An Open Letter to Air America CEO Danny Goldberg

AAR's CEO Goldberg has a blog post at - where else! - the Huff Post. Entitled "Right Wing Media Gets Desperate", he attempts to answer some of the false, reactionary claims made by VRWC blogs such as this one.

He informs us that the Air America Radio Associates Program is just like the ones offered by O'Reilly, Rush, and Hannity. He also fully explains WLIB's ratings. If you look at them the right way, AAR is surging ahead!

I left the following comment which, since they're moderated, will never appear [note: see update #2 below] so I'm putting it here:

Goldberg's mention of other radio hosts' premium programs is very similar to a comment left on my blog a week ago. Was that comment left by Goldberg, did he pick it up from my blog, is their an AAR email spin list, or is this just a cosmic fluke?

My reply to the commentor applies equally to Goldberg: with those other premium services, you actually get something. Not even in a Tokyo airport do they sell three bumperstickers for $50.

For the truth about Air America, see BoreAmerica.com.

UPDATE: There's so much more, so please pick his article apart piece by piece in the comments. (APPLIES: OPERATIVES 23, TEAM 4 & 5. HANDLERS #34, #832. "BIG ED", REPEAT "BIG ED". OPCEN, AUTH : LW.)

Let's start with this:

Air America is in strong financial shape. Last week we started broadcasting from our new multi-million dollar studios.

There's a picture of the new studio here, and the undated, rewritten press release is here. Could someone tell me why they would spend multiple millions of dollars on a new studio at the same time as they're begging for bucks? Shouldn't they concentrate on, you know, getting a few advertisers first?

From Brian Maloney's 9/27/05 appearance on O'Reilly:

I mean, as things stand now, they may be down to their last couple of months, but that could change at any moment if Soros or one of the other big guns comes in, steps to the plate and puts up some cash. But, otherwise, I think things are looking bleak. They're overpaying the air talent. They're fending off lawsuits. They're overspending. They just put a brand new studio facility in. They didn't need that. That was at Franken's insistence and now he's not even gonna use it. He's movin to Minnesota. So they're wasting money. They're not bringin' it in. It's a mess.

UPDATE 2: It is reported that some Air America hosts have begun eating the cushions in their new multi-million dollar studio to survive. In other news, sometime after 1700 Eastern time on 09/29/05, the HuffPost did indeed publish my comment.

Posted in Meta at September 28, 2005 09:55 PM

Comments

Just for fun, I took a list of the top ten reasons companies fail, and applied it to what we know of AAR's situation - I was surprised that it turned out to be a checklist rather than a launching pad for discussion....

AAR's investment in a new studio makes sense since it provides a means for the business to recover its investment in a future sale (whether through bankruptcy or not) - it was likely designed to provide a good return on investment in such a case. The investment goes well with the "harvest and/or divest" strategy AAR's management is finding itself being forced to execute.

Posted by: Ironman at September 29, 2005 07:02 AM

So, from reading Goldberg's letter, I am left with a dilemma (sp?). By 3 Factor bumper stickers and a tote for $22.45 (plus, I am sure, tax, s&h) or the same from AAR for $100.

Based on what I've seen, I think I'll get the AAR stuff. It has to be tax deductible; despite what they claim, they have to be a not-for-profit based on their ratings.

Posted by: Scott at September 29, 2005 01:01 PM