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April 29, 2004
Update on the Demise of Cincinnati's 97X (WOXY) Alternative Radio Station
This was in 97X's latest newsletter update (see Mitch's previous GearBits post for background):
INTERNET BROADCAST STATUS UPDATEWe had anticipated that the last day of our terrestrial broadcast at 97.7 FM would be around May 1st, but things sometimes take longer than expected, so it now looks like it will be closer to, but no later than, May 13th.
That’s the good news … the bad news is that it might also be our last day broadcasting on the Internet.
Over the past three months we’ve been looking for sponsors or investors who could help us fund this very expensive venture into the future. We’ve talked with many, many potential partners, but as of now, it’s not looking good. There are still some active conversations, but every day that goes by makes it less and less likely that we will find a funder.
Believe it or not, it would cost more to run this Internet radio station (with half the staff) than it ever did to run our terrestrial radio station. The main reason is the costs of music performance royalties and bandwidth for our audio streaming. Unlike traditional AM and FM radio where the cost of operating the transmitter is fixed no matter how many people listen, on the Internet our costs go up for each additional person that tunes in. With our online audience approaching 50,000 unique listeners and growing every month, the already substantial costs continue to rise with no significant revenue stream to pay for them.
We've researched alternative scenarios including moving to a listener-supported subscription service, but even in best case scenarios, reasonably priced subscriptions would not create enough revenue to cover the costs of creating and delivering 97X. As a commercial business, it would be improper for us to accept listener donations, and even if we did, it would not provide a viable, long term solution.
However, it’s not over ‘til it’s over, and there’s always a chance that someone with a vision of the future will see a way to say yes. We’ll keep you posted.
Damn you RIAA, ClearChannel, and all the other corporate media tyrants and your damnable lobbyists for getting the Congress to adopt prohibitively expensive webcasting royalty rates and damn you legislators for allowing yourselves to be influenced manipulated by these soulless, culture-destroying organizations.
Comments
Posted by: Craig at May 5, 2004 8:58 PM
97X WOXY is a shining light in the sea of drivel that is corporate "nothin' but the hits" radio. 97X also does a lot with local bands and getting them exposure and promotions for established alternative bands playing Cincinnati venues. There is absolutely nothing else like 97X in Cincinnati or Dayton. Hope somebody with the same vision as the original owners can buy the station and keep it on the airwaves.
Posted by: Charles at May 11, 2004 4:06 PM