FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

My name is Pierre Gerard, and I was born in January 1973.
I have always liked the radio. I have always preferred it to any other media.
I have discovered the indie music when I was at University, and one day I decided to go "to the other side of my receiver". That's how my "career" began. At the University station, I hosted the morning show each Tuesday between 7.00 and 9.00 AM, as well as the station top 25 chart in prime time on Monday between 20.00 and 21.00.

When I ended up at University, I went back to home and decided to go on with radio animation. I applied at the local, independent radio station with the "Plančte Indie" project, which got immediately approved. The show then started in July 1997 and has ever been growing since then : I am currently "working" in collaboration with more than six hundred artists, labels, agents, ... from all over the world.

I will not tell more about me. If you are interested in this "matter", you can find useful information on my personal web site...

As I wrote for the previous question, I discovered indie music at University. It seems to be late, but the reason is that, unfortunately, most stations are invaded with majors productions, leaving very little room for other ones.
I then decided to help in my way these artists by setting up this show exclusively dedicated to them.
I know that there are a lot of very good artists, bands, labels out there who are struggling hard to survive, because they believe in their convictions and want to be faithful to them.
May this project be helpful to them ! I think it is, since I get a lot of messages thanking me for my action.

This is a very good question.

In fact, I am entirely volunteer : this show does not pay me any cent back (and I would not want it to do), nor does it receive any subsidy. I am very happy with the pleasure of sharing music and emotions with my listeners. But what I do really need is contacts with people in the "music industry", whether they are label officers, managers, artists, promoters, ... with whom to collaborate to let the show live on.
Then, if you are an artist, a label officer, if you are much or a little concerned with independent music, and if you wish to reach a bigger range of people, I invite you to send promo copies to the hereunder address. Join in too the more than six hundred records labels, artists, bands from all over the world (Europe, USA, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, Hong Kong, Russia, ...) who contribute to make Plančte Indie a show unique in its kind.
Be sure to read our promo policy & guidelines before.

Maybe the previous paragraph is no business of yours. But this is not the only way you can help me.
One big concern is the show to get known. It has already its audience and its fans around the world, but this is unfortunately not enough. The more people will know about it, the better odds it will have to grow...
Therefore, do not hesitate and spread the word all around you !!!

Thank you very much in advance.

There are a lot of very good reasons why you should really be in rather than out.
Apart from the fact that you would greatly help me, you could expect the following positive returns :

• you could reinforce and develop a network of people around the world interested in indie music. You will then have better odds finding the right person you have always been looking for (Read Rule n°9 in the policy section).
  

• You can get known by more people, you can reach a greater audience.
  

• Therefore, you can expect to sell to these persons, although this is surely not the driving reason that motivates my collaborators.

• But you certainly can expect a great promotional effect. You are allowed to use the name "Plančte Indie" in your ads, press kits, promo material, ... Sending promos (and therefore appearing in my acknowledgement list) allows you to declare yourself as one of my collaborators; the same applies when you (your artist) appear(s) in the playlists. Please, be sure to send me a paper copy of your promo material when you use either my name or the expression "Plančte Indie".
  As far as advertising is still concerned, imagine you are chosen as "album of the week". How would you use this information ?
  I hope that you have an answer to this question. Should you not, I can only advise you to hire another manager.
  

These are only a few of the many reasons why you should make up your mind, and join in the more than six hundred official collaborators from every continent. I will not discuss this point any longer. If you are still undecided, read any book regarding promotion.

I do perfectly understand your concern about this. However, I cannot guarantee at 100 % that everything shall be played.
One reason that could prevent me from playing something would be its recording quality : if the sound is really too bad, too noisy, it might not be playable. You should know that each time something get converted (in this case from its support into radio waves), it looses quality. So, if the quality is bad from the start, there cannot be any miracle...

Moreover, there is also some kind of selection at the time of setting up the playlist. And since the show is no longer played on a weekly basis but on a monthly one, the selection is slightly tougher...

Very easy : read the playlists. Everything you see indicated there has been played on the date it is mentioned, at the time it is mentioned. The playlists are the one and only reference.
If you do not want to get to Plančte Indie Online each week, you can have them delivered automatically and regularly (once or twice a month) to your mailbox. It is very easy to join in and to leave : to subscribe, send me an email with "I wanna get your playlists" in the subject field. To unsubscribe, email me with "No more playlists" as subject.

The mail address where any material should be sent to is :

If you send a package from outside the European Union, please affix the green sticker (CN22, old C1 - ask for it at your local post office) on it with the following indications :

• the contents is a gift
  

• the value of the contents does not exceed US$ 20
  

This way, the material should not be taxed by customs.

The "artist of the month", previously known as "album of the week" (at the time when the show was produced on a weekly basis), is an album put under the spotlights during the show. Three excerpts out of it are played, so that the listeners can better discover the album, as well as the musician. That's why I like to receive your bio along with your records.

As far as the criteria are concerned, I would say first that the album must be outstanding in comparison to the average of my playlists.
In addition, to be selected as "artist of the month", one record must :

• be a full album (not a single or ep);
  

• have compact disc as support;
  

• be recent (same year, or the year before, as stated by the copyright, ...);
  

• be GOOD.
  

• Its music style does not matter : all styles are equal, and are eligible.
  

The contest took place between 1997 and 2002. Organized at the end of each year, it put into competition the best albums selected by the listeners. They had the opportunity to choose their preferred album among those that were played as "album of the week" during the year. The one that received the most points was elected, and is allowed to use the contest logo, as well as the expression "Plančte Indie Best Album Of The Year", associated with the mention of the year edition.

The interest of this method is that the listeners themselves make the decision.
The winner is sure to please them...

Our transmitter is located in the deep South of the Belgian province of Luxembourg and covers that area (Arlon, Virton, Florenville, Aubange), plus the Western part of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg (Pétange) and Northern France (Longwy).
The frequency is 100.1 fm.

This is another very good question. Quite difficult too.
I'd say that no one has ever come back from nowhere to tell that something existed after Plančte Indie. I would therefore be enclined to give a negative answer to this question, but one never knows... Maybe somewhere else in the universe does such a project exist ...
If you think you have a definitive answer, let me know.
Thank you.