Latest radio companies on the ropes

[Force Commander]

Both from http://www.allaccess.com

Will Air America Start Asking For Donations?

With radio-advertising revenue down 9% last year and on track for a dismal 2009, writes TODAY's WALL STREET JOURNAL http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124018182064932917.html, some commercial stations are borrowing a tactic from public radio: asking listeners for donations.

Until lately, the paper reports, "the practice has been limited to quirky local stations with low profiles and eccentric owners. Now, however, AIR AMERICA RADIO is considering putting out the begging bowl. The for-profit liberal-talk radio network, whose financial problems included a 2006 bankruptcy filing, may soon launch a membership program, with top donors getting access to AIR AMERICA talent and tickets to special events."

"NPR isn't pleased about the new competition. 'There's plenty of opportunity for confusion,' says spokeswoman DANA REHM, who fears the 'audience may not discern the differences between public and for-profit operations.'

"Indeed, at WJIB, a commercially licensed oldies station in CAMBRIDGE, MA, that supports itself entirely with donations, a listener once sent a check with the subject line marked "WGBH" -- a prominent local public-radio station. Owner BOB BITTNER says he sent the check back.

"AIR AMERICA says it is weighing a fee-based membership program, even though it is on the path to profitability. CHARLIE KIREKER, a VERMONT venture capitalist, now heads the company's board, former CLEAR CHANNEL COMMUNICATIONS INC. executives are running the business, and fresh programming like a show from MONTEL WILLIAMS is filling out its roster. 'AIR AMERICA has a very passionate audience,' said Chief Executive BENNETT ZIER. 'They want to get more involved.' ZIER says the company would never represent itself as a nonprofit."



Two Radio Companies Make 'Likely To Declare Bankruptcy' List

MONEY CENTRAL at MSN.COM http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/In ... spx?page=1 writes "The B-word is in the headlines like never before. There were 7,843 commercial bankruptcy filings in MARCH, according to AACER, a bankruptcy data management company. That's up 23% from the previous month and a staggering 65% from a year earlier. And the number of filings is accelerating."

"Bankruptcy typically has a lag behind what is going on in the marketplace," said AACER Pres. MIKE BICKFORD. "So I think you are going to see increases in bankruptcy. . . at least over the next 12 to 18 months."

It's not a pretty picture for Radio companies, with two making the list.

Clear Channel

"The main business of CC MEDIA, the parent company of CLEAR CHANNEL COMMUNICATIONS, is selling ads, and that's a tough one in this market. The company posted a $3 billion loss in the fourth quarter of last year.

"As the largest radio company in the U.S., CLEAR CHANNEL needs to put a lot of ads on the airwaves. So the steady decline in radio advertising -- the market is projected to shrink 11% this year -- has hammered the company. In the fourth quarter of 2008, its radio broadcasting unit's revenue was down 13% from a year ago.

"Many media companies are facing similar problems. Worse for CLEAR CHANNEL is that it recently borrowed the remaining $1.6 billion of the $2 billion in lines of credit it had available. That has some worried that CC MEDIA, owned by private-equity firms THOMAS H. LEE PARTNERS and BAIN CAPITAL, is struggling to keep up with payments on the $17 billion-plus it has in outstanding debts.

Univision

"UNIVISION COMMUNICATION also partly owned by BAIN and THOMAS H. LEE, is looking malo.

"In addition to suffering from the advertising slump hitting media companies, it also has large debts and is losing money. The company has about $10 billion in debts and posted a net loss of $5.1 billion for 2008, partly because it lowered the book value of several radio and TV properties.

"Company executives insist UNIVISION will be able to pay its debts. But investors are nervous. Even CEO JOE UVA acknowledged, in a MARCH 30th statement, that its fourth-quarter results 'reflect an operating environment that was among the most difficult we have seen across most industries.'" writes "The B-word is in the headlines like never before. There were 7,843 commercial bankruptcy filings in MARCH, according to AACER, a bankruptcy data management company. That's up 23% from the previous month and a staggering 65% from a year earlier. And the number of filings is accelerating."

"Bankruptcy typically has a lag behind what is going on in the marketplace," said AACER Pres. MIKE BICKFORD. "So I think you are going to see increases in bankruptcy. . . at least over the next 12 to 18 months."

It's not a pretty picture for Radio companies, with two making the list.

[Mike]

Air America's network of 250W directional daytimers can't compete with the government subsidized network of 50KW FM NPR taxwastes.

Ever.

