Making Money From Mobile

6-5-14

JacAPPS President Paul Jacobs, following John McAfee's opening keynote on day one of Radio Ink's Convergence ? in which McAfee made some scathing observations about smartphones and privacy ? drew a laugh from the crowd as he asked, "Who would schedule a panel on monetizing mobile after that?" But Jacobs kicked off this key panel with some RAB stats, showing that in 2013, radio was flat to down while mobile was up 16 percent. "Where would you put your focus?" he asked the crowd.

More stats showed that radio advertisers are spending only 12.5 percent of their ad dollars on radio, and Ford Motor Co. is requiring that its dealers spend ever-larger portions of their co-op money on digital. But, he said, "Car dealers aren't sophisticated digital advertisers." He said, "Car dealers are looking for digital solutions, but is radio getting in their face?"

Panelists Jim Kott, SVP of products and marketing at Abacast, and Joe Schembri, VP of corporate business development, sports sales and sponsorships at Entercom, agreed about the importance of mobile. Schembri said, "I see digital as the Holy Grail, and mobile as the key to what we do moving forward." And all agreed that in digital, it's not about numbers, it's about ideas. Schembri said, "Opportunity lies in providing the concepts and ideas" ? not in what a given station is about. Kott said larger advertisers are "trying to get high-impact campaigns, things where there's a visual component to it" ? and advertisers of all sizes are very interested on geotargeting, not wanting to waste a penny of advertising money on someone  who's not a prospect. Schembri said, "You can say, 'We're No. 1 25-54, or, 'We have 17,254 people in your market that you can touch in a minute.'" And it's the second will get the call back.

Asked for some specifics, Schembri noted that consumer packaged goods "really resonate with mobile," as consumers may come in to buy with smartphone in hand. Kott said that people now want a multi-faceted approach, that may include not just spots, but video preroll and display."

Kott later noted, however, that if there's no mandate to commit to digital from the top, from the president's level, "It's not going to happen. It's not going to be successful." Schembri agreed that commitment and dedicated digital staff are crucial. All the panelists agreed that bonusing digital is a terrible practice; as Jacobs said, "What is the value of a great idea?" Schembri noted that in the direct business he does, CPM never comes into play. "It goes back to the idea, and the results that are driven from that." Radio needs its "swagger" back, he said, and to truly believe and commit to the power of radio and mobile.

Follow Day Two of Radio Ink's Convergence on Twitter at #CONV14

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(SOCIAL) Making That Special Connection

10-4-2013

Why do you think personalities avoid putting themselves out there in social media? Don?t these personalities remember their mom saying they were like snowflakes?   

You see this all the time if you follow what is largely happening in radio on Facebook and Twitter (and other social media platforms). You see a lot of focus on what other stations are doing and a lot of promotional crap. This content is generally driven toward shock or promotion of a radio-station-selfish movement. Too little is focused on real connectivity with local listeners, but that can change. Let?s look at the possibility of focusing on three key areas that could really give great impact for local radio personalities today.

1. Personalities are people. Real listeners respond to authenticity and other real people. It?s weird to say ?Be real? isn?t it? But that is the point and it is largely missing from local radio personalities in social media. When you repost the content of others or use tricks, it isn?t really connective. It can provide ?temporary eyes,? but you should be looking to win hearts too. Be yourself and put your life into social media. Of course, you want to be careful and use good judgment for safety and also to make sure you are matching company standards, but people don?t really like being manipulated. They like to see you are a real person. Once they do, they are usually drawn closer to you. That?s half the real value of social media and something most manipulators miss.

2. Passion means easy engagement. Hopefully, you are a personality that matches the market you are in and you also match the audience you are trying to attract. If this is true and you are a well-rounded person with interests beyond radio that you're passionate about, it?s likely you should use them creatively to connect to your local listeners. There are causes in your market, things that happen that are hyper-local. Comment on them, engage listeners about them, be passionate, and build community with others who will identify with you.

3. Get listeners to take follow-up actions. Try to create your content in such a way that you really get listeners involved. This involvement could be as simple as commenting on a post, photo, or video from you, going to your website or on-air (one of my favorites) or joining up with you if you are super-involved in a cause or event, to help you ?take it to the next level.? You talk about opportunity to gain loyalty of passionate listeners! 

There is great opportunity out there for local radio personalities to really connect, protect themselves and their livelihood, and grow audience with social media. But it takes authenticity, strategy that matches the life group of your format, the values of the audience you most want to attract, and smart engagement that leans directly into the benefits for, along with passions and interests of, your local listeners. If you do that, while being highly visual and fun, you will win opportunity to move audiences in social media. That?s much larger than temporarily manipulating someone to see reposted content or generic cookie-cutter stuff everyone else in radio may be posting.

Loyd Ford is the direct marketing, ratings and social media strategist for Americalist Direct Marketing and has programmed very successful radio brands in markets of all sizes, including KRMD AM & FM in Shreveport, and WSSL and WMYI in Greenville, WKKT in Charlotte and WBEE in Rochester, NY. Learn more about Loyd here:  http://about.me/loydford. Get his radio-social media content sent directly to your smart phone or email for free here:  www.rainmakerpathway.wordpress.com. Reach out to Loyd via e-mail HERE.  Visit his Facebook radio social media page HERE.

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(SALES) Stop Making Stupid Mistakes

9-16-2013

October 30, 1935 -- Dayton Ohio. Military members gathered for what the Defense Department called a ?live demonstration? of the capabilities of the next generation bomber. In short, they were ?shopping? and had invited manufacturers to come ?pitch? them. Boeing Corporation was among those seeking the contract.

For many, inviting others was a mere formality -- Boeing?s new Model 299 would be the hands-down winner. A reporter from Seattle called the plane a ?flying fortress.? It could carry five times the number of bombs that army specifications called for. It flew faster than previous bombers, and nearly twice as far. The plane taxied onto the runway, an impressive 103-foot wingspan with four engines -- it was a magnificent beast in motion.

Major Ployer P. Hill pushed the throttle levers forward. Speed increased, the plane lifted off the runway climbing to just past 300 feet. It stalled, slouched to the right, and came crashing down in a fiery mess. Two of the five crew members died, including Major Hill.

The investigation revealed nothing mechanical had gone wrong. Pilot error was cited as the reason for the crash. Major Hill forgot to release the locking mechanism on the rudder and elevator controls during takeoff. This error caused the army to go with a much simpler design by Douglas, and considered the Boeing plane too difficult for any pilot to fly.

