"Local" may not be your salvation...

[NewsStud]

"Wholesale" with custom packaging from China means orders of 10,000 or more to get custom packaging. What small or medium market station has well over $100,000 to spend on ordering, shipping and storing them?

And no advertiser is going to "sponsor" such a project for just one market and one station. A local station would simply see $100,000 in ad budgets changed from spot buys and program sponsorships to cover the give-away radios. No local account has that kind of extra money in a smaller market and no regional or national account will do something that expensive for a single market.

For such a project to work, I think it would have to touch at least 15% to 20% of local households... so in a larger market of, let's say, 250,000 you'd need to give away as many as 50,000 radios to cover home and work locations...

That is just not practical.

b-turner: Well done. Getting one advertiser to sign an annual contract these days is an achievement. Two In a week---awesome. You're clearly putting in the work that often gets overlooked.

I'd like to offer a "free" idea. Meaning the idea is both cost-free to implement and I'm not asking for money in exchange for my idea. I just thought of it. Its surely possible someone else thought of this already.

Instead of trying to give away free radios to people who probably don't know/remember what a radio is or that it can exist outside of a car, why not offer listeners (especially non kids who might have troubles with tech) to come into the radio station where a "certified radio audio engineer" will do a "professional install" of your station's streaming app on their devices.

The "engineer" (could be a kid from the promo department) could install the app on their phones/tablets, set your station's stream as an easily found favorite, and could give a quick tutorial to the "boomer" on how to start up the stream. It would also be the perfect time to sign the listener up for "special promos/giveaways," etc. Not only did you give the listener a service benefitting (mostly) you, you also got their direct contact info.

You also don't need do it exclusively at your station. Every promo appearance should be attended by said "engineers" ready to provide the service. Make them wear a logo'd shirt with a toolbelt and a lanyard. Really sell it.

(Go ahead. Laugh. I'm cool with it.)

 

[b-turner]

I have a little trick on getting annuals: "No Penalty Canellation" printed on the face. I have about 15% quit within the year. About 85% go all year and generally stay on after that. This afternoon I did 'upgrade' an annual by $100 a month...not a huge increase butv every little bit helps.

I'm old school. I visit clients. I know them, They know me. I know their business. I have their back. I only sell what I know will help them and I never exceed their budget. None of my competitors outdo the service I offer my accounts.

As for you, Oldbones, say I'm thin skinned. Fine. We've been in he business about the same number of years. As you know, county by county is sold by the demo at $800 a demo here. 35+ is our advertiser's sweet spot so that's the sheet we buy. We don't need it. I would think with as many years (like me) your remarks would not imply deception and falsehoods. How do you respond when it is implied you are lying? I will tell you I have not seen anything like KGAF except in such isolated markets where you were the only choice in the general area.

 

[michael hagerty]

I have a little trick on getting annuals: "No Penalty Canellation" printed on the face. I have about 15% quit within the year. About 85% go all year and generally stay on after that. This afternoon I did 'upgrade' an annual by $100 a month...not a huge increase butv every little bit helps.

I'm old school. I visit clients. I know them, They know me. I know their business. I have their back. I only sell what I know will help them and I never exceed their budget. None of my competitors outdo the service I offer my accounts.

And only a 15% cancellation rate is remarkable, too.

To the folks who are dumping on b-turner----here's a great example of the work it takes to run small-town radio these days. A lot fewer small town stations would be dark or running programming that doesn't serve their community at all if their owner/GMs took the initiative in terms of client relations that he does.

 

[b-turner]

Thank you for the kind words. I'm only as good as my product. As a salesperson, much goes to Steve Eberhart, Owner and Dee Blanton, Operations Manager. They provide the product that produces results and solidifies the community behind KGAF. I try to bring the same level of commitment to the sales side. I'd say it helps that I've been in the GM chair a few times and about a decade exclusively on air and in programming to provide me with a different understanding than some.

I also think it is important to buy from my clients. I shop with my clients exclusively even it they cost a few cents more. I want them to know the salary they feed me gets spent back in their store.

I tell anyone on the fence about an annual that I want them to get the best rate so they get the best bang for their buck, rate protection and the knowledge that if something changes or it's not working for them, we'll smile as we tear up the agreement, shake hands and hope to earn their business again in the future. I say this is a small town and if we held people's feet to the fire, we'd not stay in business long.

I know if I can reach the point I'm part of their fixed monthly expenses, chances are I can stay there a long time. One of my first sales in May 2019 is still on under the original contract. I actually get very little guidance so I check with employees weekly to make sure I don't miss anything. As strange as it sounds, the hard to nail down owner gets told by me what we are running most of the time and he thanks me for staying on top of things.

The truth be told, I'm, loving it. I like people and I like helping people, so it's as if I go have fun all day. I'm, just lucky I get to represent the station. I'm sure I would not be writing annuals for a station with, say 5% of the county listening.

