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January 5, 2022 11:37 pm  #1


How do classical music stations make money?

it doesn't seem possible. 

Last edited by cash (January 6, 2022 1:58 am)

 

January 5, 2022 11:46 pm  #2


Re: How do classical music stations make money?

This depends a lot on market.
Some classical stations are listener supported.
Toronto's Classical 96/103.1/etc OTOH are not. 
They fall into the ratings system the same way other stations do, & therefore make money the same way other commercial stations do. 

 


RadioWiz & RadioQuiz are NOT the same person. 
RadioWiz & THE Wiz are NOT the same person.

 
 

January 6, 2022 12:56 am  #3


Re: How do classical music stations make money?

"How do classical music stations make money?"

They come with a money Bach guarantee.

 

January 6, 2022 1:14 am  #4


Re: How do classical music stations make money?

They offer a unique listener.  Highly educated, and very wealthy, skewing male.  If you have a prestige brand it's one of the only stations that targets the type of listener you want to reach.  You can charge a premium for that.

 

January 6, 2022 1:38 am  #5


Re: How do classical music stations make money?

Classical 96.3's ratings look pretty good in the latest book - better than RB, 640, 102.1, or their sister station CFMZ. Add to that the fact that their listeners are skewed towards being wealthier and highly educated and of course it's making money - probably more profitable than a number of Toronto stations and probably with a lower ad budget since, as the only full-time classical station in town, all they need to do is spend enough ads to remind people that they exist rather than try to compete for listeners with any rivals that have the same format. 

Last edited by Hansa (January 6, 2022 1:41 am)

 

January 6, 2022 8:09 am  #6


Re: How do classical music stations make money?

Well, if they don't make enough money, they will eventually go Baroque.

 

January 6, 2022 8:37 am  #7


Re: How do classical music stations make money?

RadioActive wrote:

Well, if they don't make enough money, they will eventually go Baroque.

I liked Money Bach too.... now you know how I feel when I deliver dad joke gold, and I get nothing but crickets!

When were talking about AI generated voices, and I called it "automation without Borders", tipping my hat to the late John Borders of Stereo Rock/102 fame, I couldn't get a reaction....lol.  So sad!  But yours were good RA.
 


Cheers,
Jody Thornton
 
 

January 6, 2022 10:06 am  #8


Re: How do classical music stations make money?

And Ludwig van doesn't have to worry about not using all his cell phone minutes. They'll just roll over, Beethoven. 

How did this thread get so far off topic? Oh yeah, I started it - sorry, cash!

 

January 6, 2022 10:35 am  #9


Re: How do classical music stations make money?

Classical 96.3 FM was my go to station  during the Christmas music season. Christmas themed classical music is much easier to listen to. I greatly prefer that type of Christmas music, rather than much of the drek that record companies insisted the performers put out every year that made it onto the pop charts over the years.

 

January 6, 2022 10:48 am  #10


Re: How do classical music stations make money?

RadioActive wrote:

And Ludwig van doesn't have to worry about not using all his cell phone minutes. They'll just roll over, Beethoven. 

How did this thread get so far off topic? Oh yeah, I started it - sorry, cash!

Yes ... with all due respect, RA, I think you really need to stop. This is becoming more than we can Handel.
 

 

January 6, 2022 12:01 pm  #11


Re: How do classical music stations make money?

Ah, you're all full of Shubert.


"Life without echo is really no life at all." - Dan Ingram
 

January 6, 2022 12:09 pm  #12


Re: How do classical music stations make money?

In Canada, there's only one. It gets decent enough ratings, though with an older skew. It works because it's part of a multi-media cluster whose whole business plan is combining many older-skewing products.

There were two French language commercial classical stations, in Ottawa/Gatineau and Montreal, but they had to move on as the sellable ratings just weren't there. 

In the states, most of them are owned by Universities or municipalities, are often NPR affiliates, and their biggest revenue source is listener donations. The biggest one there that I can think of is KING-FM in Seattle, which posts some good ratings from time-to-time. They're a listener-supported not-for-profit, but not affiliated with NPR.

 

January 6, 2022 12:36 pm  #13


Re: How do classical music stations make money?

Dale Patterson wrote:

Ah, you're all full of Shubert.

Shubert's fine, but I like ice cream better. 

 

January 6, 2022 1:13 pm  #14


Re: How do classical music stations make money?

I am surprised to see Classical 96.3 has much better numbers than Jazz-FM. I would have thought there would be more casual jazz fans than casual classical music fans. 

 

January 6, 2022 1:14 pm  #15


Re: How do classical music stations make money?

RadioActive wrote:

"How do classical music stations make money?"

They come with a money Bach guarantee.


 

 

January 6, 2022 1:16 pm  #16


Re: How do classical music stations make money?

A Pun on all your houses.

 

January 6, 2022 2:58 pm  #17


Re: How do classical music stations make money?

No Haydn from this humour.


"Life without echo is really no life at all." - Dan Ingram
 

January 6, 2022 3:04 pm  #18


Re: How do classical music stations make money?

