What Happened to Straight Talk?

 

Dear Straight Talk Listeners,

I wanted to take this opportunity to thank my many supporters who have come forward in the wake of the recent cancellation of the Straight Talk show last week. There have been so many people demanding an explanation as to what transpired and it is obvious that it will not be forthcoming from any other source so I have agreed to a mini-interview to answer many of the most frequently asked questions:

How did Straight Talk begin?

This was a brainchild idea of mine for some time now and after the election; I thought the timing was ideal. I approached the owner of dms Broadcasting with a 13 page proposal outlining the basic format and details of my vision for the show.

What was the reaction?

It was pretty positive and I was told that despite some opposition in the ranks of management at the head office of the organization they would be committed to giving it a try. So on 5^th December, 2005 I signed a 6 month contract and proceeded to start working on the setup elements of the show.

What do you mean by opposition?

Well it was made clear to me that the people that have the most influence on the owner of the station (his senior managers) had not bought into the idea of a talk show and they were concerned about me hosting it because I am a very vocal person. To be honest I have angered people in the past but only because I refuse to allow others to steam roll me. One has to really appreciate the fact that to be in the talk show business requires a real backbone and the ability to know that everyone will have an opinion but you cannot be swayed in your commitment to providing an open forum for the people.

So, you were given a 6 month contract?

Yes, that is correct. As a matter of fact, I had forgotten that it was a 6 month contract because obviously the 6 months came and went and it was never brought up or discussed. I was actually rather surprised that in the official press release it says my contract was up for renewal because in fact it was up for renewal almost over 5 months ago.

Were you surprised when the plug was pulled on the show?

Yes, it did come as a surprise to me. In fact, over the course of the show I had been contacted by other media houses about doing something with them and had openly disclosed this information to our station Program Coordinator. Most people will know that I am an honest person and I believe in telling the truth – there is no need to hide things like that.

What was the reason that you were given for the cancellation?

I was told that the show was not making enough money and that they had done some research and spoke to several companies about why they were not sponsoring the show. These companies in turn told the management it was “my personality and the way I conduct my affairs” and that apparently I came across as “anti-corporate” on air. Two specific companies were mentioned but I would wish not to say who they are here.

What do you make of that?

Well I was rather surprised to be honest. One of the companies had never even been mentioned on our show and the other one is a rather public organization that on one occasion I spent a lot of time talking about to offer our listeners some balance on what that company does and how their facilities are structured. Undoubtedly, talk shows are very much personality driven. It is important for people to know that. I suppose there are people out there who may not have liked some of the things I say on air; but I never imagined it would be my personality. In fact, many people have said my personality was the most positive aspect of that show so I was a bit dumbfounded by that.

What is your response to the fact that the show was not making any money?

Well, the owner of the station had said to me before that he was concerned that the show was not making enough. In fact, just the Friday before being released on Tuesday evening I sent the management of the station an email about wanting to meet with the new sales manager. He has recently arrived from California about two weeks before that and I wanted to speak with him about the sales goals etc. I was also concerned that despite my numerous requests to attempt to get a toll free number for the program that was not being allowed to happen and in fact the newly arrived sales manager told me that he understood that we could not get toll free numbers in the Cayman Islands. All of these things were addressed in my email to the management of the station with a view to having a meeting to discuss how I could be more involved in pushing sales for the show.

What was the response?

Well I was sent back an e-mail stating that my desire for a toll free number did not improve my show in any way and in fact did not affect sales. I was also told that “Our real objections have included client concerns about being associated with political views that are often perceived to be on the extreme and topics that are controversial.”

What is the importance of a toll free number?

