KidEpoxy

MA took in $1mil
They spent $2mil.

If all them ads are just generating $1mil, and we have 160k members... aint that $6 each?

Would you pay $6 more dues to eliminate all ads (not the event listing) from MA?

Hossfly

Voted NO, however my dues are paid for life so it's a mute point.

KE, In reality, the ads are simply a near break-even item and do nothing for the production of the magazine. Since almost all the ad income goes to pay for the production of those ads, the text magazine can be produced for what AMA now spends for such production with a cost of some 50 cents more per member. BFD!

Have you checked page 183 of your Aug. issue of MA?
>>> "When membership in the Academy of Model Aeronautics includes subscription to Model Aviation, $18.00 of the dues are for the subscription." <<<

Adding another $6 each would only be an increase in dues. No change to the budget would happen except there would be an increase of income amounting to some 16,000+ new members without the expense of servicing those "new members".
No matter what you propose, the "plan" is in progress and it isn't going to change without some new Top Management at the elected level.

STLPilot

My Feedback: (21)

When it comes to MA the only plan you can change is to eliminate competition or create some kind of change in the industry or to force ALL magazines to raise their ad rates, which is nearly impossible. There is no magic trick that is going to increase this from happening even if you brought in some of the greatest minds and bean counters in all of the business world.

KidEpoxy

Hoss-
Thanx for the heads up on 183, I was looking at 152 numbers.
So the magazine I dont want is really costing me $18, or looking at the insurance I have to buy going from $40 insurance to $58 insurance with a mag full of adds I cant cancel.

um
$18 x 160k members, $2.88mil
Ads + Subscriptions, $1.20mil
Direct costs $2.17mil
Memebrship charge excess of costs, 4.08 - 2.17 = $1.91mil

Why do we pay $18 for a mag that by them numbers is putting 66% of our $18 into proffit? Proffit that just goes into general account, from general dues, so why call it $18 for MA?

Again, looking at the $1.20mil from ads, what if we just eliminated that.
Direct cost would be less than the 2.17 for a thinner magazine, and the existing 2.88 from $18 x 160k would be in still be in excess of the costs. Or as I keep saying elsewhere, can we see the numbers that make this not feasable.... open them books on the AMA website.

edit: color

exeter_acres

My Feedback: (2)

not a chance for me

STLPilot

My Feedback: (21)

Wait I missed something here. If $18 of your dollars goes to the MA, then didn't MA make their budget and a profit? Someone help me out here.

Great idea! Especially when they are on such a downward spiral. Open them books so people can clearly see their weaknesses and find out where and how to take advantage of them. There are people that thrive on information like this Kid. Just goes to show you that the AMA is a body, you are a member of that body, but certainly not an owner. The AMA only has to provide a P&L report, not a single thing more to it's members.

Oh and there's a little dark secret that some people won't admit, they like ads. Some just say they don't.

shag555

no... But I'd take a $6 rebate for not getting the subscription in the first place.

MPB

ptulmer

My Feedback: (5)

Well, it kind of stinks that something put out by a non-profit organization would depress the market the way MA has. No, I wouldn't pay one shiny nickel more, but I'd be happy to let them refund all of my money they spent on Muncie. To tell the truth, I'm going over to STL's side about making AMA for profit.

KidEpoxy

sure
Why not charge $57 per member for MA, out of our $58 dues, then the proffit would be even higher... this proffit going back into general fund anyway. Look how proffitable it would be.

STLPilot

My Feedback: (21)

No, I didn't realize the AMA had a fixed budget of $18 per member, which is reasonable, towards the MA. This would mean that MA pulls a profit for the org and even based on it's low ad rates. Interesting....

KidEpoxy

Taking money from the dues is not proffit.
Giving back some of the money taken is not proffit.

I'll demonstrate-
STL, give me $18, and I'll mail you $12... see you would proffit $12 from the transaction.



MA took $18, then used $6 and returned the other $12... that isnt proffit either. That is taking $6

Jim Thomerson

One of the things I like about Flying Models is the neat cottage industry ads, more than in MA, I think.

redfox435cat

some of the best products I've run across I've found in MA and otherwise would have never heard of them. Heck, as of late the only reason I'll open the magazine is for the product revieas and ads. the articals are mainly BS if their even about RC.

STLPilot

My Feedback: (21)

They don't really need to go over to profit if they dump the EC. The AMA should be run by people who are qualified to do the right job, not a popularity contest. If they don't make the numbers then the get the street, not wait 3 years for next election, that's just crazy.

littlecrankshaf

My Feedback: (58)

Awesome Idea! I think it would be pretty cool if the AMA was changed into a publicly traded corporation and shares were assessed dependant upon years "invested".


Just think of the advantage we would have entering the public market with a monopoly. [X(]


Sorry guys, I just couldn't resist.[sm=lol.gif]

STLPilot

My Feedback: (21)

Right. Just like the Green Bay Packers is a stock owned corporation and it does wonders for that organization. Of course we are being a little extreme here, like any of it's going to happen ... but these are just success models.

ptulmer

My Feedback: (5)

Well, I figure if they have to make a profit, then they will pay closer attention to what the buyers want. The AMA is riding on the backs of clubs and fly-ins right now. Very little of the bottom line is from plain 'ol good will. If the club requirements that you have AMA to fly were dropped, the AMA would die a quick death.
As a NFP, how can the loss of ~10% of the membership put the AMA in the red for a year? This wasn't a fast loss, either. It happened over a period of years, but they didn't slow up the spending to compensate. Nope, they kept up like this is the good ol' days. More land, more trips, etc.

Not to mention that Muncie would be the first thing to go. Way too much outgo, and no income! A "for profit" company wouldn't stand for that.

ira d

I agree 100% with the above post however i think they should keep the ads and i would
not want to pay more not to have them in fact i read the ads more than a lot of the other
stuff that is in the magazine.

STLPilot

My Feedback: (21)

I don't know about Muncie, every company needs it's footprint but other things like the $15,000 to form a committee to find out why the AMA is shrinking, when they are the committee?? Very strange. A $15,000 mirror would easily tell them why the AMA is not making the numbers, of course the easy way out is to blame it on the average age of the members and then do brilliant things like partner up with the AARP to help raise the average age even higher ... crazy stuff a for profit company would never stand for is 100% right.

Jim Thomerson

I think having ads in MA is a service to the membership.

Ken Bryant

My Feedback: (10)

HEY! I like the ads, How do you think my name and plane showed up inside the magazine? See Sep 06 Page 61 [sm=bananahead.gif]

blikseme300

My Feedback: (118)

Yeah, at least the ads are believable. I don't even open the MA. Life is too short to waste on it.

Safe Flying!

Newc

Too bad that public schools aren't better. I think I'll save my stress levels for something meaningful, such as getting the school systems to the point where they graduate folks that can communicate correctly.

KidEpoxy

The message was communicated. It just might not have been done in your preferred lexicon.
Please don't tell me you were incapable of understanding the message of the writen post. I find that most dubious and irksome.

Let me know which phrases elude your comprehension, and I shall elaborate most verbosely.

To wit:
Ifin all them thar MA ads are just a'revenuin & a'generatin $1mil, and we plum got 160k members... that there is $6 pack & passel.

Ken Erickson

I like ads.

There was a time that I bought RCM every once in a while because it was just a big catalogue.

Also, I actually like the magazine. But then maybe my advanced age and the fact that I once flew rubber powered airplanes, then control line, and many weird forms of R/C, cause that anomaly.


Ken Erickson