Mistakes are sometimes made by LPFM groups perhaps because they do not fully understand radio. Granted the typical LPFM has zero budget for someone in the business to help them but I wanted to point out a few things I have seen and some of the many mistakes/misconceptions I had to learn the hard way. I am no radio guru, just a guy in radio that is passionate about the business. Thus, I am just one opinion. I started a website to try to help and I have nothing to sell there. You can message me and I can give you the link in you want to take a look.
1) Eclectic formats tend not to work. Low Power FM covers a small population compared to a full power station. If your format choice attracted 3% of radio listeners on the full power station that reached 100,000 it will likely not work on your station that reaches 10,000. Chances are very good you will dig in your pocket to pay some of the expenses every month. That's scary because emergencies happen and life is always changing, so the month you can't dig in the wallet, what happens. And don't expect a hundred people wanting to do shows. Maybe 5 or 6 at most. The computer will be your friend.
2) Flawed Programming Plan: One guy I talked to spearheaded a board that really thought they could do local talk 12 hours a day reaching only 6,000 in their coverage area. First, let's just guess they can attract 5% of that 6,000. That gives you 300 people. Years ago it was determined 2% of listeners would call the station. That's 6 people. And they thought the hosts would be people in the community holding fulltime jobs. We're talking doctors, ranchers, government officials, etc. They had no idea how much time it takes to prepare for even an hour-long talk show. Remember having to make a 5 minute speech in speech class and how long it seemed? That's not to mention talk shows require a set of skills that many people have never been forced to implement.
3) Do local, as much as you can. Instead of doing an hour of this or that, think short segment that can vary in length from mere seconds to a few minutes. You might want a community calendar event every hour or half hour, for example. Think subject matter as targets and let those topics evolve and flesh out. Local is the key word. As many local voices from the largest cross section of the community really works. Instead of a 2 hour Gardening Show on Saturday morning why not a 1 minute or less gardening tip? People will consistently share tips but won't host a 2 hour show.
3) My Friends and My Board Like It. The reality is radio is not about your friends. Your friends think like you and like what you do which is why you're friends. Radio is about community. You need to literally ignore friends. Why? Friends say no. The harsh reality is it is easier for your friends to tell you no than it is for a person who isn't your friend. Selling advertising proved this. I never got a yes from friends but those who weren't friends frequently said yes. When you need financial support or even some man hours, you stand a much better chance of getting a no from friends. What happened the last time you moved? And friends are usually not your listeners...can't quite say why that is but I recall, for example, my ex-wife listened to the competition and not the station I worked for. I asked why. The answer: I know all of you guys.
4) We'll be a huge success! Step back from this. The reality is you are your greatest fan. We are all bent toward creating something that is the reflection of our very best effort so we are proud of it. That is purely natural. Just don't expect anyone else to agree even when they try to be nice and agree anyway. If you think otherwise you will likely be disappointed. Instead consider your radio station much like a child. In the early days it takes constant care and attention but as it grows, while you might influence the child, the child takes on a persona of its own. Instead of dictating, watch the beauty of your station growing up and becoming that entity that makes a positive impact on the community you serve.
5) Sales will come! These are likely the most frequently muttered words among those filing bankruptcy. Sales do not come. Sales happen when you go get them. People don't just donate on a whim without prodding and businesses don't buy Underwriting because you're there. So, you say, I'll mail a flyer and scratch your head because it produced nothing. Face to face and building relationships creates underwriting buys. There is no shortcut. And I might add, commission only for a full time position isn't going to cut it. How many people do you know who will give up their salary to sell? If you know one, it must be you. The fact is the board will need to build the station financially. And don't think going places to sell stuff is the way. When that happens, you end up spending all that time selling stuff and very little on the radio station that languishes and becomes less important day after day. The radio station airwaves is a saleable product and should be a big part of your focus. And for your station's sake, don't stop when you simply have enough. Once someone drops you'll be in a panic and God forbid the transmitter gets fried from a lightning strike!
6) Say No To Politics! That's right, don't even go there! Politics is the sure-fire way to eliminate half your potential listeners and Underwriters. Politics divides. It does not unite! Anything that divides the community will cause you to lose listeners and Underwriters and people have elephant memories, never getting past what happened 10, 20 years or more. You'll be akin to the murderer that served their time and returns to the town. The town will always call the murderer a murderer not matter how the person might be years or decades later. Isn't a bully in Junior High still a bully in your mind after you've grown up? You might squawk at this no controversy, no politics stand but it really is best to steer clear. While we are at it, religion has much the same effect. Running a show for a non-Christian faith, say, in a Southern state where the population is strongly Christian will tend to label your station as an outsider on a primarily secular station. I'm not talking about running a worship service from a local Church but specifically alternative beliefs that are not shared by the bulk of the community. You are seen as being opposed to their belief even if your motives were good.
I realize I have dealt with the negative here but please realize that this wonderful thing you have is your gift to the community. You might run it but the community owns it and if you allow the community to dictate, the community will support it. That's how your LPFM becomes part of the community. The sheer numbers in your tiny coverage will come if you pay attention to them and try to serve them. If you select an eclectic choice you likely will never get there, granted a few exceptions exist but it takes a very unique community that is equally eclectic. My rule of thumb: the radio station is not about me. It is about the community and it doesn't matter if I like the station's format or not but that the biggest cross section of my coverage area does. If I will do that, I am serving my community.
Also, please keep an attitude of sharing with other stations. In radio we learn what we know because we share what we have learned. Ask lots of people questions. Get lots of opinions. The more the better. To rely on one opinion is almost as scary as never seeking out one. Every market is different. An idea that floated in one town might be a lead balloon in the next town.
