Franken seeks to top reggae

The Guardian today joins, albeit belatedly, the US media establishment in trying to hype Air America - the left's answer to talk radio's right-wing dominance - into broadcasting success with this free advertisement for Al Franken and Air America. Although the subhead says that “James Silver reports”, it would have been more accurate had it said “James Silver puckers up”. Much of the article is turned over to Franken’s own words about himself and his political opponents, giving him free and uncritical rein to take a pop without allowing them the courtesy of even a minimal defense.

But on the success of Air America itself, Silver tells us that:

…there is no doubt that Franken and Air America - which has been going for 18 months and is syndicated in 65 cities around the US, attracting 2.7 million listeners - have carved out a niche in enemy territory.

Sounds good, I guess, unless you know that 65 cities is less than 25% of the 285 radio markets in the US. I’m guessing Franken didn’t tell Silver that. Nor did he tell him that even in extremely liberal New York City Franken’s own ratings are relatively poor, and Air America’s even worse.

From Byron York last month we find out that:

The [NYC] station on which [Air America] is heard, WLIB, used to broadcast a mix of Caribbean music and talk. In its last quarter before switching to Air America, it won 1.3 percent of the total audience in New York. Despite all the publicity, Air America is now actually drawing lower ratings than the old music format; in the most recent figures, Air America score a 1.2 percent share of the New York audience.

Seems like Franken will have to set his sights on Bob Marley before he targets Rush Limbaugh.