Progressive Talk Radio News

Blue state comedy with sam Seder

2008-10-31T07:20:00.001-05:00

Sam Seder will bring his political humor to the Community Theater on Nov. 1.

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Blue state comedy

While covering the 2004 Republican National Convention for Air America, Sam Seder almost became the story instead.

Apparently his "Will a Log Cabin Republican Talk to Me" sign caught the eyes of the Secret Service.

"I was on the floor holding a small sign and had my note pad out when suddenly I was surrounded by five Secret Service guys," Seder said during a recent phone interview. "They said who are you and I said, 'I'm with the media -- Air America."

An immediate suspect protester, Seder was nearly shown the door, Secret Service style, when one of the men noticed three flag lapel pins, "because I was three times more patriotic than those who wore one," he said.

"One of the pins I got from the Secret Service at the Democratic National Convention so they let me stay."

Ah, the power of the pin.

( To get a head start on laughter, Seder's incident was documented on YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k74IZ34Qyrg)

In the name of "Laughing Liberally," the writer, actor, director and Air America personality promises to take this election to a whole new partisan level -- this time sans Secret Service.

Come Saturday, Seder will impart blue state witticisms at the Community Theatre at Mayo Center for the Performing Arts in Morristown, in the good company of George Bush impersonator James Adomian, Jamie Jackson, Katie Halper and Harry Terjanian. The public -- all party affiliations -- is invited. Show time is 8 p.m. and tickets are $32-$37.

In predicting the outcome of Tuesday's election?

"Landslide. " In who's favor? Read on.

"The past eight years was a nightmare and now we're in an economic tsunami," he said.

"The Republican conservative movement has shown itself to be utterly incapable.. Their governing philosophy is embezzlement."

This from the co-author of F.U.B.A.R: America's Right-Wing Nightmare (HarperCollins), co-written by America Air colleague Stephen Sherrill.

Born and raised in Massachusetts, Seder became impassioned by politics during high school. However, a visit by George McGovern to his home in 1972 -- "we had a bigger backyard than everyone else" -- may have planted the seed, if not consciously than subconsciously.

"Maybe that's what did it," he said. "I was about 6 or 7."

Traveling on the Boston comedy circuit with the likes of David Cross, Mark Maron and Jon Benjamin, Seder eventually crossed paths with Jersey girl Janeane Garofolo, his ticket onto Air America.

The pair hosted "The Majority Report" from 2004-2006 until Seder went solo with "The Sam Seder Show" and finally "Sundays with Seder." His latest project, an online political talk and comedy show, "Maron vs. Seder," streams daily at 3 p.m. at mvsLive.com.

"I love doing radio political talk. I'm always obsessing about politics but now I have an outlet that keeps me from breaking TVs," he said.

No stranger to TV or the big screen, Seder's credits include stints on "Spin City," "Sex and the City," and "Party of Five," to name a few.

He also wrote, directed and produced the 1997 comedy, "Who's the Caboose," in which Seder co-starred alongside Sarah Silverman -- "we used to date" -- and Andy Dick,. His directing credits also include Comedy Central's "I'm with Busey," and Studio USA's "Beat Cops," in which he also starred. "A Bad Situationist," produced by his wife and documentary filmmaker Nike, became controversial when it too closely resembled the Sept. 11 attacks.

The controversy also continued on a personal note; "That's the last time we'd want to work together," he quipped.

Seder appears regularly on CNN, MSNBC and CNBC. His favorite pundits include fellow Air America colleague Rachel Maddow, Keith Olbermann and Cliff Schecter.

Seder lives in New York City with his wife, Nikki, and 3-year-old daughter.

In continuing his role as pilot pioneer -- he co-write 10 sitcom pilots -- Seder is currently working on an HBO comedy and continuing daily Webcasts of "Maron vs. Seder" on Air America.

As for the 2004 convention, he did eventually land his log cabin Republican.

