Looking who is plotting a return to sports talk radio? My old pal Dino Costa.
Tom Van Riper at Forbes.com discusses Costa’s plans to launch a subscripton-based show.
So what to do? Embark on a go-it-alone formula that, if successful, could prove to be the path for more media personalities looking to sustain their careers, or just to find a way in. Costa is gearing up for his own gig, set to launch on May 5, emanating from a 750-square-foot studio in Cheyenne, Wyoming, distributed on PCs and mobile devices, for a subscription fee of $72 a year. The plan is for an eventual stable of contributors to churn out content through audio, video and the written word.
To find investors willing to provide start-up cash, he hit social media, eventually getting the attention of two of his Sirius listeners in New Jersey: Anthony Menicola, an owner of construction and landscaping businesses, and Frank Stillitano, an accountant and management consultant. Together they invested $250,000, enough for a low-overhead media startup to get going.
In today’s crowded, cutthroat marketplace in sports (and other) media, is this the new vehicle of entry? In a certain sense, the business has always been entrepreneurial – you either find a way to get ratings or you go away. But today’s technology allows you to put yourself out there solo at a low cost. It means doing without the advantages of a brand name station or network umbrella. But it also means more freedom to read the marketplace and serve it the way you want to. And if you hit, all the profit flows to you. Costa’s numbers say 2,500 customers would provide enough subscription and ad revenue to break even. His goal is “several thousand” or so subscribers within the first year.
John Chelesnik, who runs the Sportscasters Talent Agency of America, praises Costa’s abilities but points out that the rogue approach is still a tough road to hoe. “Why would someone pay when there’s so much choice, so much free content?” he posits.
Costa, who does go in with an advantage of a built-in listener base from his years at Sirius, says this: “We believe we’re at a price point that’s reasonable for content that’s not available anywhere else.”
I will say this for Dino. When I wrote about his dismissal from SiriusXM, I received more response than any previous post I have done in two years at this site.
Obviously, he has a loyal following. But will they be $72 per year loyal?
At the very least, Costa won’t be gripping about the management.
$6/month? Are you kidding me? This is a steal. I will probably pay double that because I know the product is worth that much more.
Much like another doofus, Mike North, Costa will quickly find out that trying to go it alone and charge people to boot is doomed to failure.
Sorry, not a chance.
No way. Does Carolla charge? Jay Mohr? No, they don’t. He was a somebody that was included in the subscription at Sirius. On his own, he has significantly fewer resources; he is not a stand alone talent. He needs a platform with the reach Sirius has. Plus, podcasts are kind of a pain…you have to download to ipod, run through car audio, as opposed to just switching to satellite reception, with a multitude of choices. Just what does he bring to the table, actually? His tweets are pretty lame. Wyoming, Denver sports? Pay to listen to that? get real.
No way. Does Carolla charge? Jay Mohr? No, they don’t. He was a somebody that was included in the subscription at Sirius. On his own, he has significantly fewer resources; he is not a stand alone talent. He needs a platform with the reach Sirius has. Plus, podcasts are kind of a pain…you have to download to ipod, run through car audio, as opposed to just switching to satellite reception, with a multitude of choices. Just what does he bring to the table, actually? His tweets are pretty lame. Wyoming, Denver sports? Pay to listen to that? get real.
America is a country that rightfully so prides itself of freedom of speech. However with freedom of speech comes responsibility. Dino Costa who protects his tweets, posted this homophobic slur on Twitter tonight DINO COSTA @REALDINOCOSTA Protected Tweets 1h
Praying for Michael Sam. Not that he gets drafted…but that he overcomes his sexual confusion.
Why would anyone in their right mind pay $72 to listen to a homophobic person like Dino Costa. This has nothing whatsoever to do with gay rights, but human decency.
I find Dino compelling but wouldn’t pay for him or anything on the web. If he gets 500 subscribers I would be shocked. Just not a smart business model. Never lock out your audience. Let it grow organically with no fee and then let the ad dollars be your primary revenue stream. It’s 101 stuff but he’s too short sighted here.
Firstly I’d like to thank The Sherman Report for indicating an interest in the company that is presenting the New DINO COSTA Show (DINO COSTA WORLD WIDE, LLC)
With that out of the way, I find some of these comments, in lieu of comparing what I do – in the ways that I do it – with the myriad products I’ll be dispensing on a regular and consistent basis, with some of the names thrown around here to be downright side-splitting.
Adam Carolla? J
ay Mohr?
Mike North?
Are you people trying to be amusing?
If so, I got a good laugh out of your sarcasm.
If I was any of the aforementioned names and I decided to charge even one penny for what they do…I’d be unable to look at myself in the mirror.
Does Adam Carolla do a live 4 hour SHOW each day? Or does he do a pre-recorded; ‘podcast’ in a room with a bunch of Hyenas?
Does Jay Mohr give anyone an appreciable reason to listen beyond his sanitized droning which is more suited for background noise within a neighborhood department store?
