How To Go Into Radio Broadcasting
Everybody has always told you that you have a wonderful voice for radio. Maybe people have also said
you have the perfect looks for radio;) You are burning
to get your creativity out to the public and you'd like to
know how. Here are some steps that will get you a radio
1. First determine who your target audience will be and
what kind of show you want to broadcast. There
really is no need for another top 20 lagos music show;
however, if you have a narrow, specialized area of
expertise, you just might find listeners. Determine
who your audience is defined by specific
demographics. i.e. education, gender, age, ethnic
composition, geographic reach. Let's say that you're some type of streets hustler you could make your demographic bus conductors or street urchins etc
2. Content and audience development go hand in
hand. A show like the one I suggested lends itself to
a mix of information traffic reports, where the fish are biting( wetin dey shele) as well
as safety interviews with garage instructors, police and
the road safety agencies. You could preview and highlight
Events,opportunities, training and other perks which make the career of a garage occupant more pleasurable and interesting
For spice,
You could mix in a blend of traditional music, popular hits and sports
scores.
3. Analyze who might advertise on your show. In my
example, especially in a targeted geographic area,
you'd have a wealth of potential advertisers from
local shops including, restaurants, bars, supply houses,
rental outlets. You might also get dermatologists the list is endless.
4. Create a website for your show, with a catchy
handle. Ideally you want to name your show for an
available dot com domain. It's practically
impossible to find single name domains available as
dot.coms today. As a rule, you can still find a unique
domain by combining three words together. With
the hypothetical show I created, as of this writing,
www.LagosBusParks.com is available.
5. Put the whole promotional package together in a
proposal, basically a business plan, including letters
of intent from potential advertisers. Create a sample
demo CD of a broadcast and shop your package to
the program directors of local radio stations, with
the specific times you'd like to be on the air. In the
case of "LagosBusParks," weekday mornings from 7-10 AM would be perfect
to entice a market of people considering into understanding commericial vechicle workers and establishing a friendly and more professional relations with these people. It would be a unique niche,
compared to the competition. With your proposal,
you just might luck out and find a programmer
responsive to your enthusiasm, undeniable talent
and your show's potential revenue
6. Be flexible. If you're initially rejected, offer a short
syndicated version that can be dropped into current
programming. For years in Boston,USA there was an
astrologer named the Cosmic Muffin, who did a five
minute astrological forecast, that proved very
popular, on the biggest rock and roll station in town, that goes to show that nothing is useless in entertainment business
7. If you get shown the door by local radio, consider
taking your show to the Internet. on-line broadcasting is a growing industry and you may even find it easy to organize your own show through sites
and blogs
These shows are not regulated by the FRCN, however
music on line is threatened by a recent ruling of the
Copyright Royalty Board that would require
webcasters to come up with large royalty payments.
So be careful with your shows content
8. If you're at the start of your career, you can also
begin ultra low power broadcasting under the FRCN
part 15 rule which allows you to operate your own
unlicensed radio broadcasting with an effective
range of 200 ft, which would allow your family and
a few neighbors to glow with pride as you refine
your patter. Another option is to do as some university
radio stations do e.g: Unilag 103.1fm, modulate the electric carrier wave
in your apartment complex with a signal that would
carry your golden tones through your building's
electrical system. Anybody so inclined could then
listen to you by tuning into your station on AM
radio, at the open frequency you choose, as long as
your listeners are within 200 feet of the building's
wiring.