On-air shakeup at KCCT/Corpus Christi

From the Corpus Christi Caller-Times:

Longtime Hispanic activist and radio talk-show host Vicente Carranza has left KCCT 1150AM, an independently-owned affiliate of Air America Radio, after being informed he was moving from his 4-7PM weekday timeslot to a later one.

Carranza said Manuel 'Daddy D' Davila Jr., owner of KCCT, informed him about the on-air changes five minutes before the end of his Oct. 13 program, so he didn't have a chance to notify his audience about the change.

"That was a pretty bad decision without letting me know," said Carranza, who has been in radio 14 years. "It took me six months to build up my audience and in a minute's time, he took it away from me."

The owner had intended to move Carranza to the 7-10PM shift, in order to broaden the listenership, and claims to have informed him of pending changes.

Carranza says he has had two offers from other radio stations, including one in San Antonio.

Something for the Christmas list: The InFusion wireless streaming player

Hypothetical situation: You enjoy the vast array of radio programming available online, whether it be liberal talk, eclectic music, foreign radio, or maybe your favorite hometown station. Or, you like listening to Stephanie Miller but your local station thinks you prefer Jerry Springer (or vice-versa)? Unfortunately, to this point we've all been at the mercy of radio stations telling us what to listen to. But someday, the tables could be turned.

With many metropolitan areas building wireless infrastructures, it's inevitable that a device will come along to take advantage of a potential portable streaming boom. And now, that day is very near.

Torian Wireless, a small Australian company, will introduce the InFusion, essentially a 'Wi-Fi 'Walkman'. The InFusion is a portable, battery powered device which you can tune to any of thousands of Internet radio stations. It also has an FM radio, an audio recorder, and an MP3 player with a maximum 4GB capacity (via a memory card).

So, what will this neat little toy do? If you live in a Wi-Fi hot zone, you potentially have access to a vast array of radio and streaming audio choices. Let's say your town doesn't have an Air America Radio affiliate? No problem. You will now. Love the choices offered by Radioio? Bring it with you! Need a cool secret agent soundtrack while you're driving to Casino Royale to face Le Chiffre? Check. Or, for some reason, you feel the desire to listen to your favorite Clear Channel station that sounds remarkably like the Clear Channel station in your town and other towns? They've got you covered.

So, what's the catch? Well, InFusion relies on Wi-Fi connectivity. Meaning that you can only pick up programming in an area that offers wireless capability. This would include just about any McDonalds or Starbucks, many workplaces, and a growing number of municipalities that are building wireless networks. Someday, you will all be able to listen to live streaming audio in the car, bus, subway or even while jogging. Neat, huh?

And the price for this little slice of the future? Torian lists the InFusion for $189 on their site, thought the retail price could be up to $229. Not a bad price for what could be the next iPod. And probably easier than lugging around that big laptop.

Look for a November release, just in time for the holidays.

KTLK/L.A. sets their own liberal talk agenda

From the Los Angeles Times:

With Air America filing for bankruptcy protection last week, and its local affiliate dropping in the most recent ratings, right-wing critics are gleefully writing the epitaph for liberal talk radio — dead at 2 1/2.

But other observers say that regardless of whether Air America survives, an audience exists and will remain for left-leaning hosts.

"There's a market for good talk radio, no matter what the political label is," said Perry Michael Simon, news-talk-sports editor of AllAccess.com, an online journal of the radio industry, and himself a former talk radio programmer. "The key is that if it's entertaining talk radio first and liberal second, it can work."

"The problem," Simon said, "is that the entire category of liberal talk is judged by what Air America is doing."

Doing their best to get out from under that shadow are stations such as KTLK-AM (1150), Air America's affiliate in Los Angeles. Even before the bankruptcy filing — in fact, since the station debuted in February 2005 — KTLK has been weaning itself from the network's programming.

"We're trying to take this progressive format and make it radio, not make it a cause," said Don Martin, KTLK program director. "I don't want them [listeners] coming here because they call it 'Air America.' "

Read more here.

THom Hartmann: Why Air America Matters

An interesting article from Huffington Post, in which Thom Hartmann expresses an insider's view:

There are times when doing the profitable thing is also doing the right thing.

That's certainly what Roger Ailes and Rupert Murdoch thought when they lost an average of $90 million a year for about five years before the Fox News Channel became profitable. It's what Reverend Moon believes, as his Washington Times newspaper lost hundreds of millions of dollars and, according to some reports, even today continues to lose money.
And its what the people who have made Air America Radio possible - names you probably wouldn't recognize because they've invested millions of their own money but don't seek the limelight - believe.

Each of these endeavors hit nail-biting times.

In Murdoch's early days building News Corp. (which then helped fund Fox News), as The Hollywood Reporter noted in a 2005 article:

"[C]orporate expansion and the stock market crash of 1987 conspired to create a financial crisis for Murdoch in 1990, when News Corp. reported revenue of $6.7 billion and saw more than $7 billion in debt come due. With News Corp. shares plummeting from $24 to $8 as a result of the Black Monday crash and Murdoch's buying sprees continuing unabated, creditors became nervous. A refinancing plan was put in place, but at the last minute, one small bank in Pittsburgh refused to go along with the scheme, demanding repayment of a $10 million loan.

"That $10 million loan nearly caused the entire collapse of News Corp.: An extraordinary race against time ensued in which Murdoch and his financial advisers struggled to convince the company's 100-plus creditors to agree to a deal by which they would all be paid at the same time. Only at the eleventh hour did the Pittsburgh bank capitulate, to Murdoch's great relief.

"The mogul managed to get through the ordeal without parting with substantial blocks of stock, which likely would have forced him to lose control of the company he created (a fate that befell his rival, Turner). At one point, though, Murdoch reportedly did have to sign over as security personal assets, including his New York penthouse."

Read more.

Ready for another liberal talk network? Introducing... Talk USA Radio

In the wake of the recent announcement by Air America Radio (AAR) that the network would file a Chapter 11 bankruptcy, former AAR executive vice president Tom Athans has launched Talk USA Radio, a new radio program supplier that he says will "develop new progressive talk shows in an effort to broaden the format and provide more options to listeners across the nation."

Prior to joining Air America, Athans was the founder and CEO of Democracy Radio where he was involved in the development and launch of progressive talker Ed Schultz - whose program is now syndicated by Randy Michaels-owned Product First - and WYD Media's "Stephanie Miller Show," which is distributed by Jones Radio Networks.

Athans reports that Talk USA Radio has several new programs in development and said, "We’re