Magic 94.9 Internet Radio

Hello, my name is Lawrence Simmons, and I am from Somerset, New Jersey. I am beginning to launch my brand new internet radio station this Friday entitled "Magic 94.9." It will feature a large selection of music, and other radio shows for everybody to enjoy. I will host the afternoons, and weekends. Our format is AC (Soft Rock - 80's to Now) and we would launch this Friday, July 3, 2015 during the 3-4pm hours. An official launch time will be provided soon.

We now need listeners. So, if we can gain a large or fair amount of different people to listen to our station, We'd gladly appreciate it. Please let us know what you think so far, and we will get back to you.



-Lawrence

Good luck for making the effort. When I was a kid I lived in Somerset (aka Franklin Township) on Bloomfield Avenue.
Why the handle using a real FM frequency "94.9"? And why "Magic"???? Hasn't that moniker been used to death all over America? Sorry to nitpick ..... Oh and BTW might help if you provide a link, right?
Best of luck to you

Hello, we wanted to hold our name on a frequency to make ourselves sound attentive. We also thought "Magic" would be quite creative. Our station link is http://mixlr.com/lawrence-simmons/. We can broadcast 24/7 so this way everybody can listen at any time. Thanks for the comments.

-Lawrence

Some advice:

1. Register a domain and redirect it to the stream. No one is going to remember that URL.

2. Drop the frequency in the name (and don't use it in the URL). At best it looks like amateur hour when streams try to pretend to be real radio. At worst, it makes people think you're trying to fool advertisers that you're on the air. Come up with your own identity and be proud of it.

3. The good thing about internet streaming is it doesn't matter where you are. Don't worry about where you're from, and promote your stream outside the tri-state area.

Ravens, The stream URL was the actual stream. You see, when we go live, anybody can click that site, and the station automatically plays. We didn't design the URL name, it was given already, and cannot be changed. "Magic 94.9" is our original station name. As for the launch date, the station will go live tonight at midnight Eastern Standard Time. Our sister station is another internet radio network called KJSC from Phoenix, Arizona. They've been on for longer than us. We will syndicate some radio shows from there on our station. Magic 94.9 callsigns are WMGG and is located in Franklin Township, New Jersey. Our stream link is the following.

http://mixlr.com/lawrence-simmons/

Hope this post helped at least some.

For more info, contact us at [email protected].

-Lawrence

LawrenceSimmons said:

Magic 94.9 callsigns are WMGG and is located in Franklin Township, New Jersey.

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Nope. WMGG is an AM station in Tampa.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WMGG

Callsigns can only be used once on both AM and FM dials. Our station is not registered to have actual legal callsigns because it's internet only. You'll understand more when we go live tonight.

LawrenceSimmons said:

Our station is not registered to have actual legal callsigns because it's internet only.

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So then legally you can't use it. And the "Magic" name is a registered trade mark. You legally can't use that either.

As you should know, the company that owns the trademark also owns WMGQ near where you are.

I'm sorry, but you're possibly missing the point of what I'm saying. Our internet radio station can do just about anything regarding the station branding titles and everything else. We are not hosted by Shoutcast, nor are we illegally broadcasting. Doing illegal broadcasting is, for example, simulcasting radio stations live and promoting them by providing a stream without permission. Or, using a radio station's audio files, when they're specifically not licensed to you nor legal to play or even have in your personal collection without written consent of the company(s). We do not do anything like that. We have our own custom sound, and we can't at this point change our station name because it's too late. What I'm saying is that we are a complete legal non-terrestrial non-commercial internet radio station. Mixlr.com does not allow anybody to be doing unauthorized podcasting/broadcasting.

Lawrence

LawrenceSimmons said:

I'm sorry, but you're possibly missing the point of what I'm saying. Our internet radio station can do just about anything regarding the station branding titles and everything else.

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The internet is subject to trademark laws. Calling yourself "Magic" is a violation of Greater Media's trademark. The fact that you're within a few miles of them makes it even more blatant. This has nothing to do with being on air or on the internet. It has to do with calling yourself "Magic."

TheBigA said:

Calling yourself "Magic" is a violation of Greater Media's trademark. The fact that you're within a few miles of them makes it even more blatant.

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Actually, I believe We've asked them years ago, and they said it's fine, they support our montiker. Maybe tonight isn't a good idea to launch just yet, this way we can clear this.

Do you mean if we had just the branding of 94.9? or titled ourselves as another name, like 94.9 Somerset FM? We could see...

Lawrence

LawrenceSimmons said:

Do you mean if we had just the branding of 94.9? or titled ourselves as another name, like 94.9 Somerset FM? We could see...

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Sure, although what does "94.9" mean? It's not a dial location or URL. But there is no trademark on 94.9 that I know of.

