[BC] [Fwd: Clear Channel Radio Launches GLBT Radio Station]

[Rich Wood]

------ At 09:28 AM 3/5/2007, Mike McCarthy wrote: -------

>Rich, you are simply wearing blinders.  You don't need to have 
>phenomenal ratings to have a successful (highly profitable) 
>operation.  I'll admit it doesn't hurt.  But there are many stations 
>doing many millions of dollars or revenue with squat for numbers 
>because they offer a product/format which the smarter advertisers 
>know will reach their desired audience.

I've been dealing with qualitative sales for decades. Many 
advertisers don't buy on tonnage. How do you think foreign language 
programming makes money?

>There is a move afoot in the buyer side of the agency business to 
>direct buys towards stations with better demo appeal than simply CPP 
>on a tier of agency suggested "best stations".  Advertisers have 
>found that their message is sometime misplaced because of agencies 
>buying on simple demo identity and CPP than really looking for the 
>best fit. It's made CC and other major operator wake up and take notice.

If they're taking notice, the format should be where someone can hear 
it. There are some great programmers in CC and, recently, mainstream 
magazines have been accepting gay-themed ads and the trend is away 
from traditional liquor ads that give readers the impression all gay 
people do is drink. Not long ago Ikea used gay couples discussing the 
store's products. They got hell for it.

Since this format is on an HD channel it'll be decades before it has 
a chance to reach an audience. I think it's more a publicity stunt 
than a real effort to serve a community, otherwise one of the 4 talk 
stations in a cluster would try it on the analog.

Rich

Rich Wood
Rich Wood Multimedia
Phone: 413-454-3258