Re: Tradeouts

["Aaron 'Bishop' Read" <aread@speakeasy.net>]

I think  this was mentioned, but if the advertiser was not aware of the 
radio station's intent to re-sell then that can be unethical as the station 
could re-sell for less than the advertiser sells for.  It'd be like the 
advertiser is giving the ammunition to the enemy so the enemy can shoot 
them with it.  Gee...sounds like US foreign policy now that I think about 
it...  <d> :-)

Anyways, taking merchandise for advertising time is morally and PR-wise an 
often-tricky situation.  I know WBUR has often received criticism for 
having 10 or 12 ultra-fancy ergonomic office chairs (that go for over $1000 
each) in their "fishbowl conference room" as most folks think WBUR paid for 
them, and thus can afford to pay their staff better (this usually comes up 
whenever an "expose" is printed in the Phoenix or the Globe).   Of course, 
WBUR never paid for them...it was all done in barter.  Perfectly legal, and 
I think it was smart, too (damn those chairs ARE comfy!).  But it *looks 
bad* to the unschooled observer.   My instincts are saying that's what's 
happening   on your message board, Dan.

- Aaron

At 08:00 AM 2/18/2002 -0500, Dan Strassberg wrote:
>On a local message board a discussion has been raging about a local station,
>which I will not name, that allegedly accepted merchandise in trade for
>airing spots and then sold the merchandise to listeners over the air using
>spots that the advertiser did not purchase (either through cash or trade).
>The merchandise was something other than basic foodstuffs, gasoline, heating
>oil, or phone service. In other words, it was not something that the station
>could have distributed to employees in lieu of part of their salary.
>(snip)
>Can somebody please explain to me what was unethical or even illegal about
>what the station allegedly did?

______________________________________________
Aaron "Bishop" Read       aread@speakeasy.net
Fried Bagels Consulting   www.friedbagels.com
12 Walnut St. / Waltham, MA / 02453