[pradjs] Re: PRA- the bare essentials
- From: jeffrey ross <toomanyofme@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <katie.a.ash@xxxxxxxxx>, pra dj's <pradjs@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Wed, 18 Nov 2009 04:14:44 +0000
Kate
Benefits or fundraisers are a great idea. One we are constantly following.
The problem is that we need to find a bar that is willing to donate their space
or proceeds to the station for a night, and also find two or three bands that
people will come out to see, who are willing to play for free, and then perhaps
a sound guy that will donate his time...etc.
We have had some sucessfully fund raisers, and East end is fairly open to
helping us out. Automne is currently speaking to Gabe about this very issue,
which was discussed at length at the last All DJ meeting.
Grants are a dead issue. We seem to have hit a brick wall with this.
Raising money over the air is a difficult task.
I think it might a good idea to remind listeners periodically that we accept
donations and then can do so right on the web site's home page.
Noah Fence
Date: Tue, 17 Nov 2009 21:52:49 -0500
Subject: [pradjs] Re: PRA- the bare essentials
From: katie.a.ash@xxxxxxxxx
To: benjamin.amberg@xxxxxxxxx
CC: mikejedlicka@xxxxxxxxx; saffronathon@xxxxxxxxx; matt@xxxxxxxxxxxxx;
devan@xxxxxxxxxxxx; emorevolt@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx; esperflan@xxxxxxxxx;
matthew.neff@xxxxxxxxx; pradjs@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
I know I haven't been too involved with the station, besides trying to keep up
with my dues and making my show every week, but I do really love the station
and hate to hear about all the financial struggles we face each month. I'm
guilty of forgetting to pay my dues on time, for sure, but I do think it's a
bit ridiculous to have to chase down DJs and make them pay. For me, it's
usually a matter of forgetting, rather than not having the money, so maybe
sending out a reminder email a week before rent is due might help? I could
pitch in to make that happen if you guys think it's a good idea.
The other thing that comes to mind is sort of what Banjo was talking about -
have we done much fundraising? We say we're a listener-supported station, but
really, it seems like we're primarily a DJ-supported station. Is there a way we
can reach out to the community, spread the word about PRA, and help bring in
some funds that way? I mean, I know the people who listen to PRA most likely
aren't Moneybags McGee, but every little bit counts. What about benefit shows?
Obviously, PRA has a bunch of super talented DJs, some of whom may be willing
to donate their services in the name of PRA once a month or every few months or
something. I don't know much about booking or that kind of thing, but it seems
like a natural fit for us.
I don't think asking for money over the air is a bad idea, although it is
annoying to hear it on NPR all the time, but I also don't know how effective
that's going to be. I mean, NPR reaches millions of people, and only a small
fraction of people donate. We're working with a much smaller population, and
although we don't need nearly as much money to sustain, I'm just not sure
that's going to be enough.
One more thought - have we ever tried applying for grants? Not sure what's out
there, but it might be an avenue to explore...
katie
On Tue, Nov 17, 2009 at 7:50 PM, Benjamin Amberg <benjamin.amberg@xxxxxxxxx>
wrote:
hey guys,
don't cancel the phone! are you kidding?!
i personally like having it, i don't really wanna give out my cell phone number
over the air. when the phone was working i got more calls than i did IMs, i
mean half the people that listen to my show don't use IM and i know for a fact
that while they are streaming my show they are not actually at the computer,
and i don't really get how having your cell phone ring during your show is less
obnoxious than having the house phone ring, you can always turn the ringer
off...
not to mention, getting rid of the phone takes us more off the radio station
grid than we already are, it's a status symbol we need...
also like mike said, what if there's a problem at the station? there's been
times when shit's gone haywire and i haven't had my cell...and lemme tell ya,
that feedback and white noise that can come out of the speakers is not fun...at
all...
we shouldn't really have to get rid of anything if everyone paid their dues on
time, i know i'm guilty of not paying on time just like everyone else is,
especially this month cause i've been out of town, but we shouldn't have to
sacrifice because we get lazy at times...i dunno what the answer is though, it
would seem like cutting some costs might be effective, but it still remains
that we aren't paying dues on time...for me i just simply forget...is that the
case with other people, or is it an economic thing?
i like noah genda's idea about kicking in five bucks or so as a christmas gift
for the station to help us get out of the red and would be more than happy to
do that...i don't think that's too much to ask...
maybe too we should be asking our listeners to kick us some bucks, i dunno how
many of you guys recommend that over the air, but maybe we should be doing that
more. someone told me once that doing something like that is kinda cheap and
desperate, but fuck, NPR does that shit all the time, they have fundraisers and
all their djs always say something about supporting the station, we're listener
and member supported just like they are...i know times is tough for everyone
around the country, but the fact of the matter is the station needs money...we
shouldn't be above asking for it...
i think too that cutting costs will cause even more people to flake on paying
dues, 'oh, the station cut costs and the bills are down to 450 a month, well
cool, i don't have to pay right away' but if four or five more people think
this then we're still screwed in the end...i mean, the stuff we're talking
about canceling will save us what, fifty, seventy-five bucks maybe? as a group
of 33 that's not much of a change really, and frankly it doesn't really help
us, it hurts us as far as i can see...the more means of communication we let go
of, the phone, mailing lists, the smaller and less noticed we become...
we're the PRA damnit, a legit radio station willing to talk and communicate to
our listeners, not some lentil bean sucking prepubescent wanker unable to leave
his room cause he's addicted to W.O.W. porn and talking to his middle school
buds on aol chat, we exist in the real world where real people still
communicate via telephone.
that's just me though...i think canceling any of these things is a bad idea,
but i also have no idea how to get people to pay on time. mike's emails help,
they're great reminders, especially when an ultimatum is given...buuuuut, we
also shouldn't have to be constantly tracked down and tackled for dues, we are
adults, right?
banjo
On Nov 17, 2009, at 1:30 PM, Mike Jedlicka wrote:
Hi PRA,
I was going to send this to only the managers, but I think you all need to know
this information. I'll get right to it. We just got overdrafted again on our
bank of america account ($35 a pop), and this has been happening a lot
recently, too much (probably 3 times in the past 2 months). We just aren't
keeping afloat at this point, so I think we need to talk about what our bare
essential bills are at PRA and what could go. Here's what we're paying ...
Rent- $330
phone/internet (clear)- $75
shoutcast-25
constant contact (mailing list)-~25
spotlight (online payments)-$35
server (mediatemple)-14
PO box (medium size) $180 a year
TOTAL
$519 a month
we have 33 slots filled up which means if everyone paid we'd now have ($20 a
month)- $660
We should be in the green by $140 a month but we haven't had $$ in our account
for extra things (updating gear, maintenance, etc). It's been like this since
I took over Treasury a good 9 months ago.
I don't know what to do about getting djs to pay on time (by the 1st of the
month)? I try to make the list of who is paying and who isn't, but we still
have so many people who don't seem to care or understand how important it is
for us. Saffron is about to put her own money in the bank and she needs to be
paid back. What can we do guys?? We won't be sustainable like this and we may
go under honestly cause I'm not paying out of pocked anymore and Saffron won't
either.
What do you all feel about canceling the phone? Do we need constant contact??
Devan, were you planning on getting PRA a smaller PO box soon??
Please let us know what you're thinking ...
Mike
B
benjamin.amberg@xxxxxxxxx
www.banjosays.blogspot.com
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