Just as the naysayers claim they're near dead, Air America surprises them by staying airborne. And interestingly enough, they're expanding. Imagine that.
Here's the slightly-edited press release:
Air America Media has now formed a syndication division to distribute radio programming outside of its hallmark progressive network offerings. Under the direction of Bill Hess, senior vice president of programming, Air America Media Syndication (AAM Syndication) on March 22 will begin by offering the award-winning weekend radio show “Newsweek On Air” to radio stations across its network and around the country.
For more than 27 years, "Newsweek On Air" has taken listeners behind the headlines and ahead of the news with the sources, resources and seasoned staff of Newsweek magazine, and more recently of the Newsweek Web site. The program, also a top-rated podcast, explores a wide range of topics from national politics and foreign affairs to health, technology, money and entertainment.
"AAM Syndication is pleased to team with Newsweek in this first venture outside of the traditional Air America package," said Hess. "This is a great show, with an excellent track record of performance on many great radio stations. We look forward to a long partnership with Newsweek."
"AAM Syndication is a great partner for "Newsweek On Air". This agreement will allow us to continue to grow our listener base across the country,” said Newsweek contributing editor David Alpern, the program's longtime producer and host. "We look forward to maintaining the same high quality content, balance and listener interest that has won our program various awards and a place on so many station schedules, some for nearly all of its 27 years on the air."
"Newsweek On Air" won its first major award, a Silver Medal, in the 1989 International Radio Festival of New York. Additional honors awarded to the program include numerous accolades from the Communicator Awards, including the 2000 Crystal Award of Excellence, two Communicator Awards of Excellence in 2005 and four Communicator Awards of Distinction in 2008. "Newsweek On Air" also received the 2000 Program of the Year award from the International Association of Audio Information Services.
Stations broadcasting "Newsweek On Air" include WNYC-AM in New York, WFED Washington, WELI in New Haven, KLIF in Dallas, WFTL in Ft. Lauderdale/Miami, KTAR in Phoenix, KCBS in San Francisco and WSB in Atlanta.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Air America expands with syndication division
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Eureka, CA 
5 comments:
You're probably aware of this already, but Newsweek is dying. I'd link to a story about how it's cutting its claimed readership base drastically and is "repurposing" to be more like The Economist mag. (Q: Because The Economist does a good job at being an analytical, if rightist, newsmag, does the world need a new half-arsed version?)
AAR, or AAM, or whatever they are this month, doesn't seem to be on a successful tack. Again. It's like merging American Motors with Chrysler, or any one of the faltering financial bankmaggot corporations with another that's about to go under. Weak + weak does not = strong. It strikes me as mutual lurching in dual death throes.
And I don't say this as a right-wing troll. My wife and I used to subscribe to AAR from afar, until they sacked Malloy, Rhodes, Seder and now Hartmann's gone. (Fortunately, the latter's got his podcast up and running, so we're financial -- Aussie terminology for "paid-up" -- members. Now if only Malloy can do the same!)
But as for AAR, they have not gotten a dime from us since we clawed back our credit card payment in April 2008. With the pathetic lineup of supposedly left-wing talk they've got ("Ring of Fire" excepted) I hope they get axed like what I wish for Goldman Sachs. Have I mentioned tonight how much I hate these people?
FYI - the entire media industry is dying. And not just magazines like Newsweek.
Time Magazine just published an article that's essentially a dead pool of the newspaper industry. They're claiming that papers like the San Francisco Chronicle, the New York Daily News and the Minneapolis Star Tribune are going kaput in '09. Pretty crazy stuff. I'm going to read it a bit more today and perhaps write a tie-in for tomorrow.
And last week, Citadel Communications, which owns all the ABC radio stations, became an over-the-counter penny stock.
The economy (and the internet, to a degree) is absolutely killing the media industry. But I've already said too much. I'll have more to say tomorrow or the next day.
Deja Vu all over again.
I thought AAR had a syndication division, at least they used to. They made a syndication deal with Thom Hartmann, while they were running Al Franken on the network. Hartmann also had a syndication deal with Jones (now Dial Global) and has now gone with Dial Global exclusively. AAR hired Tom Athans when Democracy Radio folded to run their syndication operation. Nothing happened and Athans left a few months later to start his own syndication company.
Newsweek on Air was distributed by Global Media and fed to AP Radio subscribers, as well. Going with AAR does not seem like a step up for this show.
FSL, I guess I gotta ask on behalf of everyone here...
What the hell are you talking about anyway? Is this just silly crap you gleem off the trade sites and message boards? Not to attack your own POV, but quite frankly, your comments are LAME! B-O-R-I-N-G. Just a bunch of jargon and industryspeak. It's all boring 'Mr. Know-it-all' shit. I have no problem with disagreements. There are tons of comments challenging what I write all over this blog. It's just that if you want to impress people with your so-called 'knowledge', try acting like a normal human being, and not just some dork jock-sniffer.
If you want to communicate to the readers here, who you obviously see as 'the little people', how 'bout making some sense? We speak plain talk here. None of this 'if you can't dazzle 'em with brilliance, baffle 'em with bullshit' stuff. Hey, you already think you know more than I do.
And just who is it you're trying to impress anyway?
Furthermore, I'll bet you've never even set foot in a radio studio, let alone worked in the business.
Just had to say it. I'm sure it's been on a lot of minds here.
BTW - Since you like to nit-pick everything I write and claim I'm wrong, you did get something wrong last week when you claimed that I'm merely a Maloney clone.
This very blog signed on October 12, 2004. He started his three days later. Do the math.
Post a Comment