Mike North?
I’ll take mine with mustard and onions, Mike.
Seriously?
In addition and concurrent with a four hour SHOW each day (with no two SHOWS ever being the same) the innovative and non-duplicated platform I am ushering forth will be loaded with ancillary and complimentary opinion and commentary pieces not found anyplace else in the industry.
Wake up people!
The TV and Radio industry is giving folks across the globe more reasons than ever NOT to listen to the radio thee days…especially against the backdrop of one vanilla and interchangeable host after another.
A live 4 hour SHOW each day.
Podcast interviews galore — with movers and shakers across the sports, entertainment, and political sphere.
Ancillary video features.
The written word (‘Costa Chronicles’)
All delivered inside a state of the art studio, delivered audibly and visually in HD quality form — with a 3 camera shoot (4 if you include the camera inside the Producers room) manifesting itself and resulting in a stunning aesthetic exhibition each day.
ALL content, audio, visual, written word, cataloged and archived for listening/viewing/reading at the pleasure of the subscriber.
A mobile app that allows the entire umbrella of our products to be enjoyed with relish, anytime, anyplace.
A one man content machine, delivering material of rare and exclusive fashion, by a host with an indefatigable work ethic.
Mostly however is what I do an din the ways that I do it — people are thirsting for the fearlessly independent style that I possess, which is found no place else…NO PLACE ELSE.
I love the way the sports media community continues to be molded and takes shape.
The decisions, the hiring’s, the presentations of many of these people are playing right into my hands.
Bravo to these decision makers!
May nobody ever get in their way…
The communications industry is undergoing a new paradigm, and the ‘business model’ is being revamped as I write these words.
This is the new frontier my good friends and foes…and on May 5, a reckoning will be taking place.
See you all then: http://WWW.DINOCOSTASHOW.COM
Cool… so you’ll be kind of like Dan Patrick. I’m impressed. I know he charges something in the neighborhood of… wait… his show is free (on the radio and TV). Probably because he really does have a very professional (and quite large) studio.
Dino, you bit off more than you can chew. Hopefully, you can live decently for a year or so on the largess of your investors before having to find a job.
I expect this post to be unpopular.
$6/month is nothing. I have no doubt the sports content will be top-notch. When Dino was at his best he could give 45 minutes of a sports update that is unrivaled, using well developed analytic skills combined with an excellent delivery. His comprehensive style is very similar to that of Lee Hamilton who was the best in the late 80’s and early 90’s on San Diego’s XTRA 690. However, Hamilton also was abrasive, asked some uncomfortable questions and, inaccurately labeled a racist, was blown off the air. And, Dino won’t like to hear this, his following is as devoted as the Jim Rome (also on XTRA) Clones in the 90’s.
If you take the time to listen, Dino conducts very thoughtful respectful interviews with guests, more often than not, he is at odds with. My concern would be that some of his opinions, which he is perfectly entitled to have, will keep some important guests away from his show.
I am hopeful that Dino (finally) is content with his situation and this will allow him to concentrate on content and production which is probably the best out there.
Dino certainly is outspoken, with very strong opinions. Do I always agree with him? Of course not. Some of his tirades can be lugubrious and uncomfortable. I am political but I don’t like to mix it with sports although, these days, Politics and sports seem to be converging (see Sunday Night Football). If his occasional tendencies to howl at the moon are balanced by the excellent content he is capable of, Dino just might pull this off. Notwithstanding, this time around, it won’t be the suits at Sirius or Chris Russo that pull the plug, it will be the listeners who are voting with their wallets. As the saying goes, the Future is ahead.
Dino’s biggest mistake was not retaining Mr. Joshua as his producer.
Joshua have the show pop and sizzle! He’s a radio genius!
Not only will this fail but he will blame everyone under the sun except for himself. What major name would do his show anyway? He could not get guests with an entire booking department st SXM and now in shit kicking Wyoming hes gonna grab A listers? He used to say I dont need guests its all about Dino, reason was to cover up the fact that NOBODY would do his show now hes advertising major guests, boy how things change.
Dino’s begging for comments here so I’ll chime in again. Based on the fact he is not generating any audience response in the form of Facebook likes, newsletter sign-ups and Twitter retweets, I’d say this is going to be a tough venture for Dino.
I haven’t even seen anything either from some in the media who have championed him in the past. Richard Deitsch, Bob Raissman, Ken Fang…throw this man a bone.
He needs some word of mouth to get a modicum of buzz going or this thing is going to die on the vine. Give Dino credit. He promotes because no one else will. Yes, he incessantly tweets and we all know he doesn’t use the medium effectively but this is his last shot or he’s done.
I won’t get a subscription because won’t need to in order to listen. Will bet he realizes early on that the sub model won’t work. He won’t be content broadcasting to 250 subscribers after years of a much larger audience at SXM. Once he abandons the pay model, he might have a chance to bring in some ad revenue and make this work to a small degree.