Anoter Broadcast Legend Passes; If Not By Name, By The Indelible Words

This year, there have been many notables passing within the entertainment and radio/TV industries. All have had the respective tributes and special reports garnered. Well earned, considering their impacts and legacies. Most notable, were two giants in the broadcasting industry, Paul Harvey and Walter Cronkite.

However, there is the occasion in which a local event so impacts the world, that the lightening strike is marked not only in the exact time of the event itself, but is recorded for posterity by the source available at the time.

An example of this was WLS reporter, Herb Morrison’s May 6, 1937 spontaneous cry, “Oh, the humanities..” in witnessing the Hindenburg disaster. The name to the voice is oblivious, but the impact of the broadcast plays on for infinity.

Sam Pate, a local radio reporter for then KBOX Radio in Dallas, triggered volume knobs to be turned up by being the very first to bring real-time surreal awareness of the earth shaking event of the Kennedy assassination on November 22, 1963. That, by the words, …”something has happened in the motorcade route…something has apparently happened in the motorcade route …..there has been a shooting in the motorcade…..” in response to police dispatch traffic he was monitoring on the only live Dallas radio report of the motorcade in progress. All others that had been credited were breaking reports, after-the fact actualities that interrupted scheduled programming. (ie; Cronkite’s oft replayed report of the death of JFK in his post-mortum tributes last month.)

Sam Pate died August 3rd at age 77, after a long illness. His report lives forever.

Click to hear the report

iPhone and Internet Radio

Don’t have one yet, but it’s on my wish list. Since it’s roll out a short time ago, the iPhone 3GS has brought a plethora of new fans to our site and associated webcasting stream.

For close to two weeks now, the trends on Twitter and other social network gatherings have consistently proven that the buzz is well worth the excitement. It is also the very element that webcasters as myself have been waiting for. With the white knuckled fingertip death grips at the edge of the operational cliff here, we may have been given an initial boost thanks to this handy device that breaks internet radio away from the traditional tethering of a PC.

My accountant approached me the other day to tell me that she’s now on the road with GUS.FM via the website. That’s exciting because the link to our stream is at the full blown 128k/44MHz bandwidth. I was intrigued and envious. Happy too, because her excitement turned into advertising dollars with a purchased placement prominently displayed on the homepage.

Beleaguered as it has been for it’s young upstarts, the iPhone is turning the page and ushering a new era to an emerging industry. Internet Radio To-Go.

‘The Christmas Hit Combo’ on GUS.FM Begins November 16th

Last year the unique Christmas music line up on GUS.FM was such a success that we didn’t have to think twice about returning this holiday season beginning on November 16.

Within a 5 week period in 2008, our audience had surged past 1000% as they enjoyed the ‘Christmas Hit Combo’. Much as the trademarked ‘Classic Hit Combo’, the Christmas side offers a blend of traditional hits and favorites in rock, blues, country, Christian, all time classics and more. The reward this time around is a bonus week before Thanksgiving.

If you joined us last year, the hits you loved then will be back as well as additional tunes we picked up throughout the year.

Bookmark our site now and get ready for Christmas holiday tunes as you’ve never heard them before!

Time For You to Join Us

Online radio has officially crossed the threshold of the new mega-trend in interactive communication. The latest projections show the industry has experienced a whopping 700% increase in less than 2 years.

Since it’s debut on January 1, 2008, GUS.FM has experienced the ups and downs, the tweeks, time and investment. Now it’s time to move past the development stage and establish it’s rightful place as a major trend setter in the online broadcasting world.

We are a formidable force. With a unique, trademarked format known as the ‘Classic Hit Combo’ a worldwide fan base is now experiencing and appreciating a unique variety of music presented in a way that gels genres and demographics that cries for more.

This is where your help is needed. We are building a national sales force that will be responsible for referring new advertisers to our original platform. More info can be found at our Sales Reps Needed page. You will find a bit of useful information there about our industry and a compensation plan.

New Choice Listener Downloads Available

The Top Listener Picks is a new feature added to the GUS.FM homepage and blog. Mp3 downloads of complete albums, or, select singles from popular artists are available at a special price through our link to Amazon.com.

Based on the artist(s) rankings from daily, minute by minute connections that are compiled from data received at our streaming servers, the totals are a true and unbiased reflection of what the listening audience responds to or is searching for. With that in mind, it’s interesting and fun to see the variety that pops up with the different genre blend that make up The Classic Hit Combo.

An example of this is when a song is playing on GUS.FM and broadcast out to the many directories and search engines. Discovering listeners connect to the stream at that very moment, adding to the number within the time frame that the song plays. That builds towards the top 5 position, which in turn earns the placement in the top listener choices. Music is available for downloads at a promotional price. It should be noted that not all artists or record companies participate, so there is no guarantee on artist/song availability.

Regular Amazon customers will be able to access their accounts through the links, allowing customers to redeem any benefits that accrue for Amazon purchases if applicable.

An earlier feature are downloads available at a discount when ever a song is currently playing. Visitors to the site will be able to view what is on-air and (if applicable) purchase their mp3 at the Home, Control Room or Blog pages.

Since the numbers are updated daily, music showcases will refresh daily as well. Stay tuned for feature enhancements that are expected.

Social Networking: What Is the Point, Really?

