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1/30: Whither Air America?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
According to radio broker Eddie Esserman, the local Air America affiliate has been sold to a new owner, JW Broadcasting from Intermart Broadcasting of Atlanta in Scottdale, GA. for $12 million. This could mean the end of Air America on that signal later this year.
The affiliate, WWAA-AM/1690, has not received much in the way of marketing. Jon Sinton, Atlanta-based president of Air America, said he has no control over the affiliate ownership and didn’t know about the situation. He did say last month that he was frustrated that the Intermart folks were not spending much money on marketing the ratings-challenged station. But he said he knew Intermart was not a long-term owner and was hoping to sell it for a nifty profit.
We haven’t been able to reach the folks at Intermart yet. And Joe Weber, owner of JW Broadcasting, declined to comment about whether he planned to keep WWAA-AM as Air America. Weber currently owns WMLB-AM, an eclecctic music station at 1160 which plays everything from poetry to jazz to opera to classical to R&B to rock. In many ways, it’s Weber’s own personal iPod played to metro Atlanta. It has not achieved any significant ratings with Arbitron since he took over last year.
These deals can often take 110 to 120 days from the day it was filed with the FCC so it will probably close in May, Esserman said.
Comments
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By Cephas
January 30, 2006 09:40 AM | Link to this
Yikes. I had just assumed a Weber-owned 1690 would stay Air America. I think with just a bit of promotion, the ratings would rise for Air Atlanta. It’s one of the three stations I listen to regularly.
By gunny
January 30, 2006 11:32 AM | Link to this
They just need better promotion and possibly someone to kick Al Franken every time he says “uuuuhhh” which equals out to somewhere in the ballpark of 5 times per sentence. Put Malloy on in the AM or afternoon drive dayparts.
By Bud
January 30, 2006 01:01 PM | Link to this
Looks like we won’t have Air America to kick around in Atlanta anymore. Judging from the 0.4 they got, they won’t be too missed. I’m to the right of Attilla the Hun, but I think there is a niche market for liberal talk out there…but they have to use RADIO people who have paid their dues and built up followings in small markets instead of tv/movie celebs who think they can just sit down at a microphone and instantly be successful on radio.
Their call letters seemed appropriate…WWAA…pronounced WWWWAAAAHHHH
Bud
By Kemi Lane at Keminications.Com (ATL's Media gossip)
January 30, 2006 01:03 PM | Link to this
Rodney, I hear we don’t have an affiliate no more!Want Randi Rhodes? Go to Sirius! Where’s the story on Neal Boortz on Larry King 9pm tonite 1/30/06. We want people to TiVo 24. That’s a radio story!…….and a COX story too (LOL)