We get this question a lot.
Do live radio remotes increase business? The answer is absolutely yes. Live remotes are one of the largest drivers of foot traffic for local businesses and events in Arkansas. They also have a powerful legacy in the history of advertising.
What Is A Live Remote?
The term “remote” refers to remote broadcasts that radio stations have when they broadcast live on location at local events and celebrations.
For example, when you hire Arkansas Radio to have a live broadcast remote at your business, our team of broadcasters will arrive on location with a large truck, trailer, and tent.
We broadcast the entire event live on the radio to our loyal listeners. We may also serve free hotdogs and drinks.
The History of The Radio Remote Broadcast
As with most things involving radio, the use of live remote broadcasts goes all the way back to the 1920s.
In 1924, a WHN New York City radio station manager named Nils Granlund leased telegraph lines from Western Union and connected his station to Loew’s Theater. Granlund and the theater’s publicist hatched a plan to promote the theater with live radio broadcasts.
Soon, the live broadcasts became so successful that within a year, more than thirty New York City jazz nightclubs would also have radio broadcasters attend their events to increase awareness.
What started off as an advertising ploy for small businesses soon turned into a way to broadcast national emergencies for entire countries.
In 1938, a broadcaster named James Francis “Frank” Willis would become the first broadcaster to have a remote broadcast heard across an entire nation. Willis worked for a company called the Canadian Radio Broadcasting Commission. Frank Willis traveled to Moose River, Nova Scotia, where three men have been trapped in an old gold mine for eight days.
Willis broadcasted the news live on air for listeners at home nationwide. The recording still exists and can be heard today.
Radio Remote Successes
We have countless businesses, politicians, and local governments that buy live remotes from our radio stations. The results speak for themselves.
We recently did a grand opening in Searcy where hundreds of people were literally lined up out the door. You can watch the video below:
We’ve also seen huge success for events like local Health Fairs. Here’s a photograph taken from the health fair we had in Fairfield Bay:
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