My comments come by seeing so many stations that came on in the first LPFM window simply give up and turn in their license. Wanting to know what that happened, I looked at what they did and how they operated. The above is a summary of about a dozen or so stations that are no longer there. Every one died for lack of audience and/or funding. And that funding was more of an 'I hate sales' attitude.
1) Eclectic formats tend not to work. Low Power FM covers a small population compared to a full power station. If your format choice attracted 3% of radio listeners on the full power station that reached 100,000 it will likely not work on your station that reaches 10,000. Chances are very good you will dig in your pocket to pay some of the expenses every month. That's scary because emergencies happen and life is always changing, so the month you can't dig in the wallet, what happens. And don't expect a hundred people wanting to do shows. Maybe 5 or 6 at most. The computer will be your friend.
2) Flawed Programming Plan: One guy I talked to spearheaded a board that really thought they could do local talk 12 hours a day reaching only 6,000 in their coverage area. First, let's just guess they can attract 5% of that 6,000. That gives you 300 people. Years ago it was determined 2% of listeners would call the station. That's 6 people. And they thought the hosts would be people in the community holding fulltime jobs. We're talking doctors, ranchers, government officials, etc. They had no idea how much time it takes to prepare for even an hour-long talk show. Remember having to make a 5 minute speech in speech class and how long it seemed? That's not to mention talk shows require a set of skills that many people have never been forced to implement.
3) Do local, as much as you can. Instead of doing an hour of this or that, think short segment that can vary in length from mere seconds to a few minutes. You might want a community calendar event every hour or half hour, for example. Think subject matter as targets and let those topics evolve and flesh out. Local is the key word. As many local voices from the largest cross section of the community really works. Instead of a 2 hour Gardening Show on Saturday morning why not a 1 minute or less gardening tip? People will consistently share tips but won't host a 2 hour show.
3) My Friends and My Board Like It. The reality is radio is not about your friends. Your friends think like you and like what you do which is why you're friends. Radio is about community. You need to literally ignore friends. Why? Friends say no. The harsh reality is it is easier for your friends to tell you no than it is for a person who isn't your friend. Selling advertising proved this. I never got a yes from friends but those who weren't friends frequently said yes. When you need financial support or even some man hours, you stand a much better chance of getting a no from friends. What happened the last time you moved? And friends are usually not your listeners...can't quite say why that is but I recall, for example, my ex-wife listened to the competition and not the station I worked for. I asked why. The answer: I know all of you guys.
4) We'll be a huge success! Step back from this. The reality is you are your greatest fan. We are all bent toward creating something that is the reflection of our very best effort so we are proud of it. That is purely natural. Just don't expect anyone else to agree even when they try to be nice and agree anyway. If you think otherwise you will likely be disappointed. Instead consider your radio station much like a child. In the early days it takes constant care and attention but as it grows, while you might influence the child, the child takes on a persona of its own. Instead of dictating, watch the beauty of your station growing up and becoming that entity that makes a positive impact on the community you serve.
5) Sales will come! These are likely the most frequently muttered words among those filing bankruptcy. Sales do not come. Sales happen when you go get them. People don't just donate on a whim without prodding and businesses don't buy Underwriting because you're there. So, you say, I'll mail a flyer and scratch your head because it produced nothing. Face to face and building relationships creates underwriting buys. There is no shortcut. And I might add, commission only for a full time position isn't going to cut it. How many people do you know who will give up their salary to sell? If you know one, it must be you. The fact is the board will need to build the station financially. And don't think going places to sell stuff is the way. When that happens, you end up spending all that time selling stuff and very little on the radio station that languishes and becomes less important day after day. The radio station airwaves is a saleable product and should be a big part of your focus. And for your station's sake, don't stop when you simply have enough. Once someone drops you'll be in a panic and God forbid the transmitter gets fried from a lightning strike!
6) Say No To Politics! That's right, don't even go there! Politics is the sure-fire way to eliminate half your potential listeners and Underwriters. Politics divides. It does not unite! Anything that divides the community will cause you to lose listeners and Underwriters and people have elephant memories, never getting past what happened 10, 20 years or more. You'll be akin to the murderer that served their time and returns to the town. The town will always call the murderer a murderer not matter how the person might be years or decades later. Isn't a bully in Junior High still a bully in your mind after you've grown up? You might squawk at this no controversy, no politics stand but it really is best to steer clear. While we are at it, religion has much the same effect. Running a show for a non-Christian faith, say, in a Southern state where the population is strongly Christian will tend to label your station as an outsider on a primarily secular station. I'm not talking about running a worship service from a local Church but specifically alternative beliefs that are not shared by the bulk of the community. You are seen as being opposed to their belief even if your motives were good.
I realize I have dealt with the negative here but please realize that this wonderful thing you have is your gift to the community. You might run it but the community owns it and if you allow the community to dictate, the community will support it. That's how your LPFM becomes part of the community. The sheer numbers in your tiny coverage will come if you pay attention to them and try to serve them. If you select an eclectic choice you likely will never get there, granted a few exceptions exist but it takes a very unique community that is equally eclectic. My rule of thumb: the radio station is not about me. It is about the community and it doesn't matter if I like the station's format or not but that the biggest cross section of my coverage area does. If I will do that, I am serving my community.
Also, please keep an attitude of sharing with other stations. In radio we learn what we know because we share what we have learned. Ask lots of people questions. Get lots of opinions. The more the better. To rely on one opinion is almost as scary as never seeking out one. Every market is different. An idea that floated in one town might be a lead balloon in the next town.
My comments come by seeing so many stations that came on in the first LPFM window simply give up and turn in their license. Wanting to know what that happened, I looked at what they did and how they operated. The above is a summary of about a dozen or so stations that are no longer there. Every one died for lack of audience and/or funding. And that funding was more of an 'I hate sales' attitude.
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