"It was this guy in his 50s or 60s and being a Republican was such a part of his former identity that he was hanging on to it as much as he could," he said.

Mission accomplished.

The interview: Marc Maron

2008-10-22T07:41:00.001-05:00

The interview: Marc Maron

http://thecomicscomic.typepad.com/thecomicscomic/2008/10/the-interview-m.html

You think the cell-phone reception is bad where you are. Try getting coverage in the desert landscape of northern Arizona.

That's where Marc Maron was when we talked last Thursday, en route from Sedona, Ariz., where Maron had watched the final presidential debate hoping to engage with folks in the heart of McCain Country, toward Albuquerque. He's part of a crew from The Guardian newspaper in the U.K., getting the pulse of the American electorate in the final three weeks before Election Day. He'll also be at Comix in New York City this weekend.

"Everything's pretty good, man. The road trip has been good in a lot of ways, like I needed to get out. I just moved back to New York City from Los Angeles, everything has been up in the air, and the past couple of years for me personally have been miserable. So nothing is better than running away!" Maron tells me. "If given the opportunity, it's always fun to run."

It's not as if the satirical stand-up comedian hasn't criss-crossed the country before, either for road work or with friends. But this time feels very different.

"It's interesting to do it for a reason," he says. "We're interviewing people. Shooting video. And right now we're checking out the meteor crater. I've never seen my producer get so excited for something. I guess it's interesting to see what could happen that's entirely out of our control." He looks out at the massive 4,000-foot wide, 550-foot deep Meteor Crater east of Flagstaff and finds perspective. "There's no reason that can't happen again. So it just makes everything seem small and insignificant," he says.

He asks how I'm doing.

I'm just trying to carve out a niche for myself on the Internet, but finding it slow going and requiring lots of patience, much like trying to build a career in stand-up comedy. Maron understands. He just started his own Web project himself, a new live Internet talk show, Maron v. Seder, which began Oct. 1 and airs at 3 p.m. Eastern each weekday. You can read even more of his road trip musings there. He said you put something out there on the Internet and hope people find it or flock to it. "Wow, we had 12 people watching today. That's pretty good. You get to know all the people who watch your show on a first-name basis," Maron says. "Like catlady7, or roadfuck2. Or remembermeimtheonewiththeredhairinKansas4."

Early in the road trip, the crew hit Las Vegas and Maron decided to take in Carrot Top's live show and talk to him afterward backstage.

Yes. Carrot Top.

So how did the meeting of Marc Maron and Carrot Top come about, exactly?

"Quite honestly, I knew one of the guys who opened for him, Charlie. And certainly, I've used Carrot Top as the brunt of my jokes over the years…I'm not saying he's part of the problem…I guess I'm at an age now where I don't give a s$%& one way or the other. In all honesty, for all of the jokes I'd made at his expense. I'd never seen his act. Never. Ever. I had no recollection of it. So I figured. Why not do this? He was flattered and a little taken aback. He said he was happy that a real comic would come down."

As for the show itself, Maron says he "was exactly what I thought it would be, except a little more…loud noises, videos of one sort or another…at one point it started snowing for no reason." That night, "he actually wasn't doing as well as he thought he should onstage and thought, oh great, the one night a comic friend comes down…We're, despite what anyone might say, we're in the same f&%#ing business…He's survived in this business for all that time, and that's no easy trick."

And one of the odd things that can happen to a stand-up, as Maron notes, is the difficulty of cultivating a certain look for your act, then trying to maintain that look as you get older. Hence, ahem, Carrot Top of today vs. the younger artist formerly known as Scott Thompson. You've all seen the transformative photos. Let's not go there. Let's move on with Maron and crew, since they already have moved on.

They'll trek through 10 more states before reaching Washington, D.C., on Election Day. Amid all of this, Maron takes a two-day timeout to fly back to NYC for this weekend's shows at Comix, and after the election, he'll call the city home once again. He enjoys living in Queens.

