On Sun, 23 Sep 2007 09:48:40 -0700, David Eduardo wrote:
Shhhh. Don't say it out loud or they may get ideas. WSM is now just about at
the bottom billing-wise in Nashville (one of the gospel daytimers outbills
it by double) so something that made them real money might just happen. WSM
is the lowest billing of all the old 1-A clears and nearly the lowest of all
the 98 stations in the US that have 50 kw at night.

'course, it could be they don't care... as long as people keep coming to
the Opry and the Opryland Hotel and buying stuff off their websites...

Back in the earliest days of radio, the bottom line didn't involve selling
advertising. It was about promoting your own business. You sold life
insurance? You built WSM or WLAC or WTIC & used your airtime to promote
your policies. You sold flour? Build WCCO and promote Gold Medal. You
ran a hotel and spa at Hot Springs, Arkansas? Build KTHS (now KAAY) and
urge tourists to town. Your goals are a bit lower? Use WSIX to sell
tires and tire repairs. I've read (though am not 100% certain this is
accurate) that the first sale of airtime to a third party wasn't until
1927, seven years after commercial broadcasting began. Until then,
"commercial" radio meant selling your own stuff, not somebody else's.

Sounds to me like Radio Disney bills essentially zero. But Disney is
keeping them around. Seems like they feel they're getting their money's
worth in promotion for Disney properties.

(it does seem a bit unlikely that WSM could pull enough business for
Gaylord to support the station -- but the Opryland Hotel *does* do pretty
well...)