The Sound of Young America
January 2006 News



Jesse, Chris Elliott, and Operation Necktie
Hey radio pals,

Here's what's in this update:
- A Stunning Vision for the New Year
 - The 2006 SF Sketchfest
 - Contacting Your Local Station
 - The Tell A Friend Campaign

Tommorow and Today

Happy 2006 Radio Pals!

2005 was a banner year for The Sound of Young America... we went from 5 or 10 online listeners a day to six THOUSAND thanks to podcasting. We were featured in the Santa Cruz Sentinel, on Salon.com's Audioblog, in the Monterey Herald, and on lots of blogs. We had folks like Bob Edwards, Henry Rollins, and David Rakoff on the show -- people I've always wanted to interview. Our holiday special was licensed by six stations, including the huge KERA in Dallas. Awesome stuff.

I hope and expect that 2006 will be bigger and better. I want to add affiliates. I want to produce from home. I want to make this a full-time job. Or even a paid part-time job :). I want to improve communication between me and you, and develop the show not just as a one-way megaphone, but as a community. I think all of these are completely within reach, and I am very excited.

Thanks for your support in the past year. This year will be our best ever.


The 2006 SF Sketchfest

Every year, I look forward to the San Francisco Sketchfest. A year ago, I got in touch with the organizers and begged them for a job, I loved it so much. Luckily for me, it worked.

This year's Sketchfest features Bob Odenkirk & David Cross, Dave Foley of the Kids in the Hall, The Upright Citizens Brigade (with Rachel Dratch, Horatio Sanz and Will Arnett), Fred Armisen, The Trachtenberg Family Slideshow Players, Kasper Hauser, and many more. In fact, the lineup even includes your old pals Jordan and Jesse, performing with our sketch group Prank the Dean. It runs for two weeks and three weekends, January 12th through the 29th.

If you live in the Bay Area, or even the extended Bay Area, this is an event not to be missed. You can find out more at www.sfsketchfest.com. If you're broke as a joke (I know the feeling, I've got it right now), email me for some information about volunteering to usher or run concessions, and you can get in free. If you want to come see Prank the Dean, we'll be performing Saturday the 21st and Sunday the 22nd at the Eureka Theater in downtown SF. Visit sfsketchfest.com for more info or tickets.


Get The Sound on Your Local Radio!


People often email me asking why they can't hear The Sound on their local public radio station. There's no easy answer, but there is an easy way to help: call or email your local station and ask for it! They really do listen. Tell them you love the podcast, and know some stations carry it. Tell them you feel people like you are underrepresented on public radio. Tell them whatever you want, just do it!

Six stations licensed our Holiday Special this year: WUOB in Athens, Ohio, WMCO in New Concord, Ohio, WHFR in Deerborn/Detroit Michigan, KWCW in Walla Walla, Washington, KUHB in St. Paul, Alaska, and KERA in Dallas, Texas. If you live in one of those places, wow, now's the time to get in touch with them.

Otherwise, just send an email to me at splangy at splangy dot com. And tell me you did for my undying love. And so you know, I don't ask for money from any station to carry the show. Big or small, it's free to all. I just want to get it out there.

Anytime is a great time...

This week, I launched the Tell A Friend campaign on The Sound of Young America, with our first promo, "Fidel," starring Cuban leader Fidel Castro. If you didn't already hear it in the show, you can hear it here. Our slogan is "Anytime is a great time to tell a friend about The Sound of Young America."

If you have an idea for a terrible time to tell someone about your favorite radio show, send it along, maybe we can make a promo from your idea! And if we do, I might send you a prize (I don't have anything to send right now, but I'd probably think of something).

And hey, do tell a friend. Blog about the show, email some folks, tell someone in person, accost someone with an iPod on the subway, whatever. I appreciate it.

And as always, get at me on the emails and tell me what you're thinking and how you're feeling about the show... splangy@splangy.com is my address.

Your #1 Bud,
JT, "ARS"



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