"I've had that place there since '95," Maron says. "I was subletting it to a German lady…that's why coming back. I've been through two or three lives in that apartment. Just that I hold onto it is bizarre. Prescient that I would return: The very real possibility that things would not pan out as I expected."

He's talking now about his second divorce. That subject comes up often onstage, as well as how much New York City has changed since Maron last lived there.

"I was nervous that it's just become this huge outlet mall for Europeans. All the great grittiness of it was gone…I was walking down Houston (Street) and saw the Whole Foods, which in itself, is ridiculous. That place used to be Beirut. And I was walking, thinking it was over. And just as I was thinking that, I saw across the street, there was this sweaty, homeless guy screaming, 'I will f@#$ you in the ass!' And I thought…nope, the heart of New York is alive and well and in the spirit of that man. Pretty ambitious. 'I will f@#$ you in the ass.' How do you picture that? Or maybe he just has a really difficult relationship with God."

How does it feel coming back to New York City?

"I feel almost like when I go back to where I went to college," Maron told me. "Hey, that old guy is wearing my clothes…I definitely feel older. I definitely feel that New York is live and exciting again…despite the grittiness, it's made it a lively place to be again. I don't remember that the last time. The Lower East Side, as much I'd like that to remain gritty and weird…It's hard for me to maintain the level of bullshit and anger I get about things as I get older. I'm happy to be there. Just got though my second divorce, just about nine years sober, and just remembered I have no idea what to do with my life…in that respect, New York is a great place to be in my state of mind." Which is still somewhat, well, perturbed. "And financially, my wife has convinced herself that she deserves my money and the judge and the lawyers have agreed that I need to give her some of that…It seems a little unfair to me…so I hope she's happy."

Then Maron remembers another thing about his old Queens apartment and the neighborhood.

"There's a grime that builds up over time that you just can't wash away," he says of his apartment. As for the neighborhood: "There are immigrants from all different countries. I just remember when I was living there before, there was this little old woman living next door. I don't know if she was mentally right. But she was alone and she died in her apartment. No one knew it for two or three weeks." Not even him. "The firefighter said, 'How could you not know the smell?!' I said I had no idea. Here I was being tolerant and I was just letting this woman rot in her apartment. Is that an uplifting story?"

Hmmm. How about something you like about New York City that actually is uplifting? "It's also good to be in New York because I like hanging with the guys…being with these guys I've been in the business with for so many years," he says. Getting together with fellow headlining comedians and talking about life in the trenches is good. So, too, he says, is his new Internet show with Sam Seder.

"It's because we're able to shoot all this stuff," he says. "I think if I wasn't doing this, if I hadn't gotten the opportunity of Air America. I have no idea what would've happened. I really don't, dude."

How did it come about, then? "I was in L.A. I had a deal with HBO. I wrote a script with Jerry Stahl for a pilot for myself. Literally the day we turned in the final draft, the woman in charge of development…left," he says. "So they didn't do the pilot. I called my management. They said they couldn't book me road work. Then I called my agent…"

Same story. Road work is a curious game among stand-up comedians, Maron says. "It's either you draw, or the other guy. So to be lumped in with the other crew. There's people who draw and then there's everyone else. And that everyone else, it's people who have been doing it 10 minutes or 20 years…I was never a huge road draw anyway, so I was up against a wall. And going through a divorce."

Then he auditioned for an Air America project, and the idea came up to do a live show with Seder. "I said, hell, yeah. It sounded like a great place to try new things and whatever we wanted," he says. "Plus, I needed to work. It's good when those two things sync up."

His former radio producer is back working with him again on it. And he says The Guardian road trip project "came on around the side" of everything else. "They kept calling me," Maron says. "I said I can't do it for a month, I can do it for two weeks. They said can you do it for three weeks? I buckled. I worked it out with Air America that it'd be a jointly produced thing, so we'd benefit from the exposure…When you do an Internet talk show it seems like you need to blow up the entire medium and build the show from the ground up."

