DjLoTi
Member
- Joined
- May 24, 2007
- Messages
- 4,337
So, obviously the power of the grassroots is great. The question I pose is, what are the big things we should do for the 2012 election? One thing I think could be the best tool for us during the 2012 election is a radio station. As some of you may or may not know, I started RonPaulradio.com back in 2007, and basically was in charge until February 2008. Running RonPaulradio.com, a 24/7 Internet radio station, gave me amazing experience which gives me a unique insight into the benefits and challenges of running a radio station. This topic is going to examine all of the benefits and challenges of having a grassroots-style radio station during the 2012 presidential election.
First, I will start with the benefits (since there are more benefits then challenges). A radio station will give us the ability to report live from anywhere. With the advancement of technology (smartphones were not as widespread in 2007), reporting live from anywhere has never been easier. We can report from any rally or event in the country. Most people have jobs or commitments that require them to stay where they are, and cannot attend all of the events that happen around the country. The radio station makes it easy for people to tune in and follow along what is going on with the election, from home, work, or even from their smartphone. But it's not just reporting or broadcasting from an event that makes this special. Let me give you an example.
The first time RonPaulradio went live was at the August 6th national debates. I was broadcasting live from the press room, giving a report behind the scenes of the debate. After the debate, I went to the 'spin room' and got to ask the candidates questions 1-on-1. But it wasn't just me that was asking the questions. I posted here on Ron Paul forums, asking you guys to give me questions. Someone gave me an excellent question for Duncan Hunter about solving the trade deficit and preventing loss of jobs being sent overseas. It was a complicated and in-depth question. After he answered "we need to bring jobs back here", I followed up by asking "how do we compete with lower prices overseas"? He responded by saying that China was manipulating its currency (keep in mind, this was back in 2007). While he was telling me this, he was walking away, because it was obvious he did not want to answer tough, in-depth questions. Unlike the MSM, we can ask real, complicated questions, and ask follow-up questions. So let me ask YOU a question: How else are we going to ask these questions to these candidates without a radio station? How else can we put them on the spot with tough, no-fluff questions?
Giving YOU the ability to ask candidates questions in near real-time isn't the only benefit of having a radio station. Imagine, we could interview one (but could invite all) of the candidates to our radio show, and maybe have an hour segment, where we can really dig deep into the intentions of the people attempting to have the most powerful job in the most powerful country in the world. We would also have a chat, where once again, you can ask the candidates questions in real-time. It would allow us to have unhinged access to the presidential candidates, so we can further explore what their plans on for welfare, the war, the deficit, the economy, our many federal departments, and everything and anything else. Again, I am unaware of any other grassroots project that will allow us to have access to candidates like a radio station would.
Not only could we report live from rallies and debates, but we can also report live as the voting is happening. Does anyone remember Nevada? Mitt Romney won Nevada, but do you remember how? Some say Mitt used his powerful political and religious alliances in Nevada. When the primary vote was supposed to happen, the locations of some of the voting places were changed in the last minute. This resulted in a lot of Ron Paul supporters confused and angry, trying to figure out where to go. With a radio station, we can have people call in and tell us what is going on. The radio station can be a hub of instant and real-time information for the grassroots. We can also have things like exit polling, which can give us an idea of how the election is looking. Having a radio station would be immensely useful for this purpose alone.
Having our own radio station also allows us to circumvent the MSM and give YOU the information you want, when you want it. During the Iowa caucus, RonPaulradio was the first website or news outlet to report the results (we were reporting live, in real-time). As soon as the results were announced, we announced them, and WE (the grassroots) were the first to know the results of the Iowa caucus. The MSM was super late in reporting the results, and Daily Paul was maybe 15-20 minutes after us. Again, this is just another example of the power of a radio station.
And it was not just Americans who tuned into Ron Paul radio. I frequently got emails from people overseas telling me RonPaulradio was the only way they could listen to the debates and have access to the information. Imagine our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. How are they going to follow the political discourse in our country? Our radio station could give them access. And not just for our troops, but for all Americans living overseas. Again, a monumental benefit that is nearly unmatched from any other grassroots project.
These live reporting are great, but what about when there are no events? Typically, we would probably have radio shows from a variety of guests. We could also simulcast other radio shows. We could broadcast shows from people like Peter Schiff and the Southern Avenger (assuming, of course, they agreed to be broadcasted on our radio station). Since it is likely our radio station will be more high-profile then 2007, we could possibly get even bigger and better radio show hosts. I am not making any guarantees, but I am throwing out ideas that are entirely possible.