Boeing nearly went bankrupt. A group of test pilots were brought in to solve the problem. Given the complexity of the aircraft, they decided on a simple approach: the pilot?s checklist. Atul Gawande, in his book The Checklist Manifesto, credits this story as the origin of ?the checklist.?

The test pilots made their list simple, brief, and to the point -- short enough to fit on an index card. Step-by-step lists for taxi, takeoff, in-flight, and landing. The checklists contained ?the stuff? all pilots knew how to do: check that brakes are released, set instruments, altimeter, make sure doors and windows are closed and locked, elevator trim, and rudder controls unlocked. It was silly, easy stuff. With these checklists in hand, pilots went on to fly the Boeing Model 299 a total of 1.8 million miles without a single accident. The army ultimately ordered nearly 13,000 of the aircraft. Today, the Model 299 is known as the infamous B-17. Because flying the behemoth was now possible, complexity made simple by a checklist, the B-17 now has a prominent place in our history books.

What does flying a B-17 have to do with selling? Selling today is far more complex. Channels of communication are exploding; information access is beyond our ability to contain. Just as flying a plane is both as fundamental and yet much more complex and complicated than when Wilbur and Orville -- or Boeing, for that matter -- first took flight, selling today requires the same attention to minute details. Salespeople need a system to remind them of the basics and simplify the complexity of the sales process.

My lifelong friend Geoff Oswalt is a senior international jet pilot for Johnson Controls. Geoff flies executives around the world in a Challenger 300 made by Bombardier. In preparing to write this article, I asked Geoff if he still uses checklists. He was somewhat shocked by my question. ?Of course we do. Technology has changed; instead of reading them off a knee board, we push a button and the voice command walks us through each step of the checklist.? 

?You?ve been doing this for over 30 years,? I said. ?Why are you still using checklists??  Geoff responded with crystal clear simplicity. ?So we don?t make a mistake.?

If you?re like me, you?ve walked away from more than a few meetings with clients and said, ?Darn it, why didn?t I remember to...? A checklist helps prevent that. Because checklists are so important in a variety of professions -- from flying planes to performing brain surgery -- you can easily find or create checklists for your sales process.

Chris Lytle and I created the Pre-Contact Checklist. Critical things you should do, prior to having ANY contact with a client or prospect. We also have a Pre-Meeting Checklist, Proposal Writing Checklist, Top 10 Prospect Hit List, and more. Download a free copy of the Pre-Contact Checklist from our website: Pre-Contact Checklist. 

Most people start in sales because something else didn?t work out -- you end up in sales, accidentally. Successful sales people know that staying and succeeding in sales is no accident. Professional sellers use a consistent repeatable process. Without a consistent repeatable process you leave the outcome to chance or to the effectiveness of your memory on any given day. Consistent sales success demands a consistent sales process; and consistency for complex, as well as simple, tasks requires a checklist.

To this day (despite thousands of hours flying) my friend Geoff uses a checklist to avoid mistakes. Chris Lytle and I use checklists for writing articles, for doing seminars, and for training creation. We leave nothing to ?chance.? Checklists simplify the complex, remind you of the basics, and help you avoid mistakes. And, inevitably, help you make more sales.

Think Big, Make Big Things Happen!

Jeff Schmidt is EVP and Partner with Chris Lytle at Sparque, Inc. You can reach him at, Jeff.Schmidt@Sparque.biz, follow him on Twitter @JeffreyASchmidt, or connect via LinkedIn

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Cumulus Making Changes in Atlanta

8-26-13

Today at Noon, Cumulus will flip 98.9-FM THE WALK to TRUE OLDIES which is distributed by Cumulus Media Networks. The Walk is currently airing Country/Christian AC format. The change to True Oldies is a return to Atlanta for Scott Shannon. True Oldies is a format programmed and hosted by Shannon focusing on music from the 50's to the 70's. The Radio Ink Radio Discussion Board talks about the change HERE

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(SALES) Making Sales Meetings Better!

6-7-2013

For the most part, sales meetings at radio stations aren?t very good. I?m not going to go into detail about why they?re not very good. Instead, I want to provide you 10 suggestions to make your sales meetings  better.

1. FREQUENCY: The number of markets that have one sales meeting per week is astonishing to me. You simply cannot grow an army in 30 minutes to an hour, one time a week. At a minimum, there should be sales meetings on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. When you read the new things to accomplish, you?ll understand why. Sales meetings should also begin at 8:00 a.m., not 8:30, 8:45, or 9:00. I?ve know many great managers that have their Friday sales meetings at 4:00 p.m. These same leaders always have their last sales meetings before holidays at 4:00 p.m. the day before the break.

2. TRAINING: Although training is something that takes place to some degree in every sales meeting, dedicate one sales meeting every week specifically to training. Topics are the key. I have seen some of the best radio leaders in our business teach more on other business topics than on radio topics. Their philosophy is that if they can make their sellers better all-round business people, then they?ll be better radio people. They?re right. It?s important to rotate your trainers; the GM, sales managers, members of the sales staff, outside vendors and consultants, and clients, which we?ll elaborate on in a moment. Lastly, whenever your VP, COO, or president is in town, have them conduct the training and notify them in advance so they can prepare.

3. PRESENTATION REVIEWS: Each month, select the top presentations that SOLD. Cover these, page by page, critique them. Some teams even score them, with the top score earning a nice dinner for two.

4. RAB & RESEARCH MATERIAL: Every month take any new RAB material received and divide it up among the sellers, say teams of two. Their responsibility is to present it to the rest of the team. You?re forcing the sellers to become members of the teaching faculty. Sharing in the responsibility of the curriculum and the presenting of material is the fastest way to grow. You don?t know it until you have to teach it.

5. BRAINSTORM:  Each month, select two or three client challenges. These are businesses that sellers have worked very hard, but cannot get on the air. Present the evidence of what?s been presented so far, then all minds come together to form new, innovative strategies to get the business.

6. QUARTERLY QUIZ: Each quarter, hand out a surprise quiz. This consists of 10 to 20 questions about your own stations, programming, technical facts, your market and competition. Example:

? Who hosts afternoons on WXYZ?
? KXYZ is licensed to what city?
? The largest employer in our market is who?
? What weekend day-part on our station delivers the largest total audience?
? Name the top three industries in our state.

7. PROGRAMMING: Every month, have the PD present updates on programming priorities and issues for the upcoming month. Promotion directors should be in sales meetings often doing the same thing.

