A lot of talk at this year’s NAB with digital, and we’ve said it before: much of radio is a full generation behind. Bubba the Love Sponge understands the day-to-day working vocabulary of the today’s Internet radio. In the premier issue of our new Manager’s Business Report, RBR-TVBR Publisher Jim Carnegie conducted a video interview with Bubba about his business plans for Internet radio after exiting satellite radio. What is the potential of Internet radio? What is the business model? Bubba has some interesting insights.
Following a public battle with Sirius XM over contract renewal negotiations – which ultimately collapsed – Bubba the Love Sponge has planted his flag on the Internet. While he continues his syndicated show on a number of FM stations, the “uncensored” Bubba is now exclusively on Radioio.
You may think of Bubba as a “shock jock.” He delights in being outrageous and plays the part to the hilt, whether on his radio show or in his sideline job interviewing pro wrestlers for TV. But that’s Bubba the entertainer. He’s also serious about the business of radio. It’s a business where he’s enjoyed a lot of success, so he’s just as serious today about the business of Internet radio as he ever was about making his living on AM/FM radio and satellite radio.
Bubba said he expects not only to quickly recoup his former income from satellite radio, but to exceed it on Radioio. He sees himself as a pioneer, an already-established radio personality making the jump to Internet radio, but he doesn’t expect to be the last.
But being a frank, no-holds-barred guy, you’ll also want to hear what he has to say about the FCC, Randy Michaels and Clear Channel Communications, his one-time employer.
As of February, Bubba Army Radio was up and running on Radioio. Pricing is key to making a subscription service, so we wait to see if people will pay up to hear Bubba on Internet radio as they did for five years on satellite radio (along with Howard Stern and lots of other content).
IO World Media, which owns Radioio, set the “regular retail price” for a three-year subscription to all of Bubba’s content, including his uncensored show, at $467.64 – but during the February special the “early enlistment” price was $299.99. How many Bubba fans will pony up 100 bucks a year to listen to him? Oh, and that also includes unlimited access to Radioio’s commercial-free music channels. The streaming company reported that the special offer raked in nearly $1 million, so a pretty good start.
IO World Media is a public company that trades on the over-the-counter “pink sheets” as “IWDM,” so we will all be seeing financial filings with the SEC as this experiment in Internet radio progresses. The CEO of IO World Media, by the way, is Thomas Bean, Bubba’s long-time agent.
Since the interview, we now have some figures on how he’s doing:
Bubba’s uncensored show – separate from his syndicated show on FM stations – is distributed online by IO World Media, a penny stock company headed by Bubba’s agent, Tom Bean. The company reports that the Early Enlistment Program for Bubba Army members to sign up for Radioio Live subscriptions generated nearly $1 million in revenue. That February promotion offered a one-year subscription for $299.99, rather than the regular rate of $467.64.
Bubba Army enlistees who signed up for the February special are also getting a bonus – 100 shares of restricted stock of IO World Media. At Monday’s 93/14) closing price of 34 cents, that’s worth $34.
“We talked about extra benefits for Early Enlisters and are extremely excited to offer these loyal Bubba Army followers an opportunity to own a piece of IO World Media Inc. and participate in the evolution of media content delivery,” said a statement from Bubba.
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Jim Carnegie, Publisher Note: We can’t ignore the advances in the internet space. FYI: If you have never viewed our web portal – www.RBR.com – please do so as this internet gateway will be improved in 2012.
Look for an Improved www.RBR.com web portal with a – Fresh – Reader Friendly Content Design – and a New ‘Information Bureau’ that will help every person in media today. Look for it in 2012.
(Post your comment below on what you see in or out for 2012)
In the first MBR you missed:
1. Paul Weyland, “How to maximize sales effectiveness with clients”
2. Tom Langmyer, VP/General Manager of WGN Radio
3. Mel Taylor on remnant ad networks being a deadly revenue stream
4. How the industry has moved to digital in EAS alerting
5. 2011 is a whole new financial world for broadcasting
