{"id":2912,"date":"2015-09-17T02:24:34","date_gmt":"2015-09-17T07:24:34","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/radio.tcapsule.com\/?page_id=2912"},"modified":"2023-03-26T17:10:20","modified_gmt":"2023-03-26T22:10:20","slug":"gm","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/radio.tcapsule.com\/?page_id=2912","title":{"rendered":"GM"},"content":{"rendered":"
\t\t\t

\"What's Time Capsule... and why should I care?\"<\/em><\/h3>\n
<\/h5>\n
It's\u00a0a series of 90-second \"Guess-the-month-and-year\" radio quizzes<\/span><\/a>.<\/h5>\n
And it has a 30-year track record of bringing stations 1,000 more cash ads every year.<\/h5>\n

All the tools you'll need are right here on this website.<\/span><\/h4>\n

The best place to start... is with our \"Presentation To Advertisers\"<\/span><\/a> video.<\/h5>\n
It shows prospects -- and your Sales Team -- how the Time Capsule will generate customers for them.<\/h5>\n
All in a fun, interactive video that plays on any device... and takes only 7 minutes!<\/h5>\n

We'll also provide at no charge:<\/span><\/h4>\n
\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u2022 Customized one-sheets (with your logo and rates)<\/span><\/a> to leave with prospects<\/h5>\n
\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u2022 \"E-mail escort\" copy<\/span><\/a>, so you can easily invite your prospects to the Presentation (just substitute your call letters)<\/h5>\n
\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u2022 Personalized thank-you letters to every Time Capsule sponsor you sign!   Just fill in & email us this PDF form<\/span><\/a><\/h5>\n

 <\/p>\n

Once you've seen the presentation, you'll find some more resources among the following FAQs:<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div><\/div><\/div>

How much will this cost me ? <\/i><\/span><\/div>

We knew you'd ask that first!
\nIf you're in a small market -- and most stations are -- you can license the Time Capsule quarterly ($295) or annually ($995).
\nAll the details are on our \"no-hassle\" license form<\/span><\/a>.<\/p><\/div><\/div>

We don't have a budget for this.   How can we justify another expense ? <\/i><\/span><\/div>

Fair question.   Many features are offered for free.
\nShort answer?\u00a0 Use Time Capsule to generate more than your outlay for it.
\n<\/em>Reject the Barterer who grabs the coveted avail... and demands you send an affadavit!<\/p>\n

      \"Black-Bart\"<\/a><\/p>\n

All he leaves for you\u00a0is an adjacency.\u00a0 Maybe a re-run to sell.\u00a0 Big whoop.
\n(Don't\u00a0you <\/em>deserve the opportunity to cash in on a feature's saleable moment?)<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

That's why everything we do is focused on bringing aboard sponsors you might not otherwise get.<\/strong>
\nSo first,\u00a0let's\u00a0pre-sell the Time Capsule there... and justify<\/em> your\u00a0investing in a Time Capsule license.
\nAnd that\u00a0license is\u00a0priced so low (under $20\/week = 1\u00a0large pizza), you should\u00a0enjoy at least a 10:1 return.   Plus five new local accounts.<\/p><\/div><\/div>

How many programs do we get ? <\/i><\/span><\/div>

The Pop-format series has 480 programs, one for each month of its 40-year span (1960-1999).
\nThe Country-format programs range from 1960 to 2007, so there are 520 of them.
\n<\/p><\/div><\/div>

In what form are the programs delivered to us ? <\/i><\/span><\/div>

They'll come on CDs as MP3 files (sampled at 256kbps), so you can load them directly to your server.
\nAnd they\u2019ll sort in the order you'll air them, because each filename begins with its Sequence Number:<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

<\/p><\/div><\/div>

We\u2019re Hot AC and don\u2019t play 1960s music.   Can we skip your 1960s quizzes ? <\/i><\/span><\/div>

You can certainly fine-tune for your demographic by avoiding any era you choose.
\nSome Oldies stations, for instance, steer clear of the 1990s Time Capsule Quizzes.
\nBut even if your playlist is Beatle-free, consider that the sounds of some 1960s moments can captivate listeners of all ages.
\n(Wouldn't Millennials enjoy hearing some NASA gold?)
\nSo before dumping the whole decade, you might want to try a few... and test the reaction.
\n<\/p><\/div><\/div>

If we schedule two Time Capsules a day, should we re-run the morning one in the afternoon ? <\/i><\/span><\/div>

No need to. \u00a0 You\u2019ll have at least 480 Time Capsule Quizzes.
\nYou could burn through two-a-day, every weekday \u2013 and not repeat one for 11 months!
\n<\/p><\/div><\/div>

What happens when we DO begin repeating programs ? <\/i><\/span><\/div>

It\u2019ll be at least 48 weeks until you do!
\nConsider 3 valuable tidbits we\u2019ve learned from our longtime affiliates about listener behavior:
\n\u2022 Listeners readily guess the months when something truly historic happened
\n\u2022 After a \u201clearning curve\u201d of a month or so, correct guesses increase -\u2013 as even folks uninterested in golf or tennis realize that the British Open and Wimbledon are code words for \u201cJuly\u201d
\n\u2022 There is no statistical increase in the winning rate after the Time Capsule Quizzes reach the end of their long program cycle and begin repeating.   In fact, listeners don't even perceive<\/em> them as re-runs!
\n(Well, except for this<\/strong> guy...)<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Rainman\"<\/a><\/p><\/div><\/div>

