Air America Pokes its Nose in the Tampa Radio Market

Looks like Clearwater radio station WTAN-1340 AM -- once renowned as the Tampa Bay area's last home for disgraced radio host Don Imus -- will soon feature two talk shows from the liberal oriented radio network Air America.

On Monday, WTAN debuted a three-hour show by Tampa native Lionel (a.k.a. Michael William LeBron) airing from 9 p.m. to midnight, and is negotiating to bring an hourlong show by Air America's big name Randi Rhodes to their afternoon schedule at 3 p.m. beginning in November.

It's a big move for WTAN, which makes much of its money selling airtime to independent producers who assemble their own shows and sell their own advertising. It's also important for Air America, which announced deals with 10 other small radio stations around the country, fighting off continued rumors of its imminent demise by allowing stations to pick up select shows -- a practice the network resisted when it debuted in March 2004.

David Bernstein, Air America's vice president of programming, also dropped another admission: the liberal-oriented network is moving away from extreme liberalism.

"I do think the liberal programming that has occurred here has been far too extremist," said Bernstein, who came to Air America from commercial radio. "It's not our job to get a Democrat elected to Congress. We need to be funny, we need to be enjoyable, and I don't think that existed at this company three years ago."

That's quite a change from the network's debut, when former Saturday Night Live castmember Al Franken kicked off the network promising to oppose "the radical right wing of the Republican Party." Over the years, the network has seen major programming, executive and ownership changes amid constant rumors that it might go out-of-business. Franken has since left the network, along with former TV talk show host Jerry Springer and comic Marc Maron.

And even though some progressives might accuse the network of taking a Hillary Clinton-like moderate approach to talk radio, WTAN co-owner David Wagenvoord said Lionel and Rhodes will still offer an alternative from most AM talk stations in the Tampa Bay area, which feature hardcore conservatives such as Sean Hannity, Michael Savage and Rush Limbaugh.

"I think a lot of people have moved away from that (conservative) outlook," said Wagenvoord, who also said he'd take back Imus " in a second" if he returns to radio. "I like to be the guy in the middle who listens to everyone. And I think there's room now (in local radio) for both sides." 

Comments

[Don]

"WTAN's owner is a bit flaky by my yardstick. Remember how he reacted to the Imus flap? All he cared about was his station lost its morning show -- totally tone deaf to any of the concerns that led to the I-Man's firing."

So those ADULT basketball players got their feelings hurt?
Then considered suing him?

Howard Stern spewed insults far worse.

And prominent black entertainers "clowns" hurl worse words every night than what little old Imus said.

[bear]

Tampa Bay.com continues to ignore Bullseye on TAN Radio daily from 2-3PM.

If this is a rhetorical question, you just answered it. Tampa Bay (never mind dot com) ignores Bullseye BECAUSE it is on TAN.

[Kevin]

Tampa Bay.com continues to ignore Bullseye on TAN Radio daily from 2-3PM. When Jonathan Sands and Bertran brought Mike Gravel to St. Pete College, not a mention of the radio show that brought him. Now, a story on left-leaning radio coming to TAN-Talk when it was already here.
We broke the story on Curtis Holmes mysterious lack of expenditures on his weekly reports on Oct. 12th. Your report came out on Oct. 24. We have nationally recognized guests from the print world and blogosphere talking about Bush, Iraq, the 2008 election, you name it. Give Jonathan a listen, and a mention.

[Dave]

Right wing radio has been filled with lies and hate for at least a decade and yet its success is nearly undisputed; so I don't get Alan's logic.

>>>David Bernstein, Air America's vice president of programming, also dropped another admission: the liberal-oriented network is moving away from extreme liberalism.<<< Bernstein is an idiot, and not the only one at AAR. There was never anything wrong with the programming, there were some crooks and some idiots playing like they were businessmen with big compensation packages, and they took care of themselves instead of making sure the affiliates were selling the space they needed to stay on the air. Thom Hartmann, owning his show, which is syndicated through Air America, paid attention and found out how it could be done. I think they're starting to pay attention to him, but the only genuine exciting talent left on the network is Rachel Maddow. Hartmann and Rhodes are good to excellent, but the new people they've brought in are some of the most horrible garbage I've ever heard on radio. I would stab my ears out before I'd listen to Lionel.

[Eric Deggans]

And as somebody who listens to a lot of radio by podcast and satellite -- it often doesn't matter much to me that a show is tape-delayed...its not like they're covering the space shuttle launch or something...

[Eric Deggans]

Ouch! Bear'as biting hard, but he mkes a lot of sense. WTAN' signal is weak and people aren't used to listening to it for professional radio shows...

BUT...Imus did have some listenership there, and I give credit to a station owner who seems to be trying to fill his airwaves with something other than brokered programming.

At least, the guy is trying...

[bear]

With all due respect, WTAN hasn't shown up in the ratings since 2000, and that was a fluke as it hadn't shown up for about a decade before that. How is Lionel going to do fine if his loyal listeners can't pick up the signal to listen to a show that is tape-delayed by 12 hours?? Wouldn't they be better off just listening to the Air America stream?

WTAN's owner is a bit flaky by my yardstick. Remember how he reacted to the Imus flap? All he cared about was his station lost its morning show -- totally tone deaf to any of the concerns that led to the I-Man's firing. If he picks up Randi Rhodes, he'll soon drop it. He can't afford to give up the addiction to the quick money of brokered programming.

Thanks to a weak signal and no promotion money, Air America will fall flat on its face in Tampa -- and conservatives will point at it and laugh, saying liberal talk radio fails because "nobody listens and it's full of lies." It's the signal stupid. Liberal talk is doing quite well on 50,000 watts in Miami -- but it won't succeed on Mister Wagenvoord's Little Lightbulb That Couldn't.

[RP73]

Alan,

Lionel's syndicated weekend show was on WFLA for at least five years and his daily show on WHNZ for more than a year until he switched syndicators.

He's got a loyal listener base (on both sides) and will do just fine despite WTAN's miniscule coverage area.

What I want to know is will WTAN still have that talk show from Paradise Lakes every week?

[alan]

It will take only about two months before these shows are off the air in Tampa. Liberal radio relies on misrepresenting the truth and hate.

[bear]

WTAN's morning show is hosted by a right-winger.

http://www.tonykatz.com/

[buford]

lookee here I'm a big ole fat 700 pound Bush redneck and there ainsnt no room for anything but the RIGHT views on everything, which is why our heroc leader G.W. Bush is the best presnent ever and we are been respected all voer the world again.