Fight to keep progressive radio in Ohio! THis is IMPORTANT!!!!

[ray of light]

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2006/12/28/16537/219

Think...Southern Ohio and Kentucky get progressive radio now. If they cancel it, the the right-wing continues unanswered in TWO states not just one!

Get to the advertisers, donate, make calls. Email you list and so on! FIGHT THIS HARD!

[ray of light]

1. kick

[damntexdem]

2. Hope there is some success in Ohio.

We lost our outlet in North Texas months ago.

[undeterred]

3. We almost lost ours in Madison, but we won the fight!

Hard work and activism changed the minds of Texas suits at Clear Channel...
If we could do it, so can others.
Don't give up.

:kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick:

[samplegirl]

4. Yet another reason Clear channel would rather everyone

listen to RightWing Hack radio! No end to the corruption with the Repukes in Ohio
NewsFlash Home | More National News

Ohio Gov. Taft reprimanded over ethics
12/27/2006, 9:28 p.m. ET
By ANDREW WELSH-HUGGINS
The Associated Press

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — The state Supreme Court on Wednesday publicly reprimanded Ohio Gov. Bob Taft for his ethics violations in office, a black mark that will stay on his permanent record as an attorney.

Taft, 64, a Republican and great-grandson of President William Howard Taft, pleaded no contest in 2005 to failing to report golf outings and other gifts worth nearly $6,000 during his four-year term. He was fined $4,000. Taft could not seek re-election because of term limits and leaves office in less than two weeks.

The Office of Disciplinary Counsel, an arm of the state Supreme Court, said in April that Taft violated Ohio's code of professional conduct for lawyers, and Taft later signed an agreement admitting the violation.

[seriousstan]

5. The problem is ...there are no advertisers. Never were.

They need to realize that listeners are the target but advertisers pay the bills.

[ray of light]

6. then they need to go to businesses and ask them to advertise there

AND support the businesses that do.

[seriousstan]

7. The problem is not with the listeners, nor is it their job to get advertisers.

It is the duty and obligation of any business, that deserves to survive, to support itself and increase it's income base.

[KharmaTrain]

9. Obligation? Spare Me

Radio is a commercial venture. A vast majority of companies don't advertise out of some altruistic purpose...they do it since they think there are people listening and that the money they're spending on that advertising will come back in additional sales. The "barometer" of how successful a station is to advertisers is the ratings. If a station has strong ratings, companies will advertise...when the ratings suck, there are few who will waste their money where they don't think there are any listeners or possible sales.

AAR has done poorly with ratings and few of the local affiliates do much promotion. AAR was all but invisible on the marketing and promotions end that made it difficult for affiliates to generate an audience that would generate ratings that would generate revenues which is what ensures the format stays on the air.

A company has NO obligation to advertise. Listeners could subsidize AAR, but it'd be a major waste of money. I'd prefer, and do send, that type of money to Pacifica and American Public Radio operations that offer far more than AAR does. It also goes to produce local programming...another major reason AAR has failed.

Clear Channel is bailing on AAR as the status of the network still remains uncertain and revenues at virtually every AAR station I've looked into have been a major disapointment. I'll say it for the umpteenth time here...AAR has failed dued to poor marketing and a very depressed radio market.

[seriousstan]

10. I guess you have a problem with the word "obligation" because other than that

we agree.

[KharmaTrain]

12. Advertising Isn't An Obligation

Unless you meant "obligation" in a different manner. I see a lot of misinformation when it comes to this topic out here.

Peace...

[ray of light]

24. you know it brings to question how much the republican clear channel

ops want progressive radio to survive then.

[LTR]

11. 30 second spots on WTPG were selling for as little as $10

Any sales rep that can't sell THAT should not be in sales.

[seriousstan]

13. I know, they were selling individual's houses on the radio.

Detailed, personal house sales...by the owners, for $10 a spot. I almost advertised my one apartment for rent on there.

[LTR]

14. There's something that's pretty cool and community-oriented about that, but...

...spots on a station like that should be selling for way more than $10 a pop.

The fact that CC account execs couldn't blow those things out the doors, well...

[KharmaTrain]

15. I Heard They Couldn't Sell Them For Even Less

I won't mention the affiliate, but I heard a real horror story of one AAR station that hadn't sold a paid spot in 3 months! All the ads were either traded or bonus spots for an advertiser who bought on a co-owned station and the AAR flight was thrown in as an extra.

