Spots vs Live Reads

[Big_Ben]

Ok, I'm not gonna even try to act like a Sales guy. My heart is in Programming and Production, so I don't know much about the logistics of sellings spots and whatnot. I do have a questions though...

I'm curious of how would you structure your clocks if you are going old school and having jocks read all the spots live and throughout the hour? Would you charge the same about for a live read that you would for a produced spot? And how many live spots per hour to do schedule?

Also, if the listener catches on (which they will) that the jock will be reading the commercial, won't that send them to the dial knob every time you crack the mic? Even if it's a 15 second break about your website or the latest music news - going up an intro ramp - they listener could start seeing that as a "commercial". Heck, alot of listeners see our talk breaks as "commercials" already.

Sales Gurus...enlighten me!!

 

[Stewy]

I'll take a swing. The more live spots you do the better your own air talent had better be and I don't just mean being able to read without sounding like a third grader. The live spots have to engaging, sincere and most importantly entertaining. If you go totally live spots it should be planned, prepared and rehearsed just like you are doing Saturday Night Live. Anything less and you run the risk to which you allude where listeners ignore everything coming live and that would really be devastating to station identity. But if you pull it off you can go ahead and start another wing on the building to house all the awards and recognition that you'll receive.

The math will work by comparing the number of recorded ads you run now in an hour and how much money they bring in for the hour TO the number of live ads that can be physically performed well by your jocks in one hour. Divide the now money for the hour by the number of lives per hour you can do and the result will be the cost per spot you need to charge for the lives to keep even. Simple, very simple. The hard part is assembling a team with the needed talent, creativity, versatility and energy to do it consistently with no end. Done well in the old school style creates an unmatched work place environment, the highest possible station identity and huge revenue increases. Pull it off and you can multiply the above resulting cost per live spot by 3-5. Lots more money, lots more creativity, fun place to work. Keep in mind that if you do it all the time you'll need live jocks overnight as well. Gee, doesn't this remind you of was a decade or so ago? You always entertain (even when making money), you always inform and you are always doing it.

The present profiteers that read this post don't get it and will never get it. But all of you who've been fortunate enough to have worked in this type of environment and all who wish to have the opportunity for the experience....take hope. The darkness will explode into a dawn soon as the profiteers continue to tighten their own nooses. Sorry, rambling again. Thanks for the opportunity Big_Ben, go for it! Good luck and shoot me a link so I can listen to it.

 

[amfmsw]

I'd schedule them first and/or last in a stop set, out of and into programming. In the big city, talent gets paid for each live read, but don't hold your breath. Live reads should get a 10-20% bonus on rate. Live billboards: "Weather Update sponsored by... you know 10-15 seconds, are usually value added.

 

[Big_Ben]

wow, thanks for breakin that down for this feeble mind Stewy! I hope to be in a position to do that before too long. If it comes to reality, I'll definantly let you in on it!