If you were going to build a station from scratch....

[fremont]

I'm on repeated record here of saying that, if you hate The Man--be it CC or otherwise, then get equity in a station and build it yourself.

The bias here is clearly on local ownership, vibrant on-air talent and homegrown playlists.

But....can it make money?

If "yes," then how?

 

[al7mo]

Tried and true. Even in a major market if you can build one from scratch and not have to go in to major debt buying an existing station, the way to go is Live and Local aka Full Service. Forget wall to wall music, that's not even going to be internet driven anymore - it's all ipod, especially for younger music fans. What radio needs to do, is to go back to what it was before multiple ownership.

A companion. Someone that you invite in to let you know what's going on and to keep you company. Some music yes, but carefully chosen with very little repetition; mainly to introduce you to something new and get you interested in getting more for your ipod. Conversation between hosts and guests to inform. News, weather, etc. Local sporting events - try little league and pony league baseball, junior varsity and freshman football, girls and boys basketball. Gets the parents and grandparents and local school supporters listening.

Shorter spot breaks and a lower total overall spot count. What the station sales reps don't want the advertiser to know about PPM is, that running that much frequency gets lower overall effective results - and the more spots in a break, the greater the pressure becomes for the listener to walk away and hit the bathroom, etc, thus totally missing your commercial. Fewer spots in a break means that you'll have greater attention from the listener.

Back to the music - it really doesn't matter much what the actual music format is, as long as it is one that doesn't turn off a majority of possible listeners.

 

[Dick Skinner]

Tried and true. Even in a major market if you can build one from scratch and not have to go in to major debt buying an existing station, the way to go is Live and Local aka Full Service. Forget wall to wall music, that's not even going to be internet driven anymore - it's all ipod, especially for younger music fans. What radio needs to do, is to go back to what it was before multiple ownership.

A companion. Someone that you invite in to let you know what's going on and to keep you company. Some music yes, but carefully chosen with very little repetition; mainly to introduce you to something new and get you interested in getting more for your ipod. Conversation between hosts and guests to inform. News, weather, etc. Local sporting events - try little league and pony league baseball, junior varsity and freshman football, girls and boys basketball. Gets the parents and grandparents and local school supporters listening.

Shorter spot breaks and a lower total overall spot count. What the station sales reps don't want the advertiser to know about PPM is, that running that much frequency gets lower overall effective results - and the more spots in a break, the greater the pressure becomes for the listener to walk away and hit the bathroom, etc, thus totally missing your commercial. Fewer spots in a break means that you'll have greater attention from the listener.

Back to the music - it really doesn't matter much what the actual music format is, as long as it is one that doesn't turn off a majority of possible listeners.

WHAT?

 

[Jay Peninger]

Tried and true. Even in a major market if you can build one from scratch and not have to go in to major debt buying an existing station, the way to go is Live and Local aka Full Service. Forget wall to wall music, that's not even going to be internet driven anymore - it's all ipod, especially for younger music fans. What radio needs to do, is to go back to what it was before multiple ownership.

A companion. Someone that you invite in to let you know what's going on and to keep you company. Some music yes, but carefully chosen with very little repetition; mainly to introduce you to something new and get you interested in getting more for your ipod. Conversation between hosts and guests to inform. News, weather, etc. Local sporting events - try little league and pony league baseball, junior varsity and freshman football, girls and boys basketball. Gets the parents and grandparents and local school supporters listening.

Shorter spot breaks and a lower total overall spot count. What the station sales reps don't want the advertiser to know about PPM is, that running that much frequency gets lower overall effective results - and the more spots in a break, the greater the pressure becomes for the listener to walk away and hit the bathroom, etc, thus totally missing your commercial. Fewer spots in a break means that you'll have greater attention from the listener.

Back to the music - it really doesn't matter much what the actual music format is, as long as it is one that doesn't turn off a majority of possible listeners.

WHAT?

Umm what Manny said.... WHAT?

 

[al7mo]

It's the basic economic model of a radio station.

NOT the economic model of a cluster of stations or of a huge station owning business that never really understood what a radio station was meant to do.

 

[Kelly Watts]

I would hope that radio BROADCASTING (read mass appeal) is stil viable. If not then it's time for me and my generation of broadcasters to hang up their headphones for good.