Phantom Hearing

snowy (REAL)

Who was at the hearing today? I dont really know anything about radio or business been young and all..
but i think Phantom done well. Zedfm's didn't seem that good.Their programs didnt seem that good, they didnt seem as broad as Phantoms maybe i missed something but anyway..
i heard who ever gets the lisence wont start broadcasting till July next year
thats ages away!!!!! IS that true??

legofsalmon

Yup was at it and it was great! really enjoyed it. Great seeing all the phantom crowd back and hearing them talking about the station.... ahhh I can't wait for the 8th of november now!

yup tis true, they won't be broadcasting til next summer, ( june/july I forget which ) if they get the license.

I thought today went very very well for phantom to be quite brutally honest. Faired better than the zedfm crowd I think, as the fact that none of the zed crowd answered the chairpersons questions really, often giving completely mixed answers.

Anywho, I know the ph gang frequent these boards, so if you guys and gals are reading this.... congrats and hope that novemeber brings you good news.

Thomas from Presence

I tend to agree. The aim of Zed to cater to 18-55 year olds is way too broad a demograph to keep the music alternative rock. The Zed promo video did not feature a single piece of music less than 12 months old (or even 24 months I dare say). They also have a three hour 'challenging talk show' in the middle of the day. The 'challenge' to me would be the puzzle of why Hot Press produces product that claims relevancy to music.

The whole project seems like a ploy to grab the licence to play Red Hot Chilli Peppers and The Frames while advertisers get to sell paint ball trips and computer games to the 18-55 male market.

The parading of a sleepy, bored and disinterested Bob Geldof was also ridiculous gimmick.

Phantom certainly came off as the most aesthetically grounded venture and fielded each of their questions in a no nonsense, succint, relevant and coherent fashion. They showed a solid sense of business and an understanding of art as well a commitment to youth culture, independent music and listener interaction that we all know has already been demonstrated.


Well done lads, great job!

jonbon

*hopes that BCI board members saw Saint Bob's petulant whingey progey about marriage and divorce last night and thought "we're not giving that whinging c*nt a licence", hehehehe!*

catgirl

not broadcasting till june! man, sooo long away.

snowy (REAL)

The applase Phantom got was so much better than Zedfm's
yeah so if they dont get the lisence would they back to being a pirate?

legofsalmon

Comreg would probably be right up their arses, they've stepped up a bit since phantom was last on pirate. If you do a bandscan nowadays, and compare it to about 3/4 years ago when phantom was in its pirate prime so to speak, you would notice that the pirate scene isn't the same as it was. jazzfm, ministry etc. have all gone now.

dr strangelove

I agree, the Phantom team came accross that they were only in it for the music, whereas zed looked like 'just another commercial venture'. But saying, that i wonder if the BCI are more interested in a radio station run by music lovers for music lovers, or a station that will make money?

Rockiemalt

The 8th Nov will be a VERY interesting day no doubt.

I thought the phantom application came across much better. You could see the experience of running phantom behind you and you seemed to have a real passion compared to the other lot.

The Zed application seemed to rely far too much on hotpress. Also Mr Stokes comment about*spook fm* was downright childish.

Smurfpiss

I too kinda express the same concerns as Dr stragelove. The board seemed really interested in the wage level of the sales manager and advertising revenue and that baloney. Tis rather disheartening to think that it all comes down to money. I unfortunately missed the Zed Fm presentation but i liked what i saw of phantom. Fluent, engaging and professional speakers the lot of em! though the BCI didnt make it easy for them at all at all at all. But the great thing about phantom being such music lovers is the unwritten guarantee that these guys are in it for the long haul and wont jump ship if they hit hard times. This station is their baby, baby! So Booo bobby, yay petey!

billy the squid

Judging from what was in the papers, I thought that Zed FM's application made promises that were a little too ambitious. For example they claimed that they would be in profit before phantom would be.

From what I read, Zed FM's presentation revolved more about money than music. I hope Phantom FM get the licence, god knows they are owed it after all this time and all the knock backs.

The fact that a former chairman of the BCI/IRTC is on the Zed FM consortium is still a cause for concern though.

Raggamuffin

Both applications revolve around money billy and that is the bottom line.

I wish them luck in their business venture.

tiggertigger

The fact that a former chairman of the BCI/IRTC is on the Zed FM consortium is still a cause for concern though.

You´re kidding? sh!t€.
That´s a bit worrying.

Aidan Lynch

Thanks for all the kind words. It's pretty much a matter of waiting until November 8th now. Just 27 days to go and counting!

