<html><head><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body dir="auto"><div>Your point about agencies is spot on and universal across broadcasting.</div><div><br></div><div>Congrats on keeping your bad debtors down to £20 over 12 years. That could be a record!</div><div><br></div><div>You are lucky to still work on 'tick'. However what kills business more than debtors not paying is the cash flow implications of incurring the costs of running the station today and then getting paid 30 to 45 days later. (I know commercial radio stations that have debtor-days of 120) It also stifles the ability to grow and build a financially resilient enterprise. </div><div><br></div><div>David<br><br><br><div><br></div></div><div><br>On 4 Feb 2015, at 15:56, Two Lochs Radio <<a href="mailto:tlr@gairloch.co.uk">tlr@gairloch.co.uk</a>> wrote:<br><br></div><div>
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<div><font size="2" face="Calibri">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.</font></div>
<div><font size="2" face="Calibri"></font> </div>
<div><font size="2" face="Calibri">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.</font></div>
<div><font size="2" face="Calibri"></font> </div>
<div><font size="2" face="Calibri">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.</font></div>
<div><font size="2" face="Calibri"></font> </div>
<div><font size="2" face="Calibri">Alex</font></div>
<div><font size="2" face="Calibri"></font> </div>
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<div style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </div>
<div style="FONT: 10pt arial; BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; font-color: black"><b>From:</b>
<a title="david@theradiopeople.co.uk" href="mailto:david@theradiopeople.co.uk">David Duffy</a> </div>
<div style="FONT: 10pt arial"><b>To:</b> <a title="cma-l@mailman.commedia.org.uk" href="mailto:cma-l@mailman.commedia.org.uk">The Community Media Association
Discussion List</a> </div>
<div style="FONT: 10pt arial"><b>Sent:</b> Wednesday, February 04, 2015 3:23
PM</div>
<div style="FONT: 10pt arial"><b>Subject:</b> [cma-l] Community Radio Spot
Rate</div>
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<div>
<div style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><font face="Arial">Nick et
al,<o:p></o:p></font></div></div>
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<div style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><font face="Arial"></font> </div></div>
<div>
<div style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><font face="Arial">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.<o:p></o:p></font></div></div>
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<div style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><font face="Arial"></font> </div></div>
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<div style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><font face="Arial">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.<o:p></o:p></font></div></div>
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<div style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><font face="Arial"></font> </div></div>
<div>
<div style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><font face="Arial">David<o:p></o:p></font></div></div>
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<div style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><font><font face="Arial">The Radio
People</font></font></div></div></div></blockquote>
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