Bear's Blog
Thursday, November 30, 2006
The End of the Road
Tonight at midnight California time I am stopping the broadcast. You can read more about the "Why" in the post below, from November 16th.
Thanks for the well wishes, and the encouragement. It's been the greatest 11 months of my career, honestly.
Thanks for the well wishes, and the encouragement. It's been the greatest 11 months of my career, honestly.
I will have some hours on-the-air, but it will be hit-and-miss thru December 31st as I fulfill the remainder of my commitment with Live 365. Talk about Joy and Pain - this week I have enjoyed the highest listenership ever. I feel as though I am closing the doors of my business, and leaving my best customer out in the cold! But don't worry - I will have many a sleepless night until I get back on the air full-time for you. Entertaining you means alot to me - probably too much. Music is the Queen of My Soul - sharing it is very Emotional for me. It's something I've Loved All My Lifetime.
While I am gone certainly there will be other choices you can make for listening to your favorite music. Certainly there will be other broadcasters rushing in to fill the gap I am leaving - that's the American way! But I ask that if it's not too inconvenient for you, take a few days off from listening to any Live 365 - they will see the drop in listener hours and it will make sure they know which station is your favorite.
I hope I can earn your support again, whether it is on Live 365 or not. Just make sure when I sound the drum that you are in a position to hear it! I'm counting on you to help me stay in touch with YOU - so join the T. Bear mail list now.
I hope I can earn your support again, whether it is on Live 365 or not. Just make sure when I sound the drum that you are in a position to hear it! I'm counting on you to help me stay in touch with YOU - so join the T. Bear mail list now.
Click on this link, and join up, and please allow me to email you the minute I find a way to get your favorite music playing again.
I Can't Let Go.
I Can't Let Go.
TB!
Thursday, November 16, 2006
This is crunch time
The first anniversary of Internet radio on TonyBear.com will be December 31st, but if my listeners don't go the extra mile today my last day of broadcasting to you on the Web may be November 30.
Thanks for being there and supporting my Internet radio station and my Web site. My growth has been nothing short of phenomenal; the number of people listening is eclipsing stations that have been on the air much much longer. In less than a year, I catapulted to be one of the leading independent broadcasters on the 'net. That success is bittersweet because the fees for operating a station are tied to the size of the audience. More listeners = more "rent" in the Internet radio game the way some of us are playing it.
TonyBear.com has had the support of some very gracious sponsors and benefactors who believe I am providing an important service, but the revenue being generated isn't keeping pace with the expenses just yet. As of this writing I have several major advertisers who are impressed with my audience and may begin to support me with advertising - another six months and I could drum up enough sponsors to put me over the hump. Until then, in order for this labor-of-love to continue serving you, I need to ask for your support to be on a cash basis. I'm not asking for a hand-out though; if you like the service on TonyBear.com I am just asking that you become a paying customer.
There ARE some easy, yet very important ways your support for Internet radio on TonyBear.com can ring loud and clear where it counts. Hopefully any of these options - or all three - will fit in to how you already do your disposable income thing. By the way - all of this e-commerce is handled safely and securely by very reputable third-parties; your account information is never disclosed to TonyBear.com.
1) Please sign-up to get my Internet radio on your cell phone.
You may not think you would ever listen to radio on your phone, but actually I've been getting feedback from listeners who LIKE having access to it on the phone when they are waiting for the doctor, or in the car or grocery store. Just remember even if you don't USE your subscription, staying on as a subscriber for at least one or two months will make a huge difference in so many ways.
Only a very small portion of the $1.99 per month-to-month, stop-anytime subscription goes toward my Internet radio expenses. But the POWER of those two dollars is very great.
People who are hating on TonyBear.com say that giving Internet radio away for free is the easy part - they question if TonyBear.com can be IMPORTANT to the listeners. So having subscribers would help represent that there are TonyBear.com listeners who value their connection. A HUGE number of subscribers would do more than shut up the haters; it would also help put TonyBear.com on the radar with the satellite radio companies - they need listeners who don't mind 'pay radio.' If I can show my programming already has paying customers, I might move closer to a broader audience on satellite radio. Would you follow me to Sirius or XM? Please say yes!
2) Please drop some coin on TonyBear.com gear
Thousands of listeners tune in to TonyBear.com every week. If one-hundred of them bought at least a mouse pad or coffee cup, it actually could help keep the music playing a little while longer. And just think, if I end up shutting down the Internet radio station you would have some TonyBear.com mementos you could stash with your Jackson 5 lunch pail and your LIFE magazine collection. Who knows what I could fetch on eBay for you in a few years!