In the radio business advertisers are not buying a commercial they are buying an audience – there is no argument that Straight Talk had the most callers to any of the current talk shows in Cayman. We have the numbers to back that up because I requested a call screener who was actually taking down statistically data on our callers to the program.  It is important to also understand that there are two very distinct clients for the radio station – the advertisers and the listeners. These two are clearly interdependent on each other because if you do not have listeners then you can not convince businesses to advertise on your station. So here we have a situation where I was trying to get a feature that clearly the listeners wanted to have (a toll free number) and that would drive the volume of calls even further. There was clear evidence from the number of lost calls that we had and people saying they were running out of credit that it was needed. Any talk show should have a toll free number to truly facilitate freedom of speech. There were other key elements of the show that I also wanted to improve upon but obviously was not given the opportunity to do so.

Such as?

Well now, I would not want to give my competitors an unfair advantage (laughs). There are many ideas. The show was only on for eleven months; hardly enough time to truly implement everything.

What was your response when you were told that Cayman cannot get toll free numbers?

Needless to say I was rather surprised by this and said, “well you will have to tell me then how the mid-day talk show has one now and has had it for many years”.

What was the response?

“What mid-day talk show?”

Had you sold any advertising for the show?

I had made several referrals to the sales team. We have a sales department and as a radio personality I was not permitted to deal with clients on sales related matters. However, I had made many referrals and some were signed and others had not been followed up on. I recall an instance of a car leasing company that wanted to advertise. One day the client rang me on my personal mobile phone to say that he had been trying unsuccessfully to get in touch with the sales rep. that I had made the referral to. I was rather dismayed and took down his details again and passed on the message to the station manager – that was the most I was permitted to do.

Did the show have any sponsors?

I was not privy to the advertisers information or who would have specifically have requested the show; unless, they came to me personally and advised of their intent to advertise and some of them did. In fact, we had a large retailer who did partially sponsor the show. Since the cancellation of the show at least 4 other companies have come to me and say that they were budgeting advertising dollars for the show for 2007.

There is an ongoing rumor that the recent shows on Cayman Airways Ltd. had something to do with the show’s dismissal. What do you think?

Truthfully, one can never be sure about these things. There is a lot of speculation at the moment. I must admit that it could just be the timing of the cancellation of the show being coincidental with the CAL shows. I have no concrete evidence to say either way so I simply cannot speculate. However, that is the most consistent and recurring statement from the public. As one former politician said, “there was not much straight talk going on”.

What next for you?

Hey, I’m a fighter you know! This will not hold me down. I have a very clear understanding of what talk radio means to this country and I am committed to facilitating that. God has given me this awesome gift and I cannot quit. So many people have come forward and said how much they valued the show and really enjoyed it. The value of the show for me was not in monetary terms. The value of a talk show for me is about making a difference in the lives of the people of this country and I continue to be committed to that. If someone was trying to silence me they have only done me a great favor and allowed me to garnish more public support than I thought possible. Sponsors have come forward in a way that is unbelievable!

Really?

Yes, that is right. Some are not renewing their own contracts and have asked me to pursue a new venue for the show so that they can be supportive through their advertising on the new program.

Will you keep the Straight Talk name?

I am not sure. I am considering a few options to freshen things up a bit. Also, during the meeting when I was told the show was cancelled I was also told that I could keep the show name etc. However, I have requested that in writing because in my contract it says the opposite.

Although the original idea and naming of the show was yours?

That is correct.

Final Thoughts?

I am in a real positive place right now. The opportunity to have had my own talk show opened a whole new world for me and I am grateful to have had it no matter how short-lived. I am encouraging my listeners to continue to be vocal and discuss the issues that drive this country forward. I will be back on air and I hope sooner rather than later. Sponsors are even willing to outright buy the two hours from the radio station so it will happen. However, I want to make clear that I am not lambasting dms Broadcasting in any way. At the end of the day, it is their decision to make.  I want to thank everyone for their support; the people here in Cayman are truly amazing and finally I’d leave them with this thought: “the difference between the impossible and the possible lies in determination”;and I am determined to fight for everyone to have a VOICE!

Note: Sandra Catron can be contacted at sandra@stcatron.com

 

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