Hello all.

Somebody who is a active figure in the local pub open mike scene is organizing a TV special to air on a local cable station - sort of a showcase of the area's open mike denizens.

It costs $20 to audition to be on the show, which I'm a little surprised at. Maybe it's to help pay for the production costs, but then wouldn't it be more fair to just ask the people who get in to contribute? Or maybe it's to make sure only "serious" musicians audition.

I'm not asking your advice on whether I should audition - I've already decided, for other reasons, not to - but I would like to know if an audition fee is normal in your experience or if you'd see it as a warning light (sort of like paying to get your poem in some anthology).

Thanks, Marion