AIR AMERICA 1580 WVKO COLOMBUS, OHIO - TAKING A BIG RISK - TOO AGENDA DRIVEN

[Julius Leonard Marx]

Read my post carefully. I said "If" the station is still under construction. I don't work there; I don't have a clue. But, I do know that you don't waste marketing resources in December for a format that's just gone on the air and at the end of a ratings period. I'm not there, I haven't listened, and frankly I couldn't care less. But I do know a little about when to market and when to lay low. And, if they are in fact still making adjustments, as someone suggested, then they are wise not to invite people in to the tent yet. Who knows-- they may not even have a marketing budget.

PS-- You seem extraordinarily confident that your solutions are what any and every stations needs to do. Could you please identify a success story that demonstrates your strategies at work in the real (vs. theoretical) world? Thanks.

I am not saying what every station should do. I am saying a station in a given situation needs to promote itself. I am also saying that promoting the station on a radio board and on liberal talk blogs won't help. One of the problems other liberal talk stations have faced is nobody knew they were there. Given their dial position, and the incidence of digital tuners, there is little chance people will stumble across them. Promotion in their case is not strictly tied to ratings periods but to create awareness they exist. Later they can do promotion to remind people to listen (while the diaries are out).

If they don't have a marketing budget, that would be cause for concern about the future of this station. I am not a huge believe in "if you build it, they will come."

So far, about the only type of promotion liberal talk has come up with are petition drives to save the station (mostly when it's already too late). It's free. It creates awareness. It gets their base activated. If they can come up with something like that before it's too late, they might have something.

If they don't have money for a marketing budget, can they afford to wait to promote it (even if fine tuning is needed, which it always is)?

As I've said before, I am interested in exchanging ideas here. Not resumes. You have disagreed with I've said. Would you agree suddenly if I posted credentials? Radio's problem is a lack of creative thought and critical judgement and instead management defers to "consultants" who market themselves based on a time they got lucky (a "success story").

PS: Mobile, I wish you guys would make up your mind. You don't like my solutions or I don't offer solutions. Which is it?

 

[kaufcom]

I said "If" the station is still under construction. I don't work there; I don't have a clue. But, I do know that you don't waste marketing resources in December for a format that's just gone on the air and at the end of a ratings period.

I agree with Shoot from the Hip. There is no need for marketing campaign at this early stage of WVKO's re-launch as lib talk station. The format is well known in the market (until the KLSD flip last month, WTPG was the most successful lib talker to be flipped.) I'll bet that the station gets ratings in the last Fall Arbitrend. It is wise to wait until to the Winter book before publicly launching the station. Let them use the next few months to tweek the lineip and hopefully launch local talk.

 

[Slant]

If Air America was smart...they would have hired a top tier programmer like Boyce to start the thing up in the very beginning and build the infrastructure instead of hiring big name talents that need a ton of overpriced, under qualified producers that have never worked in radio before. Air America never had a chance....because the chose not to be a radio network, but rather a political think tank that just happens to be on th air

 

[Don62]

First 1580 AM is a Class B station with means it broadcast at 3200 watts during the day. The former station was a Class C station broadcasting at 1000 watts. Lets see hmm... witch station have a better coverage? Now the former station that used to broadcasting Progressive Talk is not listed in the new radio ratings book whatsoever. That was some smart programming decisions right there. Flip the station to conservative talk and now no ratings. It proves that no one in Columbus OH want to here Michael Savage incoherent hate speech.

It also proves Cheap Channel clearly has an agenda: keep anything smacking of simmilar programming away from any potential competitor ( We' own radio, after alll!) and keep right=wing radio on everywhere.
Just mumble the kool-aid that "liberal radio won't work."
With geniuses like these at the controls, no wonder it hasn't been a big success.

 

[pbf1]

Bull.

It also proves Cheap Channel clearly has an agenda: keep anything smacking of simmilar programming away from any potential competitor ( We' own radio, after alll!) and keep right=wing radio on everywhere.
Just mumble the kool-aid that "liberal radio won't work."
With geniuses like these at the controls, no wonder it hasn't been a big success.

Right. KPOJ is a total failure.

 

[SeanMGilbow]

Re: AIR AMERICA 1580 WVKO COLUMBUS, OHIO - TAKING A BIG RISK - TOO AGENDA DRIVEN

In the words of Stephanie Miller, "Don't fight, boys. You're all pretty."

Columbus' GLBT publication, Outlook Weekly, has a full-page spread on WVKO which will answer all your questions.

http://www.outlookweekly.net

A few things that I can tell you:

1. As stated in the Outlook article, General Manager Gary Richards is working on getting the satellites operational. Right now, the station is getting the shows off webcasts.

2. The station is still a one-person operation, and there are advertisers (and I was one of them until yesterday) who are waiting to get their spots on the air.

