Selecting a Time Slot     
Everyone with a radio show wants to be on during the time when the most listeners are 'likely to be available' to listen. This is usually between the hours of 7pm - 10pm...after dinner and chores and there's a moment to relax.

The day selected by most shows is Sunday during the above time slots. This creates a dilemma for many shows, particularly those shows that are new and just starting out. All shows are up against a hell of a lot of competition not only from each other but also prime time TV. Since I very rarely watch TV there's no problem in getting my attention on radio - Internet or otherwise. But in the desperate struggle to get heard during so-called Prime Time, broadcasters are still thinking inside a rather small box whose parameters have been conditioned long ago by bigger corporate media.

I've watched over the years as one new show after another has found the Internet as a source to broadcast (although Microsoft, in conjunction with whoever's paying them, is desperately attempting to silence independent Internet broadcasters with their new Windows Vista operating system which doesn't permit broadcasting). Although the Internet is global show producers still think with a 'my-home-town' mind set when developing their shows and considering time slots. That is, they take a look in their region or city and say, "Gee - there's no paranormal show broadcasting at 7pm on Sunday in my home town. I think I'll start one!"

That's fair enough, but reality soon sets in when attempting to get publicity through syndication across the country that your selected time slot is filled by hundreds of other shows all pining for the same time slot on the same day(s).

That's when it's time to remember: This Is The Internet! It's always prime time somewhere on the planet. And if your show is good, well produced and has a unique difference and format people will listen - no matter where they are or what time!

Channels
To solve this dilemma and offer all shows a spot in a particularly popular time slot, many Internet Radio stream hosting companies have devised channels not unlike normal radio and television. As time slots fill new channels are created. Most of these charge a fee to carry your stream in their channels, some don't. But if you're just starting out you're still up against those shows who are already established and have a huge listener base. Shows like Coast to Coast and Jeff Rense who have been around for years. Then you having rising stars like the Kevin Smith Show, Feet 2 Fire and Ghostly Talk - who are mostly Internet-based broadcasts but have a large, growing audience.

What to Do?
First you have to ask yourself a number of questions and they ALL have be answered with a resounding YES!

• Do you love creating, producing and hosting an Internet Radio Show?
• Do you have something unique to offer in your style and format?
• Are you willing to put in long hours researching, investigating and contacting potential guests to keep your show intelligent while offering steady new content?
• Are you willing to pay around $100 per month for basic bandwidth expenses?
• Do you have the software, broadband connection and a computer to handle the CPU consumption and Bandwidth?
• Can you wait years while developing your show to its fullest potential before ever getting noticed by paying advertisers or major affiliates?
• In other words, are you willing to do it all for free for as long as it takes simply because you love creating, producing and hosting your own Internet Radio Show?

If you can enthusiastically answer YES to all of the above, congratulations! You're a perfect candidate to host your own Internet radio program!

If you answered no to any of the above, you better not quit your day job just yet (did I mention that during all of the afore-mentioned requirements you will also still be working at your day job?).

Do You Have To Be Live to be Popular?
No. Your show can do equally as well, if not better, by simply producing and pre-recording your show at a time convenient to you, then making the new show available as an archive or podcast. Listeners will then, when convenient for them, visit your site and listen to your latest show. Don't compete for Prime Time - you'll probably lose. Instead, compete for a listening audience - and you can do that very well without being aired live at any particular time. Frankly, myself included, many people will opt to listen to archives anyway as we are usually all too busy with our daily routines to stop what we're doing each day to listen. I used to get very upset when I would miss a show because of work or obligations but I was ever grateful that shows such as Whitley Strieber's Dreamland were made available as archives. Whitley, and others who did the same, made a valuable long-time listener of me, even though I couldn't catch the live show.

Ghost Radio's own Underworld Show, which now has hundreds of live listeners, will have thousands of hits on the archived show, which we make available within 24 hours or less after the live broadcast. I used to force people to listen live by not making the archives available until the next week. But I quickly ended that policy after deciding it was only punishing our loyal audience for not being there live. I used to hate it myself when a certain show during the 1990's did that. I would literally have panic attacks at work because I would miss the show and have to wait a week to listen. Screw those tactics.

Do your show, do it well and professional and put it up on your site for everyone to listen to at their convenience. You will get a following! When Ghostly Talk first started they only had ONE listener connection and TWO people listening. Now look where how far they've come. Same story with Kevin Smith and Underworld and Ghost Radio and almost everyone else. Do what you love and the money will follow...in time.

 It's About Promotion - Full Stop      

Whether you are promoting your self, you concepts or your guests and their products, or information - never forget that your show is about PROMOTION! Presenting your guests in a professional light will gain you considerable respect in this arena. Respect from them means you're going to be referred by them, listed on their web sites and mentioned in their newsletters. This equates to more potential in getting popular guests who draw the listeners who attract the advertisers who ultimately provide you with an income.

Here's a few rules when hosting your own show professionally:

• Treat Every Guest Equally, whether your interviewing Whitley Strieber or the guy next door.
• Know You Guest. Take the time to investigate the subject matter your guest will be presenting. The more informed you are the more intelligent will be the interview and the more professional you will appear.
• Prepare a solid, concise introduction to your guest. They will appreciate your knowledge of them, feel more comfortable during the interview and the listening audience will be captivated from the onset (remember, its not just you and the guest. It you between the guest and your listening audience.
• Take notes during the conversation and try to anticipate what questions your listeners would ask if they were there with you in the studio.
• Thank the guest for appearing on your show. Welcome him / her back to share again. You need each other...trust me!

 Getting Your Show on Ghost Radio      

Do you have a show? Would you like Ghost Radio to carry your show?
Even if your show is live during a time already filled by another show you can still have your show heard through the Ghost Radio Network. Simply contact us with your request, provide us with a link to your podcasts or archives. We prefer bit rates under 65kbps in either Windows Media format (WMA) or MP3 or MP3PRO format.

Simply make a directory on your server where Ghost Radio's automation software can locate your audio files and we'll do the rest.

We will create a page for you in TheShows which includes the time you are normally live. Our automation software will scan and load the newest show to be played in our rotation. At least one show archive will be played daily at some point. Since the rotation is scheduled around live shows and repeat shows of various length it is impossible to set a specific time your archive will be played...but it will be played!

The automation software rotates shows based on Least Played Item, which means the software will determine which of your shows has not been played and load it.

Please be aware that Ghost Radio only supports shows within the genre of paranormal, phenomena, unexplained, edge sciences and alternative thinking. No politics, conspiracy, etc.

Interested? Contact Ghost Radio today. If you require advice on how to set up your remote directory for access by Ghost Radio just ask.

Special Thanks to all our family members who have supported and contributed to making Ghost Radio a success.

To Melanie for your brilliant article announcing Ghost Radio's debut in 2006. To Denise Blazek for your professional contributions and diligent work behind the scenes.

And especially to our listening audience for your continual support through visiting Ghost Radio Network and your valuable donations.