"Our first actual fan base, like four months ago," explains Schluter, "were guys at Microsoft or some software company around here that's on a T-1 line that can get an awesome picture from us, [saying,] 'Man I like your show! Hey, can you play this record?'"
Skratchcast.com has audio and video feeds, so those with the swanky RealPlayer G2 and a static connection can enjoy all 10 hours of original programming every day.
Schluter explains, "We had a pretty good network going before we started. We put a list together like, 'Are we really gonna be able to have eight hours a day of DJ-ing?' and then we actually got a hold of people. It didn't hurt that the core group of people [are] also DJs. And now it's to the point where our program director doesn't have to spin every day for two hours.
"Originally, you know, I wrote the newsletter; we all worked together on the news section; [Josh] would do an interview; I would write something; someone else would do a review; but our team just kept growing and growing."
So what exactly can you see and hear on Skratchcast?
Schluter runs down the schedule. "From 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. we play shows that people mail in to us from all over -- Ft. Lauderdale; Maine. We play DJ Menace, Hiphop Nation, a few others. We've got a cool new show coming up, too: some old DJs from the Bay Area, used to spin for KMEL. Some more upcoming shows will be 1200 Hobos, Rolly Roll from 5th Platoon, DJ Q and DJ Quest (from the Space Travelers crew).
"From 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. is the Jewelry Shop, on weekdays, hosted by our buyer, PrymeTyme, so he's always playing the newest songs that we just got in, the new music."
Kusske chimes in, "He's droppin' the jewels at the Jewelry Shop."
The programs from 6:00 p.m. to midnight vary between mix shows and turntablism (scratching and using the record player as an instrument), and it's when the individual DJs have their own weekly shows.
Skratchcast is currently gearing their programming to represent all four elements of hiphop culture: MC-ing (a.k.a. beatboxing, rhyming, rapping), DJ-ing (turntablism), graffiti, and breakdancing (b-boys and b-girls).
"We're gonna have a b-boy and b-girl show, that's gonna be shot live every Friday from Roosevelt Community Center. One of our DJs is the DJ for these guys to practice breakdancing. So we're gonna videotape that, and it's gonna be a show. We just worked that out," says Schluter.
The ultimate goal for Skratchcast is to create a portal for hiphop culture online. "We're offering entertainment, commerce, information, and communication all in one place. And I don't think there's many 20-year-old kids out there who are interested in hiphop and wanna go to Yahoo and see advertisements for a VISA card, and things that they aren't even thinking about. But they wouldn't mind coming to us, having their e-mail through us, buying stuff through us, whether it's clothes or music, and actually being entertained listening to a radio show while they're reading an article.
"A lot of people out there are just getting into hiphop, and don't really know where it came from. We have some people who can provide education; the older DJs like to talk about what it was like before you could make money in hiphop. We're a place to bring people together.
"But we're not going on vacation tomorrow or anything. I'm still gonna get up tomorrow morning at 8:00 and go home at midnight. Every day it's gonna be like that, for a long time probably. Right now our main stream of revenue comes through our record shop. But we're basically a TV station or a radio station, and how do they generate revenues? Through advertising. It's basically the same thing we'll have to do."
Schluter and Kusske are still pushing to turn Skratchcast into an independent hiphop media empire.
Kusske explains, "We need to increase content: editorial, broadcast, and the graf[fiti] gallery. We need to improve the store. Right now we sell 12", singles, LPs, mix tapes, and we're moving into videotapes, magazines, clothes, and DJ equipment. With the Internet you can provide more content, more knowledge, more products, and more service, so we wanna do that.
"We want different channels for different aspects of hiphop. We want interview channels, a b-boy/b-girl channel, a strictly turntablist channel, a mix show channel."
Schluter sums it up: "The Internet is not going away, and people need to be entertained. That's what we're here for."
Go to www.skratchcast.com or send e-mail to info@skratchcast.com. You can also call toll-free at 1-888-453-0300 with requests or questions.