You could just as easily say Route 27.

This is a perfect example of what not to do when starting an Internet stream. Making it local, fake call letters, fake frequency and stealing the branding of a terrestrial station.

Take note, prospective streamers.

A few muses here .....

Since the implication is there, Lawrence, that an internet station can do pretty much as it pleases, why isn't the station a commercial one?
Another way to put it might be, why even emphasize 'non-commercial'? Why not 'commercial-free' ? Do you plan funding announcements? ......

As The Big A suggests, there could develop some conflict with your station and WMGQ. The probationary permission from some time ago most likely will backfire if someone at the larger company changes their mind. Is this 'okay' in writing? If not, well, we've all read on these forums how impersonal and bottom-line these big radio companies are from time to time .....

As a bargaining ante should one be required: Might it be propitious for you to carry mentions of WMGQ from time to time? As if they're a benevolent underwriter themselves? ......

I'm speculating that your station's liners/separators/jingles/sweepers are all in place and can't change the wardrobe easily.

None of my business, so ask yourself who and why you expect to reach as your core listenership. You'll be reaching a lot of time zones. If it were up to me, I'd broadcast this music for the listen-at-work folks in EST alone, and sign off at 6PM. No one has wild summertime pool parties and blasts Whitney Houston for entertainment. Soft A/C listenership on terrestrial radio traditionally has fallen off a cliff at 6PM anyway .....

The most-listened-to internet station here is Top Shelf Oldies. THEIR live programming is at night, usually between 8 and midnight, seven days a week. For a geezer like me, these 'new Oldies' are right up my driveway anyway. The thing is, for me a lot of the magic (pun intended) is their chat room. Do you plan one?
Oldies Your Way, another oldies-based internet station, also has a chat room. You get immediate response that way ......

Don't take this as anything more than friendly critique (and again, answer it to yourself) : What will you be doing to distinguish 94.9 from others in the same format? Will you be playing 'deeper cuts' ? Do you plan to present the music in a different form? ......

Again: If you have no listeners at present, then no one is going to miss your broadcasting if you alter it, correct? So if you're doing this as a hobby ..... or I should say if *I* were doing this for a hobby ..... there's no need for 24/7. Who cares if some hot chick in Denmark or Hawaii you'll never meet is among the listeners? :- ) ......

And then there's always those fascist music fees you have to balance into the enterprise .....

Best of luck, Lawrence, really. Am just sayin' .......

"why even emphasize 'non-commercial'? Why not 'commercial-free' ? Do you plan funding announcements? ......"

We will air promos on the radio station. By the way, radio station WMGQ, is not filing any complaints whatsoever against the station. Neither is any other AC stations. The people at WMGQ are actually real good friends with me and they 'encourage' the idea. We are not competing against any station in or out the market nor are we planning to. Obviously me having good relations with the staff don't always mean I can do whatever I want.

"I'm speculating that your station's liners/separators/jingles/sweepers are all in place and can't change the wardrobe easily. "

Actually, we just got a new jingle package, although we're unsure if you'll like it. Which can be another problem despite branding issues, because sometimes people on forums like Radio Discussions can develop a strong hatred/dislike for the jingle companies of today with young vocals. It's normally on the listener's ears.

"This is a perfect example of what not to do when starting an Internet stream. Making it local, fake call letters, fake frequency and stealing the branding of a terrestrial station. "

We've got the branding "Magic" from WLMG, not the other station mentioned earlier. We didn't steal anything from them. our callsigns are WMGG because since WMJJ was taken, we make ours be G instead of J.

Here's a site of broadcasters that have station brandings similar to ours or somebody else's. http://mixlr.com/live/popular/

You can keep looking through the guide or even type the word 'Magic' in the search bar and find other stations. It's all Legal.

"The thing is, for me a lot of the magic (pun intended) is their chat room. Do you plan one?"

We can have every evening, oldies music from the 60's through 80's, basically what we'll do all day long, though.

This is a service, NOT a hobby. We could brand ourselves as "94.9" but still have liners//jingles/sweepers saying (or singing) "Magic 94.9". Which is what we're open to.

-Lawrence

Mixlr owns any branding.

Trademark infringement aside, WHY do you have call letters and a frequency in the name?

LawrenceSimmons said:

Actually, I believe We've asked them years ago, and they said it's fine, they support our montiker.

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"I believe we've asked them?" "They said it's fine?"

You're putting an awful lot at risk (namely, everything you own if you're sued) on a whole lot of indefinites. The days of running a business on a bunch of handshakes and phone calls is long gone. You haven't even created the basis of a business model, never mind your ignorance of branding and programming.

And, something others have alluded to: If you play licensed music, you're on the hook for streaming royalties. Look for those bills in the mail, or worse, a letter from the music licensing agencies' lawyers.