[cma-l] Community Radio Spot Rate

Wed Feb 4 18:20:04 GMT 2015

I don’t think anyone would argue with paying up front for advertising. 

We charged a booking fee which covers the Comprod plus half the airtime cost for ‘reserving the slot’. It helps with cash flow as we could get the production done knowing that the costs are paid. Payment was due in full before airing.

The only time I got burnt was when I trusted that someone would pay – they didn’t and we lost £550!

I had a client that changed their mind about running a sponsorship campaign which was fair enough but, it meant I couldn’t sell it to anyone else in time. So the T&Cs were updated so we have the right to charge an amount depending how close the campaign was to running.  

As the producer of Let’s Talk Business, which encourages people to start in business, I’m very conscious of the cash flow pressure small business owners have.

However, I think that many owners would rather let a bill go unpaid than to tell their supplier that they are having difficulty paying. I would appreciate a call explaining the issue to see if we can work together to resolve the issue.

Kind Regards

Alan

 <http://www.letstalkbusinessonline.com/> Hear Alan Every Week on Let’s Talk Business The UK’s Premier Radio Programme For Current and Future Entrepreneurs - Now Broadcast To 5 Million People  

Email -  <mailto:alan.coote at 5digital.co.uk> alan.coote at 5digital.co.uk

Phone - 0800 949 6655

Mobile - 07801 518858

Twitter -  <http://www.twitter.com/TheAlanCoote> @TheAlanCoote

Web -  <http://www.5digital.co.uk/> http://www.5digital.co.uk 

Let’s Talk Business

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Web -  <http://www.letstalkbusinessonline.com/> http://www.LetsTalkBusinessOnline.com

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The Media Production, Broadcasting and Training Company

From: cma-l-bounces at mailman.commedia.org.uk [mailto:cma-l-bounces at mailman.commedia.org.uk] On Behalf Of Two Lochs Radio
Sent: 04 February 2015 15:57
To: David Duffy; cma-l at mailman.commedia.org.uk
Subject: Re: [cma-l] Community Radio Spot Rate

Nice idea, but apart from where we offer a discounted rate for payment up-front I doubt many of our clients would be impressed. In this area everyone still operates in the days of 'tick' and trust, and will often not submit a bill for months. We have been burnt only once in 12 years, and that was only for £20.

The up-front doscount has, I believe, been key to securing a number of year-long sponsorship deals, and as someone wrote earlier, sponsorship deals are usually a lot less admin and hassle than advertising spots.

Have you tried applying PIA to advertising agencies? The bigger, the slower to pay we've found. Most have a policy of not accepting invoices until a campaign has run, and then only paying at the end of the following month - and sometimes even then only if their client in turn has paid them.

Alex

----- Original Message ----- 

From: David Duffy <mailto:david at theradiopeople.co.uk>  

To: The Community Media Association Discussion List <mailto:cma-l at mailman.commedia.org.uk>  

Sent: Wednesday, February 04, 2015 3:23 PM

Subject: [cma-l] Community Radio Spot Rate

Nick et al,

I would recommend that everyone should operate a 'payment in advance’ (PIA) policy these days. PIA for comprod and PIA for the airtime, monthly in advance.  If you use voice artists or external compared I would also recommend that you ask them what their tariff would be if you paid them in advance. I can’t believe the number of VO artist that spend hours each week on the phone chasing payment after a session. It would help them and should help you get a better price from them.

As for taking someone to the Small Claims court - for what it’s worth, Nick, walk away.  Apart from the financial cost of taking someone to court (which admittedly is low) there is an emotional cost.  It drags you down and takes you away from all the good stuff you are doing. Sure, it sends out a message that ‘we are not to be messed with’ but that not always the strong arm image that a community organisation want to portrait.

David

The Radio People

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