Petra webmasters, read this!

[Kirkman]

This is a re-post from the old Zone... But I still really believe in this idea, and I hope some other Petra webmasters will see it and consider running with it.

Recently I just snapped. I got tired of the fact that I have two local Christian radio stations and neither one of them will play TEID.

So I have revamped the front page of PRMW. It is now a "Challenge Page" that boldly calls on fans to do 4 things: call their radio station; tell their friends about J&H; buy J&H; and pray for Petra.

I think it would be awesome if EVERY Petra fan site did something similar: changed their front pages into big Challenge Pages. Then, no matter where the average fan goes on the web, he/she would see the same message: "support Petra!"

Working together, we could mobilize LOTS more people beyond our small group of "Petheads" to act on Petra's behalf. And maybe we'll hear more Petra on the radio and see more sales at the bookstores.

But the key to this idea is that the FRONT page of each site needs to be dedicated to this challenge message. The visitors get hit with it immediately.

For more details, please visit my Webmasters forum at PRTW: http://www.petrarocksmyworld.com/yabbse ... readid=403
(if you aren't a registered user then sign up, PM me, and I'll give you access to the forum)

[bakersfieldpethead]

Yes, that's a great Idea. KDUV here in the vally still has not played any petra and one of the others just play We Need Jesus, but no new material.

[Michael]

I don't want to be a spoil-sport here, but I think we've seen that most radio stations aren't going to listen to people calling in. I know our station here got all kinds of call-ins and posts on their message board and pressure from Inpop, and they still refused to play Petra except on their "Sink or Swim" segment, where it was successful but they still refuse to believe it. I think the thing that will convince the industry at large, sad to say it, is money. If the CD sells really well, which it is... if it continues to sell well, and to get positive coverage in industry magazines like CCM, eventually people are going to see the light. And it will also help them if they book LOTS of live appearances. But I've come to think that radio stations don't really care that much about what the listeners want to hear, despite what they may say... they play whatever is on the charts, and paradoxically the charts are made up of what they play. It's like a blind horse pulling a cart at top speed through a village. He doesn't know where he's going, but dang if he isn't going to get there in a hurry!

[Kirkman]

Actually I am a little surprised to hear you take that particular tack, MJ. You're the man behing the CITAS DVD petition--a noble project, but one that has less hope than the effort to get J&H more airplay and album sales.

As you correctly pointed out, there isn't any one thing that's going to get Petra more airplay. There needs to be stuff from all corners -- album sales, concert dates, other media performances, positive album reviews, and even listener call-ins.

I think the key to everything is mobilizing more Petra fans. There are LOTS of Petra fans who have been sort of dormant... They left the Petra universe over the past 5-7 years. We need to re-introduce those people to Petra and get them to spread the word about J&H.

And that's why I like the idea of website challenge pages. They certainly don't HURT anything. They can only help--by motivating people to do something.

At PRMW, I get 700-1000 hits daily from folks looking for various Petra info. Often these are old fans who need the lyrics to an old song or want to find out how they can buy an old album. These are the folks I think we can impact with challenge pages. People who don't know what Petra's been up to lately. We need to hit them hard and loud and let them know about J&H.

[Michael]

When JAH was on "Sink or Swim" here in Tulsa and won the first day, the radio station was not impressed. Why? Because they said they were hearing "old" voices, and they want to "reach" (or is it "market to"?) KIDS. Teenagers. Ask Spottacus... he's been frequenting their message board. They pretty much said kiss off if you're anything from late 20's on, and they said it in no uncertain terms. If you get old fans from the 90's callin radio stations, it will have very little effect. Secular rock stations figured out a long time ago that rock and roll fans are baby boomers and younger, whch is why you hear beer commercials on secular stations; Christian rock stations still think only teenagers listen to rock. To have a call-in campaign work, you're going to have to convince TEENAGERS to call in. The way to do that, I believe, is to let kids hear Petra live. They're not going to buy a CD and listen to it. Maybe a campaign to get those "old" fans to buy a JAH CD for their kids for Christmas?

The CITS petition is different; it's not about radio, it's purely about cash, and that's the language the industry speaks. They don't care WHO buys the DVD, as long as there are lots of them. I truly think the label people will be more likely to think that a product that will go for $50-75 on eBay will sell for $20 on DVD... than a radio station with a hard head is likely to change their mind about Petra. There is too much illogical bias out there against Petra. They're having to prove themselves viable all over again.

[Kirkman]

I understand what you're saying with respect to that particular radio station, though circumstances are different in other cities. For instance, in my city the problem is very different. Here we have two AC Christian stations, and neither plays TEID.

