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Part 15 AM do you have an audiance?

R

radio8z

Hello all,

As I review the posts here, I see that we are concerned about legal operation and how to get the best range.

So I must ask what are we trying to do? Implicit in getting range is getting someone to listen.

My question is "How many listeners do you have?". "How do you know?".

Anyone know just how effective P15 broadcasting is, or are we just doing it hoping that it will work? Documented success stories would be most useful.

Regards,

Neil
 
> Hello all,
>
> As I review the posts here, I see that we are concerned
> about legal operation and how to get the best range.
>
> So I must ask what are we trying to do? Implicit in getting
> range is getting someone to listen.
>
> My question is "How many listeners do you have?". "How do
> you know?".
>
> Anyone know just how effective P15 broadcasting is, or are
> we just doing it hoping that it will work? Documented
> success stories would be most useful.
>
> Regards,
>
> Neil
>
How many listeners do you have Neil?....what I did since I live in a community, was simply to distribute a flyer and a questionaire at our community mailbox.....I got the answers fairly quickly and I got a lot of great tips as to what was needed on local radio......what did you do to promote your local station?....I'd be interested in that more than a lot of questions.<P ID="signature">______________
[email protected], [email protected],[email protected]</P>
 
> > Hello all,
> >
> > As I review the posts here, I see that we are concerned
> > about legal operation and how to get the best range.
> >
> > So I must ask what are we trying to do? Implicit in
> getting
> > range is getting someone to listen.
> >
> > My question is "How many listeners do you have?". "How do
>
> > you know?".
> >
> > Anyone know just how effective P15 broadcasting is, or are
>
> > we just doing it hoping that it will work? Documented
> > success stories would be most useful.
> >
> > Regards,
> >
> > Neil


> >
> How many listeners do you have Neil?....what I did since I
> live in a community, was simply to distribute a flyer and a
> questionaire at our community mailbox.....I got the answers
> fairly quickly and I got a lot of great tips as to what was
> needed on local radio......what did you do to promote your
> local station?....I'd be interested in that more than a lot
> of questions.
>
Hi Carl and others,

I have only one listener...me. It was never my intent to do long range broadcasting and gather a large audience. I like to broadcast my music, talk radio, and other recordings for my own use on my modest 1/2 acre property. This I do with great success.

I did not mean to cause agrivation on the part of anyone. I just think that if one goes through the effort and expense of providing a part 15 community service system, one should know what the results are.

I am just curious about the success stories that all of you might have pertaining to P15 AM broadcasting.

Regards,

Neil
 
Hello Neil,

William Walker's WILW web site www.wilw.com has information regarding station promotion.

You question is a good one (how do we know how many people are listening?). One simple but effective way is to promote the station to local businesses and sell inexpensive ad spots ("A dollar a holler" is common). If their sales go up, that's a qualitative though not quantitative measure of listenership.

A Part 15 station can also air ads in exchange for window ads for the station at the sponsors' establishments. Another technique is to distribute fixed-tuned receivers (or tunable ones with the station's frequency highlighted), imprinted with sponsors' logos in exchange for them underwriting the receivers. -- Jason
 
Re: Part 15 AM do you have an audiance?Radio Brandy does!

Radio Brandy knows the number of listeners must be high judging by the number of fruitcakes we manage to attract. There must be some ratio out there that determines your listener ship based on the fruitcake factor. I know there is one based on the number of phone calls received. At one station I worked with it was figured at 30:1. Emails to us are very high as is our visitor count to our local web sites
Neil you were questioning credibility on another post like so many others managed to vanish before I could respond. Actually I was responding when the post vanished. Regarding your question on credibility, notice how no one denied it, actually they admitted to it but put it in the past as if it made it all right to cheat employees. I will post my response to you and others on the Radio Brandy web site. Just take the Reno tour again.
Don’t forget keep up with the latest Radio Brandy’s NEWS by clicking on the latest news link