How does it feel now to be so busy, doing a live daily talk show, interviewing Americans on the road, shooting documentary videos, and blogging about it all. "I feel engaged with the process," he says. "It's good. I've got some amazing editors. And tech people. I'm learning how easy it is…with radio you can do anything you want with structures of sound. But with tech now, you can do it with video, too."

He says a McCain ad they posted has "gotten some traction" in the past week or so. But if the election turns out to be not so tight and this "swing state" tour isn't quite so swing, expect to see "probably more stuff of me eating," he jokes. And the prospect of America's first black president has Maron excited. "It's going to be very interesting to see white people adapt to this. I think it's a pretty exciting thing. I really want to see how it unfolds."

Newsweb dumps music on its FM stations in favor of progressive talk

2008-10-19T08:38:00.001-05:00

www.chicagotribune.com/business/chi-081018newsweb,0,4365549.story

Three 'Nine FM' stations to become home of liberal talk

Newsweb dumps music on its FM stations in favor of progressive talk

chicagotribune.com

By Phil Rosenthal

Tribune media columnist

3:32 PM CDT, October 18, 2008

Regardless of the election's outcome, liberalism is spreading: Newsweb Radio is dumping the music formats on a trio of its Chicago-area FM stations in favor of simulcasting the progressive talk of its WCPT-AM 820, beginning Monday.

At least a dozen full-time jobs have been eliminated as a result, according to sources.

Newsweb's WDEK-FM (92.5) in DeKalb, WKIE-FM (92.7) in Arlington Heights and WRZA-FM (99.9) in Park Forest -- which have combined forces under the "Nine FM" banner for the last four years -- now will carry WCPT's fare without the Willow Springs AM station's sunrise-to-sunset limitations.

Among those to lose jobs in the consolidation were morning-to-midday personality Melissa Campion, afternoon host Paul Gant and Saturday part-timer Karen Vanee.

"We felt like we were on the verge of something," said one of the affected FM stations' staffers, who were told of the changes Friday. "We felt like we were reaching listeners using good old fashioned ploys, like talking to them and listening to them and playing what they wanted to hear."

The move means extended reach for WCPT syndicated talkers Bill Press, Stephanie Miller, Ed Schultz, Thom Hartmann, Rachel Maddow and Ron Reagan from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. weekdays, as well as local Saturday hosts Jake Hartford and Dick Kay. The three FM stations will continue to air "Dance Factory" overnights beginning most nights at 9, and 8 on Saturdays.

"Breakout stars like Rachel Maddow, Ed Schultz and Stephanie Miller illustrate the enthusiasm that exists for the progressive talk radio format," Harvey Wells, vice president and group manager for Newsweb's stations, said in a statement. "We're thrilled to be able to offer even more outstanding programming to the Chicago area."