Dale Patterson wrote:

No Haydn from this humour.

It's like an Amadeus ex machina.
 

 

January 6, 2022 3:44 pm  #19


Re: How do classical music stations make money?

Of course, it's owned by Moses Znaimer, who I understand has a taste for famous paintings. Yep, there's nothing like Mo's Art. 

 

January 6, 2022 4:02 pm  #20


Re: How do classical music stations make money?

geo wrote:

Hansa wrote:

   I would have thought there would be more casual jazz fans than casual classical music fans. 

Please consider the recognition factor.   

The William Tell Overture (Rossini), the Bolero (Maurice Ravel) and all nine Beethoven symphonies are frequently requested by FM 96 listeners, despite the fact that they have obviously been in its day-to-day rotation since day one  

So not unlike the pop stations. It makes sense that 96.3 is 'playing the hits' since all of their revenue comes from advertising, while Jazz fM can be deeper and wider as they also have revenue from listener donations and grants.

 

January 6, 2022 5:39 pm  #21


Re: How do classical music stations make money?

RadioActive wrote:

Of course, it's owned by Moses Znaimer, who I understand has a taste for famous paintings. Yep, there's nothing like Mo's Art. 

We're really Chopin at the bit for these puns. Almost getting to many to Liszt.

Last edited by alangee (January 6, 2022 5:42 pm)

 

January 7, 2022 10:44 am  #22


Re: How do classical music stations make money?

To all who have contributed the "Dad joke" style puns. Thank You! They put a smile on my face and made me chuckle.

 

January 7, 2022 10:54 am  #23


Re: How do classical music stations make money?

mace wrote:

To all who have contributed the "Dad joke" style puns. Thank You! They put a smile on my face and made me chuckle.

It's just how we conduct ourselves
 


Cheers,
Jody Thornton
 
 

January 7, 2022 11:30 am  #24


Re: How do classical music stations make money?

Jody Thornton wrote:

mace wrote:

To all who have contributed the "Dad joke" style puns. Thank You! They put a smile on my face and made me chuckle.

It's just how we conduct ourselves
 

LOVE IT!  Keep them coming.

 

January 7, 2022 12:41 pm  #25


Re: How do classical music stations make money?

I don't want to be critical, but aside from RA's mention of Moses Znaimer I don't think there's been any Canadian content in this thread. Other than that, though, it's been pure comedy Gould.

 

January 7, 2022 1:12 pm  #26


Re: How do classical music stations make money?

While we're talking about classical music stations, here now is the *classic* WFMT announcer's test (by Mike Nichols):

 The WFMT announcer’s lot is not a happy one. In addition to uttering the sibilant, mellifluous cadences of such cacophonous sounds as Hans Schmidt-Isserstedt, Carl Schuricht, Nicanor Zabaleta, Hans Knappertsbusch and the Hammerklavier Sonata, he must thread his vocal way through the complications of L’Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, the Concertgebouw Orchestra of Amsterdam, the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra and other complicated nomenclature.However, it must by no means be assumed that the ability to pronounce L’Orchestre de la Societé des Concerts du Conservatoire de Paris with fluidity and verve outweighs an ease, naturalness and friendliness of delivery when at the omnipresent microphone. For example, when delivering a diatribe concerning Claudia Muzio, Beniamino Gigli, Hetty Plumacher, Giacinto Prandelli, Hilde Rössel-Majdan and Lina Pagliughi, five out of six is good enough if the sixth one is mispronounced plausibly. Jessica Dragonette and Margaret Truman are taken for granted.Poets, although not such a constant annoyance as polysyllabically named singers, creep in now and then. Of course Dylan Thomas and W.B. Yeats are no great worry. Composers occur almost incessantly, and they range all the way from Albeniz, Alfven and Auric through Wolf-Ferrari and Zeisl.Let us reiterate that a warm, simple tone of voice is desirable, even when introducing the Bach Cantata “Ich hatte viel Bekümmernis,” or Monteverdi’s opera “L’Incoronazione di Poppea.”Such then, is the warp and woof of an announcer’s existence “in diesen heil’gen Hallen.”

And in case you're stumped - here is the audio version
The WFMT Classical Announcer Audition

Last edited by Hansa (January 7, 2022 1:13 pm)

 

January 7, 2022 1:40 pm  #27


Re: How do classical music stations make money?

mace wrote:

Jody Thornton wrote:

mace wrote:

To all who have contributed the "Dad joke" style puns. Thank You! They put a smile on my face and made me chuckle.

It's just how we conduct ourselves
 

LOVE IT!  Keep them coming.

I'm afraid if I do any more, people will start coming after me with pitchforks. And I'll have to go into Haydn. 

 

January 7, 2022 1:49 pm  #28


Re: How do classical music stations make money?

I'm So-not-a gonna contribute to this thread.

 

January 8, 2022 10:20 pm  #29


Re: How do classical music stations make money?

OK last one, I promise...

 

January 9, 2022 12:37 am  #30


Re: How do classical music stations make money?

It ended up taking a few hundred years for someone to realize that chickens could be great Bachup singers.