Easiest/cheapest way to set up a dedicated station website

[wrsg915fm]

I'm working with a volunteer at our station to set up a dedicated station website, based on high school stations and other LPFM's. How much would it take to establish the domain (I'm not thinking godaddy.com at this point) and keep it running? We need something that people could easily use to contact us; this volunteer should be a great help, as she was the former radio teacher. We should be able to list businesses and their websites, if any, plus websites for our (currently free) syndicated shows. Please shoot some numbers my way. I think we can put in the effort.

In a somewhat related vein, should we be looking at a Live365 option for internet, and would that be cost-prohibitive, unless Live365 assumes the fees? Number crunchers, unite!

 

[markbohach]

I'm working with a volunteer at our station to set up a dedicated station website, based on high school stations and other LPFM's. How much would it take to establish the domain (I'm not thinking godaddy.com at this point) and keep it running? We need something that people could easily use to contact us; this volunteer should be a great help, as she was the former radio teacher. We should be able to list businesses and their websites, if any, plus websites for our (currently free) syndicated shows. Please shoot some numbers my way. I think we can put in the effort.

In a somewhat related vein, should we be looking at a Live365 option for internet, and would that be cost-prohibitive, unless Live365 assumes the fees? Number crunchers, unite!

Hi Greg- You may want to look at Network Solutions. www.networksolutions.com
For about $10 per month you get-
Domain Registration
1000 web pages
500 email addresses using your domain
free on line web design software- no special skills needed
The ability to make changes and publish your site anytime you want.

We use it here at WLOH- www.wloh.net and have been happy with it.
You pay once a year- our package is 119 dollars per year.

Good luck.

Mark

 

[Lastone]

A word about streaming your station. I wanted to stream my show but after finding out the costs, decided not to. It's simple. To stream on the internet you must pay ASCAP, BMI and SESAC fees and pay SoundExchange for every person listening to every song. It's like 7 cents per hundred +. If you have many "on line" listeners, you can easily run up a huge bill. One service provider estimated a monthly cost of a full time (24 hour) station at around $5,000 per month, not including fees!!!

And a note about streaming services. Although SoundExchange will let a broadcast station "quarterly report" songs, both they and Live 360 require all audio to be meta tagged. Every song. Every program.

It's a pain and expensive to boot. Bootleg it and the fines are ....well, don't even think about it.

Look at it this way. If every current listener went to listening on the web, what would it be worth to you in $$ to let them do it?

And you will be one of hundreds of thousands of "stations" to choose from.

Deep thought is required on this.

 

[Goat Rodeo Cowboy]

I'm working with a volunteer at our station to set up a dedicated station website, based on high school stations and other LPFM's. How much would it take to establish the domain (I'm not thinking godaddy.com at this point) and keep it running?

I have a quiet little website. I have it for learning purposes. I put stuff on unlinked pages available only to friends and family that I send the link to. And I have two or three other domains on that same server site.

I gather maybe prices are going up but currently I budget $12 per year to own a domain name. (I needed a domain recently for a temporary purpose and by using a domain with .info I got it for 89 cents for the first year.)

For hosting I am paying just under $5.00 per month as I recall. I have four domains living on that one hosting account.

Here comes the sticky part. How much skill on the part of your volunteer will it take to do the things you listed in your question? Building a website where people come and look at your beautiful pages is the easy part. When you want people to be able to fill in blanks, order things, upload audio files or pictures to you, download files without being computer wizzes on their end, that may require stronger skills and maybe the purchase of extra features from your hosting vendor. Adding secure site for instance may be an extra.

WordPress is free software for Blogging purposes. (You can run a blog on their site and not pay for hosting.) For more robust features, you place the free WordPress software on YOUR hosting site. Even if you choose not to operate a blog as such, their database system, their "content management" is very powerful.

If your volunteer is good, and if you are planning a really good site, get a software package. I think there are two very credible programs currently: Microsoft has Expression Web (which replaces their Front Page from several years ago) and Adobe offers Dream Weaver. Dream Weaver is richer in features and power... but it is more expensive. Being a frugal (a.k.a. cheapskate ) individual, I purchased Expression Web.

Both companies will let you download a copy and use it for 30 days or say if you want to understand what they offer.

And with that happy note, I must sign off and go modify a website I maintain for a political group. Lots of Luck on your project.

 

[wrsg915fm]

Thank you, gentlemen...MUCH appreciated!