Spreading the Message on the Radio

“How much?” Glenn M. Pav couldn’t believe his ears when the representative from a large broadcast syndicate quoted him the price for a sixty second radio commercial.

Pav had never been politically active, though he “always voted correctly.”  However, when Barack Obama was elected in 2008, he knew it was time to do more.  When the TEA Party began to develop momentum in Florida and across the nation, Pav decided to help in any way he could.

“I was in Christian radio back in the late 1970s and 1980s, because I went to a church which had its own radio station.” In 2009, he volunteered to figure out how to best advertise for his TEA party events.  It was an important time in Florida politics, as the state struggled under their governor Charlie Crist’s poor leadership. Crist would soon launch a bid for Senate, which most political observers assumed he would handily win.

But the tea party groups across Florida had other plans for their state, which meant they needed to reach as many people as possible and Pav wanted to help them do it. Citizens for Self Governance knows that voters can’t make good decisions without learning the facts.  One of their four pillars of self governance is “engaging citizens,” which means to “provide information, best practices and other resources to help citizens exercise self-governance, to provide resources to enable private sector citizens to engage effectively in the political process, and to nourish a network of like-minded citizens and organizations that can support and leverage each other’s efforts.”  But how can a grassroots activist make an impact on a low budget in a large state like Florida?  By utilizing the skills and talents of the activists.

“Wow,” Pav said into the phone, as he processed the high cost of the advertisement. “Since it costs so much for a sixty second ad, how much does a one-hour show cost?”

To Pav’s surprise, the representative told him the amount was remarkably similar.  Quickly, he went back to his group and told them the bad news: the commercials were prohibitively expensive.

“But I think we could do a one hour show every week,” he said.  “If we did that, the station would also promote our show with thirty second promos during the week.”

A local tea party organization  initially sponsored Pav’s show, which allowed them to spread their message and to make a difference in the local county issues.   Soon, he went to another station, negotiated more time for less money, and suddenly ended up with two hours of show time for the price of one.  Suddenly Pav, whose main job is working as an Internal Auditor for Avis-owned Payless Car Rental, was being broadcast to influential voters in Tampa.

“Broadcasting is my passion,” he said.  “Not my full time job.”  However, even his car rental coworkers appreciate the work Pav does outside his work. “They told me my voice, the way I organize things, and my expressions make it clear that I was born to do this.

Eventually, Pav wanted to expand his issue scope and geographical reach.. With a limited amount of money, Pav knew he had to get creative. First, he called the radio stations and negotiated a lower price, but that still wasn’t enough to bring the cost down low enough. Then, Pav decided to fundamentally change the way he got financial support for this show.

“What’s the most effective way we could promote businesses and conservatives?” he asked himself.  “I could promote political groups by giving them a one hour show once a month.  I could work with them on show preparation, and I could co-host.”

In other words, instead of trying to get people to pay for ads, he sold the opportunity for organizations and groups to be on the air with him. His new co-host sponsors would have to be at least one of the following: Christian, constitutional, conservative, or capitalist.  Usually, the groups were a combination of these traits. He was able to reach out to military groups, the 9/12 groups, tea party groups, Constitutional organizations, and other organizations with similar values.  “This gave me a screening process.”

But even with this new approach, it seemed like a daunting task.  “I told the Lord that I would do all the work, prep, ad, website, the whole thing, if He brought the money in – but not from my bankroll – I would not go ahead until I had all my revenue lined up.”

The co-hosts came rolling in. “I went from 3 to 5 on Saturday (which is not prime time) to Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday with more sponsors.  It was all paid for.  Then, I went primetime.”

With the increased coverage, Pav was able to get his message out to more and more people.  He discussed many different cultural topics, but especially the ever-growing tea party movement.  “I’d take five or six counties and give them seven minutes for their county updates.  They’d tell our listeners what was happening and what we needed to be thinking about locally.  Of course, I had listeners from these counties, so it was helpful to keep people informed.”

