Then all of a sudden the "Occupation" line on forms changes from "Broadcaster" to "Retired", the deciding factor being whether we are paid.
Operating a self-owned unpaid radio station is rewarding for reasons other than money, such as being able to skip work.
In fact it's more work than we ever did on a "professional" job because we are doing the work of an entire staff.
It can be a trap because if we don't tend to "business" the programming comes to a halt and there's nothing on the radio, so we get called in on hooky days to get the playlist organized so we can get back to slacking.
When everything runs smoothly the hobby seems fine but when it starts interferring with laziness we begin thinking about a deeper form of retirement but whatever that would be may not have its own website.
This is an avocation.
It can be laborous, however, if I'm not having fun I am not doing it. That goes for some vocation too. I'm doing it because it costs less than attending Washington University to pay somebody to yack at me.
It's always been a pet-peeve of mine that far too many volunteer outfits find it excusable to be slothful in an endeavor. But I have also found that volunteer outfits often find the most competent of people outside of those who do something professionally.
There is also labor of love. My spouse runs our cafe. She does it because it serves a niche. It has real community here unlike what you find in nearby burbs with 'nice neighborhoods'. Admittedly, I like it because others fund my caffine habit and I consume the excess!
Lucky (or blessed, perspective I guess) is the person who does what they enjoy. Broadcasting is groovy. Everyone should have something to do; enjoying it is tops.
I'd be interested in learning a bit more about your station, Centinel. Owning a cafe gives you the perfect spot for a transmitter - and a built-in audience to boot.
I used to own a bookstore on Bowen Island, and ran my station out of it. Actually, the bookstore was just an excuse to set up the station, and to give me some income so that i could afford to run it, but don't tell anyone that!
The storefront was in an artist's compound, comprised of stores and studios and living space, named, appropriately enough, Artisan Square - hence the name of the station, Artisan Radio (not very original, I'm afraid, but still appropriate).
It sat on the side of a hill, overlooking the ferry lineup and another little shopping area, Snug Cove, that was effectively the ferry terminal - you could hear the station throughout Artisan Square on pretty much any radio, and on car radios in the ferry lineup, which ran through the terminal. I also streamed, so that others on the island (and around the world) could listen in.