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Short Form Info Program Syndication

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I'm not a "radio person" so forgive me if some of these are newbie questions.

Basically, I've had a 60-second, short form, daily informational program that's aired for about a year on a local station. I'm interested in syndicating nationally but am unsure of the steps to take. I have a possible advertiser lined-up but my sticking point comes in the area of affiliates.

1. Should I seek-out an affiliate salesperson? Any recommendations?
2. How do affiliate sales work? Do salespeople work on a per-station/$ basis or as a percentage of revenue?
3. Where should I look for to find an affiliate salesperson?
4. Is there even a market for short-form informational programming or are long-form shows easier sells right now?

THANKS!
 
Radio-Linx does offer several options to include:

1. A manual on how syndication works - http://www.radio-linx.com/Syndication-_The_Manual.html

2. An email one-sheet sent out to programming directors and station managers every few months where you can pitch your show. It costs anywhere from $100 to $150 to buy a space on this.

3. They also do full fledged representation, which requires a more significant monetary investment on your part.

4. There are also radio syndication companies, internet radio options, and other people willing to represent your show (for a price).

I have spoken to one successful radio show host who has been pleased with what Radio-Linx has been able to do for him and have also taken advantage of their "one-sheet" program advertising.

As for your last question, I think there is plenty of room in the market for quality short form features!

Hope that helps get you started. I have self-syndicated my show (www.northwesternoutdoors.com) and would be happy to answer questions for you as well. Just email me at [email protected]
 
RDO and NWOutdoors - thanks very much for your very helpful replies.

In looking at the RadioLinx website they say that they offer representation with fees that "are less than what you would pay for secretarial assistance." Does anyone have an idea what that means? If a secretary makes $36,000/year I assume that means RadioLinx offers representation for about $3,000/month plus commission?

Also, is it ever worthwhile to cold pitch a short-form feature on-spec to a syndicator like Envision (for instance)?
 
RDO and R-Dub, thanks for the helpful links!

Another question ... what is the typical, or good, length for a short-form program? 60 seconds, 90 seconds, 2 minutes? And what percentage of that time should be devoted to sponsorship? For instance, should a 60-second program have 45-seconds content and a 15-second advertiser message (3-1 ratio)? Should a 90-second program have 60-seconds content and a 30-second advertiser message (2-1 ratio) or 15-second advertiser message (5-1 ratio)?
 
Short form certainly get make you more money! A benchmark short form piece can be very sell-able.
 
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