How to get the Grateful Dead Hour on the air
in your town

Choose a station

There are two kinds of radio stations: commercial and public. We deal with both types, but they are handled differently. Among commercial stations, obviously, rock-oriented stations are more likely to be interested than jazz, classical, news-talk, etc. Public, community and college stations generally have more eclectic fare, so it's often possible to get the Grateful Dead Hour added to the schedule on the basis of listener demand and the excellence of the program itself.

Sponsorship

Commercial stations will be much more interested in the Grateful Dead Hour if we bring them a sponsor. If you know of a record store, bar, law firm, car dealership, or whatever - anyone who might be willing to buy advertising - ask them to contact the station's sales department. Public (or college or community) stations do not take advertising, but most of them accept "underwriting" (similar to advertising, but with specific restrictions as to what is said on the air). Again, if you know of any business that might be interested ( and it can be just about any kind of business, or even a group of individuals!), ask them to get in touch with the station. The other thing that's important to public/community stations is memberships. If we can show them that large numbers of listeners will become members and contribute money to the station, we will definitely have their attention.

If the first station you contact just plain refuses to take on the show, try another one. Sometimes a station won't be interested no matter how many listeners stand on their heads. Sometimes a station warms up to the idea right away but simply doesn't ha ve a time slot open. Give the station time to do what it needs to do to determine if and when it can add the Grateful Dead Hour. If it declines the offer, turn to another station in your area. The Grateful Dead Hour is available to any station that wants it; the trick is to f ind one near you that does.

Get every Deadhead in town to write to that radio station

Every radio station wants more listeners. We need to show them that there are hundreds, even thousands, of fans ready to tune in and stay tuned. Write to your local station's program director and say in your own words why you'd like to hear the Grateful Dead Hour. A thoughtful and enthusiastic letter carries more weight than a phone call; letters have a way of piling up on a program director's des k, providing a concrete indication of listener interest. A week or two after you write, place a call to the station to see if anything has developed, and ask if there's anything you can do to help make it happen. Letters from a large number of listeners will be more persuasive than multiple contacts from a smal l number of people. Be positive, and be polite. Sometimes a petition can be helpful. A few hundred signatures, gathered at a sympathetic record store, bar, or concert will show the radio people how serious this community is about our radio program. Be sure to present this petition as a show of enthusia stic support, not as pressure.

Keep us posted

If you get some interest from the station, give them our address and phone number and give us the name and number of the person you've been in touch with. We will follow through and keep you posted. Be inventive. You know your city much better than we do. Make something up! Organizing the community is a great way to meet other Heads in your area, make new taping contacts, etc. And when the Grateful Dead Hour is on the air... Let the station, and especially the advertisers or underwriters, know you appreciate their support of the Grateful Dead Hour. If you're a member of your public radio station, be sure to mention the Grateful Dead Hour when you renew your membership; if you haven't joined the station, make sure you (and all your friends) sign up with a specific notice that you're doing so in support of the Grateful Dead Hour. If it's a commercial station, write to the station and support those advertisers!

Thank you for your help!

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