Reply #9: These Are The Advertisers That Are Left

[KharmaTrain]

First...political radio is always a very hard sell. Be it right or left, many advertisers don't like to be associated with anything controversial. It's been a major problem for AAR and Progressive stations as a combination of a small advertising pool (even in the best of times) and poor signals that have plagued these networks.

Radio is in a massive economic slump. Many of their big advertisers have written off the medium...spending their money on teevee and even the internet. Also radio has so downscaled itself, you have a small sales department that is attempting to sell not one but four or more stations...and almost always go for the station that is the easiest sell. Progressive talk is lucky to get table scraps.

Much of radio sales, especially network, are bulk sales...they hire third parties or agencies to try to fill all that empty space and will take anything that is out there. That's why theres so many of those low class spots...they are buying massive quantities for pennies on the dollar and the networks are glad for it. It's money they don't have to work for.

In short, radio advertising is a clusterfuck. Local businesses that were the lifeblood of the industry have been Wal-marted into oblivion. Add to that, an industry that is suffocating under massive debts and it's amazing anyone is advertising right now.