Conservative estimates put income potential at JA$7M per month for the 6am to 10am shift

As reported in an earlier article, morning drive time radio is regarded as the most premium of the radio market segments and offers one of the best opportunities to maximize revenue. Conservative estimates put income potential at JA$7M per month for the 6am to 10am shift assuming that all advertising slots are taken up.

Businessuite can now confirm that Ian Lyn has signed with Businessuite Radio (www.businessuiteradio.wordpress.com), a division of the Blackslate Media Group Limited (BMG) and will official launch his new drive time morning radio programme TELL THE TRUTH with Ian Lyn on Monday July 5^th 2010 on BESS100FM. Blackslate (www.blackslateholdings.blogspot.com) is the owner and publisher of this website.

Ian Lyn who is no stranger to the Jamaican media community and Jamaicans generally is expected to soft launch the programme starting Monday June 21^st 2010 ahead of the official July 5^th launch date. TELL THE TRUTH with Ian Lyn is positioned as a voice for the voiceless, and will be offering programming that is informing, uplifting, educating, engaging while entertaining and getting you ready for the workday. It will be aired islandwide Monday to Friday 6am – 10am on BESS 100FM and globally on bessfm.com.

As reported in an earlier article, morning drive time radio is regarded as the most premium of the radio market segments and offers one of the best opportunities to maximize revenue. Conservative estimates put income potential at JA$7M per month for the 6am to 10am shift assuming that all advertising slots are taken up. But radio is severely challenged, financially at this time. According to unconfirmed reports from the sector most of the Jamaican radio stations are not achieving budgets with many operating in the red for the past year or more.

Blackslate is however taking a more strategic long term view, that the market is looking for something else, something new in the morning that is informing, uplifting, educating, engaging while entertaining and getting you ready for the workday and they are convinced that Ian can deliver this.

“He’s controversial, outspoken, aggressive, bold, humorous but humble at the same time and ebullient – you either like him or merely tolerate him – but he’s not going away. He has that aura that makes people pay attention”, as reported by Barbara Ellington in a recent Jamaica Gleaner article.

One thing is certain, he does one hell of job marketing and promoting Ian Lyn and he really knows how to get attention. Only recently Lyn did a video expose on the Jamaican hermitage dam, highlighting why there was a water shortage problem and actually blaming both community members and authorities for the state of things. As would be expected the video went viral and spread like the proverbial wild fire on Facebook and YouTube (check this link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vp281vrbsEk). It is this type of public reaction Blackslate banking on, hoping he will bring this kind of energy and excitement to his morning radio programme.

Jamaican morning radio is not an easy market place and Lyn will be going up against heavy weights, who have many years of experience under their belts and are virtual brand names in their own right. These include – This Morning with Emily Crooks and Naomi Francis from the Cliff Hughes led Nationwide News Network,

Jamaican morning radio is not an easy market place and Lyn will be going up against heavy weights, who have many years of experience under their belts and are virtual brand names in their own right. These include – This Morning with Emily Crooks and Naomi Francis from the Cliff Hughes led Nationwide News Network, Ronnie Thwaites on Power 106, Breakfast Club on Newstalk, not to mention the RJR powerhouse comprising Alan Magnus on RJR and Francois on Fame, Jenny Jenny of Hitz and of course Elise Kelly on IRIE FM, just to name a few that readily comes to mind.

Ian Lyn signing comes on the heel of two other recent signings by Blackslate for their twice weekly evening business programme Businessuite Today (www.businessuiteradio.wordpress.com), Francis Wade who will host and anchor the Monday show and Andre Hutchinson the Wednesday programme, both aired on BESSFM –www.bessfm.com.

Francis Wade is President and CEO of Framework Consulting Inc. a Caribbean firm focused on helping companies with severe people issues and problems with custom-design organization-wide interventions that impact the status quo. He is a graduate of Cornell University with a degree in Operations Research and Industrial Engineering.

Andre Hutchinson is the Alliance Investment Stock Wizard for 2008, Winner of the 2005/2006 Caribbean Masters investment competition and Winner of the 2004/2005 Investment Masters competition.

Blackslate who interestingly patterns it business on the Bloomberg business model is pioneering a new and exciting business strategy in Jamaica. The company is essentially taking advantage of the airtime brokering opportunities offered by media houses such as FLOW Jamaica and BESSFM, to produce, package and broadcast its own programme.

Businessuite Cable (www.blackslatecable.blogspot.com) another division of Blackslate has two programmes currently on the FLOW100 cable channel with plans to introduce more before year end.

related stories

http://businessuitemagazine.wordpress.com/2010/06/12/can-ian-lyn-wrestle-control-of-jamaican-morning-radio/

http://businessuitemagazine.wordpress.com/2010/06/20/blackslate-seeking-new-onair-talent/