$2500+ for Thirty Seconds: "Don't Tax That Dial!"

The NAB has announced a contest, open to all over-the-air U.S. broadcast radio stations, to create a thirty-second political spot encouraging defeat of the so-called "performance tax" on radio stations. The (mainly foreign-owned) record industry, represented by the RIAA, is trying to compensate for a failing business model by levying a fee on radio stations that play music, utterly destroying the symbiotic relationship that has existed for many decades, to the mutual benefit of artists, stations, and listeners.

According to an article in RADIO magazine:

The winning entry will be awarded $2,500 and be recognized at The 2009 NAB Radio Show in Philadelphia. Additionally, airfare, hotel accommodations and complimentary NAB Radio Show registration for two will be provided to the winning entry. Entries for the competition, open to over-the-air U.S. broadcast radio stations, must be submitted to the NAB no later than 11 p.m. EDT on July 31, 2009. Stations must complete a Political Agreement Form and place it in the political portion of their public file for a period of two years. Complete rules, guidelines and supporting material can be found on the NAB website

OK, so here's an idea: invite several of the station's best clients to participate in the effort personally. Presumably these advertisers have a vested interest in the continued existence and health of the station, their valued marketing partner. So, they talk about the station's importance to them, both as listeners and as advertisers, and urge their fellow listeners to contact their legislators to reject the Performance Tax. Advertisers enjoy some additional exposure, reinforcing their ties with the station and its listeners, and the station gets the message out in a "bigger" way.

Everybody wins.

In fact, stations could even sell these opportunities to advertisers (rather than giving them away) - with an offer to share the cost of the schedule in view of the shared benefit. I can think of a few advertisers in our own market who would take advantage of such an offer.

After all, it's essentially cause-related advertising, right?

Only in this case, the cause is us.

Worth considering.