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What is wrong?
- Thread starter jboyd
- Start date
B
bobrall
Guest
Zach: In small towns without a daily newspaper, the local radio station was the only source of information
Swap shop = classified ads.
Funeral annoucements = newspaper obits
Local police reports = the metro section.
...etc.
A well run small town radio station was, and in some rare cases still is, an artform
I never did it; but, I've always admired those who did it well.
Swap shop = classified ads.
Funeral annoucements = newspaper obits
Local police reports = the metro section.
...etc.
A well run small town radio station was, and in some rare cases still is, an artform
I never did it; but, I've always admired those who did it well.
I agree with everything J. Boyd says, but at the risk of sounding cynical, there's a reason why many stations no longer do live local programming. Money. Or more specifically, the lack thereof. The Trading Post used to be sponsored by the hardware store. They went out of business years ago when Wal-Mart came to town. (J. Boyd even has a Lowe's in his market). The hospital report was sponsored by the hospital or the local drug store. They cancelled that when some big conglomerate bought the hospital and Walgreen's put the local drug store out of business. The community calendar was sponsored by the local bank. The local bank is now part of some big bank in Memphis and they have an ad agency that won't buy unrated markets. Local sports was sponsored by the local hamburger stand. McDonald's and Wendy's closed them down years ago. And again, McDonald's and Wendy's aren't spending any money on local radio, they're pouring it all into TV. The local ladies clothing store sponsored the daily women's news. Wal-Mart and Cato put them out of business.
I try to do as much local programming as possible, but the fact of the matter is, there's just no ad revenue there to support it. My stations still do local news, which few do anymore. But we can't even get sponsors for the local news.
As illustrated above, many of our traditional advertisers are gone. The locally-owned places that remain usually have no money or are just too stupid to try something as radical as advertising. Some are so poorly run that advertising wouldn't help them much anyway. The chain stores and the dimwits at their ad agencies aren't going to advertise - so what do we do? We turn our stations into a jukebox and try to get by with as little expense as possible.
Larry Fuss
I try to do as much local programming as possible, but the fact of the matter is, there's just no ad revenue there to support it. My stations still do local news, which few do anymore. But we can't even get sponsors for the local news.
As illustrated above, many of our traditional advertisers are gone. The locally-owned places that remain usually have no money or are just too stupid to try something as radical as advertising. Some are so poorly run that advertising wouldn't help them much anyway. The chain stores and the dimwits at their ad agencies aren't going to advertise - so what do we do? We turn our stations into a jukebox and try to get by with as little expense as possible.
Larry Fuss
Larry, I fully understand your frustration, your cynicism.
In a small market that is as picked clean by the big-boxes and chains as you described, WHO do you sell to today? Who are the typical remaining advertising customers? Up until now, car dealers have been very significant but that may change radically.
The one station that I looked at that I could have actually capitalized with some level of comfort, I walked away. Not a car dealer in the whole town. Not a grocer in town who looked like a potential advertiser. I couldn't get excited about going to the next town east of me every Monday, the next town south of me every Tuesday, etc. etc. and being the bottom feeder in each of those markets, having to convince them that their hometown station didn't really reach my little market sufficiently. That was not the radio business I knew anything about, and I wasn't ready to learn.
In a small market that is as picked clean by the big-boxes and chains as you described, WHO do you sell to today? Who are the typical remaining advertising customers? Up until now, car dealers have been very significant but that may change radically.
The one station that I looked at that I could have actually capitalized with some level of comfort, I walked away. Not a car dealer in the whole town. Not a grocer in town who looked like a potential advertiser. I couldn't get excited about going to the next town east of me every Monday, the next town south of me every Tuesday, etc. etc. and being the bottom feeder in each of those markets, having to convince them that their hometown station didn't really reach my little market sufficiently. That was not the radio business I knew anything about, and I wasn't ready to learn.
Much to my surprise, it appears that Grenada still has a swap shop type show on the air. I happened to hear it yesterday while stuck in a car with no aux jack on the radio. 
What was troublesome though was it was being simulcast on two of the three local FMs. So it was an old cat lady trying to get rid of furniture or country music, neither or which I really care for. Contrary to what you might think, I'm not anti-local programming or even anti-Swap Shop. But I don't like stupid business decisions like this that take away two local choices when the show would work fine on one station.
Now, a question for the seasoned pros: How good a revenue source is ad buys from local restaurants? I hear a few locally and they seem to be pretty regular supporters of the local stations. We lost two or three drug stores when Walgreens and CVS both built here at the same time. And with car sales down, I can't imagine they're buying as much. So maybe local restaurants are the big thing now?
What was troublesome though was it was being simulcast on two of the three local FMs. So it was an old cat lady trying to get rid of furniture or country music, neither or which I really care for. Contrary to what you might think, I'm not anti-local programming or even anti-Swap Shop. But I don't like stupid business decisions like this that take away two local choices when the show would work fine on one station.
Now, a question for the seasoned pros: How good a revenue source is ad buys from local restaurants? I hear a few locally and they seem to be pretty regular supporters of the local stations. We lost two or three drug stores when Walgreens and CVS both built here at the same time. And with car sales down, I can't imagine they're buying as much. So maybe local restaurants are the big thing now?
Zach,
I assume you are referring to locally-owned restaurants and not the "Appelbee's" type of chain that provides regional revenue. A lot of the local ones surely do trade, or maybe a percentage of cash/trade agreement,most likely. Comes in handy to take clients(or fellow broadcasters in town to visit)out for lunch meetings, but mostly a cash upfront, time-consuming advertiser with not a lot of cash flow to cover extensive ad campaigns. Based on my experience,I wouldn't think restaurants would be a high percentage of revenue. Could be execptions,of course.
I assume you are referring to locally-owned restaurants and not the "Appelbee's" type of chain that provides regional revenue. A lot of the local ones surely do trade, or maybe a percentage of cash/trade agreement,most likely. Comes in handy to take clients(or fellow broadcasters in town to visit)out for lunch meetings, but mostly a cash upfront, time-consuming advertiser with not a lot of cash flow to cover extensive ad campaigns. Based on my experience,I wouldn't think restaurants would be a high percentage of revenue. Could be execptions,of course.
We havesome local restaurants...the key here is "Hot Button" salesmanship...get to know the owner (Behind the Cash register or in the Kitchen).
Have kids inschool? Hi school sports
Is she into the professional or college sports? Scoreboard, or the coaches show from another school...sign them up
, do a good job and they will stay with you.
As for the golden arches, the whopper, etc. not a chance.
Have kids inschool? Hi school sports
Is she into the professional or college sports? Scoreboard, or the coaches show from another school...sign them up
, do a good job and they will stay with you.
As for the golden arches, the whopper, etc. not a chance.
B
bobrall
Guest
J.Boyd understands relationship direct sales. That's why he's still around. He knows the value of
his product and how to make it important to local businesses.
Listen up!
his product and how to make it important to local businesses.
Listen up!
robgrayson said:
That statement says it all for me.
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