Hey Decatur Back to the station

How to

Get your message on the air

  • Free shout-outs
  • The community bulletin board
  • Radio Spots and Banner Ads

Hey Decatur. This is Lena. Whether you're running a business, throwing a party, or just want to say hi to the neighborhood, here's how to get your voice on the air.

heydecatur.com

Three ways to show up

  • Listen live on the homepage
  • Shout-Outs: free, for neighbors
  • Advertise: for businesses

Hey Decatur Radio gives you three ways to show up. You can listen live, right on the homepage. You can send a shout-out. Or you can advertise. Let's walk through each one.

heydecatur.com/ads · paid

Radio Spots

  • 35 airings of your :30 for $125
  • Upload your :30, or type a script and pick a voice
  • Card held first, charged after the final listen

Radio spots are the paid kind. Thirty-five airings of your thirty-second message for one hundred twenty-five dollars. Production's included. You upload your own audio, or type a script and pick a voice from the station. We play it in our breaks, from six in the morning until midnight, and you choose the days and the times. Your card is only held at first. It gets charged after you hear it, approve it, and the station gives it a final listen.

heydecatur.com/ads/banners · paid

Banner Ads

  • $5 a day, whole days
  • Up to 6 businesses share the homepage strip
  • One picture, words and logo near the middle

Banner ads run on the homepage. Five dollars a day, whole days only. Up to six businesses share the strip, each shown for twenty seconds at a time. Upload one picture, keep your words and logo near the middle, and add a secure link. Your card is held at checkout, then charged when the station approves the banner.

Shout-Outs · free

Give a shout-out

  • Tap to record, up to 20 seconds
  • First name and neighborhood
  • Plays in our breaks for a whole day

Shout-outs are free, and they're for the personal stuff. Birthdays, garage sales, lost dogs, thank-yous. Tap to record. It stops by itself at twenty seconds. Or upload your own. Tell us your first name and neighborhood, pick a song from the library if you want, and we'll give it a listen. Then it plays in our breaks for a whole day. One per person per day. If it's for a business, that's an ad.

Shout-Outs · free

Community bulletin board

  • Up to 20 words, the way you'd say it
  • No phone numbers or web addresses
  • DJs mention it on the days you pick

The community bulletin board is free too. Write up to twenty words, the way you'd say it out loud. No phone numbers and no web addresses, because the DJ reads it. Add your name or organization, your email, and the start and end dates, up to thirty days. Once it's approved, the DJ on the air mentions it at random times between six in the morning and ten at night.

Shout-Outs · free

Leave us a message

  • Up to 30 seconds about Decatur
  • Name and neighborhood are optional
  • The good ones play on the air

And if you just want to talk about Decatur, leave us a message. Up to thirty seconds. The good ones play on the air. Your name and neighborhood are optional. We just need your email to confirm it's you.

Questions?

hello@heydecatur.com

  • Or use the contact form at the bottom of the homepage

Questions? Write to hello@heydecatur.com, or use the contact form at the bottom of the homepage. Hey Decatur Radio, thanks for being part of it.

Questions

The short answers. Still stuck? Write to hello@heydecatur.com.

Shout-outs

What does a shout-out cost?

Nothing — shout-outs are free. The station listens to every one first, then it plays in the :15 and :45 breaks for a whole day. One per person per day, 13 or older; want it again tomorrow, record a new one.

What can I shout out, and how do I record it?

Birthdays, garage sales, a lost dog, a thank-you — that kind of thing. Tap to record and it stops itself at 20 seconds, or upload a file up to 20 seconds. You'll add your first name, your neighborhood and an email for the confirm link.

Can I use a shout-out to promote my business?

No — promoting a business is an ad, and ads are Radio Spots. The shout-out page says the same thing.

What if my shout-out or post isn't approved?

We listen to every shout-out and message, and read every bulletin board post, before it goes on the air. If yours can't run, we email you and tell you why. You're welcome to send a new one.

Bulletin board

How much does a bulletin board post cost, and how long can it run?

It's free. You get up to 20 words — about 10 seconds on air — written the way you'd say it. Pick your start and end dates, up to 30 days.

Can I put my phone number or website in a post?

No. The DJ reads your post out loud, so no phone numbers or web addresses. Once it's approved, the DJ mentions it at random times between 6 am and 10 pm on your days. One post per person per day, 13 or older.

Leave a message

What is "leave a message" for?

Record up to 30 seconds about Decatur — anything you want to say about the town. The good ones play on air with "Here's what a listener had to say...". Name and neighborhood are optional; an email confirms it, and it's free.

Does the DJ know who left the message?

Only if you tell us. Your name and neighborhood are optional on that page — you just need an email so we can confirm it.

Radio Spots

What does a Radio Spot cost?

One package: 35 airings of your :30 spot for $125.00, production included. Spots play in the :15 and :45 breaks, 6 am to midnight.

Can my business run more than one Radio Spot package?

Yes. Each package is its own order (35 airings of your :30 for $125.00), and you can run more than one.

I don't have a recorded ad. Can you still run it?

Yes. Type a script up to 75 words and let the station voice it. Pick Monica, Orin, Layla, Maxine, Natalie, Harry — or let the station pick — and choose the music: none, upbeat or chill.

When will my spot air?

Pick a start date up to 6 days out. Your 35 airings run evenly over 7 days, or on the days you choose (at least 5 days). Times of day are optional: morning 6-10, midday 10-2, afternoon 2-6, evening 6-midnight.

When do you charge my card, and what if I want a change?

Your card is only held when you order — it's charged after you hear the spot, approve or change it, and the station does its final listen. Three versions are included (the first take plus 2 rounds of changes), and more changes are $10.00 each. Once you're advertising, open your ad account to see your airings or swap the ad for free.

Can I cancel my Radio Spots and get money back?

Yes. Email hello@heydecatur.com and we'll cancel the rest of your schedule. The airings that haven't run are refunded, prorated, so if half have aired you get half back.

Banner Ads

What does a banner cost?

$5.00 a day, for whole days: 1, 7, 14 or 30 days. Up to 6 businesses share the homepage strip, each shown for 20 seconds at a time, all day.

What picture do I need, and when do you charge me?

One picture, PNG, JPG or WebP, up to 5 MB, at least 600x200. Keep your words and logo near the middle, because one picture gets cropped for computers (4:1) and phones (2:1) — a separate phone picture is optional. Your picture needs a secure https:// link for taps, and the card is charged when the station approves your banner.

Listening

How do I listen?

Hey Decatur streams online at heydecatur.com, 24 hours a day — there's no FM dial and no frequency to remember. Local hosts all day and night, breaks at :15 and :45, with news and weather at the top of the hour.

Does it cost anything to listen?

No. Press play on the homepage. No account, no app.

How do I pay?

By card at checkout. A Hey Decatur code covers the whole Radio Spot package instead.

Contact

How do I reach someone if I get stuck?

Email hello@heydecatur.com, or use the contact form at the bottom of the homepage. The walkthrough at the top of this page shows every form step by step. There's no phone line.