http://docs.google.com/View?id=dhcd7gb3_6f98bsvc4

Couldn’t agree more. I won’t hold my breath waiting for it to happen, though.

“Also the potential audience for the material it is offering seems far larger.”

That’s tough to determine. For the last 20-plus years, talk radio has been dominated by right wingers. For most of that time, there wasn’t any left wing alternative on the national scene. Air America has been run by a series of incompetent people who don’t seem to be able to get beyond the idea that the path to success is to go with TV people with no radio experience. You’d think they would have learned from that mistake by now, but hiring Montel Williams shows that they haven’t.

Stephanie Miller, Thom Hartmann and Ed Schultz actually do pretty well for the stations they’re on. It’s interesting to note that none of them is an Air America talent (Hartmann was, but he isn’t anymore).

I think, contrary to popular opinion, the political stance of a host isn’t necessarily the determining factor in whether or not they will be successful in talk radio. It’s all about ENTERTAINING the audience, something that Air America can’t seem to get through their heads. Or as my wife says, talk radio is about “personalities, not professors.”

“Also the potential audience for the material it is offering seems far larger.” That’s touch to determine. For the last 20-plus years, talk radio has been dominated by right wingers. For most of that time, there wasn’t any left wing alternative on the national scene. Air America has been run by a series of incompetent people who don’t seem to be able to get beyond the idea that the path to success is to go with TV people with no radio experience. You’d think they would have learned from that mistake by now, but hiring Montel Williams shows that they haven’t.

Stephanie Miller, Thom Hartmann and Ed Schultz actually do pretty well for the stations they’re on. It’s interesting to note that none of them is an Air America talent (Hartmann was, but he isn’t anymore).

I think, contrary to popular opinion, the political stance of a host isn’t necessarily the determining factor in whether or not they will be successful in talk radio. It’s all about ENTERTAINING the audience, something that Air American can’t seem to get through their heads. Or as my wife says, talk radio is about “personalities, not professors.”

Fox has the resources of Rupert Murdoc who has significantly larger cash reserves than most. Also the potential audience for the material it is offering seems far larger. AA never tries to camoflauge what its selling, Fox, well one can debate their position as fair and balanced but its presentation is more mainstream like that of CNN etc. CNN needed a counterweight and Fox seems to fill the void such as it is.

Each network has its lovers and its haters….Lets just be glad that we still live in a nation that despite recent trends can agree to disagree and present different sides to the issues and let those who choose to be informed make up their own minds in the end.

Not that Air America has had good management to date, but when anyone talks about “how much” its lost, you might point out how A.A.’s first-five-years losses pale in comparison to Fox News’.

Yes, Fox News has a large overall audience, but it’s just about the oldest in all of television, broadcast or cable. Bill O’Reilly’s average audience member is something like 66 years old. Even with a large cume, that’s a tough demo to sell.