Steve
www.RadioBrandy.com

> > > Hello all,
> > >
> > > As I review the posts here, I see that we are concerned
> > > about legal operation and how to get the best range.
> > >
> > > So I must ask what are we trying to do? Implicit in
> > getting
> > > range is getting someone to listen.
> > >
> > > My question is "How many listeners do you have?". "How
> do
> >
> > > you know?".
> > >
> > > Anyone know just how effective P15 broadcasting is, or
> are
> >
> > > we just doing it hoping that it will work? Documented
> > > success stories would be most useful.
> > >
> > > Regards,
> > >
> > > Neil
>
>
> > >
> > How many listeners do you have Neil?....what I did since I
>
> > live in a community, was simply to distribute a flyer and
> a
> > questionaire at our community mailbox.....I got the
> answers
> > fairly quickly and I got a lot of great tips as to what
> was
> > needed on local radio......what did you do to promote your
>
> > local station?....I'd be interested in that more than a
> lot
> > of questions.
> >
> Hi Carl and others,
>
> I have only one listener...me. It was never my intent to do
> long range broadcasting and gather a large audience. I like
> to broadcast my music, talk radio, and other recordings for
> my own use on my modest 1/2 acre property. This I do with
> great success.
>
> I did not mean to cause agrivation on the part of anyone.
> I just think that if one goes through the effort and expense
> of providing a part 15 community service system, one should
> know what the results are.
>
> I am just curious about the success stories that all of you
> might have pertaining to P15 AM broadcasting.
>
> Regards,
>
> Neil
>
 
> > > Hello all,> > > > > > As I review the posts here, I see that we are concerned> > > about legal operation and how to get the best range.> > > > > > So I must ask what are we trying to do? Implicit in> > getting> > > range is getting someone to listen.> > > > > > My question is "How many listeners do you have?". "How> do> > > > > you know?".> > > > > > Anyone know just how effective P15 broadcasting is, or> are> > > > > we just doing it hoping that it will work? Documented> > > success stories would be most useful.> > > > > > Regards,> > > > > > Neil> > > > > > > How many listeners do you have Neil?....what I did since I> > > live in a community, was simply to distribute a flyer and> a> > questionaire at our community mailbox.....I got the> answers> > fairly quickly and I got a lot of great tips as to what> was> > needed on local radio......what did you do to promote your> > > local station?....I'd be interested in that more than a> lot> > of questions.> > > Hi Carl and others,> > I have only one listener...me. It was never my intent to do> long range broadcasting and gather a large audience. I like> to broadcast my music, talk radio, and other recordings for> my own use on my modest 1/2 acre property. This I do with> great success.> > I did not mean to cause agrivation on the part of anyone. > I just think that if one goes through the effort and expense> of providing a part 15 community service system, one should> know what the results are.> > I am just curious about the success stories that all of you> might have pertaining to P15 AM broadcasting.> > Regards,> > Neil> Dear Neil,Still a good question and I told how I was able to gauge my audience. Plus, I know the neighbors, what they want to hear and when, and basically, what they are NOT interested in hearing............since I am involved somewhat with sstran, I can say that basically 90% of AM part 15 tx's are sold with the intention of the buyer to serve his own property for his own convienence..the other 10% want to do public broadcasting........just about any part 15 tx with a wire antenna (provided) will cover your yard and house, it is where a person wishes to cover a mile or a community where the hardware comes into play...........like any business, it needs to exist before customers come.......so, if you live in a community of retired residents, put up my antenna and play rap music (I think they call this marketing/research!)your chances of getting a listener is next to nil....but if you provide (for example) jewish music in a community with a large jewish population and no station serving that community, then it is pretty likely that your station will be found and listened to.<P ID="signature">______________
[email protected], [email protected],[email protected]</P>
 
Hi Carl and everyone else,

Carl, once again I appreciate your reply to my posts. Your words of experience are well taken. I think it is fine that folks broadcast to serve a community and attract an audience. I was just curious as to how successful this has been. Your posts and other indicate that it can work.

I have made clear that my personal reasons for P15 AM do not include attracting an audience. I was interested in the stories of those who do and enjoy reading about it.