philrosenthal@tribune.com

DOMAINS | RACHEL M

2008-10-18T12:51:00.001-05:00

October 19, 2008
DOMAINS | RACHEL M
NYT

Inteview by EDWARD LEWINE
Rachel Maddow, host of left-leaning chat shows on Air America Radio and
MSNBC, both named "The Rachel Maddow Show", spends downtime in an 1865 house
in western Massachusetts.
Biggest misconception about pundits: That we all hang out together. I don't
know any of these people. Maybe all the pundits are hanging out and not
inviting me.
Worst thing about job: My self-doubt that this is a worthy thing to
contribute to the world. It's fun, but I worry that it is self-indulgent.
Her 190-mile commute: It's an opportunity for me to turn my brain off. My
apartment in New York is only 275 square feet. So just being able to stretch
out is great.
Always on her: A handkerchief. One of my liabilities as a broadcaster is
that I am little teary. Having a handkerchief is handy. My partner, Susan
Mikula, buys me cute ones.
Worst thing about Obama: He's measured to a fault. He is so calm and cool
and collected that sometimes I want to know what he feels.
Best thing about McCain: He's very funny.
Morning routine: I arrive in Massachusetts around 2 a.m. Saturday. I wake up
so that I can put the trash and recycling together and get it to the dump,
which closes at 11 a.m. Me and the dog go to the dump. Then we drive to a
sheep farm and I let the dog look at the sheep.
Gadget she can live without: We have no television. Susan wants to buy one,
but where we live there's no cable. So we'd have to put up a satellite dish,
and we already have one for the Internet. To have two dishes on the roof
would be crazy.
Prized possession: I have a file of letters and bits of ephemera from
friends who have died. I have had lots of friends who died of AIDS.
Concession to vanity: I've had to get contact lenses. I only put them in
while I'm on TV. They are a miracle device that allows me to be on TV
without glasses, which everyone tells me I can't wear on TV.
Favorite movie: "The Manchurian Candidate," original version.
Always in fridge: Champagne. I always keep a bottle, because you might need
to celebrate at any moment, and a bunch of mustard, because I am a mustard
person.
Obsession: Loose nukes. I literally lie awake and worry that we haven't paid
attention to some of the real national-security threats that are out there.
Favorite item in house: The house mostly reflects Susan's style, but I have
to put my stamp on things. Once, I found a sculpture of a big, fat squirrel
holding a reflector. You're supposed to put it at the end of your driveway.
We have it near the kitchen table; it's the house mascot.
Obsolete item she won't part with: I have a little stockpile of lawn mowers,
some of which it has been years since they worked. But it seems wrong to get
rid of lawn mowers, so I keep them.
Evening routine: Susan cooks dinner; I make drinks. We stay up all night
talking or watching movies. Since we don't have TV, we watch movies on the
laptop. I do this whole arcane thing where I get cords and connect the
laptop and the speakers to an outlet. It takes 10 minutes.
Clothing item a talk-show host needs: For me, it is sneakers, which I can
wear 80 percent of the time, secretly behind the desk. That reminds me who I
am, even though I am dressed up like an assistant principal in order to meet
the minimum dress code for being on television.
Art collection: Most of the art in our house was made by Susan, who is a
great photographer. She makes these wonderful abstract portraits. We also
have a lot of other photos, most by people who are our contemporaries.
Fictional character she identifies with: Wally Cleaver. Cause he is a dork.
Favorite Fox News put-down: I don't talk much about Fox. That's more Keith
Olbermann, but the only time Fox tried to book me on a show - ever - was for
me to comment on Madonna and Britney Spears having kissed at an awards
ceremony. I declined.
Favorite Republican: I like the congressman and presidential candidate Ron
Paul, because I understand what he believes, and he is fearless and
civic-minded in his beliefs, rather than personally zealous.
Favorite professional memento: I have clown shoes. They were from the first
time I was asked to M.C. something due to being a radio personality.
Worst job: I had a waitressing job that was minimum wage; no tips. I had to
wear pantyhose and be there at 6 in the morning.
She drives: I have a seven-year-old Ford pickup. Remember, I have to go to
the dump.
By her bed: Comic books. I read comics sometimes and graphic novels. I
appreciate that genre.
Last big purchase: I just completed one of the biggest purchases of my life,
my new chimney. The chimney was made in the 1860s, and the bricks were
turning to dust. The new chimney is beautiful and safe, and it was so much
money.
Superstitions: Tons. A handkerchief can never be put in another pocket after
it has been in one pocket. I don't walk under ladders. I have items of
clothing that are lucky for me. That rotates, but I am luck-oriented.
Favorite recent gift: A very old friend of mine gave me a fishing pole. I'd
done a little fishing as a kid. Now, I have started fishing in the rivers
around my house. I have my Massachusetts fishing license in my wallet and my
pole in the shed.
Procrastination technique: Cleaning. Writing makes me want to blow my head
off. If I have a writing project due, I will clean everything around me as a
way of avoiding putting pen to paper.
Hobby: I am a hobbyist bartender. I have a liquor cabinet. I research
classic drinks from the golden age of American cocktails and I make them for
me and Susan.
Favorite obscure liquor: Rhum agricole. It is rum made from sugar-cane juice
rather than molasses. It is freaking awesome.
Favorite place to shop: Not applicable. I don't shop.
Favorite political memento: Two ashtrays from the Watergate Hotel. I bought
them on eBay.
Nagging injury: A hurt shoulder from playing high-school volleyball. I can't
raise my right arm above my head while bearing weight.
Postelection plans: One, I won't do anything I don't have to for a while. No
speeches. Two, Air America is having a cruise with its hosts. I have to do
that, contractually. It is sort of work, but it is a cruise to Belize.