On the matter of money, unfortunately, it takes money to run a service such as this. You could have the best programming ethos in the world and no business acumen, but the station would fall over in the first year. Our objective is to provide the best possible service with a realistic business make-up that will allow us to achieve that on an ongoing basis. I think we've struck a good balance with our proposal and I hope that the BCI agree. Any niche service that's "just about the money" wouldn't last very long either, because it would lose the loyal support of its listeners, the most important lifeline of such a station.

If the phantom people were just in it for the money, by the way, we'd start with a minimum wage job in a fast food restaurant - it would make more money than anybody has ever made from Phantom. If you read the application, you'll see that the management salaries aren't exactly at the BMW Convertible and Armani suit level either. It's all part of the plan to provide a sustainable service.

Cheers,
P. 8-)

Rockiemalt

hehhe, i could just imagine Sinister Pete in a McD uniform! :eek:

Aidan Lynch

That can be arranged. I was thinking Crusty Burger, though.

P. 8-)

TrickyKid

or Brian might think you're saying MCD and get all defensive again!!!!

memaeve

TrickyKid wrote:

or Brian might think you're saying MCD and get all defensive again!!!!

That's what I thought it said!

Got a look at the presentation yesterday - looked good. I'll have my fingers crossed for ye.
Oh, and leave poor Bob alone, I hear he was tired from all the flying. As much as I don't want them to get the license, Bob's a legend!
xm

Rockiemalt

hehehe, Crusty burger is definietly a better idea!

Grim_Reaper

I agree with everyone... Phantom's presentation was alot more convincing and HONEST.. which is more than you can say for Zed... they were very money orientated. Of course money is involved but they are choosing a station for the music. I was slightly annoyed at how Zed tried to put Phantom down by saying how they didn't go pirate because it is against the BCI blah blah, but Phantom- having gone pirate- are now a set-up and well known station that works!

They BCI people did seem very uninterested in Phantom, I noticed how the Chairman gave the odd *sigh* whilst asking Phantom's questions. And it was very unfair that they kept at them about the wages and income- they were clearly told twice that the staff are dedicated to the music and are very willing to work for what they are offering... again highlighting that it is MUSIC based and also considers the money. They realise that an alternative rock station will not get a huge audience and that what their target is is reasonable and probably accurate.

I must say, Fair play! to Sinister Pete for not following the flock by wearing a suit.. the leather jacket, rocker look shows how much he is dedicated to the music and not in it for the money!

Best of luck to the Phantom gang! Fingers crossed for the 8th!

billy the squid

Well that is what I was meaning to say that the phantom proposal was more realistic with its promise of when it would make profit.

As for making money, I hope they make lots and lots of it if they do get the licence.

as for Zed FM saying that "we didn't go pirate because it was against the BCI rules" that soulds like crap. I was always under the impression that the BCI don't mind pirate groups applying for licences as long as they go off the air while the application process runs its course, which phantom did, three times.

once again, I will be amazed and disgusted if phantom does not get this licence, they have worked hard for it.

one question though will the media peacon program be staying in the new scedule (sp)

as long as ye dont lock the Song tag thread when ye do get the licence

BrianD

Not a chance of locking the song thread!

The thread is a testament to Phantom FM's listeners loyalty to and involvement in the music. 320 people have posted over 7,000 individual artists and song titles since the thread started. Now these are people who love their music! Fact!

Gerard_Smith

The thing that gets me is the fact Sir Bob basically said the only reason he was in this was for the money. That’s not terribly heartening.

Go Phantom.

snowy (REAL)

why would they lock the song thread if they got the lisence??

billy the squid

song tag is the second longest thread on boards

quick question though, do the BCI or anyone keep transcripts of the hearing would love to read it.

Steve Conway

snowy (REAL) wrote:

why would they lock the song thread if they got the lisence??

I think that was meant to be a joke about us getting all big for our boots and not caring about music if we won. I think!

Aidan Lynch

It was no joke. There'll be no place for those sort of shenanegans on a licenced station. And we'll all have to wear a suit and tie when broadcasting.

Now there's a mental picture, Sinister Pete in a tin of fruit! We might even get him to cut his hair!

P.
PS just so people don't start flaming me, I'm joking, okay?!!

Gerard_Smith

Paul Clarke wrote:

It was no joke. There'll be no place for those sort of shenanegans on a licenced station. And we'll all have to wear a suit and tie when broadcasting.

Now there's a mental picture, Sinister Pete in a tin of fruit! We might even get him to cut his hair!

P.
PS just so people don't start flaming me, I'm joking, okay?!!

Yes, at what point after getting the license do the BCI mind control chips get installed?

billy the squid

I dunno but on wired FM you had to make a note of it when ever someone farted in the studio. but having heard some of the webcasts while phantom had the temp licences I cannot see the quality of the station being diluted by a permanent licence.

LeonaK

Sinister Pete looks *gorgeous* in a suit.

I am dead.