Following are the sponsors who currently advertise on WVKO in its first two weeks on the air:

Open Sky Day Spa
Uncle Sam's Pawn Shop
Miracle Motor Mart
Roth Produce
Used Kids Records
Meat-Packers Outlet
Masion Ecole
CleanLeft.com (my business)

Following are the sponsors who advertised on Clear Channel's AM 1230 in its first two weeks as a progressive talk station:



Enough said.

 

[KFodor]

Okay...I'm going to try and take the vitriol out of this discussion and talk some radio basics here. These are just my opinions. You are allowed yours.

I can appreciate the pressures Gary Richards may have been under in launching the station. Some of those pressures may not also have been written here. There may have been others which only he knows. I know Gary and can appreciate what he's undertaken.

That having been said, I also believe "you only have one chance to make a first impression". Significant press coverage locally has occured with the "new" WVKO. People know it's there. So regardless of how it sounded on day one, it is now absolutely imperative that whatever problems they have with the "technical" execution of their product, it needs to be resolved ASAP. The longer you go with "cheap sounding" rejoiners (if that's the case), automation that doesn't work correctly (if that's happening), or anything that makes the station sound less like a station in market #37 should sound...get it fixed! Otherwise, the "perception" will be that of a low-budget, shoe-string operation (think...Percy Squire) and, frankly, that's not what people in market #37 expect, or will listen to. They know they deserve better. You will not get "pity points" for being a small, local operator.

Like it or not, WVKO competes now with WTVN, WBNS, WMNI, etc. They are judged by both the professional quality of the station as compared with the competition, and by the product they offer.
Done right, with attention to detail and continued improvement, it can succeed. Remember, they are not under corporate edicts to make a big profit. They might be able to survive with 12 plus shares in the mid to high 1's or low 2's. Why? You're not trying to sell to agencies...only, largely to local clients at local rates. (And, yes...when you find a local advertiser willing to share quantifiable results with their WVKO ads, pound it in promos!) Yes, I know I've spoken of a 2 share 12 plus "minimum" on other threads...but that's for a station seeking "agency" sales. Frankly, robust sales with the high school and other sports broadcasts they suggest they are going to do could pay for the liberal talk overall. But, they have to get their act together...and quickly.

Yes, they need promotion. However, commercials you may hear with Columbus Monthly magazine or The Other Paper are often trade or part-trade/part-cash ads in return for print ads. So, there's some promotional opportunities there. In time (once revenue stabilizes), cable TV ads might be a possibility. Cable penetration in Columbus is high enough. Target the university area, the Short North, German Village, Bexley, etc. Have a presence in these areas. Do the gallery hops, the community festivals, etc. Be on the street...and in people's face. How 'bout put a community blog on the website? A daily "poll question". Let the argument go on online and on the air. Sign up with Live 365 and stream your signal.

Be creative with your copy. "We're not Rush Limbaugh's favorite station...and we're proud of it". "We're not right...but neither are the other guys." Or, to quote a commercial copy line, "Because every once in a while, you have to make a left turn..." Have a sense of humor, and poke fun at yourselves. It's not life or death (even though some may consider the subject matter so)...it's only radio.

On the station's signal: Yes 3200 watts daytime is bigger than the station once had. But, remember...1580 is awfully high on the dial. Remember, WBNS-AM has 5 Kw...but I wouldn't call that signal gigantic.

 

[SeanMGilbow]

Re: AIR AMERICA 1580 WVKO COLUMBUS, OHIO - TAKING A BIG RISK - TOO AGENDA DRIVEN

Okay...I'm going to try and take the vitriol out of this discussion and talk some radio basics here. These are just my opinions. You are allowed yours.

I can appreciate the pressures Gary Richards may have been under in launching the station. Some of those pressures may not also have been written here. There may have been others which only he knows. I know Gary and can appreciate what he's undertaken.

That having been said, I also believe "you only have one chance to make a first impression". Significant press coverage locally has occured with the "new" WVKO. People know it's there. So regardless of how it sounded on day one, it is now absolutely imperative that whatever problems they have with the "technical" execution of their product, it needs to be resolved ASAP. The longer you go with "cheap sounding" rejoiners (if that's the case), automation that doesn't work correctly (if that's happening), or anything that makes the station sound less like a station in market #37 should sound...get it fixed! Otherwise, the "perception" will be that of a low-budget, shoe-string operation (think...Percy Squire) and, frankly, that's not what people in market #37 expect, or will listen to. They know they deserve better. You will not get "pity points" for being a small, local operator.

Like it or not, WVKO competes now with WTVN, WBNS, WMNI, etc. They are judged by both the professional quality of the station as compared with the competition, and by the product they offer.
Done right, with attention to detail and continued improvement, it can succeed. Remember, they are not under corporate edicts to make a big profit. They might be able to survive with 12 plus shares in the mid to high 1's or low 2's. Why? You're not trying to sell to agencies...only, largely to local clients at local rates. Yes, I know I've spoken of a 2 share 12 plus "minimum" on other threads...but that's for a station seeking "agency" sales. Frankly, robust sales with the high school and other sports broadcasts they suggest they are going to do could pay for the liberal talk overall. But, they have to get their act together...and quickly.