Obama Ad Competition

2008-10-15T13:03:00.005-05:00

Obama Ad Competition

AIR AMERICA "OBAMA FOR PRESIDENT" COMPETITION

Dates: 10/15-10/31
Prize: $500

Timing:

Today is the day! Post your ads to You Tube site. Contestants can post submissions till the close of open competition, but since finalists are chosen based on views, the sooner you post the better.

From 10/15 to 10/26 entries will viewable on You Tube. At the end of this period (Sunday, 10/26), the top ten most viewed entries will become finalists.

From 10/27 to 10/31 the finalists will be viewable on the Air America site, where final voting will occur.

Got change?

Directors, peripheral pundits, You Tubers unite! Help Obama get elected. Post your best shot at an Obama spot. The winning ad will be streamed via Air America and promoted on-air by Air America hosts! Get your posts up fast. This is Democracy on the Internets. We’re choosing the entries you choose: The ads with the most views will become finalists. It’s as simple as that. The top ten ads will appear on the Air America site for a three-day voting extravaganza.

Rules:

No Air America employee, past or present, or any member of an employee’s immediate family, past or present, may enter the competition. All entries become the property of Air America Media, and all rights and subsidiary properties associated with the entry also become the sole property of Air America Media. Entries may not contain explicit language or imagery. At the sole discretion of Air America Media, an entry may be deemed inappropriate and disqualified. Entries will not be disqualified on the basis of political content, but only with regard to offensive material that is not deemed to be in the spirit of the competition. Copyrighted material must be fair use or public domain.

On the road: day one of our election road trip: Maron on the road

2008-10-13T09:07:00.007-05:00

On the road: day one of our election road trip

Marc Maron sets out to find out what's ailing Americans, find out how they're getting through these turbulent times and, in the process, find out a thing or two about himself
At the edge of Santa Monica pier - on the western edge of America itself - comedian and Air America Media host Marc Maron begins a unique journey for the Guardian. As host and trail-blazer for the paper's 'On the road to the White House' series for Election 08, Maron and a team of film-makers aim to capture the heart and soul of an increasingly troubled America.

Link to this video

Just how are ordinary Americans in the heartland reacting to the political storm that characterises Election 08? How do they feel about their country and their future with an African-American politician now the favourite to become president? Or can John McCain reach beyond his core grassroots Republican support to win back enough of America's middle ground?

Marc Maron sets out to find out what's ailing Americans, find out how they're getting through these turbulent times and, in the process, find out a thing or two about himself. After the failure of his second marriage he says he's had his own 'depression' - now he's wondering how his country is going to cope with its economic version.
With two mobile units criss-crossing the United States, from California right through many of the key swing states and finishing up in Washington DC, the Guardian's On the Road documentary road trip will provide a singular insight into the political, social and economic concerns of America's citizenry. And, each day, new filmed reports will provide a uniquely varied portrait of how they're thinking, what they're thinking - and what they really care about.

• Marc Maron is a veteran of film, television, stand-up comedy and radio. He's made more than 40 appearances on Late Nite with Conan O'Brien, appeared several times on The Late Show with David Letterman, has done half-hour specials on HBO and Comedy Central, and was the host of Morning Sedition and The Marc Maron Show on Air America Radio.
He now co-hosts the daily video show Maron v Seder at mvslive.com. Marc lives in New York and LA, but his primary residence is his mind, which is in a bad neighbourhood.