How long could we continue airing the Time Capsule before it wears out ? <\/i><\/span><\/div>

Many of our stations have been with us for more than 10 years.
\nKDIX\/Dickinson, ND and WFIW\/Fairfield, IL have aired the Time Capsule for over 15 years now.
\nWBCH\/Hastings, MI goes back 20 years with us.   At WVLI\/Bourbonnais-Kankakee, IL it's been 22 years.
\nKEEZ\/Mankato, MN went for 23 years...<\/em> \u00a0 and had Subway as a sponsor the entire time!<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Median use tends to be about 3 years, although ownership changes & format shifts are often more of a factor than Contest Fatigue.
\nYour mileage may vary.<\/p><\/div><\/div>

We don\u2019t play any music at all.   How could Time Capsule fit in our format ? <\/i><\/span><\/div>

Some of our most enthusiastic affiliates have News\/Talk\/Sports formats.
\nThink about it.   These listeners crave information.   They\u2019re certainly 35+.
\nAnd they\u2019re typically eager to \u201cshow off\u201d what they know.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Now along comes the Time Capsule with a challenge:
\n\u201cCan you identify this mystery month-and-year?\u201d
\nAnd what do they hear in the next 30 seconds?   News and sports!
\nThey\u2019re in.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

True, you might not be playing the hits today.
\nBut your listeners\u2019 lives have certainly been touched by music.
\nOur brief song montage is simply some more compressed information.
\nIt splashes listeners with the music soundtrack of the mystery month.<\/p><\/div><\/div>

We also get promos, right ? <\/i><\/span><\/div>

You bet!   They\u2019re right on the CD.
\nWe realized that two dozen promos will cycle more quickly than our 480 quizzes.
\nThat\u2019s why we crafted them differently.
\nInstead of \u201cevents first, then music\u201d, the promos let everything loose at once.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

So the listener gets an intense sonic fly-by news cuts (overlapped, in stereo).
\nAll of it mixed over a sweep of that era\u2019s music.
\nThere\u2019s so much going on that most people can\u2019t take it all in on the first hearing.
\nWhich is precisely the point.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

You\u2019ll also receive a couple of Advance Promos.
\nOn these, host Bill Stephens explains what the Time Capsule Quiz is -- and how listeners will be challenged to figure out the month-and-year.
\nAll you need to do is tag them with your airtimes and sponsors.
\nIf you\u2019ll be giving away prizes, you could mention that, too. <\/p><\/div><\/div>

How long are the promos ? <\/i><\/span><\/div>

They run about 38 seconds, leaving the rest of the minute for your sponsor\u2019s tag.
\nHere\u2019s a secret you may already know:   Have the sponsor voice his\/her own tag.<\/em>
\n\u2022 Biggest Benefit:   Friends & customers tell the sponsor, \u201cHey, I heard you on the radio!\u201d
\n\u2022 Secondary Benefit:   Tags needn\u2019t be freshened until the sponsor finds time to do it. <\/p><\/div><\/div>

How soon can we start ? <\/i><\/span><\/div>

Once you submit your TC license, we\u2019ll direct you to a download site.
\nYou can grab the first week of programs (and promos) while the CD is winging its way to you.
\nWant to start today? <\/p><\/div><\/div>

Any other goodies for us ? <\/i><\/span><\/div>

Just wait until April 1st!
\n<\/strong>That's when we traditionally spoof ourselves<\/em>\u00a0...with some April Fool\u2019s Time Capsule Quizzes:<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

You can go back to 1,000,005 B.C. to hear some Classic Stone Age Rock (\"Like A Virgin Sacrifice\" by Madonnasaurus was big then)
\nOr ahead to the Year 2525 for Super Bowl DLIX... and\u00a0\u201cLet\u2019s Get Fissionable\u201d, the #1 song by Olivia Neutron-Bomb
\nOr perhaps to the mystery month that no one has ever<\/strong> solved, when --\u00a0thanks to some studio mischief -- you\u2019ll hear:
\n\u2022 Richard Nixon win the Daytona 500
\n\u2022 Gerald Ford assure us that Freddy Krueger is finally dead
\n\u2022 Lyndon Johnson lament being stranded on the moon!<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a> <\/p><\/div><\/div>

Must we use the Time Capsule Quiz as a contest ? <\/i><\/span><\/div>

About 2\/3 of our affiliates take calls.
\nThe rest simply use it to showcase a sponsor between the Quiz and the Answer.
\nUp to you. <\/p><\/div><\/div>

