Is Local Radio now ready to be re-born?

PROMO: Every week we hear nightmare stories about closures, networking and job losses, and what I can’t understand is why are we all waiting to be sent packing. Never has the passion for what we do been stronger amongst us. But could we all run our own local broadcast business?

Always heard from programmers, producers and presenters “I can’t sell” or “I’d love to set something up, but how do I?” Why can’t you? You love your job and believe in local radio as a marketing tool. Who better to sell or re-sell the concept that “local radio works?”

If you are full of enthusiasm then why not grab hold of the opportunity presented (by the loss of your local job in ILR) and get your dream local business on line (or air.) Funny thing is if you talk to local listeners, they do seem to value what you do or could do given the chance.

But how much cash do you really need to function and how do you find the answers you need to questions you have never had to ask before?

My career started on air, but has been plagued with learning all the bits you thought you didn’t need to know, because the person that did it either left or was made redundant (because the MD thought that they did nothing anyway!)

I’ve also had the “pleasure” of seeing bailiffs enter my employers premises and physically strip studio’s whist on air and traffic managers quit an hour before running logs. Lucky I had some knowledge of traffic scheduling, a replacement mixer and a copy of DARP NG in the boot!

Anyway to the future! if you like the sound of getting on with it yourself then get in touch. My website, radiostationsolutions.com has many of the answers you need and is proud to be the portal for the fresh new DARP NG play out package (Yep the one that everyone can afford to have) and also a wonderfully easy to use newsroom production package called Q News.

Come join the party! Mid Cheshire Radio, Radio Newark, Coast Online, Island FM – Zakynthos, WA12 Radio, Radio Warrington, Mighty FM and Radio Northumberland have – nothing’s busting the bank account and we’re having fun too!

Phil Johnson

Phil is a radio professional and has worked in a number of positions at a number of groups including Tindle Radio, Lincs FM Group, UTV Media and GMG Radio. He now runs RadioStationSolutions which offers the DARP NG Radio Playout System, targeted at community radio stations.