Yes, they need promotion. However, commercials you may hear with Columbus Monthly magazine or The Other Paper are often trade or part-trade/part-cash ads in return for print ads. So, there's some promotional opportunities there. In time (once revenue stabilizes), cable TV ads might be a possibility. Cable penetration in Columbus is high enough. Target the university area, the Short North, German Village, Bexley, etc. Have a presence in these areas. Do the gallery hops, the community festivals, etc. Be on the street...and in people's face. How 'bout put a community blog on the website? A daily "poll question". Let the argument go on online and on the air. Sign up with Live 365 and stream your signal.

Be creative with your copy. "We're not Rush Limbaugh's favorite station...and we're proud of it". "We're not right...but neither are the other guys." Or, to quote a commercial copy line, "Because every once in a while, you have to make a left turn..." Have a sense of humor, and poke fun at yourselves. It's not life or death (even though some may consider the subject matter so)...it's only radio.

On the station's signal: Yes 3200 watts daytime is bigger than the station once had. But, remember...1580 is awfully high on the dial. Remember, WBNS-AM has 5 Kw...but I wouldn't call that signal gigantic.

Jason...I have yet to meet Gary, but I have expressed interest in selling ad time when I'm not at my day job. As for the creative stuff, my own commercials on the air now should give an indication of what I can contribute. Ed Schultz makes clear that the stations most successful with progressive talk have sales staff who believe in the product.

Another poster here has provided the station with some liners which you may soon here on WVKO.

In the short term, though, I'm trying to get him a check for my initial spot purchase. The first of many to follow.

 

[batguano]

<snip>

How 'bout put a community blog on the website?

<snip>

Let the argument go on online and on the air. Sign up with Live 365 and stream your signal.

Have you been to the WVKO-AM website? http://wvko1580.com/

There is a "Community Blog": http://wvko1580.com/forums/index.php

They have been streaming since the flip: http://stream.wvko1580.com:8000/listen.pls

There is a link for advertisers and ad sales: http://wvko1580.com/advertising.html

There is a link for the schedule: http://wvko1580.com/schedule.html

...And as far as making a "good first impression", the minor glitches don't bother the hard-core ProgTalk fans, who have been starving for their favorite talkers.

The station had an INSTANT listener base of 5,000 listeners, because of the emails gathered during the Ohio Majority Radio petition drive and the Progress Ohio petition drive back in January. A mass email went out right before the WVKO-AM flip.

The station also had 20 INSTANT advertisers, again thanks to Ohio Majority Radio, which solicited and received "letters of interest" from Central Ohio businesses interested in buying ad time during Progressive Talk programming. Ohio Majority Radio shared this list of advertisers with WVKO-AM management as soon as word came that a flip to ProgTalk would happen.

 

[Julius Leonard Marx]

The website lists six current advertisers.

1. A Day Spa (fits the stereotype of what liberals do with their money).
2. A Pawn Shop (What? This is their target demo, people who use pawn shops?).
3. Used Kids Records (Might get a good weekend show from them).
4. A Butcher Shop (Aren't liberals vegetarians or at least concerned about cow flatulence?)
5. A Green Grocer (More like it).
6. A Used Car Dealer (Would you buy a used car from Obama? Did the dealers selling hybrids or Volvos turn them down?).

Special: 100 :30 ROS spots for $1,000.00 (Ten dollar a holler).

 

[SeanMGilbow]

Re: AIR AMERICA 1580 WVKO COLUMBUS, OHIO - TAKING A BIG RISK - TOO AGENDA DRIVEN

The website lists six current advertisers.

1. A Day Spa (fits the stereotype of what liberals do with their money).
2. A Pawn Shop (What? This is their target demo, people who use pawn shops?).
3. Used Kids Records (Might get a good weekend show from them).
4. A Butcher Shop (Aren't liberals vegetarians or at least concerned about cow flatulence?)
5. A Green Grocer (More like it).
6. A Used Car Dealer (Would you buy a used car from Obama? Did the dealers selling hybrids or Volvos turn them down?).

Special: 100 :30 ROS spots for $1,000.00 (Ten dollar a holler).

The number has since doubled. Here is the current list:

Open Sky Day Spa
Uncle Sam's Pawn Shop
Roth Produce
Miracle Motor Mart
Used Kids Records
Meat-Packers Outlet
CleanLeft.com (my business, which markets environmentally friendly cleaning products)
Ecole Maison Learning Enrichment Center
Honda of Marysville
Sanfilippo Produce
Columbus Clippers (minor-league baseball, farm team for Washington Senators)
Fun-Trail (truck bed liners and accessories)

The businesses in bold were just added Thursday.

Again, compare that to the list of advertisers for Clear Channel's Progressive Talk AM 1230 in its first two weeks:




Any questions? 8)

By the way...the special rate is only for December.

And the station still has no sales staff.