If anyone ever tuned in to my radio show (back in 2007), you can probably remember how much fun we had. This is less of a factual, and more of an emotional benefit. Political campaigns are draining. People get angry and frustrated. A radio station is a great way to release some steam and have fun at the same time. It is important for us to maintain a positive attitude. When you get home or get to work, and tune in to our great shows, it makes the political process less painful.
It wouldn't just be fun for everyone at home, but if we really wanted to do this, I think a great way to raise awareness would be to have a Sunday BBQ or something, where we can have live music and free food, and we can broadcast live and hand out information to educate voters. We could also host local events. I'm sure you've heard your favorite radio station broadcast from a bar or pub or live event. We could also do this. Again, the possibilities for us are nearly endless.
In 2007, someone offered me an AM radio station that reached about 500,000 people in Iowa. Imagine, being able to reach half a million people in the first primary state? Is there anything that could be more beneficial then that? Please, post your ideas, because I am convinced this is possibly the best grassroots project we could have.
Well, you might be asking, if it's so great and easy, why doesn't everybody do it? Well, it's really not that easy. Let me explain the main challenges to having the radio station.
Obviously the first challenge is cost. Having an AM radio station for a year in Iowa will cost anywhere between $150,000-200,000. It is expensive. The PLUS side of this (besides the fact that it's 1/4-1/3 the cost of flying a blimp for 2 months) is that we can run commercials. Radio is a business, and businesses are meant to make money. While it will cost 150-200k, we might actually be able to earn more money selling advertising, which could make our radio station a profitable venture. One thing I am pretty sure of, there is no way flying a blimp in the sky is going to bring a monetary ROI.
But that is just the cost of the radio station. That does not include the hosts or people running the radio station. If we are going to report from events, we have to get there somehow, right? That costs money. The people reporting need to eat, right? That costs money. Not only do we have to pay money to lease the radio station, but we need to pay money to the people who help it operate.
If this idea is brought to fruition, and I am lucky enough to be chosen to help run the radio station, then I will move to Iowa and live in the radio station. That way, I don't have to pay rent. I would practically live at the radio station anyway (lol). If I am not chosen, more then likely whoever is chosen is going to want some sort of decent salary. I have been an unemployed college student for almost 2 years, so I know how to live on nearly nothing. If you recall from "For Liberty", I say, "My whole life... for... 6,7,8 months, was Ron Paul radio, get Ron Paul elected. That is the only reason I was alive". That's because I am a patriot and I want to help our country. I am passionate about the cause. I am not trying to set myself up with a career or a job. If that was the case, I would stay in Austin, TX, and DJ in the clubs down here. But I am willing to move to an entirely new place and do this operation because our country needs help, and somebody needs to step up. I stepped up with RonPaulradio, and I'll step up again.
We also need interesting and likable hosts. With RonPaulradio, most of the hosts were not paid, and the ones that were were paid very modestly. If I was in charge of this radio project, I would not pay the radio hosts. Rather, I would give them a cut of advertising revenue they brought in. This will help keep costs down.
Another challenge is legal issues. With RonPaulradio, I found an experienced lawyer who helped me at little to no cost, because he was supportive of the cause. I would need to find someone similar for this venture, as legal expenses could possibly exceed the cost for the radio station itself.
Another challenge is avoiding divisive topics, such as abortion or 9/11 truth. Those of you who remember RonPaulradio know that my radio is not a 'conspiracy' radio. It is a NORMAL RADIO. I played music, I talked about news, and everybody HAD FUN. I am not someone who is going to want to go on the air to talk about extremely controversial issues, and I would strongly discourage such discussions among the show hosts. I understand these issues are important to some people, but it is not worth the conflicts or the backlash. If you guys want to talk about these extreme issues, go to Alex Jones, Revolution Broadcasting, or don't choose me to head this project. I am a DJ. This is what I DO. Expect a radio station that is run by me to be more like your 'normal' radio station, with the political spin of course
Another challenge is equipment. If we do not decide to have a real radio station, I will still run RonPaulradio.com. However, it will be out of my house, likely in Austin, TX, with my basic equipment. It will be much more difficult and much less 'legit'. Equipment is an issue, but if we have a real radio station, the studio should have all the equipment I need to have a smooth broadcast. A real radio station is miles away from what I could achieve in my house with my equipment and my cell phone.
