[BC] Running a Radio Network

[Rich Wood <richwood@pobox.com>]

------ At 09:41 AM 10/12/2005, Scott Cason wrote: -------

>No, Rich you know as well as I do that if the programming is there, the
>money will be there.

I know no such thing. You forget, I've started networks and 
individual shows for syndication. If you don't have the funding to 
last until you reach 85% of the country the money won't come in. 
Until you reach that coverage you have to be packaged with other 
shows and networks and share the buy.

>It's a programming issue causing the financial issue.

Nope. It's much too soon. Even Limbaugh took a few years to begin to 
grow. He had significant advantages, not the least of which was being 
owned by the former President of ABC. Many stations started Limbaugh 
on weekends, then moved him to weekdays

>If there were a groundswell of support and demand for that programming from
>both listeners and advertisers, the lesser shows like Hannity and Dr. Laura
>would find themselves on the second and third tier radio stations and Air
>America would be on the 50,000 watt Class As.

You're ignoring contracts. Unless they're willing to run inventory 
for the remainder of the contract you can't just drop a show. Laura 
Schlessinger took a brutal beating as she lost her major market 
stations. Premiere is no longer distributing her and she's back with 
some of the same people who sold her to Premiere. If Hannity didn't 
have the ABC O&Os he'd be where Air America is.

>Until Air America can find something of mass appeal to program, they 
>will always be on the second and
>third tier radio stations and be considered "nich" programming.

No. You're letting your personal preferences cloud your view. 
Networking is far more complicated than you make it out to be. The 
general rule is whoever gets there first wins. Also, don't forget 
that neo-Conservative radio has had nearly 2 decades during which 
programmers didn't believe Progressive programming would work. It 
wasn't needed. They were making too much money on hate. Why change? 
The previous progressive hosts were boring as Hell. Jim Hightower and 
Mario Cuomo could cure insomnia in about 10 minutes.

I think you're getting a bit far from your area of expertise.

Rich

Rich Wood
Rich Wood Multimedia
Phone: 413-303-9084
FAX: 413-480-0010