Deflating Air America

For those who are interested in specifics on how Air America is faring in the ratings (since the HBO documentary, while showing the network with all it's warts, ends with an indication that the network has gone on an upswing), Brian Maloney at The Radio Equalizer has a lot of specifics. And they're not pretty for the Great Liberal Hope.

Aside from the recent, desperate signing of Jerry Springer as a host, there's even worse news. The ratings stink. I mean, they smell....bad.

...Air America's flagship station [WLIB in New York] has declined to a tiny 1.1 share of the audience. There's a full year of data to look at now and the picture isn't pretty for lib talk.

This is below where the station stood a year ago with its previous Caribbean specialty format and a drop from a 1.2 share last month. In the Fall 2004 Arbitron survey, WLIB had a 1.4 share of the radio listening audience, so it is safe to say it's actually shrinking in popularity.

This figure gives WLIB a ranking of 24th place overall in the New York City metro area, a place that ought to be liberal radio-friendly.

Maloney adds that Air America is sinking fast in Boston, San Diego, Philadelphia, Detroit, San Francisco, and Washington D.C., most of which are liberal bastions. The network's stations are ranking in the 20's--in cities where they're showing up in the ratings at all.