We are donating to help AAR reach more communities. Great idea.

[madfloridian]

Rush has done an amazing spin job on AAR, and many here are helping it along beautifully. People need to quit falling for the Republican Spin Machine rhetoric. Here is what they are trying to do.

My community is one of these they are trying to reach. Our city is about 80,000, and we have right wing radio only. Here is their goal.

http://chicagobusiness.com/cgi-bin/news.pl?id=17726

Local investors aim to extend Air America
The co-founders of Air America are forming a company to buy rural radio stations to spread the reach of the liberal-oriented radio network. Northbrook venture capitalists Anita and Shelley Drobny, who retain a minority interest in Air America, are seeking to raise an initial $5 million to buy eight or nine stations in communities with fewer than 100,000 residents."

Here is the letter we received from them.

Dear Air America Radio Listener,

When we launched the Air America Radio network one year ago, the country was being talked to death by conservative zealots like Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Bill O'Reilly, and others. Right Wing radio saturated every media market and every community – a dominance of the airwaves that has been a huge part of what allowed the Right Wing to:

Drag America into the Iraq war.
Open up the Arctic National Refuge for oil drilling.
Take over both houses of Congress.
And, of course, win the 2004 Presidential election.
Rather than wait for the Right Wing to run out of breath, we launched Air America Radio to give the country back its voice. Thanks to listeners like you, we have a presence on 70 stations covering 60% of U.S. media markets. Air America Radio currently offers 15 shows and runs 24 hours a day of entertaining – at times irreverent – but always enlightening programming.

To continue this great success story and start shaping the national debate the way that Right Wing talk radio does every day, we've got to reach into every community in this country. We know we can’t achieve this next stage of growth without significant help from you, our loyal listeners.

We’ve also been asked on many occasions by our listeners how they can help out. Today we are launching a new program called AIR AMERICA ASSOCIATES that gives you the opportunity to do just that.

http://airamericaradio.com/associates

As an Air America Associate, you are a member of a special group of listeners who support Air America Radio and are dedicated to building the Air America community. When you sign up, we will send you a packet of bumper stickers to remind you that your job as an Associate is to spread the word about Air America Radio to other progressives in your workplace, your family, and your neighborhood.

Also, as an Air America Associate, you'll be kept informed of events in your area and receive a monthly Associates insider newsletter with backstage news from our shows and our headquarters. And in time, when we launch our paid services, as an Associate you will be eligible for special discounts for premium content.

Rush Limbaugh didn't take over our airwaves by himself – he had an army of "dittoheads" behind him. We will never reach the same critical mass that he has without our listeners helping us as well. So, please become an Air America Associate today by clicking here:

http://airamericaradio.com/associates

Thank you very much for your support,

Danny Goldberg
Air America Radio CEO

[President Jesus]

1. taking donations for a "for-profit" company

I'm sorry, but that is fucked up.

[hlthe2b]

3. Their initial emailed announcement/request did not convey

this at all well. It sounded only like we, the listener would have the "opportunity" to show our loyalty by forking over donations, ah lah Public Radio, for which we'd get a very expensive bumper sticker, tote bag or some personal call of thanks...

This follow-up message as included in the post makes me feel a little less irritated and more understanding of what they are trying to accomplish. Sadly I think they already pissed off a lot of people from the initial solicitation...

[madfloridian]

4. Then sue me.

:hi:

[NYCGirl]

12. I love your spirit, Mad!

:hi:

[mzmolly]

5. Do you have more information on their profit margin?

Thanks in advance.

[geomon666]

19. AAR keeps its finances very secret.

We do know they secured $13 million in financing in December of 2004. They have big advertisers on board also. So why do they need money?

[mzmolly]

21. Well I cant get the signal in my car and I'm just outside of the burbs of

major metropolis.

I don't care why they need it if it's a good cause. NPR needs money on occassion as does PBS.

[geomon666]

23. Those are publicly funded stations.

AAR is not.

[NYCGirl]

30. Those stations also receive government funds and corporate sponsorship.

AAR doesn't.