 

[davideduardo]

So let's see...radio reaches 92% of the population, that's 276 million people. Multiply by $3 per person, and that's $828 million.

No problem. I'll write you a check.

And you are not going to get $3 radios custom manufactured and labeled for each station participating shipped from Asia and delivered all over the US. I am guessing something in the $6 to $10 range with customization for a very cheap and not very sensitive or selective radio.

 

[Kelly A]

And you are not going to get $3 radios custom manufactured and labeled for each station participating shipped from Asia and delivered all over the US. I am guessing something in the $6 to $10 range with customization for a very cheap and not very sensitive or selective radio.

That's what I was thinking. Even at a quantity discount, probably closer to ten bucks each.
Cost prohibitive for something that might end up at a Goodwill, or in a landfill.

 

[michael hagerty]

And you are not going to get $3 radios custom manufactured and labeled for each station participating shipped from Asia and delivered all over the US. I am guessing something in the $6 to $10 range with customization for a very cheap and not very sensitive or selective radio.

...which would just further the impression that radio is not high-quality audio. AM tuners have been doing that for us for 40 years now.

 

[TheBigA]

And you are not going to get $3 radios custom manufactured and labeled for each station participating shipped from Asia and delivered all over the US. I am guessing something in the $6 to $10 range with customization for a very cheap and not very sensitive or selective radio.

I'm just working with the number I was given. But yes, you're right.

 

[AbrahamJSimpson]

It's only because of the simplicity of AM and FM receivers and low cost mass production that this type of thing becomes possible.


Sony evidently saw a profit potential in developing a new pocket AM/FM radio (mentioned in an earlier post). I haven't checked Amazon to see if this Sony radio is sold Worldwide.


I don't know the advertising $/listener/year, if its over $3/listener/year, then it seems like that $3 could be spent (one year) to do a radio (and 1 battery) giveaway.


Kirk Bayne

Nobody wants a radio. Free or otherwise. It’s junk. Clutter. Useless. If someone wants to receive radio outside the car, they have one. A giveaway of crap bound for the trash isn’t just a waste of money, it’s environmentally unsound.

 

[davideduardo]

Nobody wants a radio. Free or otherwise. It’s junk. Clutter. Useless. If someone wants to receive radio outside the car, they have one. A giveaway of crap bound for the trash isn’t just a waste of money, it’s environmentally unsound.

Good point. While radio groups are trying to move to Internet distribution, it makes no sense to give away cheap, ugly and crappy devices nobody will use. The cost for each small and medium market station would be more than most of them bill in a year.

 

[boombox4]

The only type of giveaway radio promotion I could see being workable is at radio booths at state fairs and the like. Some may toss them. Others may use them around the house. Maybe some would use them while fishing or whatever. Probably they'd go in the drawer with the last 8 cell phones they had that are now out of date and/or don't work with 4G.

Face it: electronics is throwaway. Every electric appliance or implement is throwaway once it either stops working or is no longer wanted. If someone doesn't agree, take a spin to a nearby garbage transfer station, and watch all the stuff that gets tossed into the containers headed for the closest landfill. You see a bit of everything -- lawn mowers (electric as well as gas), fans, airconditioners, easy chairs, TVs (flatscreen and CRT), old microwaves that only nuke the kitchen instead of the food inside, coffeemakers, broken desktops and laptop computers, etc. etc.

Throwaway world.

 

[boombox4]

Nobody wants a radio. Free or otherwise. It’s junk. Clutter. Useless. If someone wants to receive radio outside the car, they have one. A giveaway of crap bound for the trash isn’t just a waste of money, it’s environmentally unsound.

Every electrical (and other) appliance or item heads to the trash. They're all environmentally unsound, including the cellphone in your pocket that will stop working when everything goes 5G and you find your present phone is a really cool looking paperweight (too small to be a doorstop).

Just like the last three or four were (I have a total of four in a drawer, myself -- three flip phones, and a 3G smartphone that no longer works on the system).

So what's the difference? The matter of time it takes to send it to the landfill? I suppose in that case you may indeed have a point.

 

[boombox4]

Good point. While radio groups are trying to move to Internet distribution, it makes no sense to give away cheap, ugly and crappy devices nobody will use. The cost for each small and medium market station would be more than most of them bill in a year.

It's probably better for a station to have an app. It will play the programming, and I suppose having access to the listeners' devices through the app provides data as well.

 

[TheBigA]

There is ONE American-based company that recently spent a lot of money promoting radio: Amazon. When they first released their Echo device, lots of radio stations partnered with them to promote the device and yes, even give a few away. To this day, a lot of radio stations provide Alexa instructions on their website, and even on air. Of course the Amazon Echo is not a traditional radio, but rather an internet radio. But the point is it's a willing partner, and that's what's missing in the AM/FM debate. Even the Consumer Electronics Association has given up on radio. Those of you who attend CES know what I'm talking about.

