Comments on: Peak’s tough situation

By: Radio gal

Radio gal — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 15:31:58 +0000

“Hired professional broadcasters”… That’s why I love Canyon County.

By: Rainshadow

Rainshadow — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 08:16:28 +0000

Speaking of being local, kind of – does anyone think some of these silly promotions would/could work today. The picture is of the KJR Supercar, the ugliest thing on four wheels, but a great promotion. It finally burned to the ground in the middle of the Seattle Torch Light parade. If you read further down, some of the radio promotions were classics – especially the “little green thing with a picture of a duck on it”.

Check it out. Now that was local radio (and broadcasting) at its most creative and it was fun! http://www.callihan.com/seattle/pophist.htm

By: RadioActive

RadioActive — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 07:52:40 +0000

“The borrower is servent to the lender….”

“No matter how high you climb to the top of the Corporate ladder, you are always one step away from the curb….”

“This To Shall Pass….”

By: Elliott

Elliott — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 01:49:34 +0000

Unless you have been in the ownership seat you really don’t have any idea what its like having to make payroll twice a month, keep the lights on and doors open and then don’t forget the Advertising and Promotion expenses. Then add the interest payments and maybe an actual debt principal reduction too. Being “LOCAL” is expensive but we feel the investment is worth it in the long run. Unfortunately, most companies that own radio stations these days have huge debt service weighing them down and hence the cuts in operating expenses as the economy has softened. Its too bad the consolidators didn’t have an EXIT strategy! OMG you mean we might have to actually operate these things profitably. The winners in the long run will be the small companies that are tied to their communities and are as local as possible.

I wish everyone in this business success as the entire industry is really taking a beating now. How about seeing some more positive posts on this board. While others have cut staff we have added nine professional broadcasters to the staff over the past 90 days. I hope the later half of 2009 is better for everyone in the best business in the world.

Elliott Klein, Managing Partner
IMPACT RADIO GROUP

By: Rainshadow

Rainshadow — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 07:23:30 +0000

I agree with Formerly Roger. Hokey sells. Radio works best when it connects emotionally with its audience. A general manager once told me to make him, laugh, cry or get angry about something I said on the air. He wanted me and the rest of the DJ’s to connect with the audience in some meaningful way – and it worked. The station was number one in the market for over 15 years.

Do remotes at the art shows and weekend events in Julia Davis Park. Sponsor some of the entertainers. Get involved and connect with the community. Of course some people will think its hokey. Who cares? Did they show up because they heard about it on the radio? If they did, then the connection worked.

To bring TV into this a little, I watch channel 7 and 6 because they are involved with the community and its events (Special Olympics for one). Even though I enjoy some of the programs on CBS, I rarely watch channel 2 simply because they don’t appear to be involved with the community – and perception trumps reality almost every time. (And since they are no longer on Dish, I don’t watch them at all).

Radio is show business. The goal is to create an audience and that requires an investment of money and commitment to a community.

By: Jac

Jac — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 06:45:34 +0000

If a product like Sirius can drive itself into the ground and someone still wants to buy it (the day they were planning on filing bankruptcy) it’s definitely possible for any of these stations to survive, or at the least get bought and let out of their situation.

By: Formerly Roger

Formerly Roger — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 23:22:08 +0000

Suggestion to all of those “groups” that are having trouble. Why don’t you get creative and go back to your roots. Go back to the way radio was…..GET LOCAL.

Gosh one way, back in the day, that we were always able to generate more listeners, was to broadcast the local High School games. Or perhaps sell an advertising package and go do live broadcasts from the Emmett Cherry Festival. Heck there are only about five hundred vintage cars over there.

I know, I know….they might be a bit hoky, but good grief don’t you think all of you chasing the same advertising dollars is proving to be kind of futile.

I guess what I am saying is IDENTIFY with your community or communities. I see where KSRV AM was advertising on some reader board that they are broadcasting a girls state basketball game. My isn’t that creative. I will bet they sold a nice bit of advertising for that….have made a community happy, and will generate more listeners.

Some of you “professional programmers” will throw rocks and giggle and snort. I will bet that those stations who do things like that will stabilize their revenue streams, work a little harder, and probably get through this tough time with money in the bank.

Just a thought.

By: Jim Smith

Jim Smith — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 23:11:05 +0000

Drunks running radio stations??? That’s never happened…

By: Radio gal

Radio gal — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 21:27:58 +0000

Someone needs to ask Bill Carico or Bob Lee how much they bought and sold Pirate radio for? Put the station in a pool hall and let some drunks run it… that’ll save some money.

By: Rainshadow

Rainshadow — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 16:59:55 +0000

The “guestimated” cost of running a cluster like Peak is roughly $5,000,000 a year. Divided between 6 stations that’s approximately $834,000 each just for operating costs. This does not take the debt load into consideration. If the stations in this market were sold off and made into “mom and pop” stations, the operating costs, not counting debt load, the cost of separating the station from its cluster, re-engineering the station, creating new studios and maintaining a staff in today’s market could make the purchase of the station prohibitive for a single owner.

The cost of operating a stand alone station, again, just a guestimate, might be in the $2,000,000 a year range – not counting debt load and other expenses. (This assumes the owners want a viable format that develops an audience of a reasonable size).

I’m sure some reader of this Blog has better numbers than I do, but from what I can see from just the raw numbers – ya can’t get there from here! Bambi has met Godzilla and lost.