[geomon666]

33. It doesn't because it's corporate owned and operated.

And coporate sponsorship? Where do you think all those ads are coming from?

[mzmolly]

31. Apparently it is to an extent ~ as I just contributed.

;)

[KittyWampus]

24. Funny, When AAR First Started DU'ers All Wanted To Contribute

now AAR is asking for contributions to expand... and DU'ers bitch.

Damned if they do, damned if they don't.

[geomon666]

32. I'm not bitching.

I find it curious that AAR needs $5 million to buy 8 or 9 stations which would add up to less than a million new listeners when they had well over a million on Sirius.

I find it fascinating that a corporate entity (and make no mistake about it, AAR is corporate owned) needs donations to expand it's reach. They didn't need it before. They didn't need it to reach Los Angeles and Miami and Colorado and Texas but now they need us to reach Nowhere, Ohio.

[mzmolly]

35. Actually they did need contributions before. I sponsored them when

they started up initially as well.

[geomon666]

37. Yeah way back in the beginning when it was just two people with an idea.

It's a lot more now.

[jsamuel]

39. I have to agree. This is at very least creepy.

The idea that a for profit company needs donations to expand rather than using the 500 other options it has (loans, stock, etc) is creepy and reeks of something awful. We have to be careful of posers and people who will take advantage of us.

That being said, I don't really know if it is wrong to give as they haven't really explained how 8/9 rural stations cost 5 million anyway.

[BeachBuckeye]

56. 8 or 9 stations for $5 million?

Highly doubtful. Even low watt stations sell for at least 1.5M each. It would be hard to find any for less and if you did they wouldn't have enough signal to reach much of an audience.

[mzmolly]

40. It's two different people today, as the original founder was corrupt.

:(

However, I want AAR to stay on the air and expand so I shall attempt to help them do so.

[geomon666]

42. I don't think they're in financial trouble.

But I also don't think they need our money for this. I don't know. It doesn't seem right to me.

[mzmolly]

43. Pay checks were delayed in August?

I think they need a complete overhaul frankly.

[madfloridian]

36. They want to buy small stations.....the only way they will get on here.

In our area of religious Baptist/Catholic conservatism, that is about the only way they will get on the air.

I am going to donate because my gut tells me it is a good thing to do. It may not be perfect. I am going to donate anyway.

I don't like all the folks on AAR, but they are better than anything we have here. If I want to hear radio not right wing I must stream or buy XM.

This sounds like they are trying to branch out, and I agree with that. If it turns out bad, then I will have tried.

PS All the small stations in our area just about are owned by right wing churches and preach or moralize.

[President Jesus]

45. Look, if they want "donations" they should become a public company or...

a non-profit.

If they were public then our "donations" would equal actual ownership of the company.

Again, to donate money to a company whose first goal is to make a profit (sorry idealists, but that is the truth...otherwise they would have set up as a non-profit) is clearly the act of a very uninformed, naive person.

If you want to help AAR under its current organization, buy an advertisement. Otherwise, we should all encourage them to go public so we can all buy in and share in the future profits (instead of just the multi-millionaire investors).

[mzmolly]

2. This is VERY IMPORTANT. Recommended.

Thanks for posting MF.

I just joined! I wonder if DU could sponsor this somehow? Free advertising perhaps?

:hi:

[Betsy Ross]

6. Randi Rhodes has been less than

kind about AAR's money raising methods. $16 for a bumpersticker. You shouldn't have to donate to a commercial enterprise. You support AAR by supporting their sponsors and telling the sponsors where you heard about them.

How about sending donations to Microsoft?

[BlueEyedSon]

11. Microsoft is not trying to "fix" America. If they were, I might!

[mzmolly]

16. Here here! I have no problem supporting AAR while they get up and running

:hi:

[Ruby Romaine]

25. Our local AAR station ran radio ads on Nov 1, 2004 "Vote for George Bush"

I don't think supporting sponsors is always a good idea. They advertise right wing businesses & right wing candidates all of the time.
Remember they have a deal with Clear Channel.

