• Get involved.
    We want your input!
    Apply for Membership and join the conversations about everything related to broadcasting.

    After we receive your registration, a moderator will review it. After your registration is approved, you will be permitted to post.
    If you use a disposable or false email address, your registration will be rejected.

    After your membership is approved, please take a minute to tell us a little bit about yourself.
    https://www.radiodiscussions.com/forums/introduce-yourself.1088/

    Thanks in advance and have fun!
    RadioDiscussions Administrators

Is WVKO AM in trouble??

Due to slow advertising sales, WVKO is currently having trouble paying its bills. Good, progressive Salespeople are hard to find in Central Ohio, especially for a startup mom-and-pop station like WVKO. The station now finds itself with unpaid bills, and may have to shut down if $50,000 is not raised within the next few weeks.

Look at the bold and you will see a reason for failure.
 
I find it ironic that WTVN is running Rush Limbaugh promos these days that say how bad
progressive talk is and why there are no listeners.
On this promo clip, Rush says, "Progressive Talk radio was dropped by radio stations in Eugene,
Oregon and Columbus because progressive talk radio is so bad no one wants to listen to it."

That said, don't expect C.C. Columbus to pick up the format if and when it is dropped by WVKO-AM.

Now, If WVKO-AM dose go dark and leaves it listeners without progressive talk, will
WVKO-AM blame that on there 'OWN' listeners for the failure of the station? If their own listeners don't raise the needed funds/contributions to keep WVKO on the air then WVKO
may point their fingers at their own listeners for having to pull the plug on progressive talk
radio in Columbus, Ohio.

First they were asking for people to work for free and now this!

This is what they say on their site:
http://www.wvko1580.com/contributions/

Now the good news:

"Do you remember how it felt when Air America was pulled from the airwaves a year and a half ago? Air America fans were told that there was nothing they could do to help save that station. Well, this time there is a way for you to keep Air America on the air … through a generous donation to the station. By clicking on your choice of PayPal buttons below, your contribution will go directly toward keeping Air America on WVKO. If you wish to make a contribution by check, please see below."

"This show of support from Progressives like you will keep the station on the air, and will enable WVKO management to pay off current debts. Salespeople will be assured that the station will remain on the air, enabling them to make sales calls with confidence.
Please make your contribution now:"
 
This is a shame because I'd bet dollars to donuts they can't raise $50k and I feel that it's nice to have both sides of the political spectrum represented. This being said, WVKO hasn't done themselves any favors with the absolutely horrible audio quality and production. They've been promising improvements since they went on the air and from what I can gather nothing has happened. It makes it hard to solicit donations when you can't promise a decent product in return.

One thing's for sure, when CC pulled progressive talk the station supporters bitched about how CC somehow owed it to present both the left and right and my argument at the time is the same as it is now... if you want it, you shell out the money to pay for it. Here is their chance.

Personally even though I'm a democrat and a liberal, I have absolutely no confidence in 1580. I honestly believe this won't be the first time they need help paying their debts. It makes it really hard to justify making a donation.
 
It would be a shame if 1580 went away, but for the song you could buy it for if it does go dark, I'm sure you could find some liberal benefactor if you looked hard enough.
 
I just spoke with Vern Thompson, Ed Schultz' producer. Big Eddie and his investors were looking to buy the station, but the asking price was more than "a song." Considerably more.

And for the record...I have mentioned to Gary Richards about the possibility of selling ad time in exchange for my spots airing more frequently. The offer still stands, but it has to be done outside my work schedule as a Customer Service Assistant for the Bureau of Motor Vehicles, Ohio Department of Public Safety.

In no way I am about to jeopardize my job, of which I have committed nearly 10 percent of my income to pay for spots on the station.

As much as I have defended the format and what Gary has tried to do with WVKO, be aware that I have not only had to fend off criticism from people on this board but also criticism from fellow progressives. That began when I began advertising on Radio Free Ohio's web stream, but the Ohio Majority Radio group saw my commitment to the format when I started advertising on WVKO just before Christmas.

There is an anti-business attitude, however, among many progressives. This is despite making very clear that I am reinvesting the profits from my sideline business, www.CleanLeft.com, into more advertising on the station.

And as I also make clear to progressives...if you're buying your cleaning products from Wal-Mart, you're not doing your part to support progressive talk.