 

[TheBigA]

The only type of giveaway radio promotion I could see being workable is at radio booths at state fairs and the like.

This gets us back to the original discussion about being local. Having local staff doesn't matter if the listeners can't SEE them. By that, I mean in person. So I like the idea of having listeners visit the station (although I see a potential security problem if you're in a city). I also like the idea of stations doing local remotes at fairs and other outdoor events. This is a chance to merchandize your talent. If you keep them locked up in dark studios in industrial parks, you might as well use VT from a thousand miles away. Because you're not taking advantage of your talent being local. Great idea to broadcast live from the county or state fair.

 

[Miss Tuned]

This gets us back to the original discussion about being local. Having local staff doesn't matter if the listeners can't SEE them. By that, I mean in person. So I like the idea of having listeners visit the station (although I see a potential security problem if you're in a city). I also like the idea of stations doing local remotes at fairs and other outdoor events. This is a chance to merchandize your talent. If you keep them locked up in dark studios in industrial parks, you might as well use VT from a thousand miles away. Because you're not taking advantage of your talent being local. Great idea to broadcast live from the county or state fair.

Local stations used to be open to visitors - when I was a kid, you could go into most local radio buildings, at least as far as reception, and collect swag like stickers and T-shirts. If you asked nicely, you'd sometimes be allowed in to see the studios, where a local presenter would be sitting and presenting a live show. Nowadays, most stations (even if they're still locally staffed) are closed and locked - partly for security reasons, partly because a lot of the output is either remote or VT and empty studios look bad, partly to save money on having a receptionist.

 

[davideduardo]

Local stations used to be open to visitors - when I was a kid, you could go into most local radio buildings, at least as far as reception, and collect swag like stickers and T-shirts. If you asked nicely, you'd sometimes be allowed in to see the studios, where a local presenter would be sitting and presenting a live show. Nowadays, most stations (even if they're still locally staffed) are closed and locked - partly for security reasons, partly because a lot of the output is either remote or VT and empty studios look bad, partly to save money on having a receptionist.

While there have been occasional cases in the past of stations having studios looking out on the street in downtown areas, generally stations have had studios behind protective doorways. A few may have had the studio looking into the lobby, but even that had security issues.

I've never owned, consulted or worked at a station with a street-view studio except for AM talker Radio 10 in Buenos Aires. It had a corner studio with a street level window and one could see its morning news and commentary show that had 7 or 8 anchors as well as about 30 reporters and writers. The rest of the day had talk hosts or teams along with many guests, and there were always people watching them. The glass was impact-proof and designed to protect against bullets and even explosive devices like grenades.

 

[Kelly A]

Local stations used to be open to visitors - when I was a kid, you could go into most local radio buildings, at least as far as reception, and collect swag like stickers and T-shirts. If you asked nicely, you'd sometimes be allowed in to see the studios, where a local presenter would be sitting and presenting a live show. Nowadays, most stations (even if they're still locally staffed) are closed and locked - partly for security reasons, partly because a lot of the output is either remote or VT and empty studios look bad, partly to save money on having a receptionist.

That was all a very long time ago. Since eliminating the need for local studios, there is no place to tour.

 

[Kelly A]

I've never owned, consulted or worked at a station with a street-view studio except for AM talker Radio 10 in Buenos Aires. It had a corner studio with a street level window and one could see its morning news and commentary show that had 7 or 8 anchors as well as about 30 reporters and writers. The rest of the day had talk hosts or teams along with many guests, and there were always people watching them. The glass was impact-proof and designed to protect against bullets and even explosive devices like grenades.

Weapons used by gangs like the 'Puccio Family' or the Sinaloa Cartel would get through just about any hardened glass in about one and a half seconds.

 

[michael hagerty]

Local stations used to be open to visitors - when I was a kid, you could go into most local radio buildings,

True story---at my first station, KIBS in Bishop, California (population 3,000), the front door was unlocked if the radio station was on. That was the rule. So from 6:00 a.m. until 10:00 p.m. (midnight Fridays and Saturdays, 7:00 p.m. on Sundays), anyone could just walk in. And the studio was right off the lobby, with a big glass window.

Basically, the "open door" policy dated back to when the station opened in 1953.

All well and good, but in 1972, while 16-year-old me was alone in the building doing the Top 40 show, about 8:30, a very large, very inebriated man walked into the lobby, and into the studio and told me he'd like to hear Redbone's "Witch Queen of New Orleans."

I told him I'd try to get that on for him. He lifted his shirt to show the gun in his waistband.

I grabbed "Witch Queen", cued it up and faded out whatever was playing just so this would be over quickly. As "Witch Queen" faded out, instead of "Thank you", he said:

"Again."

Fortunately, three plays seemed to do the trick, he nodded, grunted and stumbled back out the door.