8. GUEST SPEAKERS: Every month, have an outside guest speaker. It?s very strategic to make these special sales meetings the one at 4 p.m. on a Friday. It is wise to have these speakers be the top decision-makers from your advertising clients. It is brilliant to make them the top advertising decision-maker from the business you?re unable to get on the air to date. If you want to quickly build a relationship with a potential client, have them be a guest speaker at a sales meeting. Always present them with a station ?thank you? gift at the end of the meeting.

9. ASK THE BOSS: Each month, have each seller write down a question for the GM. In this meeting, the boss will take the list and do their best to answer each question. When they?re in town, VPs and presidents can join in.

10. RECOGNITION: Each month, review who performed the best, who reached new plateaus, whose name will go on the station?s ?Wall of Fame,? and honor them.

Sales meetings can be some of the most motivating and meaningful gatherings we have each week. As   managers, of course we have to communicate the information and issues of the day, but never have a sales meeting where something meaningful isn?t taught.

Rob Adair is the President of Pinnacle Solving. His company provides revenue growth solutions, branding and differentiation strategies to radio and other industries. Adair is a former radio industry COO and Sr. VP overseeing 25+ stations and multiple major markets. He can be reached at 405-641-0458 or by e-mail rob@pinnaclesolving.com

(6/9/2013 5:55:55 AM)
Wow. This column is symbolic of precisely why radio revenue is not growing!...The writer advocates a minimum of 3 sales meetings a week,
and all in the first part of the morning??!!...When are you supposed to see clients?! ... 80% of business decisions are made in the morning. The morning is the best time to make in-person calls. ... And "sales meetings" are sales killers. Their are new ways to push information to salespeople - like e-mail...without killing valuable sales time.

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Making More Money With Multi-Platform

5-3-13

Sports radio is multi-platform entertainment today. Sports talent, with their famously loyal and engaged listeners, have the opportunity to unlock the power, and profitability, of these multi-platform opportunities. What are the keys to getting the most from sports talk talent in today's multi-platform world? What makes a great manager, and great support, for these valuable personalities? Get the inside scoop at Radio Ink's Sports Radio Conference  at the "Ins and Outs of Managing Multi-Platform Talent" panel, moderated by ESPN Radio SVP/GM Mo Davenport (pictured)

This expert panel will get to the heart of the matter; it's not a conversation you'll want to miss. Only at the Sports Radio Conference, May 14-15 at the Biltmore Hotel in Miami.

Mo Davenport is SVP/GM for ESPN Radio, responsible for all aspects of ESPN Radio content, including talk, play-by-play, podcasts and online content, commentators, and production, as well as distribution, ad sales, and marketing for ESPN Radio's 700 affiliates and five O&Os. He previously served as VP/remote production, and earlier played a role in the launch of ESPN HD, ESPN's 24-hour high-definition simulcast. He joined the network in 1985 as an associate producer. Davenport has been honored by CableWorld magazine as one of the "Top 40 Most Influential Minorities in Sports," and in 2009 he was on Sports Illustrated's list of the most powerful minorities in sports.

Tod Castleberry is Program Director for WAXY-AM & FM (The Ticket)/Miami, South Florida?s top-rated Sports station. Castleberry has over 20 years of broadcasting experience, specializing in Sports Talk programming and operations. He joined the Ticket in April 2012 after serving as co-host and executive producer of the DC-based John Riggins Show. He?s also served as VP/operations at Red Zebra Broadcasting, responsible forall programming and technical operations for all stations and overseeing the Washington Redskins Radio Network of 26 stations.

Gerry Matalon is the Senior Coordinating Producer of On-Air Talent Development for ESPN TV Production and ESPN Radio. His duties include on-air performance evaluation, personal coaching, and career management. He also works closely with on-air personnel to identify growth opportunities. From 2005-2008 he was in charge of studio content for live game coverage on ESPN & ESPN2, the network?s highest-priority programs. His responsibilities included overseeing producers, coordination staffers, technical operations, and programming budget. Matalon is a seven-time Emmy Award recipient. He?s also actively involved in programs for mentoring, diversity, and recruitment.

Eytan Shander is co-host of NBC Sports Radio's Amani and Eytan, airing Monday-Friday from 10 p.m.?1 a.m. ET. He co-hosts the radio show with former Giants wide receiver Amani Toomer. Before joining the NBC Sports Radio team, Shander was a national host and update anchor onS SiriusXM?s Mad Dog Radio. He?s also hosted radio shows and anchored updates in Philadelphia at WIP and WPEN. In addition, Shander served as the locker room correspondent for the Tennessee Titans post-game show during his time at WPPN in Nashville

Radio Ink Sports Radio Conference
May 14-15, 2013
Biltmore Hotel
Miami

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(SALES) 5 Rules Of Making A Presentation

4-26-2013

There are a few easy, but important rules to follow when making a presentation to a prospective client. Here they are:

1. ONE PAGE AT A TIME: You control the pages. Always take two copies of your presentation. If you?re presenting a printed version as opposed to sharing an electronic version. You?ll want to take two master, color printouts of your presentation. One bound and one unbound. The unbound copy is what you?re presenting so you can control the pages. The bound copy is your client?s copy, bound so that it stays in proper order. If you?re presenting on an iPad or a laptop, then you?ll only take one bound master printout as your leave-behind.

2. YOU CONTROL THE PAGES: Obviously you?re presenting one page at a time and you must control the process.

3. TRACK: Nothing is more frustrating than to get towards the end of a presentation and then realize you lost the client?s attention. You don?t know if you lost them on page 2 or page 5, but you lost them. So, you must learn to track. This means you ask a question on each page or two. For example, let?s say you?re on one of your introductory pages outlining some of things the client told you in your initial interview from your previous appointment, and they mentioned that business early week was painfully slow. When covering this bullet-point, you may ask, ?One of your challenges is how slow business is early week. Do you remember saying that?? You?re actually confirming here that you have their full attention. You must TRACK numerous times throughout your presentation.

4. ?WE, US, LET?S, and OUR?: This is simply learning to talk in same-team-language. ?That?s important to US, isn?t it? This is what WE want to accomplish. Do you agree this is OUR best solution?? Remember, if you both aren?t on the same team, odds are you won?t have a new client, so use same-team-language.