The latest developments have resulted in my working again to get my products into the Fitness and Nutrition Centers, another advertiser both with WVKO and the former AM 1230. Both our businesses are among the station's biggest advertisers right now, and it appears it is time to join forces.

Regardless, the contribution route is a cause for concern. Jones Radio has proven progressive talk can be profitable with Bill Press, Stephanie Miller and Ed Schultz, as reflected from the national advertisers. In spite of how some listeners feel about all three hosts (yes, I've heard complaints about even Stephanie), they are the future of the format--not Air America. And Gary was right about focusing on these three hosts as being the central part of the lineup.

And any progressive who disagrees only needs to ask Randi Rhodes and Mike Malloy their thoughts about Air America.

And as posters who have crossed paths with me here know, I always come out fighting when someone tries to put me into a corner. Sometimes I go over the top, and I have been notified of this by the editors occasionally, but I don't back down.

And I'm not backing down now.

Don't start the funeral arrangements just yet.
 
Yeah..how does that work? Business is evil. Anyone who makes a dollar more than me is evil. Why would I advertise to a constituency who is looking for government handouts?
 
gr8oldies said:
Yeah..how does that work? Business is evil. Anyone who makes a dollar more than me is evil. Why would I advertise to a constituency who is looking for government handouts?

OK, you lost me completely on that one. Usually, it's the other way around. :p
 
Sean Gilbow said:
And as posters who have crossed paths with me here know, I always come out fighting when someone tries to put me into a corner. Sometimes I go over the top, and I have been notified of this by the editors occasionally, but I don't back down.
With apologies to Patrick Swayze... Nobody puts baby in a corner ;D
 
It's not for sale for a song because it's not dark yet, and/or because most owners of also-ran radio stations are delusional. I can't comment on the second part in this situation.
 
KJCB said:
It's not for sale for a song because it's not dark yet, and/or because most owners of also-ran radio stations are delusional. I can't comment on the second part in this situation.

[/quote

Its not for sale for a song because the station is only leased, 1580 WVKO as we know it now could be replaced, with a new format and go on, Hell Spanish could return. who knows.

But i would hate to see this version of the station go. I actually enjoy Ed over Rush anymore. i find him more entertaining.
 
Ohio Media Watch: http://ohiomedia.blogspot.com/ has this to say about WVKO-AM:

LOOKING FOR DONATIONS:
[/quote]

We're surprised, and we're not.

We felt that the station's sports programming would at least help keep the lights on at WVKO. Not only that, the minor league baseball Columbus Clippers, we hear, are actually paying the station to run their play-by-play schedule.

The sports programming preempts liberal talk favorites like Air America's Rachel Maddow, to much grumbling from diehard listeners, but it's apparently more money than the station is getting from selling regular advertising time.
[/quote]
 
Re: Death pool?

John Baylor said:
I'm going with Friday July 4th.

As the day you start doing something constructive with your time, John?
 
gabigley1 said:
Ohio Media Watch: http://ohiomedia.blogspot.com/ has this to say about WVKO-AM:

LOOKING FOR DONATIONS:

We're surprised, and we're not.

We felt that the station's sports programming would at least help keep the lights on at WVKO. Not only that, the minor league baseball Columbus Clippers, we hear, are actually paying the station to run their play-by-play schedule.

The sports programming preempts liberal talk favorites like Air America's Rachel Maddow, to much grumbling from diehard listeners, but it's apparently more money than the station is getting from selling regular advertising time.
[/quote]


[/quote]

WVKO management and the Moderator of the message board don't want to have any talk about how to fix the money problems on the station either, there was a thread a few days ago that has now been deleted, and considering that there are only a few people that even post there, yes i was one, its really noticeable that things just disappear.

what happened to free speech, that is exactly what many who support the cause accuse CC of on a regular basis. seems reality is getting to be too much to take.

http://www.wvko1580.com/forums/forum.php?id=1
 
Allfirdup said:
gabigley1 said:
Ohio Media Watch: http://ohiomedia.blogspot.com/ has this to say about WVKO-AM:

WVKO management and the Moderator of the message board don't want to have any talk about how to fix the money problems on the station either, there was a thread a few days ago that has now been deleted, and considering that there are only a few people that even post there, yes i was one, its really noticeable that things just disappear.

what happened to free speech, that is exactly what many who support the cause accuse CC of on a regular basis. seems reality is getting to be too much to take.

http://www.wvko1580.com/forums/forum.php?id=1

I also find it pretty appalling that WVKO-AM would censor there own message board. So much for their belief
in free speech and no censorship. I like some of the shows on WVKO and this is exactly what they preach against.

