Motor Sports Radio NetworkMotor Sports Radio Network
Questions And Sales Suggestions
How much will this cost the station or outlet per year?
Barter Stations-$0.00(MSR keeps the first commercial position and in-program billboards). Non-commercial stations, other outlets and commercial stations that work on a cash basis pay an up front fee of $624.00, which averages out to $12.00 per week over 52 weeks.
Can the programs be run on multiple stations across a station cluster in a single radio market?
Yes. One primary station in the cluster must be designated as the primary affiliate; the others will be listed as secondary affiliates. This includes any use on a station "HD" subchannel, if applicable.
When are the best times to run "Race-Talk" and "Radio-Road-Test"?
Both programs are produced for 52 weeks of broadcast. Stations/outlets are encouraged to run the programs as many times as they desire until the kill date. "Race-Talk"is most appropriate for a Friday or early Saturday air date since its kill date is Saturday midnight local time. Our "Radio-Road-Test" program gives the programmer maximum flexibility, since the kill date is 26 weeks from the first scheduled broadcast (when it is released to the FTP).
How do you transmit your programs?
We use a pull distribution from this website (where you click on the ftp link for the specific program and select the program/s for download--this is the faster of the two methods and the one that will give you the most flexibility) and in very specific, special instances, a push e-mail distribution. We use a push distribution (e-mailed to your station or outlet) or deliver on CD by regular mail or courier upon special request. We use a push distribution for special promos, voiceovers, etc. The typical size of a program file encoded at 128 kbps for mp3 distribution is 3 megabytes...a hefty e-mail to be sure. We encode at 128 kbps (CD quality) mono because it provides the best audio quality for the spectrum space, and because higher encoded bit rates (128 or higher) are less likely to develop artifacts when going through multiple generations of processing. The best solution is to convert the mp3 file to a .wav file and then broadcast the .wav file through your air chain.
Do you require performance affidavits?
Generally, we ask for them once per broadcast year. It is a requirement to maintain affiliation. We want to keep that as simple as possible for you, but accurate enough for us and our advertisers. We may also request a special affidavit if asked to do so by our advertisers (that would happen usually on a spot buy).Here's what we need in an affidavit: Station call letters, date and times of broadcast, certification that the programs were broadcast, proper coding for electronic invoicing and a statement that there are records available upon proper request to document that broadcast . If your station traffic software generates this or similar reports, then that will suffice.
Can we stream your programs on our website?
We encourage a simultaneous transmission of the program on station or outlet websites as it is being broadcast over the air or on a "HD" subchannel. The broadcast of "Race-Talk" may also be made available on your station website up until the kill date (midnight local Saturday), when it must be deleted from the site. Stations and outlets may archive four weeks of past "Radio-Road-Test" broadcasts as a courtesy to their listeners. No more than four weeks are allowed to be archived without written permission of PK Communications Co. Any programs streamed on line must contain the same content (commercial and program) as the program made available for over-the-air broadcast on its release date.
Who owns the copyrights and exercises editorial control? Can our station/outlet make a copy of the programs for non-broadcast purposes?
PK Communications Co. owns the copyrights, and exercises full editorial control over all its programming. Advertisers do not control any of the programming, with the exception of their commercials. Stations and outlets are allowed to make a copy of an as-released program for sales purposes, as long as the proper copyright information (©, year, PK Communications Co. All Rights Reserved) is attached to the copy of the program. Our checkered flag logo is similarly protected by law, and written permission is necessary for other organizations to use it. The logo may not be reproduced in any color scheme other than black and white.
Can Paul Kaminski appear live on our locally produced sports programs/morning show, etc.?
As a courtesy to our affiliates and outlets, yes, if given a 72 hour notice (which can be waived if events dictate). Generally, such appearances ("two-ways") should be no longer than five minutes. CBS News, Radio affiliates wishing to have Paul appear on their programs should contact the CBS News Radio Assignment Desk to coordinate the "two-way". Paul does not normally do two-ways with stations other than Motor Sports Radio Affiliates and for news and related programming, CBS News, Radio Affiliates.
Does Motor Sports Radio(sm) do live updates from auto racing venues?
NO!. We don't because of possible conflicts with the play-by-play rights holders. Given enough notice, we can provide stations and outlets with a end of day update from the website, by push e-mail or by telephone.
My LSM/GSM/GM is asking me about the best prospects for local advertisers on "Race-Talk". How do I answer that question?
Locally and regionally, we find local (Friday and Saturday night) tracks, speed shops, beverage distributors, auto racing collectible shops, and tour organizers have been good advertisers in the past. Perhaps the best (and perhaps the most difficult to find) are the P1 listeners who have an interest in auto racing and the willingness and authority to commit a budget to an advertising buy. The prospect list for local advertisers is as close as the racing program at a local Friday or Saturday night track.
My LSM/GSM/GM is asking me about the best prospects for local advertisers on "Radio-Road-Test". How do I answer that question?
Our affiliates in the past have had success with automotive accessory/service stores like the "quick-lubes", etc.; car washes (this may be the perfect spiff for the trade your sales people may have with the car wash--no cash changes hands and a win-win-win situation is created); financial institutions looking to spike new car loans; travel and tourism organizations (what better way to use a new car than to take a road trip), and destinations within 50 miles of the station/outlet. WE DO NOT GENERALLY RECOMMEND THAT THIS PROGRAM BE OFFERED FOR SALE TO A SPECIFIC NEW CAR DEALER BECAUSE OF THE CONFLICT THAT WILL ARISE WHEN A NOT SO FLATTERING REMARK IS MADE ABOUT FEATURES OF THE TEST MODEL FEATURED IN THE PROGRAM. THIS WILL SAVE YOU FROM HAVING TO DEAL WITH ADVERTISER CONFLICTS. That said, some of our affiliates have had success with selling specific tests to specific dealers. Our Network Operations page has a list of upcoming Radio-Road-Tests if your sales staff wishes to pursue that strategy. If your area has a new car dealer association, or sponsors an auto show, then this may be a possible candidate for them as a general advertising opportunity.
I still have questions. How do I contact your offices? Please see the contact info below.
What paperwork is needed to affiliate with Motor Sports Radio (sm)? Stations and outlets can print a copy of the affiliation agreement from our website. Here's a PDF copy: Affiliation Agreement