3) Do your online shopping thru TonyBear.com.
Look on the red menu buttons above and click on "Buy Music & More" - you'll be taken to my Amazon-affiliated storefront. You can choose to give the gift of music, or shop from the million-or-so 'non-music' items for sale on Amazon. A few cents of your purchase price goes towards my Internet radio expenses, but if just a few hundred TonyBear.com listeners choose this option it could really add up this season where BILLIONS will be spent online. If you are already an Amazon shopper, now you can make your purchases count if you just click there from my store page.
If your money is funny
So breaking off your hard-earned dollars is not your cup of tea. There is still something very important you can do to help your favorite radio station.
As I try to keep the music playing I need sponsors, to get those sponsors I need to show exactly what type of people TonyBear.com has listening.
Soon I will be posting a market survey on my Web site. I promise it will only take a few minutes of your time to complete. Even though there will be no personally-identifiable info on the survey, you will be helping put a face on my audience, and that will help sponsors see who they are reaching with ads and promotions on my Web site and my Internet radio station. It's the advertiser money that keeps the music free to my listeners so wish me luck, and please give me your support by attacking the survey and completing it ASAP. My goal is to get at least 1500 unique respondents, so when I send you the email that it's Survey Time please take a minute to represent in my research. In the worst-case I'll have important data to take with me as I try to re-build, this time with sponsor commitments in hand from jump.
Be proud of what you have done
In just a few short months you and I have made great strides in elevating the Internet radio game. There are broadcasters who have had their Web stations for years who are now looking up at me on the list of station ratings. If imitation is indeed flattery, then I guess I'll take it. Having imitators has a way of helping elevate ones game, so for that I am thankful.
The growth of my Internet radio station was accomplished because of YOU - whether you sample a few minutes of my station once a week or you spend most of your work day with me on your computer, or blast TonyBear.com during your quiet time at home. Entertaining you (and the friends you told about your favorite Internet radio station) has been my pleasure, done at great personal expense but I've loved every minute of it. The experience of having a national and global audience has been huge, and I barely scratched the surface of what I had planned for your Internet radio experience.
Please get on my mail list, because if the worst happens and I have to bow-out of the game for a minute, I want to let you know when I'm back because I hope to entertain you once again - and next time it will be for keeps.
The Web site www.TonyBear.com will still be active, so I hope even without Internet radio you will drop by and check on me every now and then. I promise to try and keep it fresh and interesting and worthy of a few minutes of your time every week.
You are such a great listener.
TB!
Thanks for being there and supporting my Internet radio station and my Web site. My growth has been nothing short of phenomenal; the number of people listening is eclipsing stations that have been on the air much much longer. In less than a year, I catapulted to be one of the leading independent broadcasters on the 'net. That success is bittersweet because the fees for operating a station are tied to the size of the audience. More listeners = more "rent" in the Internet radio game the way some of us are playing it.
TonyBear.com has had the support of some very gracious sponsors and benefactors who believe I am providing an important service, but the revenue being generated isn't keeping pace with the expenses just yet. As of this writing I have several major advertisers who are impressed with my audience and may begin to support me with advertising - another six months and I could drum up enough sponsors to put me over the hump. Until then, in order for this labor-of-love to continue serving you, I need to ask for your support to be on a cash basis. I'm not asking for a hand-out though; if you like the service on TonyBear.com I am just asking that you become a paying customer.
There ARE some easy, yet very important ways your support for Internet radio on TonyBear.com can ring loud and clear where it counts. Hopefully any of these options - or all three - will fit in to how you already do your disposable income thing. By the way - all of this e-commerce is handled safely and securely by very reputable third-parties; your account information is never disclosed to TonyBear.com.
1) Please sign-up to get my Internet radio on your cell phone.
You may not think you would ever listen to radio on your phone, but actually I've been getting feedback from listeners who LIKE having access to it on the phone when they are waiting for the doctor, or in the car or grocery store. Just remember even if you don't USE your subscription, staying on as a subscriber for at least one or two months will make a huge difference in so many ways.
Only a very small portion of the $1.99 per month-to-month, stop-anytime subscription goes toward my Internet radio expenses. But the POWER of those two dollars is very great.
People who are hating on TonyBear.com say that giving Internet radio away for free is the easy part - they question if TonyBear.com can be IMPORTANT to the listeners. So having subscribers would help represent that there are TonyBear.com listeners who value their connection. A HUGE number of subscribers would do more than shut up the haters; it would also help put TonyBear.com on the radar with the satellite radio companies - they need listeners who don't mind 'pay radio.' If I can show my programming already has paying customers, I might move closer to a broader audience on satellite radio. Would you follow me to Sirius or XM? Please say yes!
