I can't say for sure but since it comes from her "Ernestine" character, the odds are greater that it was from "Laugh-in".
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KIXI Begging?
- Thread starter jdweaver
- Start date
Yes you're right...pre-SNL.
Your friend appears to have an interesting show, and I wish her the best as she continues to grow her brand. With that being said, I would encourage her to always be careful with her finances and leave avenues open for supplementary income. Ongoing financial struggles are the modern norm media companies, shows, and individual broadcasters. Radio hopefuls often dream of what they could do if they could purchase a radio station, but few comprehend the enormous uphill battle ahead if they desire to actually follow through with their plan. Completing an internship or seeking employment in the broadcasting industry seems to cure that desire. I consider it a good thing that many stations on the market are expensive, because that keeps regular people from getting in over their head. There is nothing wrong with having a dream or a goal, but it's also important to be realistic enough not to create problems for yourself.
Only problem is that any station open for a lease is generally one that the owner can't successfully run on their own. That is likely a deficient facility that can't win in any circumstance.
Another option is to go to a smaller market and pick up a decent signal where, if the format is viable, you can at least make some money in the process. And if it is successful, it will be collateral to finance a move up in market size. Of course, if it does not work, the losses are less, too.
Especially true if an AM station, and severely if a daytimer.
And the additional challenge being; unless one finds a local bank in a small community, major banks aren't lending for radio stations.
No he didn't, but he's been in the business several years. I, on the other hand, am on a fixed income that's barely enough for me currently. Over time, my goals have evolved away from the radio industry directly. Ultimately, I'd still like to work at a station, but at least for now, I'd like to serve as a consultant for one of the big automation companies (RCS, Broadcast Electronics, or Wide Orbit) with the goal being that I as a totally blind person can run one of these systems just as effectively as a sighted person can.
I knew a totally blind man, who built and ran an AM/FM combo in Goldendale WA. He ran the AM for several years before building the FM. His also blind brother worked there as well. All of the equipment was "blind friendly" and state of the art. It sounded like a much bigger market! He finally sold after ten to 20 years! I once drove him home. I'd never been there before. He told me to "turn here", each step of the way! Fun fact: I later learned that he was the son of my choir instructor in college!
yep...I knew him as well. His name was Cole Malcom and I made a few trips down there to help him with the automation system he was running at the time. He was using the Pristine Systems. He had that place dialed in. He showed how he could run it all...blind. As for the directions...yep...we went out to eat at a local joint and he had it all down of where to turn etc.
I believe that I was connected to Cole from Jim Stargill...who was blind as well. Jim was a radio engineer...I want to say for KGA and then ran KMJY in Newport, WA. He ran the Pristine System as well...and damn that place sounded good...even with a 10K am in his backyard. Many an afternoon/night on the phone with Jim about that system and other radio topics. Those two guys were great to this early radio rookie back in the day.
I met Jim when he was working for KVI living at the transmitter site on Vashon. From there he went to Spokane.
Back to the topic. I have heard a lot of OLD thinking, which has drawn the typical response. Really disappointed that charging a subscription was the only "new thinking" in this thread.
I'll use KIXI for this example, if I bought it and had some money backing. Doing my best to positioned the station to make money. Below are the things I would do.
Over all migrate the listener to online listening. It’s where I will find new listeners.
1- Build an engaging website. Website would be a portal for the live stream, content, contests, weather and News.
2- Push my listeners to it.
3- I would negotiate that the KIXI music library was part of the Deal. I would by a second music library, Country for this example.
4- Of course it would be automated. Maybe one or two actual live shows but not necessary.
5- Take advantage of the pricing break on streaming music. Making segments of my live stream available on demand for two weeks as On Demand Audio, that would not be available (deleted) after two weeks. Kind of like a podcast that’s available for two weeks. This content would constantly be generated with new material coming in as other ages out in two weeks.
6- Office studio would be small. Automation and one traditional studio and an edit room with a mic. Most show/dayparts would be voice tracked and live shows may even be done remotely. I’m taking full advantage of the new model of radio during the pandemic. Don’t need a big place. As low of rent as possible.
7- Hire 2 people to drive the website, keep it up to date.
8- Secure 3-5 voice talents, working from home studios. Some may do actual live 3 hour shows that would be broadcast on the 880 frequency and live streamed, then made on demand for 2 weeks through the website. I would like to have 3 or 4 show that people would be drawn to and listen on line/On Demand (when they want to listen to it) during its two week period.
9- Monetize the heck out of the website, stream, on demand audio and do some traditional sales. Maybe do some inserts on the live stream and even the on Demand stuff. So lots of new revenue streams to cultivate.
10- Reduce the power of the station from 50K day/10K night to 10K day/5K night, this will bring the power bill under $2k a month versus $3-$4K a month. Maybe go to 2 towers but that requires an investment in Consultants. The station would be basically a barker channel directing the listener to the website and on line and giving them a taste of programing
11- Switch formats at night to Country for 8 hours so that the On Demand has two formats to listen to.
12- Keep the subscription as income giving them extra content on line.
