Ho Ho Ho - FTL is LIVE for the Holidays! :: FM Talk Explosion!

[Ian Freeman]

This is the final FTL industry email for 2010, but not because I'm
taking any time off. Indeed, Free Talk Live is going to be live on
Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and New Year's Eve! As I suggested in
my last email, you're welcome to grab the show on any nights you want
for some live programming for your holidays! Just give me a heads-up
so we can welcome your listeners.

Also, as you know, lots of stations are considering end-of-year
changes and I'm excited that Free Talk Live is going to be able to
announce some new stations shortly after the new year, two of which
are on FM. One is planning to flip to talk from music and include
Free Talk Live in its lineup from the get-go. If you're planning some
new-years resolutions for your station in 2011, I'd suggest putting
talk on FM if you haven't already done so! You've seen the trend in
the industry news - major market talkers like WSB and WGY have added
FM simulcasts. These are stations that are already successful on just
the AM band - and now their signals can reach the other 80% of radio
listeners! Smart move. It's an even smarter move if you can be the
first station in the market to do FM talk. That said, if the
competition beat you to the punch, it's still a good idea to get your
talk product more exposure. Don't take my word for it - News Talk
consultant extraordinaire Holland Cooke has been talking about this
for years, and focuses the front page of his newsletter this month on
some of the exciting numbers and details that should make any GM or
GSM think real hard about adding an FM translator or flipping the
lowest-rated music FM to talk. Here's his December newsletter in
full, with best holiday wishes from Holland: http://freetalklive.com/files/10December.pdf

Simulcasting on FM is a good first step, but in a recent piece from
"Inside Radio", Russ Hill, PD of KTAR FM in Phoenix points out that
some programming works better there than others: "Most FM listeners
are accustomed to multiple perspectives from multiple
personalities...The goal with talk on FM is to sound like a music
station without the music." More on FM talk from "Inside Radio" here:
http://www.insideradio.com/Article.asp?id=2041049&spid=32060

As you may recall, Free Talk Live was born on FM, and yes we have
multiple personalities (including women!) on the show. We have
ratings success stories on both FM and AM. In fact, we have some
exciting ratings news to announce soon from the AM band. That will
have to wait until next year though.

Finally, this weekend was the Podcast Awards for 2010 and Free Talk
Live won again in the Political / News category, making us a five-time
Podcast Award winner. This year we trounced Dennis Miller and The
Young Turks, the other two broadcast radio shows in the list of
nominees. The Podcast Awards are listener-nominated and listener-
voted. That should give you some idea of how dedicated our listeners
are!

Need a refresher on Free Talk Live? We're available via XDS (Citadel)
and Starguide III live Monday-Saturday from 7-10pm Eastern. Free Talk
Live has been syndicated since 2004 and now has over 84 radio
affiliates from coast-to-coast. FTL is preemptible with no makegoods,
plus we're streamable and flexible - so you can air us whenever and
however is best for your station. Visit our Program Director's
website: http://PD.freetalklive.com - there you'll find full
archives, a shortform demo, promos, ratings, testimonials, our show
clock/satellite info, easy one-page agreement, and more!

Thanks for your consideration,
Ian Freeman
Host, "Free Talk Live"
603-513-2449 Office & Cell
815-550-1851 FAX