[KittyWampus]

26. Again, BEFORE AAR Went On Air, DU'ers Were Excited And Willing

to do what it takes to have a liberal voice on the air.

Now we've got that voice, it's expanding and we're no longer willing to donate?

There is something wrong with this picture.

Perhaps there are different DU members posting here now.

[BlueEyedSon]

7. They should offer some kind of equity/repayment IF the station(s) you help

fund become profitable.

Alternately, they should spin off a non-profit org to run these small stations which will carry the AAR (for-profit) programming.

[mzmolly]

10. I wonder if they could offer stock options?

X amount per share? I just donated a small amount as I see this is about a cause that is important, but if people aren't comfortable, that's their perogative.

[NYCGirl]

13. The only fear I'd have about that was if some big right-wing

deep pockets wanted to buy up the majority.

[mzmolly]

15. Yikes!

Hadn't considered that. :scared:

[Zinfandel]

17. Not if we all DONATE! Support Air America Radio! Donate...

Any amount makes a difference...Shit, if you only have five bucks, donate!

www.airamericaradio.com

AAR is our national forum! DONATE!

:bounce:

[mzmolly]

20. Agreed.

This is about supporting democracy.

[President Jesus]

46. then we'd get rich off the right-wingers' buyout and start a new network

[jsamuel]

29. AKA stock.... why don't they just sell stock then... because they don't

want to get bought out I suppose


i don't know

[confludemocrat]

48. Disagree they won't make tons in rural America and demanding dividend is

counter-productive. Paying station management well in rural areas that's my main concern.

[hlthe2b]

8. too bad they didn't get their radio personnel on board first...

Randi Rhodes was just excoriating them over this a couple of days ago. I didn't hear the whole thing, but it didn't help the cause, that's for sure.

[mzmolly]

14. I enjoy Randi, but she's not the most professional person on the air.

:shrug:

PBS has fund drives all the time, and so does NPR. I realize that AAR is for profit, but if they need some help getting there, I haven't an issue.

[KittyWampus]

28. Randi Has Often Bitched On Air. Totally Unprofesional Behavior

from talent that touts herself as being so damned professional.

[LaPera]

9. I'm donating! I'm absoluely down!

:smoke: :toast: :party:

:yourock:

[enigmatic]

18. I don't have a problem w/ this

Getting AAR in the smaller communities is vital; I'm all for helping anyway I can.

[madfloridian]

22. The reporter in the first snip spelled Mr. Drobny's name wrong.

I believe it is Sheldon, not Shelley. The Anita is correct.

[stevedeshazer]

27. I'd go a step farther

When Limbaugh came on the national radio scene in the late '80's, he made an irresistable deal to small market stations. They could carry his package for almost nothing if they carried his advertising.

What this laudable AirAmerica effort is missing, in my opinion, is real small markets. In the West, South, and Midwest a market of 100,000 is a big market.

Limbaugh penetrated rural areas. I'd hate to see AirAmerica ignore the rural areas, small cities, etc.

When you hear Limbaugh and Hannity claim to be on umpty-million stations, you can bet that most of them are in places like Farmington, Midvale, and Smalltown.

My two bits worth from a guy who grew up in a small town.

PS- this is exactly why Ed Schultz is growing his show.

[mzmolly]

34. AAR needs a complete overhaul. Were it not for people contributing

they'd be off the air. They need new/intelligent/experienced management. But, until they get there, I'll help them stay on the air.

[Oeditpus Rex]

38. AAR's problem isn't one of too few stations

Rather, the vast majority of stations that carry AAR are low-powered. I've researched this, and most of them are in the 1,000 to 5,000-watt range, which simply isn't enough power to carry a signal very far unless the transmitter is atop a high peak. Their nearest affiliate is less than 30 miles from me, yet I can't receive it at all because the transmitter is at sea level and broadcasts at only 1,000 watts, 850 after sunset.

What AAR needs to do is get on some "boomer" stations, but the asshats seem to have those locked up.

[mzmolly]

41. Yep! I agree. Can you share more on this?

I just posed a formal complaint to my local affiliate. I have contributed to the "cause" regardless.