So, to sum up the challenges, they are - hosts, money, and equipment, and legal. The benefits? Broadcasting live from anywhere, having real-time results for polling events and caucuses, backstage access to debates, 1-on-1 with presidential candidates and media personalities, broadcasting around the world, having a platform to access half a million people in the first primary state in the country... I think I've made my point.
Many people say, "we should have one in NH". I think it's a great idea, but we need to keep our challenges in mind. Different markets have different costs. We should target low-cost markets, e.g. Iowa, South Carolina, Florida, Michigan. Yes, I have this thought out pretty well =P
If you guys have any questions or would like me to expand on any points in this topic, please ask. If you guys think there is a better 'major' grassroots project that we could do, please, explain it. But I think we should see all the benefits and challenges. Had we known all of the challenges of flying a blimp during the winter months, perhaps we would have made a better decision. I wrote a 12 page paper covering this topic (but lost it), so this is my 2nd attempt to explain the benefits and challenges of the radio station. It isn't as in-depth as my first paper, but at least I finally got this damn thing re-written (lol).
So, what do you guys think? Is this something the grassroots would support? My goal would be to have the radio station up and running BY THE FIRST PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE. If it is not, I will likely still do RonPaulradio, because this is my life, and I love my country, and RonPaulradio is the best way I think I can help. If we have a real radio station, I want to call it 'Liberty Live' or something like that. The real radio station will be 'non-partisan'. If Ron Paul is really the best person for our country, it will be shown through the debates and the campaigns. I will be willing to give ALL candidates the chance to give good answers on 'the tough questions'. If I were to guess, I'd say many candidates will fall on their face, because most politicians are full of BS. And they will be exposed through a tough line of questioning. It will be unedited and raw. But I will give them all a chance.
I am a DJ, and I was never involved in politics until 2007. I'm a veteran, I'm a nice guy, and I'm just a normal person. I would be a good person to help run this venture (with my experience and my skills). If this doesn't happen, then again, I'll do Ron Paul radio, and I'll do w/e I want. Keep in mind, running a 24/7 radio station is IMMENSE WORK. My passion kept the fire lit, until I knew Ron Paul would not win, then my flame burned out. I am ready to light the fire again, but I want to take it to the next level. Can we be legit, or will we remain on the internet? I want a studio, a station, and the real thing.
However, it's not up to me. It's up to you, and everybody here. So fire away with questions and comments =)
First, I will start with the benefits (since there are more benefits then challenges). A radio station will give us the ability to report live from anywhere. With the advancement of technology (smartphones were not as widespread in 2007), reporting live from anywhere has never been easier. We can report from any rally or event in the country. Most people have jobs or commitments that require them to stay where they are, and cannot attend all of the events that happen around the country. The radio station makes it easy for people to tune in and follow along what is going on with the election, from home, work, or even from their smartphone. But it's not just reporting or broadcasting from an event that makes this special. Let me give you an example.
The first time RonPaulradio went live was at the August 6th national debates. I was broadcasting live from the press room, giving a report behind the scenes of the debate. After the debate, I went to the 'spin room' and got to ask the candidates questions 1-on-1. But it wasn't just me that was asking the questions. I posted here on Ron Paul forums, asking you guys to give me questions. Someone gave me an excellent question for Duncan Hunter about solving the trade deficit and preventing loss of jobs being sent overseas. It was a complicated and in-depth question. After he answered "we need to bring jobs back here", I followed up by asking "how do we compete with lower prices overseas"? He responded by saying that China was manipulating its currency (keep in mind, this was back in 2007). While he was telling me this, he was walking away, because it was obvious he did not want to answer tough, in-depth questions. Unlike the MSM, we can ask real, complicated questions, and ask follow-up questions. So let me ask YOU a question: How else are we going to ask these questions to these candidates without a radio station? How else can we put them on the spot with tough, no-fluff questions?
Giving YOU the ability to ask candidates questions in near real-time isn't the only benefit of having a radio station. Imagine, we could interview one (but could invite all) of the candidates to our radio show, and maybe have an hour segment, where we can really dig deep into the intentions of the people attempting to have the most powerful job in the most powerful country in the world. We would also have a chat, where once again, you can ask the candidates questions in real-time. It would allow us to have unhinged access to the presidential candidates, so we can further explore what their plans on for welfare, the war, the deficit, the economy, our many federal departments, and everything and anything else. Again, I am unaware of any other grassroots project that will allow us to have access to candidates like a radio station would.