5. SOMETIMES COST FIRST: It still amazes me how sellers wish they didn?t have to talk cost; holding out to the last minute, the last page, and the last thing on the page. It?s often difficult to keep a client?s attention during a presentation when all they?re wondering is "What is this going to cost?" Don't allow the price to make you afraid to do what?s right! No one said doing business with you should be cheap. Hiring the best, finding the best plan, employing the best solution, are rarely synonymous with lowest cost. What?s costly is not fixing the problem or, worse, buying the proposal because it?s the cheapest. More often than not, getting the cost out of the way first is smart. Example: ?Today, I?m going to ask you to spend $60,000 over the next 12 months. Now, let me show you how I JUSTIFY that.? Business owners devote more attention to the details of your proposal when they know the cost up front and hear how this dollar amount will get the job done.

One page at a time, you control the pages, track, team language, and sometimes cost first. Now, go present boldly and with confidence. You?re worth the money!

Rob Adair is the President of Pinnacle Solving. His company provides revenue growth solutions, branding and differentiation strategies to radio and other industries. Adair is a former radio industry COO and Sr. VP overseeing 25+ stations and multiple major markets. He can be reached at 405-641-0458 or by e-mail rob@pinnaclesolving.com

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Making The First Offer

4-11-13
Now that I could move forward with some confidence as it related to financing, I prepared to make an offer.  I looked around to see what was available.  I was in a midsize town in mid Missouri with a home I loved, and a husband and five children that I promised not to raise in the traditional transient lifestyle.  What would be really ideal is if we could find something close that would work. 

The radio landscape in Columbia, MO consists of two large clusters and a few stand-alones in the rural area outside of Columbia.   Cumulus Broadcasting has several stations in the market as did my former employer, Zimmer Radio Group.  There wasn?t many to pick from but there was one that I favored as a likely candidate for the first station under the Ruckus Radio banner. 

I remember like it was yesterday?cooking dinner with my husband and looking at him across the bar in our kitchen.  I remember saying, ?You know what station I would really like?  I would like to own KXYZ.? (Station name withheld to protect the innocent.)  The challenge was it wasn?t technically for sale. 

Again, I pursued this as if it were the biggest client of all time.  As I tell my associates while training, there?s no such thing as a bad ask.  All they could do was say no, but I certainly didn?t have the right to say no for them.  With that in my mind, I emailed the ownership team and asked them to meet with me for coffee. 

During the course of our meeting, we discovered that we were like-minded.  We really valued small town, locally owned businesses and likewise radio.  We had chemistry personally and thoroughly enjoyed our time getting to know each other. However, the owners were quick to point out that the station wasn?t for sale.  I asked them, ?Just suppose it was. What would you want for it and under what conditions?? I gathered information on what their long term plans were, what they wanted to accomplish and what a good deal would look like to them.  At the end of our meeting, we agreed to stay in touch. 

After mulling it over for a month or so, putting pen to paper and discussing it with my personal board of directors, I decided to make an official offer.  I asked the owners to meet with me again, and this time?I came armed with a letter of intent that addressed all of their objectives. 

The offer was met with interest?a good amount of interest.  After all, as a newbie and the opportunity to be located here at home, I was willing to pay more for the station than it was worth today.  There was a great deal of upside to it, but it would require a year?s worth of hard work on my part to get there. 
What started as a move because there wasn?t anything to lose soon became a real offer on a real purchase met with real interest.  They promised to get back with me soon after their attorney and accountant looked at it, but at first glance?it looked good to them. 

The next part was the worst.  The waiting.  And more waiting.  And more waiting.  Whoever knows me personally knows that this was akin to torture for me.  I like to move and move now.  In the end, we ended up waiting over a month just to find out whether they were willing to accept the offer or not.  Apparently, people get sick in the winter and like to take vacations. 

I kept myself busy by preparing the chess pieces in the event that my gut was right and this deal would move forward.   I interviewed traffic companies, production companies, national rep firms, made plans for a studio build out, new imaging for the station, sales plans, etc.  When this happened, I wanted to be ready to hit the ground running.  I would wait for now, but when the gun sounded?I wanted to be ready to go! 

Little did I know that there might be much more needed than a willing bank, a willing buyer and a willing seller to make the slipper fit Cinderella.  I would soon find out what a roller coaster ride the purchase process could be?as well as whether or not I would end up with a station when the ride came to an end.

Stay with me next week as I tell you what happened at the end of the month long wait.

Have any advice for Erica? You can reach her at erica@theruckusgroup.com

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(TALENT) Making The Case

3-27-2013

I ask my radio colleagues ? even when they aren?t bothering anybody: What do the aerodynamic principles of sailing have in common with radio? After some consideration, the quizzed often request an easier category or a different show. I can report the most common answer from those who do reply consists of two parts: 1. ?That?s a dumb question.? and, 2. ?Nothing.? I hit the buzzer and exclaim, ?Incorrect!?

In seemingly unrelated news, radio folk ? leadership, on-air, creative, and sales ? continue to maintain a death grip on the unsubstantiated, yet powerful assertion that radio is a direct, personal, one-to-one medium. This position still exists because of a lack of knowledge of contradictory evidence or a refusal to consider evidence that is available. Further, a conclusion that acceptance of a contrary understanding could negate an entire career of paying homage to radio dogma on the matter. This is also a position that sabotages any possibility of future learning.

Broadcasters who hold the position point to the fact that when a person hears a radio station, they do so as an individual. This proposition-as-proof gets delivered with what, I suspect, is the same certainty as those who only centuries ago insisted the world was flat and that any who ventured too far out to sea were assured of dropping off the edge ? based on no evidence whatsoever. Those who came back, it was explained, did so only because they didn?t venture out far enough. The logic was held sacred by those who espoused it. Nevertheless, it was drawn from a lack of information. Radio, similarly, built its models of communication well before most of the evidence had arrived.

Likewise, while it is true that listeners do hear the station as individuals, the one-to-one proposition is still hung out there on a single, thin strand. Of course people hear the station as individuals! Are there any human experiences where that is not the case? Even those who are a part of a group are experiencing as an individual. That subjective reality, I have never challenged. The distinctions, nevertheless, do not yet seem to have caught on with broadcasters:

1.) Even as broadcasters insist on the ?one-to-one? premise, can they also identify, specifically, who that ?one? is? No. (No allowances here for ?the personal listener? ? a universally accepted, self-induced, and tragically destructive, delusional concept.)

2.) Is there a direct connection with a feedback loop between the speaker and the radio listener like, say, that provided by a telephone? None.

3.) Are there listeners who accept that whatever being said is directed at them ? exclusively? Not any stable ones. The exceptions are the addled and confused listeners, of which there are some. (?When I listen to you, I know you are talking only to me.? This is a deeply disturbing admission.)

4.) As the second-person term (?you?) is being applied, does that get the attention of individual listeners? Yes. Every time.

