I like to listen to Air America Radio. (This isn’t about the programs on that network.) Other than that, I mostly listen to NPR, so I don’t get much exposure to regular commercial radio.
With Air America, I’ve noticed that a large proportion of their advertising is for some kind of fraud (e.g., Wendi Friesen or that “Natural Cures” guy) or scam (e.g., International Star Registry). Is this true for other commercial radio? More typical of talk radio stations than music stations?
I usually don’t heard fraud ads. Most of the ads I hear are for local businesses, especially car dealerships and car repair places, it seems.
I’ve emailed the management at Air America dozens of times about this; never got a reply. I know they have to make money, but surely they could find more legitimate advertisers?
I’ve noticed this on the local sports radio outlet (ESPN affiliate). Mostly legitimate local businesses, but quite a few for “male enhancement” pills and get-rich-quick-in-real-estate scams, not to mention the International Star Registry crap.
My theory is that the station is just too desparate for ad revenue to be overly discriminating.
Low ratings = low ad rates. (And undesirable demographics)
Low ad rates + undesirable demographics = fraud and huckster advertisers.
Left wing talk radio is not a commercial success - yet, at any rate.
The reasons for this have been explored in GD.
Indubitably; that’s why we’re not exploring them here, Bricker. Can you address my questions in the OP? (Though I suppose you have by implication.)
Air America doesn’t have an outlet in my neck of the woods, yet I knew exactly the sponsors you’re talking about – so it must be true for other commercial radio stations.
In fact, I can hear commercials for the International Star Registry on CBS Radio newscasts, usually late at night, so the problem isn’t even unique to local radio.
And not to trainwreck this thread any more, but if you ever listen to Rush Limbaugh on a typical day from start to finish you’ll notice that he isn’t exactly carrying really high-class, big-ticket advertising.
That International Star Registry crap turns up on commercial radio, especially around the major holidays. I expect to send my (fruitless) protest to the local radio station the first time I hear it.
I remember hearing ads shilling for the so-called “See Clearly Method” of eyesight improvement on local radio a few months ago.
It’s true for Radio America, a conservative radio network.
Interestingly enough, I listen to Radio America by way of Are we Alone?, the SETI Institute’s podcast. If you download the current week’s podcast, it’s commercial free, but the archival episodes include the commercials with which they air on Radio America.
Their advertising is for a weird mix of amateur astronomy gear and the sort of fraudluent stuff described in the OP. The SETI podcast has a monthly “Skeptical Sunday” where they devote the whole program to critical thinking. It’s very odd to be listening to a program that soundly drubs untested alternative therapies (and alternative therapies that have been tested and failed) and then hear a commercial for a magical vitamin mix that will make you smarter and cure cancer[sup]*[/sup]. No ads for the International Star Registry, though, thank goodness.
[sup]*[/sup]ThesestatementsnotevaluatedbytheFDA.Thisproductisnotintendedtodiagnosetreatpreventorcureanyillnessordisease.Consultyourdoctorormedicalprofessionalbeforebeginninganyvitamineregimine.
I hear those ads all the time. I haven’t been able to make any headway against them, but I did manage to get a fraudulent ad pulled from a local TV station recently, as documented in last weeks JREF commentary. (Scroll down to the section titled “Another win.”)
That felt good.