The Price of Business and the "Syndication Effect"

One of my objectives is to get the media that my company is developing in front of as many ears and eyes as possible. That is, after all, the purpose of media. The Price of Business Show is the longest running program on CNN 650, which is in the Houston market. Lately, I have been getting calls and emails from all over the country. Florida, Michigan, New Jersey, Pennsylvania are just a few of the states that have been taking a part in the program (you will get an example by clicking the image above). Thanks to the Internet, the show may already be "syndicated." I like to call this phenomenon the "syndication effect." We are nationwide, even thought the program is broadcasted locally.

CNN 650 is a partner with AOL radio and as a result, many of my listeners are listening to my show in their car, on the bus, and at the restaurant on their Ipods. Furthermore, with the ease of finding our media through Google searches (with over 150,000 unique visitors each month) and our growing business media platform (including USBusinessDaily.com, ChicagoBusinessDaily.com, etc.), our reach is only expected to expand.

The syndication effect doesn't end with AOL radio. Rarely does a day go by that I don't see an article of mine from BizPlusBlog.com in Reuters.com, USAToday.com, ChicagoSunTimes.com, or other major media. Blog syndication services, such as Blogburst, is continually changing the way people get seen and heard.

A very popular concept these days is the effort to become "almost famous." With some solid and consistent content and strong efforts to get your information seen, it is easier than ever. Furthermore, with websites like ours enjoying visitors measured in the hundreds of thousands monthly, it is very feasible to be a player in media today.

Kevin Price articles frequently appear at ChicagoSunTimes.com, Reuters.com, USAToday.com, and other national media.

Kevin Price is Host of the Price of Business (M-F at 11 AM on CNN 650) and Publisher of the Houston Business Review. Hear the show live and online at PriceofBusiness.com. Visit the archive of past shows here.

Obama: Incrimination by Association?

With around 30 days left in the 2008 Presidential race, John McCain is seeing the possibility of a solid defeat unless something changes and changes quickly. For months McCain has focused entirely on the issues with very little mention of personalities and organizations that could raise red flags in the minds of many. That is starting to change for arguably good reasons.

Over the years I have been invited to serve in leadership positions of organizations and one of the first questions I asked is "who else is on it?" From there I would do background checks of my own. The Washington Post notes that "both Obama and (Bill) Ayers were members of the board of an anti-poverty group, the Woods Fund of Chicago, between 1999 and 2002. In addition, Ayers contributed $200 to Obama's re-election fund to the Illinois State Senate in April 2001, as reported here. They lived within a few blocks of each other in the trendy Hyde Park section of Chicago, and moved in the same liberal-progressive circles."

Who is Bill Ayers? The Chicago Sun Times reports that "Ayers, 63, spent 10 years as a fugitive in the 1970s when he was part of the "Weather Underground," an anti-Vietnam War group that protested U.S. policies by bombing the Pentagon, U.S. Capitol and a string of other government buildings." He has since stated (back in 2000) that he wish he had done both more bombings and had created more damage. So much for remorse.

It doesn't end with Ayers. Barack Obama proudly discusses his years as a "community organizer" and during much of that time the organizations he worked with received funding from the radical organization, ACORN (Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now). ACORN is noted for questionable voter registration techniques (including the policy in Ohio where people can register and vote on the same day), but was also a major player in the sub prime debacle that is devastating the economy today.

Many of the liberal Members of Congress who are acting like heroes today for passing the massive Wall Street bailout bill had pressured lending institutions (particularly Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac) into reducing the requirements for getting loans earlier this decade. On the front lines, ACORN and one of its Chicago affiliates, The Woods Fund (on which Obama was on the Board) practiced intimidation and other techniques to make banks provide the bad loans that led to the crash of our financial institutions today.

Stanley Kurtz wrote in the New York Post that "The Woods Fund report makes it clear Obama was fully aware of the intimidation tactics used by ACORN's Madeline Talbott in her pioneering efforts to force banks to suspend their usual credit standards. Yet he supported Talbott in every conceivable way. He trained her personal staff and other aspiring ACORN leaders, he consulted with her extensively, and he arranged a major boost in foundation funding for her efforts." Meanwhile, Sen. John McCain warned fellow Members of the Senate of potential financial ruin if the sub prime loans were to continue.

Another friend that could come back to haunt Obama is the good old Rev. Wright. You will likely hear much more about him in the final days of this campaign. There is no question that the McCain is in trouble, but Obama's associations makes the Illinois Senator's own future very doubtful and he could very well be his own worst enemy by the friends he has made.

Kevin Price articles frequently appear at ChicagoSunTimes.com, Reuters.com, USAToday.com, and other national media.

Kevin Price is Host of the Price of Business (M-F at 11 AM on CNN 650) and Publisher of the Houston Business Review. Hear the show live and online at HoustonBusinessShow.com. Visit the archive of past shows here.

On Two Years of Blogging

June 26, 2006, a date that will live in infamy! This is, at least, the day I began blogging. My First post, "Taking the Plunge," expressed my genuine concern that this would be one of those things I would begin and eventually stop. I have a checkered history when it comes to such commitments. Two years later, it has become an obsessive habit (according to my darling wife).

The reason for concern persisted for quite some time. I only wrote that one post in June and five each for July and August. None had a single photo. I struggled over what to write and early on it looked as though it would have a strong, local appeal. In September, the number of blog posts exploded. In fact, I almost consider September 1 as the day BizPlusBlog.com began. In that post, I committed to write much more often and I have. Photos didn't come until November of 2006 and became a regular part of the blog every post after that until videos and other media came much later still. The effort to make this a "real" blog has slowly proved itself.

In the past two years, the blog has become rewarding on many fronts. It now enjoys a title sponsor (ITEX), response from readers came from around the country, and syndication of the articles has occured in many national publications. Examples of many the posts found else where include Reuters, Chicago Sun Times, USA Today, and many others.

I know I have lots of work left to do. It remains an interesting journey. If you have been thinking about blogging, jump in, the water is great. On the subject of blogging, I thought you might enjoy the above interview with Denise Wakeman of the Blog Squad.

Want to learn more about the twin economic tsunamis of Social Security and Medicare? Get a free audio program featuring Rick Ray of the Wealth Design Group and Kevin Price on this important subject by sending an email to Info@HoustonBusinessShow.com.

Kevin Price is Host of the Houston Business Show (M-F at 11 AM on CNN 650) and Publisher of the Houston Business Review. Hear the show live and online at HoustonBusinessShow.com. Visit the archive of past shows here.