On the greenest day of the year, we’re reminded of all those who share the green so we can keep the music playing for you around the clock and around the world. Martini in the Morning will always need participation from supporters and sponsors to augment unpredictable advertising revenue. One painful recent example was this month’s income from the “Miracle Martini Player” from Radio Loyalty. Ad rates, the amount advertisers will pay for each hour that each listener is tuned in, were down. And while it keeps getting better, some listeners, some computers, some Internet connections still struggle with Radio Loyalty, and that too is reflected in revenue that was down nearly 30% despite increasing listening levels. Unfortunately, even when advertising revenue is down, the bills remain the same. So here’s to our monthly supporters – month after month, $10, $25, $50, $100 month after month – reducing the stress levels around the radio station knowing there is money coming in to help keep the lights on.
The other side of the coin and frankly, the folks you hear about most, are our sponsors. Many sponsorship opportunities are available, and we’re open to suggestions for new sponsorships, like Tom and Sally Bowman in Reno who heard Jay Nichols from Omega Bay, Texas sponsoring my ride around the block to get me out of Mother Miriam’s hair for a few minutes every morning. If you’re not familiar with the 8 AM PT ride, it’s a little like the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace. Parking my car at 5 AM in the locked, gated parking lot behind the building is frightening to say the least, so I park on the street. The parking meters along Ventura Boulevard go on at 8 AM PT. The parking police often start their enforcement route at 8 AM in front of our building knowing Brad is often late moving his car. We mount the Guest Cam (Brad’s phone) in the windshield (windscreen for those in the UK) so you can take a spin around Studio City with us. Jay Nichols decided to be the sponsor. Tom and Sally Bowman took that idea and ran with it, offering to sponsor Mother Miriam’s arrival at the studio each morning.
Then there are sponsors like longtime MITM sponsors Wingsite Displays, designing tradeshow displays and corporate interiors, or Cindy Covington’s new pet care business, Aunt Cindy Petcare, or San Francisco crooner Russ Lorenson promoting his albums and his shows at Feinstein’s at the Nikko. They have an excellent product or opportunity for the right customer – and if that’s you, a click or an email can go a long way to confirm their faith in Martini in the Morning. Farmers Insurance agency owner Giacomo Manfredini has been able to provide insurance to Chicagoland Martini in the Morning listeners, and has continued to sponsor and support. Of course Roger Schlesinger has been an advertiser, advisor and investor in Martini in the Morning from the very beginning – and we’re thrilled every time we hear that he’s helped a Martini in the Morning family member finance or refinance their home.
You’ll read in this issue of “Notes” about a new sponsor, QuoteHero.com. You’ve undoubtedly heard their commercials featuring Roger’s friend and my former colleague Mario Lopez. Like Mario and Roger, I am a QuoteHero.com client. I have a life insurance policy that protects the company if the unthinkable should happen. It dawned on me that this policy provided little comfort for my family, so on Roger’s recommendation, I went to QuoteHero and in a just a few minutes in front of a computer, I applied for, received a quote, and was approved for a life insurance policy that will protect Karen in the event of my untimely demise.
Whether it’s QuoteHero.com or Katie’s Famous Jams, sponsors introducing us to important charitable causes like the Hospice Foundation and their “Road to Hope” documentary or Lifenet orphanage in Zambia, or supporters like Paul Eckert in Washington, DC using his sponsorships to say happy birthday to his kids or happy anniversary to his wife, our sponsors help us keep the music playing day in and day out, when you click on one of these sponsors’ links, you’re helping us keep the music playing.
Our supporters, another breed – they’re not promoting anyone or anything, and they do it month after month – money we know will be there just as regularly as the bills, and they do it just to help us keep the music playing. Since we don’t talk about them as often, you can see who they are here.
The 3 S’s – Share the Martini so we can grow – Support Martini in the Morning so we can pay the bills – Sponsor Martini in the Morning so we can keep the day to day operations funded. We just want to keep the music playing for you, so if you like what you hear and want to keep us around, click here and together, we’ll keep the music playing.