Not only could we report live from rallies and debates, but we can also report live as the voting is happening. Does anyone remember Nevada? Mitt Romney won Nevada, but do you remember how? Some say Mitt used his powerful political and religious alliances in Nevada. When the primary vote was supposed to happen, the locations of some of the voting places were changed in the last minute. This resulted in a lot of Ron Paul supporters confused and angry, trying to figure out where to go. With a radio station, we can have people call in and tell us what is going on. The radio station can be a hub of instant and real-time information for the grassroots. We can also have things like exit polling, which can give us an idea of how the election is looking. Having a radio station would be immensely useful for this purpose alone.
Having our own radio station also allows us to circumvent the MSM and give YOU the information you want, when you want it. During the Iowa caucus, RonPaulradio was the first website or news outlet to report the results (we were reporting live, in real-time). As soon as the results were announced, we announced them, and WE (the grassroots) were the first to know the results of the Iowa caucus. The MSM was super late in reporting the results, and Daily Paul was maybe 15-20 minutes after us. Again, this is just another example of the power of a radio station.
And it was not just Americans who tuned into Ron Paul radio. I frequently got emails from people overseas telling me RonPaulradio was the only way they could listen to the debates and have access to the information. Imagine our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. How are they going to follow the political discourse in our country? Our radio station could give them access. And not just for our troops, but for all Americans living overseas. Again, a monumental benefit that is nearly unmatched from any other grassroots project.
These live reporting are great, but what about when there are no events? Typically, we would probably have radio shows from a variety of guests. We could also simulcast other radio shows. We could broadcast shows from people like Peter Schiff and the Southern Avenger (assuming, of course, they agreed to be broadcasted on our radio station). Since it is likely our radio station will be more high-profile then 2007, we could possibly get even bigger and better radio show hosts. I am not making any guarantees, but I am throwing out ideas that are entirely possible.
If anyone ever tuned in to my radio show (back in 2007), you can probably remember how much fun we had. This is less of a factual, and more of an emotional benefit. Political campaigns are draining. People get angry and frustrated. A radio station is a great way to release some steam and have fun at the same time. It is important for us to maintain a positive attitude. When you get home or get to work, and tune in to our great shows, it makes the political process less painful.
It wouldn't just be fun for everyone at home, but if we really wanted to do this, I think a great way to raise awareness would be to have a Sunday BBQ or something, where we can have live music and free food, and we can broadcast live and hand out information to educate voters. We could also host local events. I'm sure you've heard your favorite radio station broadcast from a bar or pub or live event. We could also do this. Again, the possibilities for us are nearly endless.
In 2007, someone offered me an AM radio station that reached about 500,000 people in Iowa. Imagine, being able to reach half a million people in the first primary state? Is there anything that could be more beneficial then that? Please, post your ideas, because I am convinced this is possibly the best grassroots project we could have.
Well, you might be asking, if it's so great and easy, why doesn't everybody do it? Well, it's really not that easy. Let me explain the main challenges to having the radio station.
Obviously the first challenge is cost. Having an AM radio station for a year in Iowa will cost anywhere between $150,000-200,000. It is expensive. The PLUS side of this (besides the fact that it's 1/4-1/3 the cost of flying a blimp for 2 months) is that we can run commercials. Radio is a business, and businesses are meant to make money. While it will cost 150-200k, we might actually be able to earn more money selling advertising, which could make our radio station a profitable venture. One thing I am pretty sure of, there is no way flying a blimp in the sky is going to bring a monetary ROI.
But that is just the cost of the radio station. That does not include the hosts or people running the radio station. If we are going to report from events, we have to get there somehow, right? That costs money. The people reporting need to eat, right? That costs money. Not only do we have to pay money to lease the radio station, but we need to pay money to the people who help it operate.
If this idea is brought to fruition, and I am lucky enough to be chosen to help run the radio station, then I will move to Iowa and live in the radio station. That way, I don't have to pay rent. I would practically live at the radio station anyway (lol). If I am not chosen, more then likely whoever is chosen is going to want some sort of decent salary. I have been an unemployed college student for almost 2 years, so I know how to live on nearly nothing. If you recall from "For Liberty", I say, "My whole life... for... 6,7,8 months, was Ron Paul radio, get Ron Paul elected. That is the only reason I was alive". That's because I am a patriot and I want to help our country. I am passionate about the cause. I am not trying to set myself up with a career or a job. If that was the case, I would stay in Austin, TX, and DJ in the clubs down here. But I am willing to move to an entirely new place and do this operation because our country needs help, and somebody needs to step up. I stepped up with RonPaulradio, and I'll step up again.