5.) Is what being said pertinent to or true for every individual listener? No. Almost never.

6.) Does this practice (?you?) challenge the immediate, subjective reality of just about every listener? Almost always.

7.) Does this exercise on the part of broadcasters do more to generate credibility with the listener? Or, does it challenge an audience member?s credulity? Our credibility is at risk of being seriously wounded every time we open a microphone.

8.) Does a listener being interrupted with a ?you? and then plied with innocuous, useless, or utterly irrelevant material get anything useful? Nope ? just pisses ?em off.

9.) Is isolating a listener through applying the ?you? and then telling them what to do a good practice for fostering the advertiser's/talent?s credibility or aid in developing an ongoing, loyal customer/listener? No.

10.) Is this practice (?you?) a well-considered broadcasting strategy or a holdover from some other experience, perhaps like that of the original telephone ? a device that allows for at least some semblance of a direct connection. Alexander Graham Bell spoke into the first telephone and said, ?Mr. Watson. Come here. I want you.? Watson, who was named, specifically, understood the message could only be for him ? exclusively. That was the first electronic, vocal, one-to-one message. Radio has never been able to do that.

Meanwhile, back in the glory days of sail-driven, sails and rigging were designed to accept the force of the apparent wind on the sails, and the boats were pushed along. There were severe limitations on the directions and speeds at which a craft could navigate.

Later, when triangular sails were introduced, amazing things became possible. Among them were quicker rates of speed and the capacity to sail in a greater range of courses off the apparent wind direction. A low-pressure area was created on the leeward side of a sail and what resulted was a pulling or sucking phenomenon that, in combination with the pushing, increased the performance of any vessel under that design of sail. Some research into ?Bernoulli's principle? could be handy ? and relieve me of the more detailed lecture, which I am unqualified to present.

Radio, unfortunately, is still caught up in an epoch similar to those days of the square-rigged ships. We only push. We have, however, every opportunity to join a modern era by learning how to pull, as well.

Maintaining our status quo will assure us of remaining adrift while waiting for advantageous wind conditions. Radio is an indirect medium. This distinction is only the first of many that broadcasters are invited to learn and apply. Our current state will continue until we acquire superior communication techniques ? how to pull as well as how to push. Otherwise, we remain a medium that just ?blows.?

Ronald T. Robinson has been involved in Canadian Radio since the '60s as a performer, writer and coach and has trained and certified as a personal counsellor. Ron makes the assertion that the most important communicative aspects of broadcasting, as they relate to Talent and Creative, have yet to be addressed. Check out his website www.voicetalentguy.com

(3/28/2013 1:14:38 AM)
Let me be a little more accurate here, Radiomike.
By transferring from Second Person ("you") references to Third Person references, our communications become consistent with what radio already is - an indirect medium.
Besides that which is the most important element, Third Person references are unlimited in number where there is only one "you".

The detailed explanations can be found in a number of fields including Transformational Grammar - a real snoozer for all but the keenest of afficianados. Fortunately, we (radio-types) don't have to know all that to execute the principles any more than a slugger needs to understand physics in order to put bat on ball.

(3/27/2013 4:32:56 PM)
"Suck" is what we already do, Radiomike.
The principle, meanwhile, is quite simple to articulate, but somewhat difficult to execute... at first.

It is as follows: By trading in all Second Person ("you") references for Third Person elements, radio becomes an indirect medium.
And that's it for today's freebie. :)

(3/27/2013 1:44:11 PM)
So you want us to "suck" too? Is there a concrete principle to apply here?

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Milwaukee Radio Making Martini's

3-3-13

Milwaukee Radio Alliance has launched ?1290 Martini Radio.? The new format is Adult Standards with what the radio station calls "a modern twist."  The station will include standards from the ?Rat Pack? era with more contemporary artists who have a throwback sound. The combination will include Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, and Tony Bennett with Michael Bubl?, Adele, and Norah Jones. Stan Atkinson has been named Ops Manager for station that will carry the call letters WZTI-AM.

The Milwaukee Radio Alliance is comprised of three radio stations:  FM 102/1 WLUM-FM; B93.3 WLDB-FM; and 1290 WZTI-AM.  The partnership was established in 1996 between NFL Hall of Fame Green Bay Packer Willie Davis? All Pro Broadcasting and Shamrock Communications.
milwaukeeradio.com | FM1021milwaukee.com | B933fm.com | 1290martiniradio.com

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(SALES) Making "Thank You" Memorable

2-22-2013

Little stands out in today?s world of electronic communications more than a hand-written thank you note. It is a lost art and the few who still take the time to make this a regular practice know the impact it has. Of course, as the account manager, you should make it a habit to send a thank you for every sale you make. But today, let?s talk about two additional new strategies regarding thanking a client for their business that will take the impact of documenting appreciation to even greater heights:

1. THANKS FROM THE GENERAL MANAGER: I encourage you to have a system in place called a Management Letter Request. Whenever a seller gets a new client on the air and the amount that client is spending is enough to categorically help them, the seller should fill out a Management Letter Request. This is a form sent to the GM asking them to write a letter to the new client welcoming them to the radio station?s family of advertisers and thanking them for their business. Additionally, the Management Letter Request is designed to accomplish something the seller cannot? brag on themselves! Look at this example:

Dear___________,
Welcome to the KXYZ family of advertisers. We are honored to be serving on your marketing team. Your account manager, (seller?s name here), is one of the market?s most admired advertising professionals. I know with (seller?s name again) at the helm, you?re in the  best of care. As general manager, I too  am always available to serve you in any way I can. Please do not hesitate to call on me. We?re grateful for your business and the opportunity to work for you.
Enthusiastically!
(GM name)

2. THANK YOU WHEN YOU?RE NOT BOUGHT:
Now let?s employ a second practice that, hopefully, you won?t have to use very often? sending a thank you when we are NOT bought. Yes, I said saying thanks when you?re NOT bought. This is a note to the business decision-maker who turned you down. It also lets them know they?ll be seeing more of you. Look at this example:

Dear____________,
I am sorry I was unable to convince you of the selling power of (your station name). I will keep trying! But, in the meantime, on behalf of the (your city) radio industry, I want to thank you for buying radio advertising and the stations you did buy. I look forward to meeting with you again soon.
Enthusiastically!
(seller?s name)

Imagine the impact this note will have as the advertiser realizes one of the only thank you notes, if any, they received was from a radio station they did not buy.

Always say thank you, in writing. Always have your GM do the same, and always say thanks when you?re not bought.