The problem with that station, as it is with other affiliates, is many of these radio operations have one sales person trying to sell 4 or 8 different stations...all different formats. The sales person...most who work strictly on commission these days...will go for the easy and big sale...which is usually the music station, not the talk one. In this station's instance, the sales "team" is 3 people who are attempting to sell 4 different stations. It's easier and more profitable for these people to sell the album rock station than the talk one, so that's what gets sold.

Without much local programming and ratings, most AAR affiliates were lucky to get any sales.

[LTR]

17. THREE salespeople???

Getting paid straight commission? For a group as money-hungry as Clear Channel???

Granted, I know CC is trying to get by pretty cheap, but they were advertising for three people to sell the new Rumba station in Boston (ad said that they "must speak Hispanic"). I worked for a small market cluster years ago (two FM, one AM) that had at least 6-8 salespeople. Even after Clear Channel bought the cluster, they still kept the sales crew. No way a skeleton crew like the one you describe can sell across a 6-10 station cluster in a big market! No wonder why they're not making money!

If they were smart, they would have gone out and gotten one dedicated salesperson for the progressive talker, with the main job being to find fresh new clients. It certainly wouldn't cost CC that much, and if the salesperson could sell it, that's just more money coming in.

Sounds to me like they don't like making money. I have a business degree and a decade and a half of sales experience, and this just blows my mind.

[KharmaTrain]

18. Yep...And A Major Market Operation, Too

This wasn't Clear Channel...but I've heard some real crazy stories about what's going on with them lately. This operation is a small company trying to play with the big boys. The owner overspent for the licenses and felt he knew it all about radio, surrounding himself with his pals and chased away all the experienced radio people who he felt weren't worth the money or the perks.

Yep, the sales people work on straight 15% commission. This is so they "stay hungry" and this "worked in the past". Many end up doing lots of trades for gas and food and the easy hits rather than specializing on selling the specific stations. Like in many sales departments I've seen over the years, the format means little, it's all just numbers and getting contracts. And this is the case at the big operations as well.

In my days as broadcast management...I always made sure there was a redunduncy and knowledge of the product. Sales people would sit in with air talent, air talent would go on sales calls...in hopes that a little programming rubs off on the sales person and sales on the air talent and both gain a better appreciation of each job.

I used to joke that if a station used 10% of the office politics and ego games on the product and sales, the bottom line would bloom.

BTW...I heard from a former CC AE who just took a job selling real estate. Yes, real estate right now hold more promise and profit than working for a large corporation. He was driven out by an endless parade of braindead general managers and constant belt tightening. This was one hell of a good sales person, too.

Radio's biggest problem has been the consolidation that put emphasis on agency business that was easier to get and more lucrative and all but shut out the local, smaller advertisers...and then getting rid of the sales people who knew how to sell those people or formats.

I'm very grateful I cashed out and feel for those who still try to stay in that business.

[KharmaTrain]

16. I Heard They Couldn't Sell Them For Even Less

I won't mention the affiliate, but I heard a real horror story of one AAR station that hadn't sold a paid spot in 3 months! All the ads were either traded or bonus spots for an advertiser who bought on a co-owned station and the AAR flight was thrown in as an extra.

The problem with that station, as it is with other affiliates, is many of these radio operations have one sales person trying to sell 4 or 8 different stations...all different formats. The sales person...most who work strictly on commission these days...will go for the easy and big sale...which is usually the music station, not the talk one. In this station's instance, the sales "team" is 3 people who are attempting to sell 4 different stations. It's easier and more profitable for these people to sell the album rock station than the talk one, so that's what gets sold.

Without much local programming and ratings, most AAR affiliates were lucky to get any sales.

[bullwinkle428]

23. That was the problem here in eastern Iowa - they couldn't get any

local businesses to advertise on their stations. The ratings actually weren't bad, but without the ad dollars, it's impossible for a station to survive.

[EFerrari]

8. K&R

[VenusRising]

19. I just signed a petition put out by Progress Ohio.

http://www.progressohio.org/page/petition/saveprogradio

[mod mom]

20. Norman Goldman filling in for Ed Schultz is correct-we need good progressives

with big bucks (he uses Alec Baldwin as an example) to come forward and buy stations. This format can work-it's just they don't want it to.

[seriousstan]

21. They need advertisers.

[mod mom]

22. They need competent marketers at the helm. The audience is there, it is

their responsibility to get the advertisers.

kicking for more signatures.

[Doctor_J]

25. There is a ton of money out there

Baldwin, Hanks, Reiner, Henley, Soros, Buffett, Streisand, and a number of others.