I’m here at my blog. I will post something that will capture the attention of someone that is gathering. Gathering information, solice, perhaps their wits about them.

Nonetheless, I’m in the act of posting. I’ve put aside the moment that it requires, and have a subject in mind. But, will it really matter? The fact that I’m posting is all that is important. You are reading it, and I would expect you to pursue further.

I just left my Twitter after posting a serious personal status that my wife and I overdid it while eating at a Mexican restaurant and linked several trending topics to my website. What’s the point? I’m assuming this will drive the traffic for my business.

Earlier I was on Facebook. Sharing major developments on softball games, laundry details, garage sales and backaches. Yes, I back-linked. It’s supposed to be the right thing to do.

I must put something productive into this activity, because, standing on it’s own merit, it’s only mindless marauding. Blah, blah, blah. What’s the point? Fess up, you’ve felt the same way and still wonder where it’s getting you. Assume nothing. Do you honestly know the answer to “What Are You Doing Now”?

Here’s to Farrah Fawcett

I was just collecting my thoughts, struggling with a writer’s block and sitting down to write this blog about Farrah Fawcett, when out like for many of us, the bolt from the blue concerning the news about the death of Michael Jackson sent me into info overload and subsequent shut down.

How can I process this dual event and be able to grant equal time to two iconic performers?

Perhaps it was best that I waited. This gave me the opportunity to view the Barbara Walters special last night. Afterwhich, I decided that it was more appropriate to go away recognizing the courage Farah had in the battle with her cancer and the love that Ryan O’Neal had for his lady. Ironic, considering art imitating life. I saw “Love Story” with a date when it first came out. Okay, it was a date chick flick thing and what did I have to loose? I got the girl, but didn’t connect to emotion of the whole thing.

Now a generation later, I’m bawling my eyes out like a girl. Reality check. I questioned myself. I concluded. I do love my wife that much.

I’m looking past the pin-up girl poster, Charlie’s Angels connection, Texas pride and big hair. Sorry MJ, you’ll have my tribute through the music on GUS.FM. But for Farrah Fawcett, I’m truly a better person for knowing your story.

It’s ‘Make or ‘Break’ Time for Us

We certainly hope you are enjoying the great music in our unique format that you are hearing on GUS.FM. Just as your home or business, our daily costs continue to escalate. In fact, June is the ‘make’ or ‘break’ month for us. There are different ways to choose as we ask you to please help keep us on the air.

* Click on any ad that you see on our homepage and purchase the featured product.
* Donate any amount securely through PayPal by clicking the button at the top of the website. (Donate $50 or more and we will give you your own two hours of music and honorable mention throughout!)
* Refer new advertisers to our site (and make a little cash yourself) by clicking the ‘Referrals for $‘ tab.
* Pass on the word by blog, social networking, email or even pony express about GUS.FM!

Thank you again for your support.

Why We Play Christian Hits

We are different. But, structuring a fined tuned, mass-appealing blend of music in a radio format isn’t as easy it may appear.

Bottom line this is a business with a marketable product. The main goal across the board from the artists, songwriters, record companies, station and reps is to make a profit.

Granted not only is there the right audience to target to in the effort of gaining the greatest share, but the retention of those that have made the effort to allowing our unique programming to be received. That mass appeal in the sheer millions have made mega-stars of many in the music rotation that you hear on GUS.FM. Or, anywhere else as that matters. You could just have easily have tuned into a terrestrial Jack-FM or, Bob-FM, or Pandora to get exactly what your taste associates with at a certain, precise moment.

All well and good for the secular hits. But there is this matter of Christian Contemporary music that leeched in there somehow. What gives?

I’ve been in and around the broadcasting industry for over 30 years and to claim that there is no personal tastes injected at the control of the programmer at the helm, is not true. I’ve seen it, and have done it myself. It’s simply human nature. And it’s an art. (Albeit, a dying art.) This is a behavioral pattern with the audience, and whether you know it or not, the programmer is part of the audience as well.

In our personal and professional lives we strive to live by Christian principals, values and most certainly motivation. The music here is the core. The motivation is the result. That motivation has blended into a mission. And the mission of Christ is to tell all the world.

I went through a personal crisis 20 years ago that the Lord saved me from. During that time period, I was emmursed in the Word and became acquainted with a new and fresh approach to gospel music. Christian Contemporary. Rich Mullins, Amy Grant and Steven Curtis Chapman had the ability to un-intrusively pull off getting the message to my “radio” ears and through to my spirit. It was healing. I have never forgotten that. So I continue to pay that forward. If one of our listeners can be blessed in a hectic course of the day while working at the pc, then it’s worth the one listener that is offended and just didn’t get it. But I will still pray for that one.

To include that into the remaining secular tunes to create a ‘Classic Hit Combo’ has never been a problem for me, nor, obviously, to many of our continuing fans. I often reminded of the fellowship of Jesus and the social riff-raff at the time, much to the scorn of the scribes and pharises. What it told me was, it’s the Message that will find it’s way, even if it has to enter the back door. It’s proven that the most subtle approahches are the most effective.

Hopefully, you have discovered your own personal reasons at to how the blend of the hits at this station affects you.

Pass It On!

Copy and paste the following. Then send to 10 of your closest friends;
“You can make a MILLION DOLLARS! You just have to know where to find it.”
Visit the website http://www.gus.fm
Pass it on…