An Air America Update

[CatWoman]

Air America has signed off in Atlanta, with few immediate prospects for finding a new home.

J.W. Broadcasting, which purchased the Atlanta affiliate that broadcast Air America, has launched a business talk format on WCFO-AM 1160. "After doing some research, I realized was the only top 10 radio market without a business talk station," says Jeff Davis, vice president/general manager for J.W. Broadcasting. "It was needed."

The decision comes as a letdown for local liberal listeners and Air America execs. Until J.W. Broadcasting purchased its second area station in late January, the 1690 dial had served as the home of Air America, the only liberal AM talk radio in a market saturated by conservative talk show hosts such as Neal Boortz and Laura Ingraham.

J.W. Broadcasting owns two AM frequencies: 1160 and 1690. The company switched its eclectic programming of R&B, jazz and poetry on WMLB from 1160 to 1690 because that frequency has a stronger signal.

Davis told CL in May that they were considering continuing the Air America programming on 1160. In the end, he says he chose financial programming because 1160's signals are strongest in Cobb and Gwinnett counties, where left-leaning programming wouldn't suit the mostly conservative crowd. "The Republican business types are out there," Davis says. "If we carried Air America, we'd get nothing but complaints."

Meanwhile, Jon Sinton, the president of Air America who happens to live in Marietta, says he's continuing to shop Air America around the Atlanta area. He says J.W. Broadcasting continues to broadcast Al Franken on WMLB 1690 dial in the afternoons, and that he's received numerous calls and e-mails asking for Air America to come back.

"The outcry for has been very gratifying," Sinton says. "We're talking to some other people to see what we can do."

http://atlanta.creativeloafing.com/gyrobase/Content?oid=oid%3A96071

[CottonBear]

1. I say we flood every RW station with complaints about RW chickenhawk radio

If the RW and business people can shut down free speech and diversity of opinione on the radio by complaining, then mayb liberals should institute an unrelenting campaign of phone calls, e-mails and letter to every RW radio station in Atlanta and other major cities in GA. If the RW can complain then so can we. Maybe they'll realize how many of us there are. Money talks. We can also call the advertisers. That tactic works for the RW.

Thanks for the Air America update Catwoman! BTW, did the AA station, WCKY from Cinn., OH turn into sports talk? I can't find any AA programming on that station any longer. :(

:hi:

[CatWoman]

2. CB,

I never could find that Cincinnati station on my radio

:hi:

Isn't it ironic that the president of AAR lives in Marietta, yet the owner chose to switch formats JUST to target wingers in that area of Atlanta?

It does not compute.

[CottonBear]

3. It is 1530 AM , WCKY. I can only get it after dark.

They may no longer carry AA programming though. :(

They ran Randi's show from 6-10 and then Lionel. They had local programming and also carried Ed Schultz. They did carry baseball games too. I used to be able to listen to Randi in my car on the way home from work and the farm.

I'll have to check their website. They may have recently changed formats.

It is ironic about AA and Air Atlanta and the president of AA. Republican businessmen and bankers watch and listen to CNBC and Bloomberg news. Everytime I go to visit my investment banker in charge of my Simple IRA, they have CNBC playing on TVs all over the banking offices. They don't strike me as Rush or Boortz listeners but I could imagine them listening ot business radio. However, at work, they will watch CNBC and they will not have the radio on.

I think that the new owners of 1690 AM just wanted to screw Blue Atlanta and its Democratic citizens. :grr:

[3waygeek]

7. 1530 seems to have gone all sports

I tuned in early this morning hoping to catch Mark Riley.

[CottonBear]

8. Damn. Just damn. I'll only be able to stream over the computer now.

I need an I-Pod type device so I an download podcsts of AA shows.

I'm bummed. I loved Air Atlanta and WCKY. I got one in the day and another at night. Perfect along with my streaming online time.

:cry:

[bunkerbuster1]

9. I'm hearing more AAR these days than ever before, ironically

most all of it via my mp3 player.

Losing WCKY as a resource does suck, although I was always lukewarm (as you probably remember) about Lionel and got scared when I'd accidentally tune in to one of the fundie assholes who'd book overnight time on that station. CKY did a crap job with mornings, too, running the Wall Street Business report from 5-6am when Mark Riley's show was on.

Look on the bright side--at least WCKY didn't go right-wing, it's a sports station now, ostensibly apolitical. And Cinci still has its AAR affiliate, which is more than Atlanta can say.

[Dawgs]

4. Here's what I don't understand.

How can anyone listen to that piece of crap formatting on AM1690? It's like listening to a really bad college station with absolutely no consistentsy in programming whatsoever. It's terrible, yet they would rather run with this than a left-leaning talk station. It makes no sense.

Also, this line- "I realized was the only top 10 radio market without a business talk station," says Jeff Davis, vice president/general manager for J.W. Broadcasting. "It was needed.". Uh, so is a talk radio station for the left you dumbass.

One thing is clear. It's all about the money. My problem is trying to understand how he makes anything off the new AM1690. Like I said, it's terrible.

[bunkerbuster1]

6. I've tried giving the new 1690 a chance

It's just crummy. I have a very high tolerance for on-air fumbling, and I can understand a brand-new station getting its land legs, but these guys have been broadcasting for awhile before moving to a new frequency.

The music they play is just boring, mostly obvious stuff (only mitigating factor being it's reasonably free-form sounding).

Yes, they still carry Al Franken, but that is the only thing I've heard worth listening to on 1690.

[Cookie wookie]

13. Maybe it's not about money, not that I know anything

of the details so maybe I shouldn't comment.

But it sure seems like they did it expressly to shut up any progressive voice.

After all, radio is for right-wing propaganda only, right?

[MGKrebs]

14. No consistent programming?

That's exactly what I like about it.

[bunkerbuster1]

5. >90,000 Gwinnettians voted for Kerry.

"Nothing but complaints"? That's horseshit, Jeff.

[Iris]

10. he's too chickenshit to even try it.

What a weenie.

[ecstatic]

11. Air America's signal was so weak

We really wanted to listen but couldn't, and I suspect that that played a role in the station's demise.

[CottonBear]

12. I could get the station in Athens, GA , Oconee County, GA & SIgnal Mtn, TN

It wasn't perfect but it was Air America.

The reception is no better under a new owner and format.