Listener owned radio stations – a NovaM Radio idea

Shelly Drobny of NovaM Radio is on the Mike Malloy show talking about listener owned radio stations. I think it is a great idea.

As we all know, Clear Channel basically owns the Radio waves. And these Clear Channel stations broadcast Right Wing radio. And that is the only message that many people hear. The sheer number of right wing radio stations as well as low power that progressive radio stations are left with drowns out progressive radio.

Not at all to speak for Mr. Drobny and Mr. Malloy, but I believe their idea is for us, you and I the listeners of progressive radio, to buy into a ‘cooperative’ of radio stations all over the country. Each of us would buy shares into this cooperative. NovaM would take that money and start to buy radio station after radio station. We, progressive radio owners’ would gain larger and larger market share.

Mr. Drobny was saying that the ‘owners’ could participate in the management - in the sense that we could say whom we want on the radio.

Obviously there is so much more to this than just my interpretation of the conversation. But I like the idea. A million people put in $100 and we have $100 million dollars to buy stations and put on progressive radio. With more stations and listeners, more advertisers would get on board. And I see those original cooperative shareholders getting a few bucks back from the profits.

Something to think about…

June 25, 2007 at 6:30 to 7:00 pm Pacific

Mr Malloy had Mr Drobny on the phone talking about the idea.

I have been killing myself to get some decent radio out here in Iowa.

…and to get us thinking about this. Once again, not to speak for them, but maybe they want us to gather our ideas and support.

Following is screed I have posted a few times over the last few years.

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There is a ready market of over 40% of the populace in even the reddest of areas that are not currently served by political talk radio. What every business model requires, a ready-made market.

Problem is, the money boys (advertisers, station owners) are from the other side of the political divide, and most apparently would prefer to lose money. Even worse, they are now apparently buying up AAR affiliates with good numbers in order to push them off the air. No station, no problem.

So much for the free market.

Instead of trying to ‘fight the last war’, that is, model progressive talk radio after Reich-Wing radio, a different (and not really innovative), approach is needed.

This approach is . . . . use the NPR model.

In larger, left leaning cities, commercial Progressive radio will be viable due to the critical mass of advertisers. In smaller, or redder, markets, where most of the advertisers are prejudiced, funding would come from the ‘Corporation For Progressive Radio’ to offset losses.

As Liberals/Progressives, we would need to donate $100/200 a year to the corporation (I used to donate this much to NPR). If 1/6 of Kerry voters donated $100/yr., $1 B a year could be raised.

My belief is that until those in the Red areas (Phoenix, Missoula, Atlanta, etc. etc.) are provided access to an alternative to Reich-Wing propaganda radio, Progressive politicians will make limited inroads. Some discount the effect of Reich-Wing propaganda radio on the political shift, and dumbing down, of the electorate, particularly the ‘working class’. I do not. Radio is low cost (for the consumer), convenient, and pervasive among the ‘working class’.

One other change is that the on-air ‘personalities’ would need to accept that they are part of a movement, and park their ego, and need for $1 M/yr paychecks, at the door.

My experience with all cities, and particularly ‘Red’ cities (St. Louis, Kansas City, Denver, Des Moines, Albuquerque), is that the older/university neighborhoods are ‘Blue’, surrounded by ‘Red’ suburbs which are the enclaves of the middle and ‘working’ classes. That is, the part of the electorate that has been consistently voting against their best interest. Therefore, the primary strategy would be to ‘serve’ these areas. The ‘Blue’ would provide a critical mass of funds, with the CPR providing funds to keep the enterprise ‘just in the black’.

A secondary strategy would be a salient into smaller markets with larger universities (Columbia, MO, Springfield,. MO, Iowa City/Cedar Rapids, IA, Fort Collins, CO) and therefore a younger demographic. The dynamic in these smaller cities would be similar to the larger cities, with the relatively large progressive base proving the revenue to operate nearly self-sufficient.

A third, and probably most important, strategy, will be an air-drops into (typically ‘Red’) smaller cities that are rural regional centers (Quincy, IL, Topeka, KS, Waterloo, IA, Quad Cities, IA). These operations would probably require the most funds from the CPR.

Parallel to all of the above, ownership of stations should be the priority, or the sorry situation in Missoula and Phoenix will simply continue. With an adequately funded CPR, when a station comes up for sale, they would be ready. On-line funding drives could even be effected to raise funds to outbid the Christo/Corporatist oligarchy.

Nova M, Air America is alive and well here in Phoenix. Local businesses are supporting the station.

from a couple of years ago when the station owner was pulling the rug out from under the Phoenix AAR affiliate.

An online drive, in which I donated even though I will never be in Phoenix, helped to jump start the move to new ownership (all of which you are probably aware).

Sounds like they have got their act together marketing the station. Like I heard Hartmann say the other day, a big problem is station salespeople do not know how to market Progressive talk.

That way people would have equal rights in making decisions, rather than control being based on wealth.

It's not PBS. I still think the Limbaugh model is the way to go. Like it or not, Rush is a pro at what he does. It’s not a part time gig or a hobby. He does work at what he does. Concentrate on one talent rather than an entire 24/7 network with station ownership. Clear Channel is in business to make money all, of media is. I’ve been on both sides of the business, and you can’t force a product down the public’s throat. What’s needed is a talented radio person to get behind, there has to be one out there.

I think that this is why Nova M is doing so well here in the Phoenix market.