[BC] Stupid cross-promo of competitors

[WFIFeng@aol.com]

In a message dated 12/26/2005 3:23:32 PM Eastern Standard Time, 
david at onlinetonight.com writes:

>  > This is positively *Laughable*,

What was *Laughable* was that you actually indicated that (in your opinion) 
we would refuse advertising from the very lifeblood of our existance: Chuches. 
I did, literally, LOL when I came to that line-item. This was why I had to 
challenge your knowledge of Christian radio. Not to challenge *you* as a person, 
but to challenge some obvious misconceptions you have about this medium.

> The point of
>  my post was not to show you how ignorant of Christiam programming I am (I'm
>  not that ignorant of it, having been a part of Salem's network for a 
while),

Working for/with Salem "for a while" is quite different from being employed, 
full-time, in a Christian radio station for over 16 years. Suffice it to say, 
I do have *some clue* as to what I am doing and talking about in this field. 
:) Also, Salem does offer some programming that appeals to the "General 
Market". They are not quite "99 & 44/100% pure" Christian, so *their* perspective on 
these issues would be a little more lax than that of many Christian radio 
stations. That's not "bad", it's just different goals, different standards.

>  but that if you're going to apply the "competition" standard to accepting
>  advertising, you need to be aware of all of your competitors and choose to
>  reject their advertising dollars (or not) accordingly.

Many of the items you listed really do not fall into the same level of 
"competition" as another source of *radio broadcasting*, though. These satellite 
services are *direct competition* for the *same audience*. It is tantamount to 
our station running spots for another Christian station in our own market, which 
never signs-off.

I can almost hear the spot Copy, now...

Cheerful, happy announcer, over happy music bed:

"Ladies and gentlemen, why do you tolerate a station that signs-off at 5pm 
every day, and doesn't sign-on until after 7am? For only a few dollars, you can 
sign-up for 24 hour satellite service and have *so much more* than we have to 
offer! You can then listen all day *and all night* without interruption! It's 
so easy... just shut *us* off, and subscribe to *them*! Been nice knowing you!"

(SFX: "Click!") 

Man: "Come on, honey! Let's go buy one of those satellite radios!" 

(SFX:door slam -fourish, out)


That would be quite foolish, but it is virtually what we would be doing if we 
were to advertise them. 

I also remember some discussion (either here or in the CRTech Forum) along 
this same thread- we are not the only stations refusing to advertise our 
*direct* competition. There are a good number of other stations that refuse to do so. 
(It would be like McDonald's having Burger King ads on their doors and in 
their lobby.)

Yes, listeners are going to discover these things on their own, that is 
inevitable, but there are many who will not. Why should we gleefully usher them 
over to "the other station"? Suicide for just a few dollars? Not a chance.

Computers, Internet, etc, are not *direct* competition to Radio. There are 
many people who have a radio playing a local station while they work on the 
computer. Theaters, DVD's, TV programs, etc, only serve to *temporarily* 
distract/divert listeners from our station. That is not a threat. A 24 hour satellite 
station, offering the same programming, would *permanently* "distract" them. 
That's not just a threat, it's self-destruction.

Willie...