FLYMO WORLD SERVICE: A path to a Flying Monkey Radio station

Getting a Flying Monkey Arts -run radio station on the air is appealing, but there are two difficult obstacles. Besides the five to six figure costs for licensing and facilities, the Flying Monkey must make a commitment in time and people to provide programs that people want to hear. I propose a three step process to see if the interest exists and can sustain itself. Each step can stand on its own, but they should be attempted in order to avoid a stop-and-go project that never seems to take off.

Step One - a 30 minute weekly podcast

Podcasts have been around for several years and are convenient for the listener, who can listen at any time. They are relatively easy to upload and integrate with an existing web site. They can also be sent to other sites that host and promote other podcasts. However a FlyMo World Service podcast should not be used as a promotional tool, but as a program featuring the talents of the Flying Monkey community. Recorded music with or without djs, spoken word, selected live performances, and a modest amount of community affairs programs would fill out a half-hour show quite nicely. The podcast should have polished production, and be produced on a weekly basis if possible. We may offset some expenses with underwriting and/or advertising. Recording facilities are already in place in the theatre and elsewhere to make this possible without inconveniencing the regular users. Such a podcast would be a worthy goal all by itself, but if we are unable to sustain a regular schedule, there is no point to proceeding to Step Two.

Step Two - Internet Radio

This is real radio, minus the transmitter and antenna. It requires a significant increase in personal commitment and facilities. Repeated programming is inevitable but it should be kept under control to justify being "on the air" continuously. We will need at least a quiet place to set up a modest DJ booth, and some audio gear and computers. If we choose to stream live programs a good bit of bandwidth. is required. Several companies such as live 365.com offer turnkey operations for hosting and distributing the audio stream to multiple users. They can also handle ASCAP, BMI and other licensing fees, an issue we should really begin to pay attention to at this level. All this comes at a price which can range from under $50 to over $1000 per month, depending on the number of simultaneous listeners, inclusion of royalty fees, etc. More than a podcast, but much less than a broadcast station. Some kind of underwriting and/or advertising would really help with the recurring expenses. The reward for this effort is a much larger and broader audience. Step Two is a great end point as it allows all the creativity of radio without a huge investment required by conventional radio station facilities. The only thing left is to get in local people's car radios.

Step Three - "Real" radio

I won't discuss much here because some issues involved in getting a radio station going have been mentioned briefly in the other two steps. I also don't mean to be too pessimistic about the idea. Radio is very romantic - well, to some of us, at least - and it makes us dream big in public. Privately, the obstacles are overwhelming. But all is not lost. Making the first and second steps happen means there is a ready-made set of programs and people ready to be plugged into an existing commercial radio station's lineup. One example is AM1690 in Atlanta, a true commercial arts-oriented station broadcasting over the air and online.

-cls 2011 January 08