Exciting Growth for Armed American Radio

Exciting Growth for Armed American Radio  BY TIM SCHMIDT - USCCA FOUNDER

Well, we've hit another exciting milestone here at the USCCA. Armed American Radio is set to kick off its 10th season this coming Sunday. To be honest, it's been quite a journey... It all started back in 2003 when I had to get a little "creative" with my marketing. You see, I had just produced the very first issue of Concealed Carry Magazine that summer, but I wasn't exactly garnering the number of subscribers for which I had hoped. In an attempt to get my new publication into as many hands as possible, I purchased a list of about 30,000 names and then devised a "plan" (in reality, a small "bribe"): I decided that the first 500 individuals who, after receiving a free sample copy of CCM, responded that they'd like to subscribe to upcoming issues would also receive a free .45 ACP bullet keychain. (I guess I've always liked giving away "ammo.") My "bribe" worked: I ended up getting almost 1,000 initial subscribers. And of those people? A guy named Mark Walters. Now, if you've ever heard Mark Walters on-air, you already know that he's passionate and outspoken. Perhaps not surprisingly, then, he contacted me almost right away to let me know he was interested in writing for Concealed Carry Magazine. His Ordinary Guy column debuted in CCM shortly thereafter. Of course, that column evolved into another column — One to the Head — and One to the Head evolved into a little show called Armed American Radio. In 2015, Mark was named the "Gun Rights Defender of the Year" at the annual Gun Rights Policy Conference "in recognition and appreciation for his tireless efforts on behalf of the 2nd Amendment rights of all Americans." And things are still looking up: Today, AAR airs in 28 of the 40 largest radio markets in the United States. The show is available on the USCCA app, iHeartRadio, TuneIn FM, Google Play Music and iTunes. Robb Conlon, national sales representative for Armed American Radio, said that "broadcast media like radio and on-demand audio like our podcast allows us to keep our members and listeners updated on the fight to keep America free. There's no better time to tune in to AAR than right now. We all need to band together, and AAR is a great way to get your daily dose of freedom." Robb has been an integral part of the tremendous growth we've experienced over the last year. And, of course, Mark Walters himself has offered unwavering commitment to making AAR a trusted and beloved program all across the country. To be honest, who would have thought that one "ordinary" guy out of the 30,000 people on that mailing list almost 15 years ago would become such a crucial voice for the USCCA and for responsibly armed Americans everywhere? I'll admit it: Not me. But, wow, I couldn't be more grateful for how it all turned out.