Why do you play so many ads?

Boom receives nothing from the money you pay the BBC for its radio  - so we need to play sufficient ads to pay the bills. 

Radio is an expensive business - with fees for presenters,  transmitters, technicians, producers, marketing, admin - and to the musicians whose music you hear. .

It's important to note, however, that we play a lot fewer than most commercial stations, and we plan to stay that way.  You'll struggle to find a commercial station playing so few!

The amount moves up and down  - and we've played as many as we do now several times in our lifetime, so it does not just keep increasing.

No ads - no money - no Boom. Fewer ads - not enough money - still no Boom!  So, the ads do not spoil Boom - they make sure it can exist!

 

Why are ads repeated so much?

The majority of Boom listeners - like those of most stations - dip in and out. Many listen for under an hour a day. Those who plan ad campaigns want as many listeners as possible hear their commercials sufficient times to hear - and then recall the message. Regular listeners will hear them more than more casual listeners.

 

I don't like one of the ads - can you stop it?

The majority of the ads you hear are not sold directly by us. They are bought and sold across many stations and we are but one of them - and not all listeners hear the same ads.

So - we cannot control which you hear. Sorry! Campaigns will stop though  - so it will end at some stage!

 

Why are some of the ads not aimed at people my age?

We don't choose those.

Most of the ads you hear on Boom are not sold directly by us. They are bought by agencies who buy campaigns across many stations aimed at different audiences and we get swept up into those. A little like ITV or posters, where you see products which you feel aren't relevant.

On Boom will hear styles of advertising creative - or language/style which is not very 'our generation'!

Thankfully, they still pay the bills for the station you’re listening to.

 

Why do the ads have fast gabbling at the end for the 'small print'?

Certain announcements are required for legal or compliance reasons - just like 'small print' on posters.  If not spoken quickly, they'd  take up so much time that few advertisers would bother using radio for marketing.

Boom believes that many announcements serve little purpose to consumers and are disproportionately onerous. Research bears this out. We - and others - have made representations on this topic, but to little avail.

And the ads you hear with these terms in are not sold directly by us and we do not produce them, so we cannot change the format or influence them.

And, as ever, whilst we agree some can sound daft, they still pay the bills.

 

Can I pay a monthly fee and have Boom without ads, like some other stations do?

We are not equipped to deliver that at present and the infrastructure would be too complex and expensive for our stand-alone station. This approach to income generation is a relatively new and not yet fully proven approach. We do, however, play many fewer ads than they do. 

 

Why do some ads mention an area where I don't live?

You are listening online - and everyone listening in that way hears different ads.  The system detects roughtly where you are and tries to serve relevant ads! In some cases, for various reasons including your broadband connection, it thinks you are somewhere else! Reconnecting, or listening on a different device on a different connection can change things.

 

Do we have to have the ads for leaving money in wills or cremation services?

We understand your point - but rest assured we do strictly limit the amount of such advertising - more so than many TV channels do!  It is to be expected that these organisations will advertise on Boom - and the income from them helps us to stay on-air. The charities do good work too and the ads help make sure they receive sufficent donations to fund that work.

 

How do I complain about an ad as I think it breaks rules?

Drop us a line.

 

And it works!

We would also say that we receive numerous enquiries about products and services advertised on Boom - so it's not correct to think that all advertising is unwelcome!