LARadio.com Format Flip - Free Biz Model Defunct

[david]

Don Barrett's remarkable LARadio.com has struggled to find a sustainable and lucrative business model. This year he embarked on a free access site, created magnificently by Christian Wheel. The open plan was to generate enough traffic to attract major advertisers. Didn’t happen because the narrow niche of people seeking out content dealing with LA Radio People just didn’t get enough eyeballs to the site to monetize effectively. So, as of this afternoon, the site has reverted to the subscription access approach. You can subscribe to the site for $39.95 per year.

 

[L Mays]

Ping Pong in LA

The LA Radio site has ponged back to a pay site. Of course like many (most), I didn't know because I hadn't been checking it because there was rarely anything on it that interested me. Now they want to charge $40 per year to see the same stuff I didn't look at for free. Are you going to pay?

This is a kooky world.

 

[L Mays]

Now they want to charge $40 per year to see the same stuff I didn't look at for free. Like THAT's gonna happen.

 

[WTFman]

Too bad. I'll miss it. Maybe Radio-Info will get more eyeballs now though...and Gary Lycan at the OC Register. Times are hard and a lot of people just can't justify $40. When people are dropping cable and not running their aircon it's a no brainer. Of course, I wouldn't do it for nothing either. Good luck to Mr. Barrett. Maybe later if Happy Days Get Here Again I'll buy a ticket.
Anyone have other sites to recommend?

 

[ChannelFlipper]

No mention of a pro-rated price for the remainder of the year. C'mon Don, what is up with that?

 

[jmtillery]

No mention of a pro-rated price for the remainder of the year. C'mon Don, what is up with that?

I haven't reviewed the site myself, but it may be offered as an "open" subscription, meaning a renewal renews on the anniversary date a subscriber first subscribed as opposed to an across the board fiscal year enrollment period where every subscriber renews on the same date regardless of the initial subscription date of each subscriber. In case of an open subscription, there is nothing to pro-rate as the subscriber is paying for one year beginning with the date first subscribed and ending 12-months later.

On the other hand, if a subscriber later decides to cancel before the renewal date, then a subscriber may be entitled to a pro-rated refund on the unused portion of the subscriber's subscription, depending, of course, on the Terms of Service the subscriber agreed upon when initially subscribing.

 

[michael hagerty]

No mention of a pro-rated price for the remainder of the year. C'mon Don, what is up with that?

It's not a calendar year subscription, expiring on December 31. Like a magazine subscription, it's for 12 months from the date you start.

 

[calguy]

It's a tough economy no matter what business you're in and this is a niche that doesn't attract as many people because of it's specialty and geographic limitations. Don's doing it pretty much alone now as well with Darrell Wayne's move to Lake Tahoe, so it's taking an even larger part of Don't time to do. I'm thinking that DB's LA Radio may not be with us that much longer, hope I'm wrong.

 

[nmoore6676]

LARadio.com is a valuable resource to be cherished. I don't think anything like it exists anywhere else so Los Angeles and the surrounding environs should support it if they don't wish to see it vanish into the sunset like so many other things we have enjoyed. Just the "Where Are They Now" resource is reason enough to keep it alive. When I was a kid way back when in Springfield Ohio the local news papers had radio features in their entertainment sections but now that is mostly gone.

A disclaimer, I do sometimes create some special graphics for Don but that is not why I am saying this, though it has been fun for me over the past couple of years fulfilling his requests for illustrations.

 

[ChannelFlipper]

No mention of a pro-rated price for the remainder of the year. C'mon Don, what is up with that?

It's not a calendar year subscription, expiring on December 31. Like a magazine subscription, it's for 12 months from the date you start.

If that is the case he should make the terms clear on the front page since he is abruptly ending the free ad-based model. I am sure the terms probably are spelled out when you click to sign-up, but he has run his subscriptions on a calendar year basis in the past, so this would be a change that is not apparent to casual observers.

 

[observer8057]

Re: Ping Pong in LA

The LA Radio site has ponged back to a pay site. Of course like many (most), I didn't know because I hadn't been checking it because there was rarely anything on it that interested me. Now they want to charge $40 per year to see the same stuff I didn't look at for free. Are you going to pay?

This is a kooky world.

Why are you in radio? If you don't find anything interesting on Don's site, you are living in some kind of bubble. If you can't be bothered to keep up with your industry, your career will be short-lived. And if you are so poor that you can not afford $40.00 a year for a subscription, I suggest you find another line of work.

Don has tried everything under the sun to make the site pay for itself, but cretins who share the log-in are killing an unbelievably important resource.

Celebrate radio. You may advance up the ladder. Few who make it do so from the head in the sand. There is a big difference between a broadcasting professional and those who are not!

 

[L Mays]

Has he tried making it relevant?

 

[musicfan101]

Re: Ping Pong in LA

The LA Radio site has ponged back to a pay site. Of course like many (most), I didn't know because I hadn't been checking it because there was rarely anything on it that interested me. Now they want to charge $40 per year to see the same stuff I didn't look at for free. Are you going to pay?

This is a kooky world.

Why are you in radio? If you don't find anything interesting on Don's site, you are living in some kind of bubble. If you can't be bothered to keep up with your industry, your career will be short-lived. And if you are so poor that you can not afford $40.00 a year for a subscription, I suggest you find another line of work.

Don has tried everything under the sun to make the site pay for itself, but cretins who share the log-in are killing an unbelievably important resource.