We also need interesting and likable hosts. With RonPaulradio, most of the hosts were not paid, and the ones that were were paid very modestly. If I was in charge of this radio project, I would not pay the radio hosts. Rather, I would give them a cut of advertising revenue they brought in. This will help keep costs down.
Another challenge is legal issues. With RonPaulradio, I found an experienced lawyer who helped me at little to no cost, because he was supportive of the cause. I would need to find someone similar for this venture, as legal expenses could possibly exceed the cost for the radio station itself.
Another challenge is avoiding divisive topics, such as abortion or 9/11 truth. Those of you who remember RonPaulradio know that my radio is not a 'conspiracy' radio. It is a NORMAL RADIO. I played music, I talked about news, and everybody HAD FUN. I am not someone who is going to want to go on the air to talk about extremely controversial issues, and I would strongly discourage such discussions among the show hosts. I understand these issues are important to some people, but it is not worth the conflicts or the backlash. If you guys want to talk about these extreme issues, go to Alex Jones, Revolution Broadcasting, or don't choose me to head this project. I am a DJ. This is what I DO. Expect a radio station that is run by me to be more like your 'normal' radio station, with the political spin of course
Another challenge is equipment. If we do not decide to have a real radio station, I will still run RonPaulradio.com. However, it will be out of my house, likely in Austin, TX, with my basic equipment. It will be much more difficult and much less 'legit'. Equipment is an issue, but if we have a real radio station, the studio should have all the equipment I need to have a smooth broadcast. A real radio station is miles away from what I could achieve in my house with my equipment and my cell phone.
So, to sum up the challenges, they are - hosts, money, and equipment, and legal. The benefits? Broadcasting live from anywhere, having real-time results for polling events and caucuses, backstage access to debates, 1-on-1 with presidential candidates and media personalities, broadcasting around the world, having a platform to access half a million people in the first primary state in the country... I think I've made my point.
Many people say, "we should have one in NH". I think it's a great idea, but we need to keep our challenges in mind. Different markets have different costs. We should target low-cost markets, e.g. Iowa, South Carolina, Florida, Michigan. Yes, I have this thought out pretty well =P
If you guys have any questions or would like me to expand on any points in this topic, please ask. If you guys think there is a better 'major' grassroots project that we could do, please, explain it. But I think we should see all the benefits and challenges. Had we known all of the challenges of flying a blimp during the winter months, perhaps we would have made a better decision. I wrote a 12 page paper covering this topic (but lost it), so this is my 2nd attempt to explain the benefits and challenges of the radio station. It isn't as in-depth as my first paper, but at least I finally got this damn thing re-written (lol).
So, what do you guys think? Is this something the grassroots would support? My goal would be to have the radio station up and running BY THE FIRST PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE. If it is not, I will likely still do RonPaulradio, because this is my life, and I love my country, and RonPaulradio is the best way I think I can help. If we have a real radio station, I want to call it 'Liberty Live' or something like that. The real radio station will be 'non-partisan'. If Ron Paul is really the best person for our country, it will be shown through the debates and the campaigns. I will be willing to give ALL candidates the chance to give good answers on 'the tough questions'. If I were to guess, I'd say many candidates will fall on their face, because most politicians are full of BS. And they will be exposed through a tough line of questioning. It will be unedited and raw. But I will give them all a chance.
I am a DJ, and I was never involved in politics until 2007. I'm a veteran, I'm a nice guy, and I'm just a normal person. I would be a good person to help run this venture (with my experience and my skills). If this doesn't happen, then again, I'll do Ron Paul radio, and I'll do w/e I want. Keep in mind, running a 24/7 radio station is IMMENSE WORK. My passion kept the fire lit, until I knew Ron Paul would not win, then my flame burned out. I am ready to light the fire again, but I want to take it to the next level. Can we be legit, or will we remain on the internet? I want a studio, a station, and the real thing.
However, it's not up to me. It's up to you, and everybody here. So fire away with questions and comments =)