2) Please drop some coin on TonyBear.com gear
Thousands of listeners tune in to TonyBear.com every week. If one-hundred of them bought at least a mouse pad or coffee cup, it actually could help keep the music playing a little while longer. And just think, if I end up shutting down the Internet radio station you would have some TonyBear.com mementos you could stash with your Jackson 5 lunch pail and your LIFE magazine collection. Who knows what I could fetch on eBay for you in a few years!
3) Do your online shopping thru TonyBear.com.
Look on the red menu buttons above and click on "Buy Music & More" - you'll be taken to my Amazon-affiliated storefront. You can choose to give the gift of music, or shop from the million-or-so 'non-music' items for sale on Amazon. A few cents of your purchase price goes towards my Internet radio expenses, but if just a few hundred TonyBear.com listeners choose this option it could really add up this season where BILLIONS will be spent online. If you are already an Amazon shopper, now you can make your purchases count if you just click there from my store page.
If your money is funny
So breaking off your hard-earned dollars is not your cup of tea. There is still something very important you can do to help your favorite radio station.
As I try to keep the music playing I need sponsors, to get those sponsors I need to show exactly what type of people TonyBear.com has listening.
Soon I will be posting a market survey on my Web site. I promise it will only take a few minutes of your time to complete. Even though there will be no personally-identifiable info on the survey, you will be helping put a face on my audience, and that will help sponsors see who they are reaching with ads and promotions on my Web site and my Internet radio station. It's the advertiser money that keeps the music free to my listeners so wish me luck, and please give me your support by attacking the survey and completing it ASAP. My goal is to get at least 1500 unique respondents, so when I send you the email that it's Survey Time please take a minute to represent in my research. In the worst-case I'll have important data to take with me as I try to re-build, this time with sponsor commitments in hand from jump.
Be proud of what you have done
In just a few short months you and I have made great strides in elevating the Internet radio game. There are broadcasters who have had their Web stations for years who are now looking up at me on the list of station ratings. If imitation is indeed flattery, then I guess I'll take it. Having imitators has a way of helping elevate ones game, so for that I am thankful.
The growth of my Internet radio station was accomplished because of YOU - whether you sample a few minutes of my station once a week or you spend most of your work day with me on your computer, or blast TonyBear.com during your quiet time at home. Entertaining you (and the friends you told about your favorite Internet radio station) has been my pleasure, done at great personal expense but I've loved every minute of it. The experience of having a national and global audience has been huge, and I barely scratched the surface of what I had planned for your Internet radio experience.
Please get on my mail list, because if the worst happens and I have to bow-out of the game for a minute, I want to let you know when I'm back because I hope to entertain you once again - and next time it will be for keeps.
The Web site www.TonyBear.com will still be active, so I hope even without Internet radio you will drop by and check on me every now and then. I promise to try and keep it fresh and interesting and worthy of a few minutes of your time every week.
You are such a great listener.
TB!
Friday, November 10, 2006
Garbage in, garbage out
What would happen to you if you had to spend all day listening to someone scream profanities and crude things in your ear? You would probably get pretty stressed out, maybe even go to blows to try and get that person not only out of your ear, but out of your life. After all, the clamor would probably command all of your attention, so where would be the room for the positive thoughts that will get you through the day and keep you being productive? When would you have time to plan, to contemplate, to reflect? To pray? And worse, you would probably be tempted to start believing some of the things you hear from that person.
Worse yet, what if you learned that your kid had to live with that everyday, while at school or on the bus. You'd be at the Principal's office in a heartbeat!
Of course you would be concerned about what your kid would turn out to be like with influence like that. Well get ready: your kid is under that kind of assault every day... except its not a person having the evil influence - its the music in your kids' iPod, or on your kids' favorite radio station or cable channel.
In our free speech society the creative types out there who are making music and movies (and for that matter, TV shows and music videos) are leaving it up to "parents" to filter out the totally unredeeming content they are churning out in to our pop culture at a record pace.
I have a parenting suggestion you probably didn't ask for but what the hell, it's MY blog: get that "person" out of your kid's life. And, if you haven't already succumbed to the wishes of your youngster and let the dreaded monster from Apple into your kid's life, think twice about making it a priority gift this Xmas. You may be letting the fox in the hen house.
