gabber Limbaugh in many markets. This, it turns out, was not such a good idea.
Limbaugh, still the giant among talkers, with 14.75 million listeners on 600 stations, has squashed Franken, whose ratings have dropped 50 percent in Boston since spring 2004; he is down 14 percent in New York.
Air America's overall ratings, which rose initially after all the free publicity, faded before the November election and haven't recovered.
Still, it isn't yet time to call the coroner. "Air America is going to take a long time to grow ratings," said Michael Harrison, editor and publisher of the trade publication Talkers magazine. "People unfamiliar with our industry think ratings are like box-office receipts. But they're not. Radio ratings are slow to build.
"The network got an initial bump from the enormous amount of free press it got. There was a curiosity factor. Now, it is settling in."
Air America's programming is carried in part or in whole on 67 stations (ed.-66 as of yesterday). Most are in smaller markets, such as Albuquerque, N.M., and Albany, N.Y. (Locally, it airs on KTNF-AM, 950.) The flagship show, hosted by author, former "Saturday Night Live" writer/comic and Minnesota native Al Franken, airs from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. weekdays.
Franken originally named his show "The O'Franken Factor" (now "The Al Franken Show") to tweak his archrival, populist pundit Bill O'Reilly, whose TV show "The O'Reilly Factor" on the Fox News Channel outdraws all other cable talk shows and whose "The Radio Factor" draws more than 3 million listeners nationally.
Measured season-to-season — the most accurate way to assess audience preferences, because listening patterns vary throughout the year — Air America has lost audience in major markets, including New York and Boston, since April, May and June of 2004.
Franken, best-selling author of such anti-conservative tomes as "Rush Limbaugh Is a Big Fat Idiot," chose to go head-to-head with gabber Limbaugh in many markets. This, it turns out, was not such a good idea.
Limbaugh, still the giant among talkers, with 14.75 million listeners on 600 stations, has squashed Franken, whose ratings have dropped 50 percent in Boston since spring 2004; he is down 14 percent in New York.
http://www.twincities.com/mld/twincities/entertainment/12277313.htm registration needed, this site is torture to register on, unlike GITMO.
posted by Fake but Accurate at 3:05 PM
5 Comments:
Gosh, could it be that intelligent people don't need to get their opinions or talking points from radio shows? Unlike the Hitler Youth ditto heads who need constant infusions of ignorant drivel to rationalize their ignorance.
dave, then why steal money from kid and old folks programs if your side is tooo smart to listen to the radio? It's like shooting fish in a barrel with you people.
FascistBastardAsshole is such a weiner that he made a like just for me! Wow, I didn't know I made you THIS insecure FBA. You are stupid twit, that lies, distorts and fabricates every topic you cover, and I have no trouble splattering what pathetic crap you pass off as information all over the pavement - but stalking has simply got to stop!
You're not my type, I prefer a man with at least a remedial level of education, and at least some tiny ability to distinguish fact from fiction - and you've to demonstrate either characteristic...
See you an thinkprogress, where I'll continue to show the world you respresent the best of CONservativism in its inability to articulate, defend or even justify its insane hatred, bigotry and lunacy...
See ya chimpy!
I mean 'made a link', shoulda read my posting first, but I hate to wasted time on charity lost causes...
Oh, and as for the name, more accurate than you intended. As a little dick moron, I make you get hard, and drip with excitement I'm so good. Unfortunately you're so impotent, you do absolutely nothing for me...
Get a life you pathetic loser, and stop obsession over stuff you refuse to even understand. At least I have CONservative friends understand the psychosis that is CONservatism. Unfortunatley for you to understand liberals, you'd need xanax to get over your anxiety, and therapy to get over your father and mother issues that make you hate women and fear authority figures. Till all of those happen, you'll remain the pathetic loser incapable of understanding your compulsions...
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