[Oeditpus Rex]

47. Wish I could

But I lost the data I'd collected in a hard-drive crash a couple months ago. I'd even made a coverage map.

I gotta get a life, man...

Oh — in response to #44 below, there're a few Clear Channel stations that carry AAR. Seems like I'd counted 13, but I could be remembering wrong.

If you want to check this out, cross-reference AAR's station list with this: http://www.radio-locator.com/. Or, for a lot more technical detail, use the FCC's "query" page: http://www.fcc.gov/mb/audio/amq.html. (You can change it to search FM stations at the top of the page.)

[mzmolly]

51. Thank you so much!

:hi:

[melody]

44. It takes bucks to blast past the Clear Channel propaganda wall of sound

Most companies go public to grow wings -- if AAR does this, they run the risk of a corporate takeover by the very entities controlling the media now - the ones that aid and abet Rush Limbaugh's ongoing circus.

They need to get some ad people out there who are fired up and willing to seek out support. There are countless companies who do not agree with the far-right wing religious theocracy of this administration (you'd think a gay boy like Rush would be against them, too, but obviously he's self-hating and thinks he's well-closeted...except to people who worked with him "before"). It would be easy enough to seek them out and enlist them. The problem is whomever is running the show at AAR doesn't seem to have much of a business mind.

There's a massive audience out there desperate for open-minded, intelligent discourse or at least some radio show not helmed by a simple-minded sociopathic clown.

But you know what? I'll toss AAR everything I can. I'm your basic middle-class, middle American and these right-wing media propagandists terrify me.

[izzybeans]

49. And this is what makes the wingnuts nervous there rural monopoly is about

to come to an end. I say hooray!

[mzmolly]

50. K

I-C-K!

:kick:

You made the greatest page MF. :hi:

[OnionPatch]

52. I'm giving them something too

I think I mentioned in the other post how much I believe Rush Limbaugh's show is responsible for where our country is today. I live in rural America and all these people listen to the radio while they commute. I firmly believe that most of them get their political news from his and other right wing radio shows.

My understanding is that radio stations were actually PAID to play Limbaugh's show for a good while before it actually became profitable. There were some extremely rich and powerful people responsible for getting his hatred spread all over our air waves. It didn't just happen naturally. We need Air America desperately. I won't stand by and let them go it alone even if they are a for-profit station. Clearly they don't have the money behind them that Rush's side does. It's in my interest that they succeed. If a small donation from me will help, they got it.

[Ninga]

53. I dont' get it, someone help me out here. All the folks who

hopped on the Sirius bandwagon solely to support AAR, coughed up big bucks to do so..................

Then AAR struck a deal with XM, thereby eliminating Sirius subscribers.

Sorry, but I all ready contributed by helping AAR in the ratings game.

Like every other for profit business, they are going to have to do it the hard way........earn it.

[OnionPatch]

54. Well that's your opinion

and you make a valid point. My point is that a voice on the radio for the left is VITALLY important. Their success is in my best interest and the best interest of the country. I have no problem contributing.
Peace.

[Polemicist]

55. We lost our local progressive station...

It was a clear channel AM station and carried AAR programing as well as Ed Schultz and others.

My business advertised on the station to support the programing. But I didn't get a single response to my ads. After running for several months with no response, we had to cancel the advertising contract.

In order to keep progressive radio on the air, we have to have more than just listeners. The listeners have to patronize the advertisers and tell them that they heard the ad on Progressive radio. That's how for profit radio works. That will result in more ads purchased and better positioning of the programming to more powerful stations to reach more consumers, who buy from the advertisers.

The listeners in my market didn't vote with their dollars. I did, but it wasn't enough. I couldn't afford to carry the station alone, if I could I would.

Why don't the members of DU form a media corporation, solicit money to purchase shares, and buy stations and program them with progressive programing? That's the best way to control your dollars invested in this effort. We got 80,000 members. If 25% invested $100.00, that's 2 million dollars. You could but stations for that kind of money and run them profitably, and reinvest the profits in purchasing more stations.

And control the station, so the programming isn't changed.