Here is the thread that the WVKO-AM dose not want you to read. It was labeled 'begging for money'
This is the expired link to this tread:

http://www.wvko1580.com/forums/topic.php?id=200

This is the content of that thread that I found on the net:

[/quote]

I read on Ohio Media Watch that your station can't get anyone to advertise so you are now begging for money to stay on the air.

Suggestion: If nobody wants to buy time on Airhead America, maybe you should try switching to a format that advertisers will want to support.

Posted 8 hours ago #
RussC
Post Count: 92 Moderator
Hi Boz,

Lots of people want to advertise on Progressive Talk. The station is simply having trouble attracting Progressive-minded Sales Professionals to contact those businesses.

Thank you for your concern.

Posted 4 hours ago #
Allfirdup
Post Count: 1 Member
if you have people wanting to buy time on the station, run ads on your own station, telling them how to advertise. also making sure spots actually run when scheduled would be good, had a lot of dead air today after the noon news.

Posted 2 hours ago #
SeanGilbow
Post Count: 32 Member
RussC wrote 2 hours earlier »
Hi Boz,
Lots of people want to advertise on Progressive Talk. The station is simply having trouble attracting Progressive-minded Sales Professionals to contact those businesses.
Thank you for your concern.

Russ: I can canvass those types of advertisers outside of my working hours. I won't give up my day job (union), but I am willing to work for more of my spots on the air. I firmly believe the station can make a profit. If the station can work around my schedule, I can hit the ground running.

Posted 2 hours ago #
RussC
Post Count: 92 Moderator
Hi Sean,

You need to get permission from the Station Manager if you want to act as a representative of the station.

However, if you make it clear that you are simply "a fan of the station" and "think this business would fit in well" with Progressive causes, then feel free to refer them to the website and the Contact page, to contact the Station Manager directly:

http://www.wvko1580.com/contact/

[/quote]
 
Come off it, no business is gonna want that crap posted on their site. It's not a free speech issue, it's not a "progressive sales people" issue. The issue is profitability of this format, it appears it just doesn't work in Columbus.

Let me ask Sean Gilbow a question... is your advertising generating more revenue than you are spending advertising?
 
Dale Jackson said:
Come off it, no business is gonna want that crap posted on their site. It's not a free speech issue, it's not a "progressive sales people" issue. The issue is profitability of this format, it appears it just doesn't work in Columbus.

Let me ask Sean Gilbow a question... is your advertising generating more revenue than you are spending advertising?

Can you say that of every advertiser on your stations?

You yourself mentioned in a previous thread, Dale, that many of your sponsors will place spots on stations because they like the programs.

And even you, Dale, know that true success with advertising involves constant spot repetition. The station has only been on the air since December, and the spots ran in December and March. Even my previous rep with Clear Channel said the key is repetition.

And need I mention that Fox News Channel lost millions in its first years of operation?

I will say I am doing better than Fox News Channel--meaning, I have no debt.
 
Sean Gilbow said:
Dale Jackson said:
Come off it, no business is gonna want that crap posted on their site. It's not a free speech issue, it's not a "progressive sales people" issue. The issue is profitability of this format, it appears it just doesn't work in Columbus.

Let me ask Sean Gilbow a question... is your advertising generating more revenue than you are spending advertising?

Can you say that of every advertiser on your stations?

You yourself mentioned in a previous thread, Dale, that many of your sponsors will place spots on stations because they like the programs.

And even you, Dale, know that true success with advertising involves constant spot repetition. The station has only been on the air since December, and the spots ran in December and March. Even my previous rep with Clear Channel said the key is repetition.

And need I mention that Fox News Channel lost millions in its first years of operation?

I will say I am doing better than Fox News Channel--meaning, I have no debt.
I agree, repetition is the key but the reason I asked is because you seem to be the biggest supporter. If there biggest supporter stopped running spots in March that may not bode to well for the future, even with the .5 rating.

Also FNC had the pockets to absorb it, WVKO obviously does not.
 
True. I am one of them, and most importantly, I pay for my spots in advance.

I talked with News Director Michael Alwood earlier today. It is business as usual. And my association with the station may become greater in the next couple of weeks.

Stay tuned.
 
Status
This thread has been closed due to inactivity. You can create a new thread to discuss this topic.


Back
Top Bottom