I got an odd phone call from WMPM radio today. I produced some ads for radio broadcast on their radio station. I brought the ads by on CD, paid for a radio broadcast schedule, and was looking forward to hearing the ads on the radio soon. The check already cleared the bank. I have a copy of the cancelled check already, since I bank online quite a bit. Today's phone call was to tell me that the ad rate I paid for was too low and that they wanted to raise my rate by 50 cents per ad. That is like buying a car with cash and the dealership coming back to you after the fact and asking for more money.
Advertising regulations are fairly strict when it comes to political advertising. There are guides printed for radio stations and candidates. I have one somewhere on my book shelf, having been in radio for years, myself. You have to stick to the published rate card. I was shown a rate card with $x.xx per ad. Today, I was informed that the rate card was an older version and the newer rate card was not available at the time, and that my ads were going to be more expensive. Sorry, but I already paid for them according to an established rate card, as shown. That is NOT my problem.
My assumption is that WMPM sold some more ad time to other political candidates at a higher rate and to cover their back sides, they wanted to squeeze more money out of me so that all political ad buys are shown at the same rate. That is important, I understand. However, again, that is not my problem. You don't change the terms of a contract after the contract has been paid in full up front.
The station owner actually wants me to come to the station, write them a check for the difference, and then he will write me a check back for the same amount. This would be to satisfy me that I should not have to pay more money and to satisfy the idea that they have to show in their records that I paid the same rate as everyone else, at least on paper. That bothers me...and it should. I am still pondering that one.
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