Cost to run an entire radio station in Iowa

[ghemminger]

I'll give my take. He wants to take the warranted success of Ron Paul Radio. Which anyone in the world can tune into via the internet. And pay copious amounts of money to get a show going in Iowa. Rather than being available to all, it will only be available to those in the immediate area of the physical radio broadcast signal. It will only be heard by people IN THE AREA who are either A) Ron Paul Supporters B) randomly dialing through radio stations.

Let's weigh the advantages

Ron Paul radio available via internet
Available to all with internet, almost all are already Ron Paul supporters, with the random surfer
Cheaper than mainstream radio
DJLoti doesn't get access to cool radio equipment

Ron Paul show over radio broadcast
Available to only a small demographic, who are either ron supporters or the random dial turner
Expensive
DjLoti gets access to cool radio equipment

Let's see the exchange her:
More money is paid for a physical radio show that reaches less people, and DJloti gets access to cool radio equipment.

You're sacrificing reach and money to get access to cool radio equipment.
No hate, simple economics. Refute it, and I'll leave your thread alone.

Good points - but if we can raise funds why not do both?

 

[Mr. White]

Targeted radio advertisements during other radio shows successful with people who aren't avid ron paul supporters is a better use of those funds.

I'm not faulting the intent, I'm really not, I've seen you guys do some great stuff, but this is absurd. The goal is to get Ron elected. Yes, we should have fun, but when the fun outweights the campagin, your priorities have gotten sidetracked.

 

[DjLoTi]

The station alone will make local news. And why not in Iowa? Best place Ron needs a good boost.

 

[DjLoTi]

Dude, I'll tell you right now, I never pay attention to advertisements. I never listen to commercials. And I'll hardly ever confront a commercial.

Either way, I totally disagree that raising $4,000 for a few 30 second slots is better then 40 hours of pure programming.

 

[Mr. White]

You assume it will make local news. You equate news with advertising. If that's the case, why not just buy the damn advertising?. If it makes the news it makes it one time, for one day. Then it's done. Paid advertising goes on longer, and you better control who it goes to.

 

[rajibo]

You're sacrificing reach and money to get access to cool radio equipment.
No hate, simple economics. Refute it, and I'll leave your thread alone.

I refute that a tiny radio station in Iowa has cool radio equipment. It probably looks like this:

I personally think that money is better spent elsewhere, but it's not my money so, whatever. Who listens to terrestrial radio anymore anyway?

 

[Mr. White]

Dude, I'll tell you right now, I never pay attention to advertisements. I never listen to commercials. And I'll hardly ever confront a commercial.

Either way, I totally disagree that raising $4,000 for a few 30 second slots is better then 40 hours of pure programming.

40 hrs. heard by ron paul supporters

30 seconds heard by people who have no idea what he's about.

You're just making an expensive club where all of us can tune into you and say 'isn't this cool' That IS cool, but it doesn't spread the campagin. it contains it.

 

[Matt Collins]

Is it legal to take over a station with nothing but a political ad? There might be FCC and FEC rules to look into. Don't do this without an attorney on your side.


But on a more fiscal level, this is definitely NOT the best use of funds. Buying targeted ads will give you MUCH more bang for your buck.

Besides, how many people go up and down the radio bands randomly from 88.7-107.9? NOT MANY!

I have a degree in marketing, and I work in broadcast as a talk radio producer. TRUST ME ON THIS ONE!!!

 

[american.swan]

I guess the next question is how many listeners does this radio station already have?

 

[ghemminger]

yeah at least people are weighing in with some good constructive thoughts

 

[DjLoTi]

If it works it works, if it doesn't it doesn't. I don't care. Either way, I'm going to do everything I can to do as much as I can, and believe me, I'm doing a lot.

 

[mdh]

I refute that a tiny radio station in Iowa has cool radio equipment. It probably looks like this:

I personally think that money is better spent elsewhere, but it's not my money so, whatever. Who listens to terrestrial radio anymore anyway?

Sweet, vinyl.

Lots of people do, though - especially during rush hour(s). As for ads, a real hour-long broadcast of a speech is way more effective than a brief ad if we can get people to listen. I don't know that a brief ad would do us much good, really, unless it was.. an ad for the station playing the hour-long speeches.

A major component of this whole idea would, of course, be grassroots volunteers on the ground in Iowa promoting the station so that people would tune in. The station's coverage isn't bad - as much a population center as we're probably going to get. Truth be told, the deal we're being offered isn't bad as far as such deals go, but just throwing it up and having it isn't worth the cost. If we can get some volunteer grassroots promoting going on there, however, it could indeed be worth it.

 

[DjLoTi]

I think this could be a lot more positive then many people think.

 

[ghemminger]

I have an idea - why NOY give TIME to the people of IOWA like charity and civic groups - cover local events - gather support that way to get listership up - you know JUST give it up to the PEOPLE as a resourse at least partially - and mix RP programming in with it?????

 

[Mr. White]

If you need grassroots to promote the station WHY THE HECK DON'T THEY JUST PROMOTE RON PAUL?

Have them give out cds with the speeches if you want people to hear it. They're cheaper.

DjLoti, youre giving a lot of soundbites on this with no substance. Ignoring the veyr people who would support you by not responding to them doesn't do anything to help your cause.

 

[DjLoTi]

I'm not going to argue with you. But you don't know me or why I do this, and other people like it. I can't explain everything to everybody every single time.

 

[Mr. White]

Which is why theyre all supporting you on this thread....?

 

[ghemminger]

If you need grassroots to promote the station WHY THE HECK DON'T THEY JUST PROMOTE RON PAUL?

Have them give out cds with the speeches if you want people to hear it. They're cheaper.

DjLoti, youre giving a lot of soundbites on this with no substance. Ignoring the veyr people who would support you by not responding to them doesn't do anything to help your cause.

Instead of bashing new ideas - you should be encouraging any "cool" new ideas for RP - You have NO idea how any crzy idea can TAKE OFF in unimaginable ways

Think out of the BOX and expand your mind my brothra

 

[DjLoTi]

I'll pay 100$ one time and no one has to worry about it. I want a college talk radio show. but that's just me and that's just what I do.. so yeah.

 

[mdh]

If you need grassroots to promote the station WHY THE HECK DON'T THEY JUST PROMOTE RON PAUL?

Generally when you're out campaigning, you can only take a very limited time with each individual. It's hard to get in a lot of info in that time. Having good material is the way to go, but as someone who's spent plenty of time standing around talking to random people, I feel that being able to say "Tune in to XX.X on your FM dial!" would be a really powerful message.

Furthermore, from a marketing perspective, we could untie it from Ron Paul completely. Imagine banners around town saying something like "Are you ready for real change? Tune to FM XX.X!" - people would do it, and hearing shows like we have and Dr. Paul speeches... that's powerful stuff. Guerrilla marketing is powerful, piquing our targets' curiosity without immediately tying in the Ron Paul brand is a good approach, too, and a broadcast station opens up some awesome opportunities to use that tactic, in my opinion.

All said, it is expensive. The possibilities exist for it to be very useful as a campaigning tool. Whether it would live up to the value of the cost is nigh impossible to predict. In the end, it has to be up to individuals with the means to either make it happen or not.