15 March 2006

Profiling a Handful of AAR's Local Affiliates

Update (20 March 2006): Welcome Radio Equalizer fans! For those just tuning in, the post below helped kick off the blogosphere's project to answer the question "Just how many Air America Radio affiliates are there anyway?" For the latest count, be sure to follow Brian Mulroney's developing list!

In our recent look at the Air America Radio (AAR) network's ratings in its top markets, we observed that Wikipedia's list of AAR's local broadcast affiliates left a little something to be desired in up-to-date accuracy (that said, it was a great starting point!) Of the 84 stations listed, here are some of the more interesting ones, which we present here purely for fun:

Stations with No Verifiable AAR Programming

The following stations listed among AAR's affiliates were found to have no identifyable AAR programming content, here listed according to their U.S. radio market ranking:

Listed Affiliates That Have Dropped AAR Programming

(25) WTAM 1100 AM - Cleveland, OH only recently announced that it would discontinue broadcasting Jerry Springer's radio show, which constituted its entire AAR programming content. Other stations that have recently dropped AAR programming (and are not listed in Wikipedia's list) include:

Stations with Low AAR Programming Content

For this category, we're only listing stations that carry just a fraction of AAR's primary weekday national programming content. These stations count as true AAR affiliates, but make up the balance of their programming schedule with other nationally syndicated hosts or local programming.

  • (36) WHJJ 920 AM - Providence, RI (Randi Rhodes)
  • (52) WHLD 1270 AM - Buffalo, NY (Al Franken, Randi Rhodes, Mike Malloy)
  • (63) KUMU 1500 AM - Honolulu, HI (Al Franken, Randi Rhodes)
  • (73) WARF 1350 AM - Akron, OH (Al Franken, Randi Rhodes)
  • (172) KUDO 1080 AM - Anchorage, AK (Al Franken)
  • (179) WYOS 1360 AM - Binghampton, NY (Al Franken, Randi Rhodes)
  • (192) WWKK 750 AM - Petoskey, MI (Al Franken, Randi Rhodes, Jerry Springer, Majority Report)
  • (219) WWWI 1270 AM - Brainerd, ND (Al Franken)

Update (16 March 2006): The Radio Equalizer brings word that KRFT 1190 AM will be adding Al Franken's show to its daily programming.

Stations with No AAR Programming, but Listed as an Affilate Anyway

This is kind of an interesting category that only covers one listed AAR affiliate to our knowledge. The only identifiable AAR host on KRXA 540 AM in Salinas/Santa Cruz, CA was Mike Newcomb, a medical doctor and failed fringe candidate for governor in Arizona, whose affiliation with AAR stems having had broadcasted locally on former AAR Phoenix affiliate KXXT 1010 AM and also on KRXA. Newcomb is no longer broadcasting on either. Not really sure why this station was ever listed as one of AAR's affiliates.

Very Small Stations in Very Small Markets

The following AAR affiliates are either broadcasting in some of the smallest radio markets in the U.S., or simply don't register in whatever larger radio market that might include them.

  • KTHH 990 AM - Albany, OR
  • KBBR 1340 AM - Coos Bay, OR
  • WHMQ 1240 AM - Greenfield, MA
  • WELY 1450 AM - Hibbing, MN
  • KONG 570 AM - Kauai, HI
  • KAOI 1110 AM - Maui, HI
  • WEED 1390 AM - Rocky Mount, NC
  • KVOT 1340 AM - Taos, NM

How Many Affiliates?

By our count, we believe that AAR only has 78 79 (see March 16 update above) affiliates broadcasting actual AAR produced programming at this time. It will be interesting to see how things unfold should AAR's flagship affiliate WLIB in New York City ceases to be the network's voice in the nation's largest radio market.

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