Celebrate radio. You may advance up the ladder. Few who make it do so from the head in the sand. There is a big difference between a broadcasting professional and those who are not!

lol "If you can't be bothered to keep up with your industry, your career will be short lived"! Dude, paying $40 to keep up with the industry hasn't kept people from being canned. Regarding the "poor" comment, I'm sure people have no interest in hearing how some engineer of radio station is vacationing in Istanbul. If Don is having trouble with money, I'm sure that Col. Sanders look a like will find a KFC to work at in the near future. ;D

 

[KPWRairchecks]

$40...isn't that the average yearly salary in radio?

 

[calguy]

So let me get this straight L Mays and musicfan101, you don't find any of Barrett's content relevant and you don't want to pay for information about the LA radio industry or those who make it happen? That's fine, you probably weren't reading his website anyway, or maybe you guys are two of many who share passwords. If you knew anything about the site or it's history you might just appreciate it. It's always been about the people behind the microphones and behind the scenes. If you want general industry info you can always go to All Access or Radio Daily News or any number of sites that are free. But you'll have to look hard to get past the info about every other city in the nation. This is a unique site devoted to those who work in LA whether they're big time personalities or the overnight board op. It gives you info that you simply cannot find anywhere else. San Diego has a site, but it's different, same for Chicago. The windy city site gets updated every few weeks or months. $40 isn't that much to pay. Yeah, not everyone has income to blow, but it's you're choice not to subscribe. But really, you can't find anything of relevance there? Oh and if all you can do is throw an insult about the way he looks(How superficial and petty of you by the way)and blame Don for your lack of work, you're living in a delusional world. I don't see where this has anything to do with keeping people from getting canned. How sad your comments are, but I guess it makes you feel better to put others down. Barrett has done a lot for those who work in radio here in LA, but you'd know that if you actually read about what he's done over the years. Believe me, when he decides to shut his site down we'll all be a little poorer for it.

 

[RealityBites]

C'mon guys Don Barrett is actual real, unbiased "bio-journalism."

If you've ever really worked in LA and the radio biz, it is great. If you haven't
well you might not see the value. I'll miss it if Don retires.....

 

[L Mays]

So let me get this straight L Mays and musicfan101, you don't find any of Barrett's content relevant and you don't want to pay for information about the LA radio industry or those who make it happen? That's fine, you probably weren't reading his website anyway, or maybe you guys are two of many who share passwords. If you knew anything about the site or it's history you might just appreciate it. It's always been about the people behind the microphones and behind the scenes. If you want general industry info you can always go to All Access or Radio Daily News or any number of sites that are free. But you'll have to look hard to get past the info about every other city in the nation. This is a unique site devoted to those who work in LA whether they're big time personalities or the overnight board op. It gives you info that you simply cannot find anywhere else. San Diego has a site, but it's different, same for Chicago. The windy city site gets updated every few weeks or months. $40 isn't that much to pay. Yeah, not everyone has income to blow, but it's you're choice not to subscribe. But really, you can't find anything of relevance there? Oh and if all you can do is throw an insult about the way he looks(How superficial and petty of you by the way)and blame Don for your lack of work, you're living in a delusional world. I don't see where this has anything to do with keeping people from getting canned. How sad your comments are, but I guess it makes you feel better to put others down. Barrett has done a lot for those who work in radio here in LA, but you'd know that if you actually read about what he's done over the years. Believe me, when he decides to shut his site down we'll all be a little poorer for it.

Yawn. It's a gossip column. How did we all survive without the site for so long?

 

[robnokshus06]

NOBODY covers LA radio like Don Barret. Nobody.

If you work in LA radio there is not a more relevant source for news, info and gossip than LARadio.com. Are there stories about engineers? You bet! And General Managers, disc jockeys, Program Directors, Salespeople, Production peeps, you name it. If you are part of LA Radio then you are a part of LARadio.com.

 

[musicfan101]

So let me get this straight L Mays and musicfan101, you don't find any of Barrett's content relevant and you don't want to pay for information about the LA radio industry or those who make it happen? That's fine, you probably weren't reading his website anyway, or maybe you guys are two of many who share passwords. If you knew anything about the site or it's history you might just appreciate it. It's always been about the people behind the microphones and behind the scenes. If you want general industry info you can always go to All Access or Radio Daily News or any number of sites that are free. But you'll have to look hard to get past the info about every other city in the nation. This is a unique site devoted to those who work in LA whether they're big time personalities or the overnight board op. It gives you info that you simply cannot find anywhere else. San Diego has a site, but it's different, same for Chicago. The windy city site gets updated every few weeks or months. $40 isn't that much to pay. Yeah, not everyone has income to blow, but it's you're choice not to subscribe. But really, you can't find anything of relevance there? Oh and if all you can do is throw an insult about the way he looks(How superficial and petty of you by the way)and blame Don for your lack of work, you're living in a delusional world. I don't see where this has anything to do with keeping people from getting canned. How sad your comments are, but I guess it makes you feel better to put others down. Barrett has done a lot for those who work in radio here in LA, but you'd know that if you actually read about what he's done over the years. Believe me, when he decides to shut his site down we'll all be a little poorer for it.

Isn't it obvious that me and everyone read it - when it was FREE! I know $40 isn't much but at least make the website look nice! What has Barrett done?! Send his "suggestions", er, "open e-mails" to PD's and on air personalities on how they should conduct business! My "lack of work"? You don't even know me! When his site dies, sure, it will be a shame but when there are many other publications that talk about radio, YOU'LL FIND SOMETHING ELSE TO READ RELIGIOUSLY! Kind of like any format change in radio, you'll find something else!

 

[Buckethead]

A dime a day!

Don't you think it's worth it cheapskates?!