Rob Adair is the President of Pinnacle Solving. His company provides revenue growth solutions, branding and differentiation strategies to radio and other industries. Adair is a former radio industry COO and Sr. VP overseeing 25+ stations and multiple major markets. He can be reached at 405-641-0458 or by e-mail rob@pinnaclesolving.com

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(SALES) The Math Of Making Budget

1-25-2013

I never put much credence in closing ratios. Whenever I hear someone say, ?I have a 50 percent closing ratio? I never believed they really knew. After four decades of managing sellers and being a radio seller, I can tell you that I have no idea what my closing ratio is nor can I tell you the actual closing ratio of any seller that has ever worked for me.

I did, however learn the true mathematics of making budget. This formula served me well over the years and never proved wrong. My entire career, probably like yours, has been the assignment of delivering ?the number.? As a salesperson, a GM, a regional VP and a COO, every day was the task of delivering the number. As a seller and a sales manager, the number was my budget that given month, then the quarter, and finally the year?s number. As a GM, and positions higher up the radio ladder, it became a top line and a bottom line number every month, quarter, and for the year. I wasn?t in radio very long before I realized there were few business problems that couldn?t be repaired by more revenue. I could control expenses, but driving that top line number was the key to virtually everything. I never spent energy on increasing closing ratios. I spent all my energy on asking for enough business to insure ?the number.?

Any time I could simplify something, I did. With that in mind, here?s the math to making budget; to delivering ?the number? time after time?.. ANNUAL BUDGET TIMES 10, DIVIDED BY 52 EQUALS THE WEEKLY DOLLAR AMOUNT THAT MUST BE PRESENTED. Let?s say you?re a seller with an assigned budget for 2013 of $500,000. Your budget times 10 = $5 million, divided by 52 weeks = $96,154. You must ask for a minimum of $96,154 in business every week. This will always come in a variety of presentations, from a 30-day campaign for $5,000 to an annual campaign for $60,000. It doesn?t matter when it airs, just never ask for less in any week. They key is honoring the math. The same formula is true for a radio station, a market or, indeed, an entire company. Every week we ask for the right amount, we?ll end up delivering ?the number.?
For years we?ve been told selling is a game of numbers. We just didn?t know the math. Now we do.

Rob Adair is the President of Pinnacle Solving. His company provides revenue growth solutions, branding and differentiation strategies to radio and other industries. Adair is a former radio industry COO and Sr. VP overseeing 25+ stations and multiple major markets. He can be reached at 405-641-0458 or by e-mail rob@pinnaclesolving.com

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(SOCIAL) Making Listeners Share Your Social Content

11-14-2012

When radio personalities share in social media, those that are best at it are timely and listener-focused, with content that makes listeners feel smart to share that content with others. It?s one thing to say it, but why don?t we look at some potential examples that are timely? As a tease, I will say that anyone who has picked up a magazine lately knows how well it works to talk about the five or the three best things in any category.

So, we will add numbers to the mix to jump-start your thinking about leading listeners to share your social media posts.

1. Suppose you offered five Thanksgiving cooking safety tips in advance of Thanksgiving?

2. Maybe it is as easy as offering up the Butterball Turkey hotline number and a recipe for something amazing from your family that goes well with turkey!

3. How about the 10 things all travelers should know about making their homes safe from home invasion while you are at Aunt Betty?s for Thanksgiving?

4. Present the top five places families visit in your market during Thanksgiving weekend.

5. What if you presented the five dumbest things that ever happen at a Thanksgiving family get-together?  (You could even provide a video of the #1 dumbest thing).

6. Many listeners might want to share the four best ways to get rid of the feeling that your eyes were bigger than your stomach? Ever eat too much at Thanksgiving?

7. How about the five best things on TV for women over the Thanksgiving holiday?

8. And why not share the six things to avoid with family during your Thanksgiving weekend?

Oh, and always:  pictures, pictures, pictures! Have fun with your posts, make sure you are focused on the listeners and what they get from your content, make it visual and encourage them to share. Whenever possible, make it local-based content. This will encourage local use of your content in sharing.

Rich content will be shared if your focus is on the benefit your audience will receive (and not always just on the radio station benefit). Let your personality shine, but focus it on being helpful and making your listeners look smart for sharing your content. It might help your social media in ways you couldn?t imagine before.

Loyd Ford is the direct marketing, ratings and social media strategist for Americalist and programmed very successful radio brands in markets of all sizes for years, including KRMD AM & FM in Shreveport, WSSL and WMYI in Greenville, WKKT in Charlotte and WBEE in Rochester, NY. Learn more about Loyd here:  http://about.me/loydford. Reach out to Loyd via e-mail HERE  Visit his Facebook radio social media page HERE

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CBS San Diego Making The Holidays Better

11-12-2012
CBS's Energy 103.7 (KEGY-FM) in San Diego kicks off its annual toy drive Wednesday as "AJ?s Kids Crane" gets underway. Station personalities AJ Machado and Hula Ramos will live high atop a 30-foot structure until the goal of 100,000+ toys is reached. San Diegans will be encouraged to donate a toy for Rady Children?s Hospital in exchange for various prizes and/or activities each day at the 11th Annual AJ?s Kids Crane.
Visit http://www.energy1037.com/ for more details.

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Digital Making Gains But Still Relatively Small

19-7-2012

This may support the theory that committing too many resources to digital just isn't worth it yet. Or depending on how you look at it, it may also support the theory that radio is only getting a small portion of digital because of a lackluster effort. BIA/Kelsey is forecasting a 12.1% increase in digital revenue for radio in 2012. Certainly, that's a nice bump. However, the total dollar amount still remains small.

In 2012, BIA/Kelsey says that 12.1 % increase will bring radio up to $491 million, up from $438 million. What's hard to determine is how many of those dollars would have been spent on over-the-air radio if digital wasn't an option. Many in the industry are debating, discussing and meeting to decide how they can maximize revenue from their digital assets.

Another interesting part of this debate involves something you may not even be aware of. In the recent focus group conducted by Edison research, some of the digital advertising agencies he spoke to said they do not like to use radio websites because the stations are still hung up with posting the "babe of the day" photographs. These pictures, and this mentality for a radio station website, may be creating a sense of unprofessionalism for the entire industry, hampering radio's ability to grow digital revenue. If you haven't yet, you should watch ALL of the Edison videos.

At the Radio Show in Dallas, an entire day was dedicated to the digital discussion where broadcasters heard from vendors and digital experts on what they should do with their digital assets. The meeting was not part of the Radio Show agenda and neither the RAB or NAB sanctioned the meeting. No decisions were made other than an agreement to meet again.