Of course most folks in the St. Louis area probably don't know Petra has a new album or that there is a single the stations could be playing.

So the stations are NOT getting calls. But if they did, I believe things would change.

(and for the record, the AC target audience is much different... not teenagers, but middle-aged women)

Again, that's why I think that this is such a good idea. People need to know about this album. And the best way for them to find out is for their friends to tell them. We need to mobilize fans to start talking about this album and getting other non-Pethead people to buy it. Awareness of this album is pretty low. We have to change that.

[bakersfieldpethead]

I think it's time to envoke the Newspaper option too.

If someone can afford it in your town, by and add and put it out Jeykll & Hyde the new album by Petra.

I think that Sue D said that she works or worked for a paper, everybody thought it to be a great idea but inpop knocked it down. So therefore I think sense the album is out now, we should put it in adds.

Let the people that still check the newspapers everyday find out. We're bound to strike something if not a new means or a re-birth of old means of media advertisment.

And yes as I said before, this Website option is great, I think that all people who have Petra Sites should be able to do this.

[Michael]

We have an AC Christian station here too... in fact, they won the Dove award several years ago for top station in that format. "Middle-aged" is, from my understanding, a little off the target... mid-20's is what I understand to be the target market of AC CCM. KXOJ's people told my wife (a 27-year-old woman, right in the middle fo their demographic) that they didn't think their listeners wanted to hear Petra. The ironically stupid thing is that women in that demographic grew up listening to Petra in their heyday. Those ladies would LOVE to hear a new Petra ballad. But KXOJ won't play it.

KXOJ is a reporting station, and the industry has recognized them as a leader among them. And they ain't playing the song.

[bakersfieldpethead]

I just had a good idea.

I don't know if your stations do this sort of thing but KDUV has sharathon every so often to make money to keep the station funded. They too are a reporting station.

Maybe someone or some people need to stand up with a $1,000 each and say Ok but only if you play Petra......lol Desperate I guess, huh? Now I will come back down to planet earth, where I will play with my two wittle doggys lol

[Michael]

I don't know... I think that would be of dubious legality. Although, I think it's illegal for the RECORD COMPANY to pay a station to play music. I don't know if it's illegal for an individual to do so; apparently that is how much of the business is done in the mainstream world.

Heck, someone could buy a couple of commercial spot slots and have them play a Petra song. a 3-minute song is 6 30-second spots... OK, so that would get expensive fast.

[bakersfieldpethead]

Well I don't know how, I gave the idea that I was saying Record companies to pay the radio stations.......I never said anything like that.

[Michael]

Correct, you did not say that.

[executioner]

Kirkman: I think you have a good idea, but it's not going to get them to play a song. Radio stations only take requests so far. The radio station here in Dallas 89.7 PowerFM is a Christian rock/alternative station and they have JAH is heavy rotation because they are BIG supporters of Petra, but they don't even track how many times a song has been requested by the listener. They play the songs that the Record Companies tell them to play. Only about 10% of the songs that are requested by the listener will get more airplay after the initinal request. I know the afternoon dj(member of my church) and this is what he has been trying to explain to me since Revival hit the airwaves. The CCM industry is as crooked as the secular industry. John would not tell me the name, but a large CCM record company gives them about 30% of their revenues for the year and in return they push their artists. That is the only way they can stay alive. I don't mean to be a downer, but MJ is right it's not going to help, they've made up their minds. They already know what their going to be playing even before they hear the single because its coming from Amy Grant, POD, or DC Talk etc. etc. etc.
The newspaper is a good idea if you've got the funds and I don't think any of us will put up that kind of money.

[bakersfieldpethead]

So it is happening, ok.

So something should be exposed about it, should it not? Do we not need to rock the boat on this?

I understand that we carry the label Petheads, but I think as "Christian Music Listeners" and fans of CCM as it is, we need to let it be known that we can't have this. In the music industry in general everything is or was based upon the people not the companies

I have heard from many "Jesus Music" pioneers that are upset that the industry is like it is now. When CCM was started it was about reaching people with the message of Christ and showing God's Love to one another, now CCM is about how many tours and how much money can we make now.

Maybe the boat needs to be Rocked!

[Kirkman]

Kirkman: I think you have a good idea, but it's not going to get them to play a song.

The intent of my idea is NOT just for radio airplay. It has the broader purpose of mobilizing Petra fans.

I continue to contend that relatively few people know about J&H, especially in areas where none of the singles are on the radio. I think we need to challenge people to start spreading the word to their friends, family, etc.

The more people who know about J&H, the more people who will buy it, listen to it, and fall in love with it. THAT is my goal.