The verdict in three sentences
For a group of 5 regional radio stations airing 40,000 spots a year, custom ad sales and traffic software costs between EUR 40,000 and 90,000 excl. VAT in 2026. The main gain comes from the break fill rate, tracked in real time, and from ending billing omissions caused by re-keying between spreadsheets, playout software and accounting. A project ships in 4 to 6 months, with a station-by-station switchover so the air is never interrupted.
The modules of a modern radio ad sales system and their cost
The sales director of a radio group juggles rate cards per station, daypart and season, insertion orders signed by advertisers or their agencies, and a log that programming must load into the playout system. Every re-keying is a chance for error: a forgotten spot, a spot aired twice, the wrong rate invoiced.
| Module | Features | Indicative 2026 cost (EUR excl. VAT) |
|---|---|---|
| Rate cards | Rates per station, daypart, season, volume and agency discounts | 5,000 to 10,000 |
| Insertion orders | Quotes, e-signature, campaign plan, spot versions | 8,000 to 16,000 |
| Automatic log | Break placement, category exclusion rules, export to playout | 10,000 to 22,000 |
| Proof of airing | Playout log import, reconciliation, certificate per campaign | 5,000 to 12,000 |
| Advertiser invoicing | Invoices and credit notes, agency commissions, accounting export | 6,000 to 14,000 |
| Dashboards | Fill rate per break, revenue per salesperson, forecast | 4,000 to 10,000 |
| Testing, training, data migration | Tests on the 5 stations, client and history import | 2,000 to 6,000 |
| Total | 40,000 to 90,000 |
The automatic log is the technical core. It must enforce exclusion rules (two car dealers never in the same break), break lengths (often 2 to 3 minutes maximum) and produce a file readable by each station's playout system.
Spreadsheets, ageing software or custom build
| Criterion | Current spreadsheets | Off-the-shelf traffic software | Custom |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial cost | EUR 0 | EUR 10,000 to 30,000 | EUR 40,000 to 90,000 |
| Annual cost | Part of 1 FTE re-keying, about EUR 25,000 | Licences EUR 15,000 to 35,000 | Maintenance EUR 8,000 to 16,000 |
| Log | Manual, 2 to 3 h per day per station | Automatic, fixed formats | Automatic, adapted to your playout systems |
| Proof of airing | Screenshots and manual exports | Included if playout compatible | Included, all playout systems |
| Fill rate | Calculated at month end | Real time | Real time, per station and per salesperson |
| Billing errors | 2 to 4% of spots | Under 0.5% | Under 0.5% |
Off-the-shelf packages are enough for a single station. In a group of five stations with mixed playout systems and bundled offers (one spot aired on three stations), custom software avoids workarounds.
Fill rate, the metric that pays for the project
A regional station sells on average 8 to 12 breaks a day. With an average fill rate of 62%, every point gained matters. A real-time dashboard lets salespeople offer, from Monday, the week's remaining breaks at an adjusted price rather than letting them air empty.
Mini case study
Isabelle, sales director of a 5-station radio group in south-west France, sells 40,000 spots a year at an average EUR 45, i.e. EUR 1.8M of revenue. Billing errors affect 3% of spots: EUR 54,000 lost or disputed each year. The fill rate rises from 62% to 68% thanks to real-time tracking, about 3,900 extra spots and EUR 175,000 of additional revenue. On the cost side, re-keying took 0.6 FTE, i.e. EUR 25,000 a year. For a EUR 70,000 project and EUR 12,000 of annual maintenance, the total gain exceeds EUR 240,000 in the first year.
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FAQ
Does the software talk to our playout system?
Yes, through a log export in the format the playout expects and import of airing logs. Each additional playout system represents EUR 2,000 to 5,000 of integration.
Can we sell bundled offers across several stations?
Yes, one insertion order can spread a campaign over 1 to 5 stations at a bundled rate. The price is then split per station for revenue tracking.
How is proof of airing produced?
The software matches the playout's time-stamped logs with the insertion order and generates a PDF certificate per campaign. This cuts advertiser disputes by roughly 80%.
Does invoicing handle agency commissions?
Yes, agency commission (often 15%) and volume discounts are applied automatically, with an export to your accounting software.
How long does implementation take?
Allow 4 to 6 months, including 3 to 4 weeks of gradual switchover per station, for a total of EUR 40,000 to 90,000.
Let's scope your project. Tell us the number of stations, your playout systems and your spot volume: we will price the scope, budget and switchover calendar. Detailed quote within 48 h. WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.
Mohamed Bah
Fondateur, Kolonell
Passionate about digital and entrepreneurship in Africa, Mohamed has been helping Sénégalese businesses with their digital transformation since 2020. Founder of Kolonell, he believes every SME deserves a professional and accessible online présence.