How often do contestants win ? <\/i><\/span><\/div>

The winning rate is largely dependent on how you structure the contest.
\n\u2022 If you choose a contestant before<\/strong> the quiz begins airing, the winning rate is usually low, maybe 10-15%
\n\u2022 If you select a caller after<\/strong> the clues begin playing, that caller wins about 25% of the time
\n\u2022 If you keep taking calls until someone<\/strong> gets it right, about 80% of the time someone will (thanks to Siri, Alexa, Cortana & the Wikipedia)<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Other factors are:
\n\u2022 the help (or anti-help) you provide on the air,
\n\u2022 whether you give credit for either the correct month or year,
\n\u2022 whether you guide them with a multiple-choice of 2 or 3 or 4 possible answers
\nAnd of course, the general intelligence of your audience... <\/p><\/div><\/div>

What kind of prizes should we offer ? <\/i><\/span><\/div>

Most stations aim to provide something from the sponsor, as it\u2019ll bring walk-in business.
\nThose prizes tend to be in the $10-15 range, which works well for most contest formats.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Going the Cash Jackpot route?
\nGet the contestant in advance (like buzzing in early on \"Jeopardy!\").
\nThe winning rate will be low -- and you can add money to the jackpot whenever the caller misses.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Team Effort:<\/em> \u00a0 A few years back, a jewelry store in Kansas gave out little diamonds as the Time Capsule prize.
\nA group of women from one office took turns winning, until they had enough to string together a necklace, which they then shared! <\/p><\/div><\/div>

How can we involve the sponsors in the promotion ? <\/i><\/span><\/div>

One way is with the Instant Remote.   It\u2019s as simple as placing a call from the studio.
\nLet\u2019s say Primo\u2019s Pizza is the Friday sponsor of the Time Capsule.   The quiz is scheduled to air at 12:20pm.
\nAt noon, send an air personality or an Account Exec (with cell phone) to Primo\u2019s.
\nJust before 12:20, make the call and have your colleague select a random customer.
\nPut that customer on the phone, and presto, there\u2019s today\u2019s contestant \u2014 live from Primo\u2019s!
\nNo purchase necessary, of course.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

You needn\u2019t do this every week.   Once a month would make it more special.
\nPromoting your Instant Remote will help boost the walk-in traffic that day.
\nAnd that\u2019s something Primo shouldn\u2019t mind a bit!<\/p><\/div><\/div>

Do we get an exclusive in our market ? <\/i><\/span><\/div>

Absolutely.   You\u2019ll get automatic 30-mile protection.   And if you need more, let us know.<\/p><\/div><\/div>

We own a Classic Hits FM and a Full-service AM in town.   Can we air Time Capsule on both ? <\/i><\/span><\/div>

Yes.   And because you\u2019d use the same (Pop) format on both, there\u2019s no extra license fee.
\nAfter all, you\u2019ve already claimed the territory.   Why not sell twice as many avails? <\/p><\/div><\/div>

What if one station wants Country Quizzes and the other uses your Pop format ? <\/i><\/span><\/div>

Same ownership, same town, two sets of CDs?
\nEnjoy a 15% discount on both<\/strong> licenses.<\/p><\/div><\/div>

We own stations in several markets in our part of the state.   Do you offer a group discount ? <\/i><\/span><\/div>

Yes indeed.   And the license fee drops with each market you add.
\nJust ask for our Group Ownership License.<\/p><\/div><\/div>

Sounds great, but corporate policy forbids paying for programming.   How can I get approval ? <\/i><\/span><\/div>

Excellent question!<\/em> \u00a0 Many local operators must indeed answer to corporate overlords these days.   Here\u2019s how they handle this obstacle:<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

First, Time Capsule works hand-in-hand with your sales team to secure sponsors.
\nSo typically\u00a0the series must<\/strong> generate revenue from Day One, or the GM wouldn\u2019t sign the license in the first place!<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Knowing this, the local GM seeks corporate approval in advance<\/strong> for a monthly commission to an agency (that's us) if -- and only if<\/em> -- it's able to\u00a0attract this new order of X-thousand dollars in \u201cfound money\u201d.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Rather than walk away from all that dough, corporate generally OKs the commission.
\nEspecially because it\u2019s less than the commissions already being paid to every salesperson in the building.
\nThat \u201ccommission\u201d is our modest license fee.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

So call it a commission, a consultancy, a retainer or whatever headquarters wants<\/em> to call it.
\nIt\u2019s a hurdle that smart GMs clear for the good of their companies, and that\u2019s how they do it.<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

\n
\n\t

Before you begin selling, please contact us<\/span><\/a> to make sure your market is available.<\/h4>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

“What’s Time Capsule… and why should I care?” It’s\u00a0a series of 90-second “Guess-the-month-and-year” radio quizzes. And it has a 30-year<\/p>\n

Read more »<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":4,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"page-fullwidth-nodec.php","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-2912","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/radio.tcapsule.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2912","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/radio.tcapsule.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/radio.tcapsule.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/radio.tcapsule.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/radio.tcapsule.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2912"}],"version-history":[{"count":124,"href":"https:\/\/radio.tcapsule.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2912\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4772,"href":"https:\/\/radio.tcapsule.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2912\/revisions\/4772"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/radio.tcapsule.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2912"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}