Anyone can launch a Radio Station for free - It's one of the top Absentee Owner Businesses!

[Mikey Radio]

I get a few e-publications about investing, ways to grow your money and ideas for business. One of the recent articles had a link to the "50 best absentee owner business ideas for 2023". Most of the ideas listed are for businesses that, in theory, one can start and then hire others to manage and run for them so they don't need to be personally involved on a daily basis. Things like laundromats; automated car washes; bounce house rentals and party supplies; "paint and sip" art companies; corporate event and wedding rentals and the like.

The particular article I saw today listed #5 - Start a TV station, and #16 - Start a radio station. The one about the radio station linked to a pages-long article (see below) that laid out 20 steps to follow to be successful. Of course, for those of us who are or have been involved in the business side of broadcasting, this is a gross oversimplification. It does finally allude toward the end how much time and money truly need to be invested if you want to own or run a station, but I found the title of the article funny:

How to Start a Radio Station from Home for FREE in 20 Steps​

Do you want to start a radio station business at home? If YES, here is a detailed guide on how to start a radio station for FREE with no money or experience plus a sample radio station business plan template.

How to Start a Radio Station from Home for FREE in 2022

Do you want to start a radio station business at home? If YES, here is a detailed guide on how to start a radio station for FREE with no money or experience

www.profitableventure.com

 

[TheBigA]

The whole thing is misleading. If you go through all the steps, you come upon this sentence:

Going by the report from the research and feasibility studies, you will need about $150,000 to set up a medium scale radio station in the United States of America.

That's not free. And that's just to start it. Starting expenses don't come close to the operating expenses.

I may have missed it, but the article didn't mention music royalties.

 

[PTBoardOp94]

$150k is probably on the light side to get started! If I see a station sell for that, it's almost always missing something very important, like an AM station without an antenna site.

 

[KeithE4]

This has scam written all over it. I'm not sure I even want to click on it. Who knows what will be installed on my PC?

 

[Mikey Radio]

The whole premise is flawed. Again, this was listed as a "best absentee owner business idea". That implies it's a company or business that you can launch, get off the ground, hire in someone to manage it for you and go have cocktails on the beach (or continue working another full-time job) while others run your company and you simply collect the profit but have minimal daily involvement. That doesn't describe most any station with an independent owner I've ever known or been involved with.

On the contrary, even back when many stations were still stand-alone AM/FM combos, especially in smaller markets, oftentimes the owner was the hardest working person on the payroll and wore many hats from on-air staff to GM, PD, sales, plumber, janitor, staff psychologist and promotions director, along with many things in between.

 

[R.D.P.]

If you want a radio station, it would be best to get one legally and not fall for a scam.

Dan <><

 

[b-turner]

Profitableventure.com created an article listing radio as a great business to own absentee. The article appears to be speaking of ‘over the air’ broadcasting.

Simply put, the author is not at all knowledgeable about the radio industry. One glaring error is the fact commercial radio frequencies are auctioned to the highest bidder. That is easily one of your first expenses (including engineering to prove your plan will work within FCC Rules). And FCC auctions are complicated enough it’s best left to a communications attorney to bid on your behalf. Part of this is determining where the station tower site will go and getting assurance from landowners or tower owner that the station can be accommodated on the tower or land if you build your own tower. One other thing is you have to attest you have the funds available or secured to complete construction and operate the station for a period of time without income. Let me add, you are bidding on allocations in certain communities and not anywhere you want to put a station.

If you can get through all of this, you might be lucky enough to get to apply for a construction permit. If you’re MXed, which is highly likely, it might take a few years to sort it all out. One you get the nod, you apply for a construction permit and start building. Expect to be amazed how many years you will work for your lenders before it is yours. In many cases there’s just not enough billing to make it.

The cost or slim budget doesn’t figure in the FCC’s opinion. You follow the rules, don’t cut corners and jump through every hoop no matter the finances including keeping the tower lit if it is required.

It is not difficult to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars to get to flip the switch to bring your radio station on the air that begins costing you more that very second with a big goose egg in money flowing in on the first day. You have to build relationships, sell ads, find favor in the area and change listening habits. It does no good to sell commercials if you don’t have the listeners.

This is a 24/7/365 job. You are the owner and personally responsible for everything that happens not only with advertisers, listeners, town leaders but the FCC as well.

You'll love all the people who claim you need them because they know radio. They do. Their certain specialty. Few have programmed, jocked, sold advertising and managed. Most will cause in office strife trying to get their way or those that sell only work trades for themselves. Trust me. It happens.

If you really want a radio station, work the business. Try a small town where the owner is getting up in age. They might very well sell it to you after you prove they are selling it to someone who can carry the torch. That would be much cheaper.

If you just have to have a station, form a non-profit and apply for a Low Power FM at the next window. Minimal investment and you get your feet wet. If you can get a LPFM funded and some listeners, you might be ready for the next step.

This is akin to articles saying you can make good money with a community newspaper talking about charging small businesses $500 a month for a business card ad each week (Maybe $500 a year for the type of business they list). And they act like people will bring you stories! Certainly not composed by anyone that has been in a community newspaper office.

I'm sure no expert but I have been behind the microphone, programmed, sold advertising and been a GM. It's an amazing business and I've seen a lot and bugged the heck out of many because I wanted to learn about what they were doing. I'm passionate about the business and can honestly say, I don't work, I go play each day.