I cannot commit to a regular broadcast schedule, and I know nothing about programming. Marketing and sales, yes, but not programming.

Thanks to you and all who replied to this post. It is interesting.

Regards,

Neil
 
> I cannot commit to a regular broadcast schedule, and I know
> nothing about programming. Marketing and sales, yes, but
> not programming.

Sounds like you would be perfect for employment with Clear Channel,
they don't seem to know anything about programming either!

Steve
Radio Brandy
 
> > I cannot commit to a regular broadcast schedule, and I
> know
> > nothing about programming. Marketing and sales, yes, but
> > not programming.
>
> Sounds like you would be perfect for employment with Clear
> Channel,
> they don't seem to know anything about programming either!
>
> Steve
> Radio Brandy
>
Steve,

Yup. I never was a programming director, now I are one.

Have a good break!

Neil
 
> I cannot commit to a regular broadcast schedule, and I know
> nothing about programming. Marketing and sales, yes, but
> not programming.
>

Someone else mentioned the problem of programming a radio station for 24/7 operation. But, of course, a part-15 station need only be a daytimer (and probably should be anyway).

I've actually had a couple of club dj's offer to contribute programming for my fledgling part-15 station. I also know the entire staff of the Radio/TV department at my local junior college (occasionally I teach there) and I know they would let their advanced radio students contribute programming as part of a work activity assignment. So it need not be entirely up to the part-15 station operator to supply the programming. And there's nothing wrong with stockpiling a month's worth of playlists and putting them in rotation.

As for audience, well I feel publicity is the key. Placing an ad in a local newspaper announcing your station and possibly getting a short piece done in the editorial pages as well. People will probably tune in (or try to) just out of curisosity. Of course, the flip side of publicity is getting noticed by a licensed broadcaster and getting a complaint from them to the FCC. Never mind that your power levels are legal, that your coverage is measured in feet vs. miles or that your format is probably totally different from theirs and your ad revenues (if any) is pennies not dollars. They're just pissed that they got totally reamed in fees by the FCC and had to jump through hoops to get on the air and you didn't.

But I've gotten a great deal of interest from locals in the concept a local radio station. That's just been through word of mouth. I can imagine what the response would be if I advertised or got press coverage.

Anyway, it's just a thought.

db
 
Neil, here's a Part 15 programming option

Hello Neil,

There's a simple, easy way to get started in programming your Part 15 AM radio station. It may sound strange at first, but please bear with me.

Providing an unusual service would attract listeners. If you re-broadcast WWV or WWVH over your Part 15 AM station 24/7, people could always get the exact, official US time. Over the WWV or WWVB audio, every few minutes you could also periodically play automatically repeating audio messages (for example, public service announcements inviting people to come to your local ham radio club meetings). Local events such as "National Night Out" block parties would also be candidates for such an announcement service. You could also alternate this with NOAA Weather Radio reports, especially during cold or inclement weather.

What do you think? -- Jason
 
Re: Neil, here's a Part 15 programming option

Hi Jason, My apology if this is a double post...had some problem with it.

Always nice to hear from you. Your suggestion is good. I have in the past rebroadcast WWV for range testing and just to give my transmitter something to do. I prefer CHU Canada (7333 KHz.) because it just sounds nicer than WWV.

I appreciate your thoughts on this, but I am really not interested in gaining an audience. I was the licensee of a 2 meter ham repeater and spent a great amount of time keeping it running because of my "audience" and their expectations. Down time was not an option. It really went beyond a hobby and took on a life or it's own. It was fun for a while, but I had to get out of that. The repeater is now an ARPSC emergency repeater and they maintain it.

I personally just want to listen to what I want when I want. If someone else finds my signal and wants to copy the mail, good. If not, that's OK. For those who want to have a decent station with listeners, great. Go for it! My original post here was just to satisfy my curiosity about what others have done with their stations. Got some nice replies.

Thanks again for your reply. Keep in touch.

Neil
 
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