I Don't Get It.

[Berserker]

Thanks for the reminder. Just put it on while reading this thread and am liking what I'm hearing. Just heard a cool new-sounding track and clicked to see who it is so I can discover a new band, only to find out it's an old Icehouse track. [:D]

Off to grab the iPhone app.

[hubcity]

Erk - just had an outage, but we're back up now.

(This happens - it's a growing pain we won't grow out of until we move from our current automation software to something a bit more resilient. Which is actually in the budget, it just takes time...)

-Sean
<a href="http://www.altrok.com">Altrok 90.5 HD2</a>
On your HD Radio, it's Modern Rock at The Jersey Shore!

[flashbackalternatives]

[quote][i]Originally posted by hubcity[/i]
<br>Erk - just had an outage, but we're back up now.

(This happens - it's a growing pain we won't grow out of until we move from our current automation software to something a bit more resilient. Which is actually in the budget, it just takes time...)

-Sean
<a href="http://www.altrok.com">Altrok 90.5 HD2</a>
On your HD Radio, it's Modern Rock at The Jersey Shore!
[/quote]

Just wanted to say hang in there. There is a lot of competition for listeners in internet radio with all the options out there (and there are a lot even with the recent loss of WOXY), and grabbing on to listeners isn't as easy as it used to be.

I have been running Flashback Alternatives (also based in NJ ) for over 11 years now. From the days of less than 10 listeners when starting out on Live365 (when Live365 first started) to some of our better days in the early to mid 2000's when we always had over 1000 listeners peak every weekday.

Things aren't quite as good now - still peak around 400 or so a day -but better days ahead. Internet Radio in cars will be standard within a few years, more people are listening via their mobile devices, and you can even tune in via your TV now (with FIOS).

I see you have an iPhone app - that is a good thing. I am working on one for FA. Another key is getting listed on iTunes. I know you mentioned you don't have the listener slots, but an iTunes listing is like gold. Probably 70% of my listeners come through iTunes.

Also, good automation software is key. SAM (www.spacialaudio.com) is one of the best. I've been using it since it was a free add-in for Winamp, and it keeps getting better and better.

It is good that you are operating without commercials. FA was commercial-free for quite some time when we were an independent station, but licensing, royalties and bandwidth costs were exceeding listener contributions so we hooked up with 1.FM when given the opportunity. Now we play commercials (or I should say 1.FM plays commercials) to cover their costs, but it isn't too bad (of course I'd rather be commercial free).

Outages also happen. We just came off a bad few days as 1.FM migrated the station to a new broadcast server and we had incredible buffering during the conversion. Keeping listeners informed of the issues and resolution is key.

Also was a big fan of WHTG 106.3 when I lived in Staten Island in the mid-80s to the late 90s - although my heart was always with WLIR (grew up in Brooklyn).

Anyway - keep at it and the listeners will come.





DJ Ed
Flashback Alternatives
www.flashbackalternatives.com

[hubcity]

...aaand, of course, the joke is, I'm using SAM Broadcaster. It's really quite great until it isn't. Aheh.

Thanks for the words of encouragement, I appreciate it. There's a next level someplace, and I'm trying to figure out how to get to it. One step at a time...

Here's a step: I just refreshed the playlist, so there's some new stuff floating around as of today. Do check in...


-Sean
<a href="http://www.altrok.com">Altrok 90.5 HD2</a>
On your HD Radio, it's Modern Rock at The Jersey Shore!

[flashbackalternatives]

[quote][i]Originally posted by hubcity[/i]
<br>...aaand, of course, the joke is, I'm using SAM Broadcaster. It's really quite great until it isn't. Aheh.

Thanks for the words of encouragement, I appreciate it. There's a next level someplace, and I'm trying to figure out how to get to it. One step at a time...

Here's a step: I just refreshed the playlist, so there's some new stuff floating around as of today. Do check in...


-Sean
<a href="http://www.altrok.com">Altrok 90.5 HD2</a>
On your HD Radio, it's Modern Rock at The Jersey Shore!
[/quote]

I guess I should say SAM is one of the best for hobbyist broadcasters. I know it doesn't compare with the professional packages.

Best of luck.



DJ Ed
Flashback Alternatives
www.flashbackalternatives.com