Angela has been working with Craig Beisel for a long time. Recently he stopped by Maine to say hi to us.
Hey, Craig, did you enjoy your recent trip to Maine?
Craig: I enjoyed seeing you all and your office… the weather, yikes.
Would you recommend other station reps come visit us at 2 Lights Media?
Yes. I believe in doing business in person, face to face. I think in this day and age with all the technology available we’ve gotten away from that.
What station do you represent?
KSEV AM
What Market are you in and what is the rank of this market?
HOUSTON TX , 10TH
What makes your station stand out in your market?
Locally owned and independent. Very community oriented.
What is your current position with your station?
Director of Sales
What brought you to radio?
Insanity…..no, my wife was an on-air personality. I began my career in sales for Anheuser Busch. I was always interested in what she did but did not want to be behind a mic…..had to do with talent mainly or lack thereof…..well, radio has sales departments so I interviewed in 1993 and got the job.
How long have you been with your station?
16 years
Are you the only person at the station that sells the ½ hour blocks?
No
Are there other stations in your group that offer ½ hour blocks? If so which ones and if not why?
Yes. We have recently purchased a news/talk in Dallas.
Has your station ever sold out of block time?
Yes
Have you found that more direct response companies are looking to buy more time right now?
Yes. While overall spot business is down some long-form and DR are up.
We hear all the time that ad revenue for all the major radio groups is falling. In what categories are you losing the most ad revenue?
Auto
Have you seen the long form and other direct response advertisers pulling back due to the recession?
No
In your experience what has long form media brought to your station. Has it been positive or negative?
I would say somewhere in between leaning towards positive. I would like to see some of the creative be a little better.
What feedback have you received concerning the half hour programs that run on your station?
Usually the calls we receive are for phone numbers…..so that’s good.
If stations don’t currently sell ½ hours to clients like 2 Lights Media would you recommend that they add this form of programming to their stations?
Sure
Do you find it easy to work with long form DR companies or are they more difficult?
Easier
Do you think your listeners would prefer to have a different show each week?
Variety is always better, although weekly might not be necessary.
How does your station calculate rates for half hour blocks?
By recent history and demand.
Do you subscribe to Arbitron or something similar to track your listenership numbers?
Yes