Not everyone is sold on ad-insertion as of yet. Most broadcasters tell us they know they need to be streaming, but without scale, selling digital ads is not too lucrative for them. Vendors say the lack of willingness to invest in the technology or salespeople is the reason the numbers are so low. One vendor told us just this past Friday that a CEO was unwilling to spend one hour toward selling digital. He said that one hour alone would have resulted in tens of thousands of dollars in revenue. He added, "all industries face this sooner or later; when disruptive technology comes along, some will embrace it and succeed and many won?t and they eventually fail. That?s just the nature of how markets work but it doesn?t make it any easier when you are living in it." Radio people are pressed to do a lot more these days. Not to mention, the industry is hardly short of over-the-air inventory.

Among some of the other "digital" campaigns, many broadcasters we speak to seem to be more interested in is texting. Campaigns where stations can directly touch listeners, gather their opt-in user information and sell a sponsorship to a local sponsor. And with a texting campaign, you don't have to worry about music playing over commercials or 8 minutes of PSA's.

Just to make a comparison, for anyone interested, Pandora is projecting revenue for its current fiscal year to be $425 to $432 million.

(10/8/2012 2:23:24 PM)
What Al said...
If not us, who? If we don't supply the digital alternatives/additions for the clients' campaigns, someone else will. Is not every significant newspaper or TV station out there also pitching digital? Frankly, the fact that we as an industry get what we do with a "part time" sales staff is pretty impressive. What do the better radio sellers spend on digital, 5% of their time? Without dedicated digital sellers the percentages will stay small.
(10/8/2012 2:13:06 PM)
I think Radio has some smart managers and will improve at the brand extension side of Radio. It has become an expectation of heavy users of any product. I believe Radio is stuck in the classic "Innovator's Dilemma" where they are too close to the problem to see the solution. They start with a very large audience that many more profitable industries would be envious of-now there based solutions to create dollars for traffic that integrate seamlessly into Radio. One will have to go first.

(10/8/2012 12:01:51 PM)
It would be interesting to see the ratio of time/effort spent to achieve that revenue vs. the time/effort spent to achieve the broadcast revenue.

Given the amount of effort most broadcasters are putting into digital I'd guess that digital actually has a better ROI right now.

(10/8/2012 9:16:46 AM)
There is no debate here. Radio will use its traditional assets to become a local digital player or its share of media time and revenue will stay flat or fall. Why? Because radio audiences want to be served with digital products. We do it or others will. The only issue with the development of digital by radio stations is the commitment of top management. Anything new and disruptive needs focus. Some managers and owners get that, other don't.

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(SALES) Making Your Network Work

9-26-2012

Networking is one of the most profitable marketing strategies that sales professionals can employ, but all too often we confuse networking with simple glad-handing. Like any marketing strategy, networking must be properly planned and targeted to maximize your results.

To paraphrase John F. Kennedy, ?Ask not what your network can do for you, but what you can do for your network.? Following that advice is the best way to profit from your networking efforts.

If you plan to give of yourself and your company, your networks will return the favour. The most successful networkers, online and in person, are not constantly trying to sell. Instead, using the guidelines below, they create an environment where their network approaches them to buy.

1. Begin with informal networks. Practice your networking skills with people you share a common interest with, and never fake that interest. Having a common passion is a great ice-breaker. Boaters love talking to fellow boaters, and golfers are quick to share their golf stories. Once you?ve broken the ice and established a common bond, your new contact will eventually ask you what you do.

2.Formal networks. Strategically select at least one industry or business network and one charitable organization you can help and benefit from. Be a leader in those groups and become known for what you know, and for what you do for them.

3. Budget and ROI. Establish a budget for memberships, time, and promotion, and establish clear goals and targets for a return on your investment. For online networking in blogs, social media sites, or emails, budget time to create useful/helpful content and reply to your network every day.

4. Be sincere and honest. The best way to build trust and relationships is to plan to do something for your network before you ask them to return the favor. Maybe you can offer your station?s resources to promote a fundraising event, be a guest speaker, or offer a small campaign as a door prize.

5. Look for exclusivity. It is easier to become known for what you do in groups where you have no competitors or peers than to win the allegiance of groups where a long-standing member has already secured their loyalty. Too many broadcast reps all attend the same functions and belong to the same clubs, reducing their odds of capturing the dominant share of that network?s allegiance.

6. Develop your 20-second elevator pitch. Practice outlining how your contacts can benefit from doing business with you, and why you are the best at it?in less than 50 words. When your new prospect is ready to buy, they?ll ask you for more information. If they are not ready to buy, you?ll just annoy them with a lengthy spiel.

7. Learn to listen. You will learn much more about customer needs and perceptions by listening, than you will by opening a conversation with your "pitch." Ask new contacts: ?What do you do?" and be genuinely interested in them. Eventually they?ll ask you: ?What do you do?? and the door will be open for your presentation.

8. Don?t just sign up. Just having your name on a roster won?t help you win hearts and minds. More formal or organized networks or clubs resent "joiners" who don?t contribute to the cause. Always be a proactive resource for your network.

9. Buy first. Give your contacts the opportunity to sell to you and send them referrals when possible. Make sure you take credit for the referrals, and use your buying experience to learn more about the prospect?s business.

10. Ask for referrals. Once you have built your relationships, don?t be afraid to ask for referrals. Always have plenty of business cards and give them out freely. If possible, print a special offer or incentive on the back of your card that you can extend to your new friends, to make them feel special. And always have share buttons on your online messages.

11. Lighten up. Have fun and be fun. Enjoy the group, learn, participate, and smile. No one likes to be sold, everyone loves to buy. You won?t have to stick your foot in the door of people who like you; they will gladly open the door for you.

12. Work the room. Avoid becoming part of a clique. Break out of your comfort zone and sit with people or groups you have not met before. Ask for business cards from every contact and follow up with a note or email saying what a pleasure it was to meet them. Welcome, and respond to, all online comments from your network.

It?s a small world. Everyone you meet can benefit your business. If they never buy from you, or don?t own a business, they can still give you referrals or leads if over time they?ve come to know who you are and what you stand for.

