Did you know that there is a system that allows you to become a “sponsor” of the voice actor radio show you are supporting? Onsen, an internet radio station that distributes many anime radio shows, will launch a new service called “Onsen Chip” in August 2024. “Onsen Chip” is a service that allows listeners to send support money to programs, and the entire amount, excluding consumption tax and payment fees, will be used as the continuation fee for the target program. In other words, it is no exaggeration to say that the service allows listeners to become investors in the program, i.e. sponsors.
As someone who was previously involved in the management of the radio program “Cho! Animedia” and is still involved in several voice actor programs, I feel that this service has a lot of potential.
Production costs are always necessary to run a radio program. What’s more, if the program doesn’t make at least some profit, it will be difficult to continue for a long time. Personally, I think there are two main ways to cover production costs: “sponsorship” and “user support.”
The former, as the name suggests, is a pattern in which each company sponsors the program. Many radio programs that also advertise anime and games are similar to the sponsored style in the sense that production costs are funded from the advertising budget. Incidentally, in the case of voice actor radio, it seems that in many cases companies or people in charge who want to support the program or personality become sponsors, not just for the advertising effect. However, there are many companies that want to become sponsors but cannot, so the hurdles are high. The current situation is that it is quite difficult to operate a sponsored style for the long term.
On the other hand, the user-supported model is defined in this article as a pattern in which production costs are covered by distributing so-called paid content, developing events and merchandise, crowdfunding, donations, etc. This style is likely to be the case for original programs in which voice actors serve as personalities. In fact, all of the 10 or so programs I have been in charge of so far have been run in this manner.
These kinds of user-support initiatives are not something that can be done simply. In the case of paid content, of course, it is necessary to provide a reasonable price. Events and merchandise development are not something that will attract customers or make purchases just by planning them. In addition, whether holding an event or developing merchandise, it is necessary to coordinate schedules for personalities, staff, venues, etc.
Venues in Tokyo may be booked up to a year in advance, and the more supply there is, the less scarce the event becomes. As a listener, even if you want to support the program, you may not be able to attend the event or buy merchandise depending on the timing. In fact, when I attended radio events as a fan in the early 2010s, I often saw events with venues of 200 to 300 people filled, but recently, there are more and more events held in venues of 100 to 200 people or even smaller.
Furthermore, these events are often held in the Tokyo area or the suburbs. In that case, people who do not live in the Kanto area will have to pay transportation costs of nearly tens of thousands of yen in addition to the ticket price. Although online events have become widespread due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are now hearing from various places that online events cannot attract the same number of people as before.
Furthermore, depending on the scale, the production costs of events and goods can cost hundreds of thousands of yen, so the amount that can be actually allocated to program production costs is not very large. However, if user satisfaction decreases due to multiple events held per year or high ticket prices, it will ultimately be difficult to continue the program.
As one of the people involved in the operation of the show, I want the listeners to enjoy it and I want the show to continue for as long as possible. However, the harsh reality is that we cannot run the show without production funds. In this situation, I feel that “Onsen Chip” could be the key or a hint to continue a new show.
“Onsen Chip” is a system where listeners can send support money to programs, and everyone who sends a tip, regardless of the amount, will receive an audio message or a handwritten comment from the personality. As I wrote at the beginning, this means that listeners themselves can become sponsors and support the program. In other words, it can be said to be a service that combines the sponsor-type and listener-support-type elements mentioned earlier.
Since all of the “Onsen Chip” is used for program production costs, it is possible that the program will continue, and that it will be possible to realize what the personality wants to do and what listeners want to do on the program that could not be realized due to production costs. For example, it may be possible to realize triumphant events for personalities in their local areas, the production of expensive goods, and in-program projects that require a certain amount of budget.
It is similar to crowdfunding, but if the amount of funding is not collected, the project cannot be carried out or cannot continue, and the incentives do not change depending on the amount of funding. Some people may think that it is unfair that there is no difference based on the amount of funding, but perhaps this is why it can be said to be equal in the sense that people can support the project without any difficulty based on their own feelings and judgment.
Also, with crowdfunding and tips, on average, 20% of the commission may go to a company that is not related to the program. For example, if 1 million yen is raised, 200,000 yen will be the commission. There must be many listeners who are dissatisfied with the fact that nearly 200,000 yen of the amount they donate does not go to the program. Another feature of “Onsen Chip” is that the entire amount, excluding consumption tax and payment fees, goes to program production costs.
That being said, not all programs are suitable for Onsen Chips. There are some programs that continue to hold events and develop merchandise as before, or that are better suited to a system such as tipping. Also, just because you give Onsen Chips doesn’t mean the program will necessarily continue. Of course, it’s not hard to imagine that there may be cases where the program ends up being difficult to continue because the amount is not enough. Still, for those who want to listen to more of their favorite radio shows or want to help out in some way, this is undoubtedly a system that could be a possibility.
This “Onsen Chip” is basically being implemented in the original voice actor programs being distributed on Onsen. The “Onsen Chip” service is also being implemented in the new program “Happy Birthday Watashitachi by Masumi Asano and Yui Horie,” which started broadcasting the other day.
The two personalities of this program were broadcasting their programs on another platform, but unfortunately the program ended. However, thanks to the personalities’ promotional activities, the program is now being broadcast on Onsen. It is unclear whether the start of Onsen Chip had an impact, but in the same way, there may be a possibility that programs that were ended despite being wanted by listeners and personalities may be revived.
As someone who has been in charge of running voice actor radio, I honestly wanted to pay homage to this service. It’s because of the frustrating past when I wanted to continue a show but couldn’t. However, without the stamina of a company and the understanding of the personalities and agencies, this kind of service can’t be started. This is a service that only Onsen, which has been dealing with anime radio for over 20 years, can provide. If I could create this system myself, I would definitely like to take on the challenge. What kind of impact will Onsen’s new service have on the radio industry? I’d like to keep an eye on future developments.
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