[Jay Nunley]

I don't care about the political crap with NPR (including the idea of government sponsored competition for ears). NPR has quite a roster of programs and high qualtity air talent that have significant appeal and audience. Air America has not and does not. This is the cause of their failure. Did any of you listen to the Franken show as a radio exercise? Yow! That shit was excruciating. It was a combination of uncomfortable, unfunny, and unprepared. Mike Malloy and Randi Rhodes are/were good air talents, but they were so shrill about everything it made them inaccessible to anyone other than the most stupidly bought-in left wing douchebags. There were a few quarter hours I heard on Chuck D. and Steve Earle's weekend show that were good. Those were few and far between. I haven't listened to Air America or paid it any attention for a couple of years. How does it sound now? Who replaced Franken?

[Rock]

I occasionally listen to NPR, politics notwithstanding. Jaybird's right, the production values and talent on some of their programs are quite good.

[Arp2]

I don't care about the political crap with NPR (including the idea of government sponsored competition for ears). NPR has quite a roster of programs and high qualtity air talent that have significant appeal and audience. Air America has not and does not.

Yes, but on the idea of the political bent of gubmint's NPR, I found this quote fascinating:

"NPR isn't pleased about the new competition. 'There's plenty of opportunity for confusion,' says spokeswoman DANA REHM, who fears the 'audience may not discern the differences between public and for-profit operations.'

It's a case of a lefty admitting that, yes, that's exactly what NPR is. Most of the time, they wink and deny it.

Did any of you listen to the Franken show as a radio exercise? Yow! That shit was excruciating.

Oh, gosh, yes....shockingly uncomfortable and painful. Worse than enduring amateur night at a comedy club when not a single person going onstage knew that's what it was until they got there. Worse than standing in line at the BMV in a dumb part of town and watching the "action" at the counter. Worse than watching the most awkward 8th-grader try to put a move on a popular girl at a school dance.

It was a combination of uncomfortable, unfunny, Mike Malloy and Randi Rhodes are/were good air talents, but they were so shrill about everything it made them inaccessible to anyone other than the most stupidly bought-in left wing douchebags. There were a few quarter hours I heard on Chuck D. and Steve Earle's weekend show that were good. Those were few and far between.

Oh, yeah. After listening one time, I said, "Rachel Maddow's the only talent on there. She's dry, but she sounds like she belongs on the radio, she can talk about stuff, she can stop talking about stuff when she's done, and she can not talk when she doesn't have to. There's nobody else on there you can say that about." Nobody that I can recall agreed at that time...everybody cited the loudness and loudness of the hate ("passion," they tried to call it) of the other hosts as evidence of the "talent" that would make some huge mark. Well, now, after the rest have essentially failed or been forgotten, Rachel's the "it" gir....er, thing....of the left, and "everybody" is generally silent and having a hard time with their memories, thank you very much.

Air America is the walking dead. Take its programming if and only if you have the plans in place and the technical capability to put on other programming within a single hour's notice.

[AmpedNow]

AA shot itself in the foot from the start, by making it an "all or nothing" package deal, instead of syndicating individual shows.

No wonder all of their affiliates were 1kw daytimers with nothing else going for them...

While not all of them were talentless, left wing hacks, most of them were. Ed Shultz is ok. So is Stephanie Miller, when she's not on a Bush-hating tirade. (Psst... He's not the president anymore).

The rest of them were not very good.

Also, since their "mission was accomplished", much of the Soros/MoveOn funding has likely dried up.

[Jay Nunley]

I forgot about Maddow. I agree Arp.

[Jay Nunley]

"NPR isn't pleased about the new competition. 'There's plenty of opportunity for confusion,' says spokeswoman DANA REHM, who fears the 'audience may not discern the differences between public and for-profit operations.'

It's a case of a lefty admitting that, yes, that's exactly what NPR is. Most of the time, they wink and deny it.

I took that as the confusion about the on air donation stuff.

[Arp2]

I took that as the confusion about the on air donation stuff.

Ah.....you're probably correct.

Nevertheless,.....

[Mike]

If you want to accept "funding" be below 92 FM, where all the other irrelevant stations are.

[Arp2]

If you want to accept "funding" be below 92 FM, where all the other irrelevant stations are.

Not all the stations there are irrelevant anymore....some, in fact, sit atop the rankers.

[Ace Purple]

some, in fact, sit atop the rankers.

According to All Access, 88.5 KQED-FM in San Francisco finished #1 P25-54 for a third straight month.

[Mike]

some, in fact, sit atop the rankers.

According to All Access, 88.5 KQED-FM in San Francisco finished #1 P25-54 for a third straight month.

SanFagcisco is hardly a "typical" market in the country.

[Arp2]

some, in fact, sit atop the rankers.

According to All Access, 88.5 KQED-FM in San Francisco finished #1 P25-54 for a third straight month.

SanFagcisco is hardly a "typical" market in the country.

Take my word for it anyway.

It's not just San Francisco.