Hey there! Welcome to the forums.
This topic is related to another thread we have which explains what the in-stream ads are and why we’re running them which you can find here.
As odd as this may sound, we don’t yet know what the value of running ads on our station is, so it’s difficult to say if they’re going to be worth running long-term. We’re currently in the process of talking to our provider to learn more and to resolve the issue.
For most of 2020, we have been very conscious of the challenges of funding the station and supporting staff to ensure the station continues to run as it has for the past 9+ years. With that said, ads are just one part of the puzzle and (according to our estimates) are unlikely to completely fund the station without significantly increased listenership.
To help combat this, we are working on rebuilding our web store and making additional content available through Three by Seven’s Patreon campaign. We recently released a Behind the Scenes CD through Bandcamp, and we are working with multiple parties to put together new store items.
Considering how the pandemic has knocked out some supporting income streams for our staff members, it’s on us to do what we need to do to keep this thing running. Advertising was one of those things that we didn’t want to do, but felt was needed in order to increase the chances that we come out on the other side of this pandemic just as well as before.
I’m glad that ads aren’t too annoying for you, and I hope you’ll continue to support GR as we continue forward. Thanks!