Mike Malloy friday night was brilliant

2008-10-11T11:56:00.006-05:00

Our friend Fernando from the sam seder blog wants to make sure that NO one missed malloy last night

He put the clip up here ( liste to first half hour)

Thanks Fernando

http://www.samsedershow.tv/Audio/(10-10-2008).mp3

Music for Riding out a Depression - Maron V Seder

2008-10-09T15:52:00.001-05:00

Music for Riding out a Depression
by Michael HoganOctober 8, 2008, 6:26 PM
Yesterday, my pal Brendan McDonald phoned and invited me down to the Air America studios to share my “anti-Depression” playlist with Marc Maron and Sam Seder. Turns out Marc had woken up that morning feeling woozy from the market freefall, and the only thing that helped was a stiff dose of AC-DC. So I jotted down a few ideas and soon found myself making a guest appearance on Maron v Seder, a brand-new Web-video thingy that Seder describes as “PornTube meets MSNBC meets Twitter meets PopFly meets Yodio meets SplashCast meets Zillow meets TradeSports meets Meets.com.” See what you think, and please excuse the sinus blockage that makes me sound like a Looney Tunes character.

Click through to the jump to see the whole list of songs, and add your own in the Comments.

1. Brother Can You Spare a Dime (Rudy Vallee)
2. Nobody Told Me (John Lennon)
3. Hard Knock Life (Jay-Z)
4. I and I Survive (Bad Brains)
5. Fake Empire (The National)
6. Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Now (The Smiths)
7. Help! (The Beatles)
8. Tangled Up in Blue (Bob Dylan)
9. Small Axe (Bob Marley and the Wailers)
10. Enter Sandman (Metallica)
11. No Cars Go (Arcade Fire)

You can watch the whole segment here, and find lots more video content on the show’s main site.
http://www.vanityfair.com/online/culture/2008/10/08/music-for-riding-out-a-depression.html

Air America Gears up for Digital Relevance

2008-10-09T13:10:00.001-05:00

By Kate Kaye , October 9, 2008

If its digital makeover comes out a success, Air America Media just might be a factor in the presidential election -- of 2012, that is.

The media firm has hired its first chief digital officer and plans to launch a small vertical ad network with like-minded left-leaning publications. But gaining ground in an increasingly crowded online political field could make this year's presidential race look like a cakewalk.

Four years ago Air America launched in the hopes beating conservatives at their own terrestrial talk radio game. Today another do-or-die presidential election is in full force, and although terrestrial talk radio still matters, online audio and video has grown by leaps and bounds in terms of adoption and influence. While Air America was struggling through ownership changes and a bankruptcy in 2006, competitors like The Huffington Post and Politico have grabbed the audience it could have built.

Under a new owner, and with promotional juice from air personalities like Rachel Maddow -- also a talking head on MSNBC -- the liberal media outfit is putting its resources behind becoming a global media brand with a focus on digital multimedia and old-school radio.

"Air America doesn't view itself as just a radio company," said CEO Bennett Zier. "We want listeners, viewers, and readers."

"The differentiating piece...is that Air America views the Internet piece as the centerpiece of this new media company," said Michael Bassik, the company's new chief digital officer. Starting next month in the firm's New York offices, Bassik will guide the strategy behind those efforts, alongside the firm's head of sales, head of programming and newly-named Web site editor-in-chief Beau Friedlander.

Bassik most recently has served as VP of interactive marketing for political direct marketing firm MSHC Partners. Friedlander takes over for Sam Seder, an original Air America host who now can be seen live every afternoon on AirAmerica.com chattering about current events with co-pundit Marc Maron.

"Maron v. Seder" could act as a trial run for other Air America shows, which will all be available on video in the future, according to Bassik. Ads on the site today are limited to display units from advertisers such as Angie's List and on-air health and beauty product advertisers, in addition to some served by Google's ad network. The company intends to offer pre-, mid-, and post-roll audio and video spots. Sponsorships and premium subscriptions are also in its revenue plans.