Wayne Ens is the president of ENS Media Inc. and producer of SoundADvice, the radio e-marketing system and advertiser seminar that is persuading local advertisers across North America to drop their print advertising in favor of a radio-Internet media mix. He can be reached at wayne@wensmedia.com 

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(PROGRAMMING) Making Great Radio

Download this show

It isn't very often you get to hear from two programming experts who are willing to lay out all of their years of experience - at no charge - so you can go back to your station and make it sound much better than it does now. Our latest Podcast features two of the greatest minds in the radio business, President of Jacobs Media and jacAPPS, Fred Jacobs and Vice President of Program Development for Greater Media, Buzz Knight (right). For 40 minutes Jacobs and Knight give us details on how radio stations should sound. If you want to win in the ratings...if you want to win in the local market...if you want to win in the revenue wars...download this podcast and listen to it as many times as you can. Then, go to your manager and get these ideas implemented. Or, just look at your window and watch the station across the street do it. ENJOY our latest installment of MAKING GREAT RADIO!

LISTEN HERE

Download Making Great Radio Podcast #1 HERE
Here are our guests from Podcast #1:
Lee Abrams is a legendary radio programmer who has also as been XM Radio's Chief Programming Officer
Randy Lane is the owner of the The Randy Lane Company
Dave Richards is the Vice President of Programming and Operations for Entercom in Seattle

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(PODCAST) Making Great Radio

Download this show

It isn't very often you get to hear from two programming experts who are willing to lay out all of their years of experience - at no charge - so you can go back to your station and make it sound much better than it does now. Our latest Podcast features two of the greatest minds in the radio business, President of Jacobs Media and jacAPPS, Fred Jacobs and Vice President of Program Development for Greater Media, Buzz Knight (right). For 40 minutes Jacobs and Knight give us details on how radio stations should sound. If you want to win in the ratings...if you want to win in the local market...if you want to win in the revenue wars...download this podcast and listen to it as many times as you can. Then, go to your manager and get these ideas implemented. Or, just look at your window and watch the station across the street do it. ENJOY our latest installment of MAKING GREAT RADIO!

LISTEN HERE

Download Making Great Radio Podcast #1 HERE
Here are our guests from Podcast #1:
Lee Abrams is a legendary radio programmer who has also as been XM Radio's Chief Programming Officer
Randy Lane is the owner of the The Randy Lane Company
Dave Richards is the Vice President of Programming and Operations for Entercom in Seattle

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(SOCIAL) Making Your Social Media Meaningful

5-21-2012

(SOCIAL) When it comes to Facebook, Twitter, and other social media platforms, it pays to have specific guidelines or "Do's" that focus your efforts for consistently excellent results. Here are seven very good guidelines:

1. Talk less, listen more.  Focus on the people who engage your brand and make it your top mission in social media to listen more than you talk. Find out what listeners expect and want from you by listening to them.

2. Step up to what your listeners are passionate about.  Those who most want influence are also the most likely to contribute to your success. They are the most likely to show up in your social media "stream" and most likely to be cheerleaders for your brand when you do things right. Don't be afraid to embrace their passion.

3. Think sharing.  Forget (if you can) 20th century thinking. Focus on great content where you give away "the baby."  In other words, don't hold back. Give first. Be open. The payoff you are after is larger than a little advertising.

4. Remember that social media is not advertising.  It is an error to judge social media the same way you would advertising. Social media takes consistency and patience.

5. Add value to the conversations about your product, brand, even listener benefits.  Show the value of consistent content focused on what listeners expect of you and where they benefit immediately from what you are sharing.

6. In social media, listeners want and respect validation and appreciate?appreciation.  Give it to them.

7. When someone comments on your content or even shares your content, acknowledge them and follow up both in public and in email, if possible.  But also go to their Facebook page if you can and engage in their content to let them know you are tuned in to them.

If you've been in the radio business for a while, you already know that you find out what listeners want and give it to them. You know that certain things are critical to your target audience. If you don't know what these things are, seek advice from someone higher up in management and make sure your efforts reflect these important expectations your listeners want and desire.

Reach out to Loyd via e-mail HERE
Visit his Facebook radio social media page www.facebook.com/socialnetworking4radio
Read more articles from Loyd HERE

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(DIGITAL) Making Niche Internet Radio Work

5-2-2012

I know I'm supposed to be writing about podcasting, but this caught my attention as something you should be aware of. There's an operation in Mississippi that has caught on with what may be the niche-iest of niche markets?and is making it work. Sports talk radio is niche. But what about specific sports talk based on individual teams? Seems feasible if it's a super-big pro-sports franchise or college. But get this: Vsporto.com has launched a team-specific streaming radio sports talk website around Mississippi State and Ole Miss. Fifteen thousand registered users later, and Vsporto.com believes the sky is the limit.

Keith Jasper launched the site almost two years ago, fulfilling a childhood dream. "I've always been interested in sports," Jasper said. "But I grew up a Buffalo Bills fan in Mississippi. So I started a Buffalo Bills website because I couldn't get Bills information consistently. That actually grew into a full-fledged business." That site took off, partnered with Yahoo and Fox Sports, and that's where the idea for team-specific Internet radio began.

Jasper spent about six years researching how sports media companies get started and what they would need, as well as how Internet companies were started, and about radio in general. He learned early on ? and this should come as a surprise to no one who has ever tried to work with a large university on this level ? that he would have to do this without the help of the schools themselves.

"I made the mistake of contacting the schools way before I had anything out. I immediately found out that a lot of these media costs can be pretty high. What we were looking to do initially was broadcast live games, and they'll sell you the rights if you pay them tens of thousands of dollars, and that was out of the question." They confirmed that as long as they were talk radio, they could really do whatever they wanted.

Shows are hosted by media members who cover each school regularly ? print and radio ? and listeners can interact with the hosts through software and apps that the Vsporto staff code themselves. In fact, that may be the key to their initial success. "We build all of our technology internally," Jasper said. "All our coding, all our apps are built internally, and we even designed our own mobile ad platform."

How has this innovative idea, launched in an area of the country where (this is staggering) many residents don't have Internet access, performed financially? "We brought in a little bit of money initially, and have steadily been growing. We just hired a full-time sales director who has experience in radio sales and sports media sales."

In terms of ad sales, Jasper believes that the real estate inside the programming is the most valuable, followed closely by listener-specific display ads based on zip code for registered users. Coded by the Vsporto staff, these have been popular with local businesses. Title sponsorships have also had some success.

From here, Jasper's goal is a streaming radio channel for every team. Check out Vsporto.com here, and contact Keith Jasper at keith@vsporto.com.

Brian Baltosiewich has been a broadcast professional for more than 20 years. His podcast website, www.radioexiles.com features professionally-produced podcasts from radio pro?s who have lost their gigs. Reach out to him at brian@radioexiles.com or through their twitter account @radioexiles.

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