Indeed, the political competition for the Senate seat in Florida grew hotter than any other race in America.  As Crist moved toward what was considered his inevitable victory, many tea party groups in Florida fought back by supporting the long-shot candidate Marco Rubio. .

“We got Rubio elected,” said Pav.  “It wasn’t the GOP Establishment who made that happen, it was the grassroots tea party leaders and activists.  We could get our message out faster and for less money, with great results.”

As the tea party message was resonating with his audience, Pav wanted to expand his reach. “I decided to go Monday through Friday for them in Tampa Bay area,” but this time he expanded in a totally different direction.

“I looked into a third radio station – secular – different market, larger audience, bigger internet presence, a video stream as well as audio of the show.  I got five days a week (from 5 o’clock to 6 o’clock) and I was able to keep my sponsors, which gave me enough financing to pay for the cost.  As I added more sponsors, I was able to buy equipment and put the money back into the business.  I had four days and got a show with two affiliates.  So three radio stations were simulcasting my show for the same price or less than that first gig.  All my needs had been met.”

Recently, he was given the opportunity to grow even beyond state lines when GreatAwakening4.com began talking to him about the religious foundations of our nation. They told him that the broadcast company had offered time slots on their Boston AM 950 station.

“I’m going to do the 7 to 9 p.m. and I’d like for you to be live from 5 to 6 a.m. in Boston,” the Great Awakening 4 representative said.  “But you’d have to raise the funds.”

This prime drive time Boston airtime would dramatically increase his reach… and his expenses, so Pav wouldn’t commit to such a financially ambitious project.

“When are you thinking about starting?” he asked hesitantly.  “It takes a full month at least for me to set up financing, and that’s if I start working on this full time.”

“I need to know in a week.”

“If the Lord’s in it,” Pav said, “He will supply the money.”

Pav used word-of-mouth and KickStarter to allow people to give toward this new expansion into the liberal Boston market.  In less than one week, he received all that he needed to make it cost effective to break even. Even more amazingly, his Tampa station allowed him to use their studio and engineers, and even offered to simultaneously broadcast during these morning hours in Tampa.

“Suddenly,” he says, “I’m going from 4 million to 9 million in my potential audience.”

In Boston, he hopes to inform his listeners, instruct them, and to inspire them to do the right thing.  “I’m going to tell the truth in a loving pastoral, counseling way.  I am passionate, so if I come across strong, it’s not because I’m angry,” he said.  “It’s because I care about the truth.

It seems Pav will have an endless supply of material to discuss during the Obama administration. “But the greatest scandal of all isn’t the IRS or Benghazi,” Pav emphasizes. “It’s that we’ve lost the truth.  We are now a post-Christian, post-Constitutional era.”

What better time than for Pav’s message to be told?

“This cause is bigger than me,” he said.  “If I have to stand before God, and he says, ‘Did you sit or stand for me?’ I hopefully will be able to say I did my best.  I’m not an intellect.  I’m a pastor at heart.  I’m going to love my listeners through the truth.”

Bonus Questions & Answers

1. 1.      Tell our readers about yourself:

I live in Largo, FL in Tampa Bay, I’ve been married for 37 Years to Melanie, having raised 4 sons.  I am the Internal Auditor for Avis owned Payless Car Rental and Christian Constitutional Conservative Broadcaster

2.     What would you consider your biggest accomplishment so far?

With a Godly wife, having raised 4 Christian sons and preparing them for life by homeschooling for 25 years AND radio broadcasting to restore America one county at a time.

3.     What drove you or inspired you to tackle that?

Our convictions that the best Christian education for our family was homeschooling And that Christian conservatives must begin restoring Christian and moral values and inform, instruct, and inspire listeners to “right” the ship (America).

4.     What challenges did you face that threatened your success?

The unpopular criticism to homeschool and the attack and bias against us minority constitutional conservatives

5.     What were you like before this accomplishment, and how has that accomplishment changed your perspective on civic involvement?