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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-GB link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><a name="_MailEndCompose"><span style='color:#1F497D'>I had the same problem when running The Bay in Poole and Bournemouth. Without a word of a lie, 3 different charities phoned one morning asking for commercial airtime for free. I asked if they had any budget for advertising their events, 2 said yes. But none thought that we would charge!<o:p></o:p></span></a></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>Back to the spot rate… I don’t know any station who can sell all their inventory at full rate card, so rather than £80 a day think just £20. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>Here’s another tail - At The Bay we doubled our published rates and guess what, we attracted bigger and better clients. Yes there we’re fewer and I’m not suggesting that money was rolling in, it wasn’t, but it stopped us going broke. It also meant we were selling to companies needing to raise awareness as much as generate leads – an important factor for small stations. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>To add a bit of perspective, most local commercial stations won’t get out of bed to sell a package for less than £1000 at spots rates around £4 upwards, it’s just not worth their while. The minimum to get on a Heart station is around £4500 and a regional is near double that. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>Commercial sales – yes been there, it’s difficult, but a rate of 23p a spot is surely putting the station at risk? <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>Kind Regards</span><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>Alan<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><a href="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 </a><span style='color:#1F497D'> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>Email - </span><a href="mailto:alan.coote@5digital.co.uk">alan.coote@5digital.co.uk</a><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>Phone - 0800 949 6655<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>Mobile - 07801 518858<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>Twitter - </span><a href="http://www.twitter.com/TheAlanCoote">@TheAlanCoote</a><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>Web - </span><a href="http://www.5digital.co.uk/">http://www.5digital.co.uk</a><span style='color:#1F497D'> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>Let’s Talk Business<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>Twitter - </span><a href="http://www.twitter.com/LTBShow">@LTBShow</a><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>Web - </span><a href="http://www.letstalkbusinessonline.com/">http://www.LetsTalkBusinessOnline.com</a><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'><img border=0 width=200 height=71 id="Picture_x0020_1" src="cid:image001.gif@01D03F01.47CEB270" alt="cid:image001.gif@01CE03CD.223AC920"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>The Media Production, Broadcasting and Training Company<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #B5C4DF 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0cm 0cm 0cm'><p class=MsoNormal><b><span lang=EN-US style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>From:</span></b><span lang=EN-US style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'> cma-l-bounces@mailman.commedia.org.uk [mailto:cma-l-bounces@mailman.commedia.org.uk] <b>On Behalf Of </b>Canalside's The Thread<br><b>Sent:</b> 02 February 2015 15:06<br><b>To:</b> 'The Community Media Association Discussion List'<br><b>Subject:</b> Re: [cma-l] Community Radio Spot Rate<o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:navy'>Mmm ?……………there’s the old adage ‘’we’re worth, what we can get’’ and no more.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:navy'>It’s a bit similar to going to a record fair, it depends which area you go to. A vintage record on the circuit and going for around £75 quid, might only fetch £15 at a different venue.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:navy'>Some areas are more wealthy than others ? is this Station operating in an area of deprivation and less businesses per-head ?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:navy'>It’s a learning curve setting the rates …. What some consider cost effective others may think too much we have a Package 1 … it cost’s = £123.34p for the WHOLE YEAR I won’t go into what you get but certainly a pub or organisation that put events is onto a winner as they get to use our events planner for free, they get an advert popping up here and there and a logo on the website ……..one woman who runs a bar in Macclesfield told me that our prices were wait for it ‘’extortionate’’ !!! her words not mine, and how could any business afford that sort of cost ?? ! I explained ‘’no no no’’ ‘’there seems to be a misunderstanding’’ ‘’this isn’t weekly or monthly, this is for the whole year’’<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:navy'>She said words to the effect of ‘’no chance’’ <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:navy'>The business does appear here and there but mainly in the areas where they can FREE-LOAD. And there lies another problem …. Some people seem to think that because we are Community Radio and we are Voluntary led then everything for some bizarre reason is free ?? this Lady was of a similar opinion, and got quite uppity.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:navy'>I informed her that I was coming to Town on the Friday with 6 of my mates, and we were so enthused by the Bar that we were going to spend the whole evening in there drinking ……….. presuming of course that all the Beer was free ??????<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:navy'>Even after being sarcastic, she simply didn’t ‘get it’ ?? it seems to be rife in our business doesn’t it ? this ‘’’not getting it’’’ ?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:navy'>Nick<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div><div class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><span lang=EN-US style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><hr size=2 width="100%" align=center></span></div><p class=MsoNormal><b><span lang=EN-US style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>From:</span></b><span lang=EN-US style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'> <a href="mailto:cma-l-bounces@mailman.commedia.org.uk">cma-l-bounces@mailman.commedia.org.uk</a> [<a href="mailto:cma-l-bounces@mailman.commedia.org.uk">mailto:cma-l-bounces@mailman.commedia.org.uk</a>] <b>On Behalf Of </b>Alan Coote<br><b>Sent:</b> 02 February 2015 14:37<br><b>To:</b> <a href="mailto:cma-l@mailman.commedia.org.uk">cma-l@mailman.commedia.org.uk</a>; <a href="mailto:cma-l@commedia.org.uk">cma-l@commedia.org.uk</a><br><b>Subject:</b> [cma-l] Community Radio Spot Rate</span><span lang=EN-US style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Can your station survive if you charge 23p per spot?<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>I just had a 2 minute look around the web at community radio rate cards and found a station (it shall remain nameless) which, even if they sold their whole inventory 24x7, would make less than £80 per day.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>The reality is more likely to be £20 per day income at that spot rate. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>As far as I can tell the station isn’t funded by a parent organisation, they don’t run a membership scheme and there’s little off air income either, so it’s difficult to see how they could manage their running costs. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Personally I think this is nuts and also devalues the medium. Come on guys… know your worth. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Kind Regards<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Alan<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Alan Coote<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Managing Director<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>5 Digital Limited<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><hr size=1 width="99%" noshade style='color:#909090' align=center></span></div><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 style='border-collapse:collapse'><tr><td style='padding:0cm 11.25pt 0cm 6.0pt'><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><a href="http://www.avast.com/"><span style='text-decoration:none'><img border=0 id="_x0000_i1027" src="http://static.avast.com/emails/avast-mail-stamp.png"></span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p></td><td style='padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt'><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#3D4D5A'>This email is free from viruses and malware because <a href="http://www.avast.com/">avast! 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