As new listeners discover your programming they have 2 choices. I used country as an example (another format may be more complimentary to the main format during the day). Yes it would affect the time and temperature breaks, I would drop those types of breaks. We could be topical but would have to do some adjusting of presentation around holidays like Valentine’s Day, 4th of July, Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas. This is not old traditional radio. This is the new era of content creation. The radio station terrestrial signal is there as a barker channel and get the streaming discount break. But your new listeners will come from online. I would be pushing listeners to the website for discounts from advertisers (digital coupons), contest and of course the programming they can get on demand. 3 or 4 shows may be more specialized with artist interviews. Since I don’t have to waste time with telling the time and weather it means I can dive deeper into the content. Replace that “local feel” that some people think is so key with other engaging content. You can still talk about Halloween or Thanksgiving, you just have to do it more wisely. I do have a friend that has done a capture system for converting the live stream to On Demand segments and post to a website and expire them after 2 weeks. So some if not all of that would be automated.
This is what I would do. Kind of disappointed some else has not step out of the traditional box with their pie in the sky scenarios. Would I do this? No. I have an LPFM to play with(what was I thinking), at least it’s a more successful LPFM model than most. Using some of my ideas above in regards to making shows available on demand for 2 weeks and pushing the listener to the website where we have more content than we air on the LPFM barker channel.
What would my burn rate be? Easily $28K on the low end to $50k a month high end. Maybe over time reduce the power further on the 880 signal.
Back to the topic. I have heard a lot of OLD thinking, which has drawn the typical response. Really disappointed that charging a subscription was the only "new thinking" in this thread.
I'll use KIXI for this example, if I bought it and had some money backing. Doing my best to positioned the station to make money. Below are the things I would do.
Over all migrate the listener to online listening. It’s where I will find new listeners.
1- Build an engaging website. Website would be a portal for the live stream, content, contests, weather and News.
2- Push my listeners to it.
3- I would negotiate that the KIXI music library was part of the Deal. I would by a second music library, Country for this example.
4- Of course it would be automated. Maybe one or two actual live shows but not necessary.
5- Take advantage of the pricing break on streaming music. Making segments of my live stream available on demand for two weeks as On Demand Audio, that would not be available (deleted) after two weeks. Kind of like a podcast that’s available for two weeks. This content would constantly be generated with new material coming in as other ages out in two weeks.
6- Office studio would be small. Automation and one traditional studio and an edit room with a mic. Most show/dayparts would be voice tracked and live shows may even be done remotely. I’m taking full advantage of the new model of radio during the pandemic. Don’t need a big place. As low of rent as possible.
7- Hire 2 people to drive the website, keep it up to date.
8- Secure 3-5 voice talents, working from home studios. Some may do actual live 3 hour shows that would be broadcast on the 880 frequency and live streamed, then made on demand for 2 weeks through the website. I would like to have 3 or 4 show that people would be drawn to and listen on line/On Demand (when they want to listen to it) during its two week period.
9- Monetize the heck out of the website, stream, on demand audio and do some traditional sales. Maybe do some inserts on the live stream and even the on Demand stuff. So lots of new revenue streams to cultivate.
10- Reduce the power of the station from 50K day/10K night to 10K day/5K night, this will bring the power bill under $2k a month versus $3-$4K a month. Maybe go to 2 towers but that requires an investment in Consultants. The station would be basically a barker channel directing the listener to the website and on line and giving them a taste of programing
11- Switch formats at night to Country for 8 hours so that the On Demand has two formats to listen to.
12- Keep the subscription as income giving them extra content on line.
As new listeners discover your programming they have 2 choices. I used country as an example (another format may be more complimentary to the main format during the day). Yes it would affect the time and temperature breaks, I would drop those types of breaks. We could be topical but would have to do some adjusting of presentation around holidays like Valentine’s Day, 4th of July, Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas. This is not old traditional radio. This is the new era of content creation. The radio station terrestrial signal is there as a barker channel and get the streaming discount break. But your new listeners will come from online. I would be pushing listeners to the website for discounts from advertisers (digital coupons), contest and of course the programming they can get on demand. 3 or 4 shows may be more specialized with artist interviews. Since I don’t have to waste time with telling the time and weather it means I can dive deeper into the content. Replace that “local feel” that some people think is so key with other engaging content. You can still talk about Halloween or Thanksgiving, you just have to do it more wisely. I do have a friend that has done a capture system for converting the live stream to On Demand segments and post to a website and expire them after 2 weeks. So some if not all of that would be automated.
This is what I would do. Kind of disappointed some else has not step out of the traditional box with their pie in the sky scenarios. Would I do this? No. I have an LPFM to play with(what was I thinking), at least it’s a more successful LPFM model than most. Using some of my ideas above in regards to making shows available on demand for 2 weeks and pushing the listener to the website where we have more content than we air on the LPFM barker channel.
What would my burn rate be? Easily $28K on the low end to $50k a month high end. Maybe over time reduce the power further on the 880 signal.
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Given the average listenable field strength for AM is now 10mV/M because of terrestrial noise, how is reducing your footprint helping? When it comes to field strength, you can't cut your way to prosperity.
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