All of the emails and v-mails I get are encouraging. Some of the song requests are outside of the box I have built for my Internet radio station (focusing on R&B hits from today and the 90s) so please don't be hugely disappointed if you don't hear Marvin Gaye or Midnight Star (too old, and really kinda burnt-out) or Sean Paul or Lil' Jon or Justin Timberlake (in MY opinion - not R&B). There are plenty of places on the Internet where you can hear all of those and others like them, but people for the most part seem to be very much okay with the focus I have chosen. I look forward to the day when I can afford to venture out and have other channels that specialize in underground hip-hop (the real stuff - with instrumentation, creativity, and depth-of-meaning - not the ear candy served up today) or maybe 80s R&B (some of which is my personal favorite because it changed the way we listen to music).
Meanwhile stay with me as I try and bring something to the Web that is not being done the way I am doing it.
The listenership for my Internet radio station is huge and growing, but I will ultimately measure the success of TonyBear.com by the impact I have on pop culture - today and tomorrow. I'm sure you've heard people complain about the "emptiness" of today's pop music, particularly that which is most popular with our children. I promise to focus TonyBear.com on R&B if you take advantage of it by encouraging the hip-hop lover(s) you have at home to experiment with a night of just R&B if you let them listen while doing homework or ironing clothes.
Oh, and much love to the teachers who let TonyBear.com entertain the classroom, because they find it a great way to connect with their students. I get emails every week from educators who have found my Internet radio a safe alternative to No Music, or inappropriate hip-hop that they have to monitor, or to shoving dusties down the kids' throats.
Who knows, after a few weeks of R&B melodies and lyrics, you and your kid might find conversation a bit easier. Why? Well swap-out their diet of hip-hop lyrics for a diet of meaningful, creative, soulful content and the result might be a better command of the language, an expanded vocabulary of "appropriate" words, and a slightly improved outlook on life because their head has been filled with ideas of love and happiness that replaced talk of bling, caps, grillz and hoes.
But that's just my opinion. Thanks for reading.
Worse yet, what if you learned that your kid had to live with that everyday, while at school or on the bus. You'd be at the Principal's office in a heartbeat!
Of course you would be concerned about what your kid would turn out to be like with influence like that. Well get ready: your kid is under that kind of assault every day... except its not a person having the evil influence - its the music in your kids' iPod, or on your kids' favorite radio station or cable channel.
In our free speech society the creative types out there who are making music and movies (and for that matter, TV shows and music videos) are leaving it up to "parents" to filter out the totally unredeeming content they are churning out in to our pop culture at a record pace.
I have a parenting suggestion you probably didn't ask for but what the hell, it's MY blog: get that "person" out of your kid's life. And, if you haven't already succumbed to the wishes of your youngster and let the dreaded monster from Apple into your kid's life, think twice about making it a priority gift this Xmas. You may be letting the fox in the hen house.
All of the emails and v-mails I get are encouraging. Some of the song requests are outside of the box I have built for my Internet radio station (focusing on R&B hits from today and the 90s) so please don't be hugely disappointed if you don't hear Marvin Gaye or Midnight Star (too old, and really kinda burnt-out) or Sean Paul or Lil' Jon or Justin Timberlake (in MY opinion - not R&B). There are plenty of places on the Internet where you can hear all of those and others like them, but people for the most part seem to be very much okay with the focus I have chosen. I look forward to the day when I can afford to venture out and have other channels that specialize in underground hip-hop (the real stuff - with instrumentation, creativity, and depth-of-meaning - not the ear candy served up today) or maybe 80s R&B (some of which is my personal favorite because it changed the way we listen to music).
Meanwhile stay with me as I try and bring something to the Web that is not being done the way I am doing it.
The listenership for my Internet radio station is huge and growing, but I will ultimately measure the success of TonyBear.com by the impact I have on pop culture - today and tomorrow. I'm sure you've heard people complain about the "emptiness" of today's pop music, particularly that which is most popular with our children. I promise to focus TonyBear.com on R&B if you take advantage of it by encouraging the hip-hop lover(s) you have at home to experiment with a night of just R&B if you let them listen while doing homework or ironing clothes.
Oh, and much love to the teachers who let TonyBear.com entertain the classroom, because they find it a great way to connect with their students. I get emails every week from educators who have found my Internet radio a safe alternative to No Music, or inappropriate hip-hop that they have to monitor, or to shoving dusties down the kids' throats.
Who knows, after a few weeks of R&B melodies and lyrics, you and your kid might find conversation a bit easier. Why? Well swap-out their diet of hip-hop lyrics for a diet of meaningful, creative, soulful content and the result might be a better command of the language, an expanded vocabulary of "appropriate" words, and a slightly improved outlook on life because their head has been filled with ideas of love and happiness that replaced talk of bling, caps, grillz and hoes.
But that's just my opinion. Thanks for reading.
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