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In 1970 Geronimo financed the
station with a mail order catalogue and the Geronimo
Society
We now
have access to transmitters more powerful than in 1970 (Monte Carlo
was 400Kw), including DRM (digital long distance broadcasting via
SW/AM) and time is available now on various digital satellites to give
coverage of Europe and North America.
KCRW, Santa Monica, California runs entirely on membership. Record
companies give promos to KRCW, Businesses donate tickets to concerts
or offer free use of their services. These are then given away to listeners
who have to call in and quote their member number. Of course not
everyone can win but the rewards are great. You the listener can enjoy
the music knowing that you have helped it happen, and you get the
chance to win prizes appropriate to the ethos of the station.
Advertisers are clamouring to give stuff to KCRW because they know it
gives them a good press and credibility. Differing tiers of membership
result in free CD compilations of KCRW friendly artists.
We could ask the venture capitalists
but then the fear is that we lose artistic control of the station
output. If we just wanted to make monetary profit we would hardly be
playing the eclectic selection you hear at the Geronimo webcast - with
jazz, classical, blues, rock, world etc.
And yet, with almost deliciously irony, if Geronimo were to
be widely available it's our assertion that the response would be
phenomenal. We could then even consider accepting real advertising
with real money. No one is playing this music commercially - there is
no competition... |
