Do you listen to FTL / LRN.FM via the Free-to-Air Ku Band Satellite Channel?

[FTL_Ian]

Mark was trying to convince me that I'm wasting my money by putting LRN.FM (and by proxy FTL) up on Free-to-Air Ku-band Satellite.  Details on this technology at http://sat.lrn.fm

Am I?

I say it has potential to deliver audio direct-to-home and to micro radio stations.  The question is, is anyone listening?  We've been on for a year, and I just renewed for another one.  It's not cheap - it's several hundred dollars per month.

Do you listen via our Galaxy 19 channel?  Do you use it to feed a transmitter?  I know at least one micro station does, but I wish I knew of ten.

If you do listen, please don't just choose yes.  Take a moment and explain why you choose to listen on Free-to-Air.

Thanks for your replies!

[Sam Gunn (since nobody got Admiral Naismith)]

I'm sure some people do, but I don't know anybody with a receiver.

[SeanD]

I usually listen via the internet the next day.

[Johnson]

"it's several hundred dollars per month"
Mark is probably right and it's not worth it.

My suggestion would be....
STOP renewing next year.

Spend that several hundred dollars investing in equipment for a year. 

Send that equipment out to people willing to run pirate stations.

Then you will have your 10 stations in 2013.  (assuming the equipment to run a station costs only a few hundred... (which I believe, especially by 2012, that it will)



OORRRRRRRRRR....

Find a way to get advertisers or investors... or whomever, to start buying equipment to plunk down some stations... I'm betting there are people out there that would be willing to run a pirate station, and even learn, but don't think of it as much of a priority because they don't want to drop a few hundred on equipment.

[Johnson]

Also - from what I thought... isn't the Free-to-Air stuff MUCH more popular with non English speakers... or rather, people seeking content from other countries... Maybe you could figure out how to get on the free-to-air satellites in OTHER countries that speak English... or DON'T speak English, but where there are still large pockets of English speakers who would tune in... what is the European equivalent of KU-BAND?

[Johnson]

heheh $300 is like 8500 in rubles.  RT is over here from Russia, maybe you could start a LT (Liberty Today) over in Russia...

heheh I think it's actually only probably equivalent to about 2000-$2500 in purchasing power... hehe but still...

[Pasqinell]

I listen to the podcasts nearly every day, but I have no idea what you are talking about... so no.

[FTL_Ian]

My suggestion would be....
STOP renewing next year.

Spend that several hundred dollars investing in equipment for a year. 

Send that equipment out to people willing to run pirate stations.

Then you will have your 10 stations in 2013.  (assuming the equipment to run a station costs only a few hundred... (which I believe, especially by 2012, that it will)

This is a neat idea, but I wouldn't consider sponsoring any stations I couldn't reach out and touch.  I don't want to turn into a charity for people that aren't dedicated enough to spend a few hundred bucks on their activism/hobby.  Same reason why I'm not buying people bus tickets to NH and putting them up in hotel rooms.  No freeloaders, thanks!

[Johnson]

Then it makes it more obvious. It's time to bail out. Most people aren't interested enough to spend that kind of money on this as a hobby.
If I had the money to invest on a radio thing, I certainly wouldn't go into a KU Band receiver or broadcast equipment... Nope, I'd be investing into broadcasting on the internet.

Obviously I can't speak for everyone, but I think that technology is dying as far as most people are concerned.  Why would one really want to spend that kind of money to set up a radio station that reaches 10's of people, when they could use the same money to set up one that reaches the world?

I guess the difference of opinion is that you see it more as you providing the equipment to run a pirate radio station to a "free loader"

Whereas I see it more as someone willing to put their ass on on the line to run an affiliate station for LRN.FM AKA YOU - which makes them anything but a freeloader.

That said... you have no way of testing the dedication of anyone who would be willing to do so for it's genuineness of commitment, so... Yeah... I agree with Mark, it's probably a waste of time to do the whole KU Band thing.

[slayerboy]

I'd say ditch it and put it to whatever could use the money most.  Whether that be helping get LRN to more ears or whatever.  KU band doesn't seem all that popular in America because most anyone who has a dish, they have tv or internet with it.  It's just the way media tech is marketed here.  Everything is a subsidy.  It might be more popular if that wasn't the case, so at the current time I'd say it's a waste of time and money if you're not seeing appropriate incoming results vs expenditures.

[blackie]

I'm not sure the BBS is the right place to ask this question. You should ask on air, and tell people if they don't respond, it will be going away.

I thought it was more of a marketing thing...just so you can say you are doing it. I'd have to go with Mark on this one. If it doesn't help Mark sell advertising, it's not worth it.

Do you have the number of potential listeners in sat. footprint with a Ku setup?

[feedmeliberty]

Does the Satellite Channel work internationally? Might be good in areas internationally without internet connection, but then again is that really a demographic?

[What's the frequency, Kenneth?]

Doesn't this have value for potential radio affiliates as a cheap satellite link?

[LoveFreedomAndLiberty]

I listen on XM.

[FTL_Ian]

Do you have the number of potential listeners in sat. footprint with a Ku setup?