Starter note from Chirpy:

Okay, I've split this from the topic about the article in the Swedish DX magazine. Paul Vos thought it was a good way to attract new listeners:



Good idea - so what can we do ?
I for example put the streaming LINK on my Face-book site every now and then + on friends' pinwall and also (it depends to whom) on my e-mail signature - or like PaulRO does setting 1395 on preset in every rental car he gets into his fingers.

One small thing I do is add the Big L "streamer banner" to each email I send (using the signature file), see [link] I have also added the following text: Want to tell listeners across Great Britian, Ireland, Central Europe and beyond about your product or service? Advertising on Big L International is simple, effective and could cost a lot less than you think. Contact Eric at dutch@bigl.co.uk for full details and find out how easy it is to get your message across!

All good ideas, but I have been telling the people of my town for the last two and half years. Which it is winning, its a great feeling when you go into a local super market shop, and someone comes up to and says, hello thanks for telling me about that great Big L!.

Well I do my best with the sticker on the car (thanks Chirps), two prominent links on my web site and a good mention on Facebook. Listener numbers must be improving as new presenters come on board and their friends and families listen in and then tell their friends etc etc. It all helps.

BigL Bas Man,

All good ideas, but I have been telling the people of my town for the last two and half years. Which it is winning, its a great feeling when you go into a local super market shop, and someone comes up to and says, hello thanks for telling me about that great Big L

Following up from that, I can tell you next weekend Saturday March 13 for two hours I will be re-starting my campaign in parts of Pitsea and Basildon. I will late post my early findings here.

I don't know how reception of 1395 Khz is at your place (Southend o.s.), BLBM - I hope its good and above all also during daytime.
I think your campaign will be only sucessful if people can listen in their cars and on their radios at home via 1395 AM.
To do a campaign for i-net listening in my eyes makes not much sense.
Actually none of my friends or family is an i-net listener; they drop on i-net radio once in a while maybe - but radio listening over here happens on the radio and mostly in cars on FM and AM. (Also DAB or even WiFi is no option over here either - only for 'freaks')
Maybe Britain is different - at least I hope so

(Thanks for your answer on MRN, BLBM)

I think that's the problem many of us face here Alec. Everyone we know that might listen to inet radio, we keep up to date via email, but it's no good telling neighbours etc. to tune their radios to 1395am to hear this great station when for most of the time, there's just no signal, unless they're night owls. All credit to BLBM for his doorstep campaign, but that just wouldn't work in this area. We have to focus on our strengths in our own areas and do what we can.

Ian - thats just what I meant - but maybe 1395-reception is not bad in Southend aerea - especially since power seems to have been increased lately after 17:00 CET (16:00 BT)
But I think only BLBM can tell us
- For i-net listeners I think the best example is Scruffy of GlamFM - he is on every i-net platform possible and spreads his news. Also Dave is doing a very good PR for replay-radio. Their PR is very systemized and I think that is very important. Always being kept up with the news but not too much either - just enough to keep the station in the minds of its listeners.

I would imagine the reception in Southend area is quite acceptable, as it probably is over much of the east coast of the UK daytime. Sadly, like you, most of the UK has to wait until after dark before those lovingly amplitude modulated waves begin to romp in.

Fellow Members,

My local 'street surveys' was aimed at asking people in the said area really one question. That one question being from the list of radio stations that can be heard on a normal household radio /car radio in the said area whats you first choice you tune into...........

The street survey, was and still does not support any station. However after the survey had be carryed out and recorded I did ask one extra question, Have they heard of Big L? sadly not one said yes. The main age core I think my street survey comed between late 30s to a few 60s with various ages. In some cases I added a extra question, Do you remember Radio London, Caroline, that did spark off many saying oh yes I remember them, from that point I reminded them that Big L was the return of Radio London, but just calling thereselves Big L now. Most was surprised to learn that, but most also said, they don't listen to pop or radio 1, a few even said nor radio 2 now 'they are playing pop'.

The final part I said to those people that seemed keen,something like " Big L is not another Radio 1 nor 2 it plays a lot of oldies over the last 50 years". The reply was "maybe I/we will give it a try". On that note I wished them good day etc.

From those street surveys, as I have said before the result was'nt good for Big L, but in using the survey was good in the sense it gave me a chance to tell them of the station. To which as I have said before here, in my traveling and shopping in Pitsea, I have meet up with people that stopped me in the supermarket and 'thanked me' for telling them about the station.

So on that note, I feel the street survey has helped pass the word around of the station. From the survey also I learned and sensed that is still a market for radio that is not available in Pitsea or my betting anywhere within the UK. Which remains my own personal thinking. However I will continue to support in this way and pass on the word of Big L which I support. Because of certain people who in 2005 launched the station, and had done a great deal in the last year to get the the station where it is now.

As I have said on this topic I hope to restart those 'street surveys' later this month, running it the same as before. Giving details of Big L if the seemed keenish people, and as long Big L is still as it is. I can't say what this latest survey will show, but at a guess, much the same result as the other surveys. So on that idea I hope to be able to pass on the word of the Big L, so that happening can only do good for the station

question to BLBM: - are those people who thanked you for telling about BigL - PC-listeners or 1395- listeners ?
How is 1395 reception at your place ? - some details please - I can't remember to have seen any reception report of yours on the r-r-thread

Yes, every time I hire a car from my village car hire company, Maas of Uithoorn, I do this.

And a new trick: I have taken to using 1395 as the code for testing the safe in the hotel rooms I use, for when there is an error.

On Friday, in the much-challenged Hilton at Gatwick, the safe broke down on my usual code.
So I call in (convoke) the head engineer, and we try another code.
I enter 1 3 9 5, saying out loud Radio BigL 1 3 9 5.
And he says what's that?
So I explain, and suggest that they add BigL (from the Net feed) to the radio programmes they have on offer in all hotel rooms.
The place has a massive turnover of monied customers, mainly Brits, so a good group to add to the audience.

1 3 9 5

- Paul

The Street Survey in my area, planned for end of March has be cancelled.

just give it a bit of time - I am sure one day 1395 khz will be stronger............

Re alec

just give it a bit of time - I am sure one day 1395 khz will be stronger

I am sorry, I did not give the reason to cancel the Street Survey. The reason is at present I think will all are learning more that the current non stop music during the day from after the new Big L overnight programmes finish may be replaced with another broadcaster, and therefore to run a survey as I would wish to do, cannot be done. Plus as we have all found out within the UK, the current AM service during the daytime cannot really be recevied that well.

However I still wish to try and carry out some sort of survey, which may well be based on internet radio users in much the same area.