Along with exploring opportunities for mobile distribution, the firm plans to unveil a vertical ad network in conjunction with three other progressive political publishers.

"There are unlimited areas for monetization," through the Web, said Bassik.

He hopes that money comes from all types of advertisers, not just the political and advocacy advertisers typically associated with progressive political media. "There's a belief among progressive Web sites that advertisers are usually other progressives," Bassik explained. "Fox News has no problem attracting commercial advertisers, and Air America should have no trouble attracting them," he added.

"We believe that on the digital side, for advertisers there's a real opportunity to supply the viewer on the Web site with a range of things that are micro-marketed as well as macro-marketed."

Bassik suggested any commercial advertiser looking to reach an "educated, passionate audience" might be interested. The site today can boast a significant portion of college-educated visitors. According to Quantcast, nearly 70 percent of AirAmerica.com's audience has a college education. But site traffic is a big hurdle. Compared to 9.3 million unique monthly U.S. visitors to TheHuffington Post, Quantcast pegs AirAmerica.com at a mere 101,000 per month. Politico attracts 2.7 million.

Though Air America aims to compete with "other left-of-center publishers," said Zier, "As we build this company we're trying to compete with right-of-center, news and pop culture." He admitted, "We have some catching up to do."

Can America Really Elect Barack Obama as the Next US President? Young Turks

2008-10-08T17:22:00.001-05:00

New Florida and Alaska Progressive talk station go live in one week !

2008-10-08T04:18:00.004-05:00

It’s very exciting that two new progressive talk stations go live in just the past week!

Another station in Alaska ( boy do they need that ) and a new Florida station in Jacksonville, FL-

TO: All Northeast Florida Media Outlets.
FROM: Joe Lyles, News Director WHJX FM 105.7
SUBJECT: Sarah Palin's Visit To Jacksonville, Tuesday October 7.

On its very first broadcast day, Radio Free Jacksonville, WHJX FM 105.7 www.radiofreejax.com will have a special welcome for Alaska Governor Sarah Palin. She is scheduled to speak sometime Tuesday Morning at The Landing in downtown Jacksonville. Guests will begin arriving at 7am, and FM 105.7 will broadcast a special one hour edition of "The Big Picture With Joe Lyles" beginning at 8 am, Tuesday. Coverage will continue during the regular broadcast of "The Big Picture With Joe Lyles" from 10 am to noon.

Callers will be welcome to offer their insights and opinions. The phone-in lines will be 904-997-1353 or 904-928-9128.

Radio Free Jacksonville, WHJX FM 105.7, and it's sister station WFJO FM 92.5 in Southeast Georgia, will offer an alternative in the news-talk radio market to the one-sided conservative bias of other area talk stations. Programming will include station owner Andy Johnson's popular program "Down To Business Andy Johnson" -- the longest running radio talk show in Jacksonville. Other programming will include "The Big Picture With Joe Lyles" focused on national issues. Dave Siebert will offer a morning drive program focused on local politics. In addition to local programming, Radio Free Jacksonville will offer nationally syndicated programming including Thom Hartmann and Ed Schultz. "Talk Back Jacksonville" in the early evening will offer a variety of local perspectives, as will the Saturday line-up.

The new Alaska one is : Juneau has a new voice in town - KXLJ 1330 AM!

http://www.kxljradio.com/

We'll bring you energetic discussions and insightful programs with hosts that reflect liberal and progressive points of view. Our station will broadcast captivating presentations and monologues by nationally known on-air personalities, guest interviews, calls by listeners, and news reports. Wherever you are, KXLJ Radio streams live on the Internet 24/7

Tune to 1330 AM - KXLJ. Juneau's New Voice. Air America Radio is the national progressive entertainment talk radio network. AAR is broadcast in top U.S. markets, and since the network’s launch on March 31, 2004, listeners have had access to Air America Radio’s programming.