• ClickZ, Thursday, October 9, 2008 11:45 AM

It's been four years since left-leaning radio network Air America started broadcasting in hopes of chipping away at conservative domination of talk radio. The experiment has had its success, and its very public stumbles. But while terrestrial radio still holds major influence over voters in America, it's not the dominant media it once was. So Air America is trying to keep up with the times by hiring its first chief digital officer.

The honor goes to Michael Bassik, most recently VP of interactive marketing for political direct marketing firm MSHC Partners. He is charged with making Air America more than a radio company, attracting "listeners, viewers, and readers," said CEO Bennett Zier. Bassik starts in the company's New York offices this month, and will work alongside the firm's head of sales, head of programming and newly-named Web site editor-in-chief Beau Friedlander.

The company also plans to launch a vertical ad network in conjunction with three other progressive political publishers. "There are unlimited areas for monetization," on the Web, said Bassik.

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