It can't be THAT hard to get advertisers?

 After my comments on the air this morning, I was asked WHY DON'T YOU HAVE MORE ADVERTISING TO PAY THE BILLS?  

It's simple.  Locally operated businesses are in the distinct minority in Ely.  

Ridleys, Family Dollar, CalRanch, and Love's won't advertise locally.  

Most of the remaining businesses don't think they need to or say they can't afford to.  

Some have advertised and never paid the bills.  I had to recently threaten a long-time business in this community owned by a prominent family to take them to court to collect a long overdue $500 bill.  It was that threat that finally got them to pay. Do you think they'll ever advertise again?

Folks, it's simple.  We have a good number of listeners in this community.  Listeners like what we do.  The problem is businesses don't think you're listening.  We thank our wonderful advertisers who have renewed month after month after month. Others say they don't need it.  I've spoken to dozens and dozens and dozens of people who shop out of town because they don't feel welcomed by Ely's businesses.  

Our future will be in your hands and the hands of the Ely business community.  When I ran for Ely City Council in 2012 I told people that we had to bring business and development into Ely, or this community would become a ghost town like Lane City.  Every day we find ourselves closer to that prediction.  Look at all the empty storefronts across our community.  And with Jed Peeler's passing this week, there will be one more. 

We're almost there. 

Support our station.  Thank our advertisers.

(Just a few people who only advertised their "going out of business" sale...)