My keynote speech at this week’s NAB Radio show in Charlotte was standing room only.
And to think that just last year, nobody would take my calls or even return an email. Nobody wanted to talk about how Radio was in an excellent position to really kick-a**, in a Web 2.0 world. Not sure how it happened, but at this year’s show, Radio finally got religion. It now knows, that the best bet for the near future, is quickly leveraging Internet technology. While HD, shorter stop-sets, getting a B-cast chip inside the I-pod, and stopping the Satellite merger are continued efforts, the accelerated move to Online is the logical, primary strategy.
Sorry. Some of the above is fabrication and fantasy…..especially the part about my keynote speech. 
With the Radio industry at a crossroads, I have mixed feelings about what I learned in Charlotte this week. While I am still very bullish on the future of Radio, and the opportunities that it can tap via the Web, there certainly were a few things that made me scratch my head.
DENIAL is not a river in Egypt…..but could it have been alive and well in Charlotte ?
Michael Harrison, publisher of the talk-radio magazine Talkers, told a group during his session: competing technologies — like Internet, Wi-Fi, podcasts and cell phones — would all but fill the niche they now occupy. “These are dark times for terrestrial radio,” Harrison said. “And most people in terrestrial radio are in denial of it.” Read more from the Charlotte Observer here.
UPDATE: This “denial” goes against what I read in a recent MEDIA WEEK article that highlights the dramatic surge in web activity for Radio. Industry leaders like CBS, Clear Channel and Emmis are making serious investments in order to stake a claim online. Borrell & Associates is pleasantly surprised at the substantial awakening by Radio, and suggests: ”Radio sales staffs have shown a particularly strong ability to sell online advertising”. No matter which way you slice it, Radio is moving forward, some faster and smarter than others. Read the full Media Week article here.
As always, The Jacobs Media Summit really delivered. In addition to the tasty crab hush-puppies and a nice selection of appetizers…… other menu items being served by Fred’s team were right on the money. I especially enjoyed the Bedroom Project videos; a series of casual interviews with young adults about their views on Radio and technology. After watching these honest, no-BS clips, one has to wonder how the industry will keep this demo from fully abandoning Radio in the coming years.
Is it being alarmist when some suggest that dramatic and critical changes need to be made today…..not sometime in the future? Tomorrow could be too late. Just ask the Record and Newspaper industries, who squandered their head start in this space.
On a brighter note, it was great to see others at the Jacobs get together: Mark Ramsey from Hear2.0, Paul Blake, John Fullam and crew from Greater Media Philly, and Tom Kelly from SkinRadio/Martini Lounge Radio.
Too much focus on the negatives? Heard alot about Satellite, streaming fees, Radio’s poor branding. Maybe not enough discussion about the real upside for Radio……leveraging the ongoing disruption with their POWERFUL broadcast tools. Some I talked with think Web is important, but really an issue for “sometime in the future”
Learning from the competition? I am still curious about why Radio is not learning/stealing more from the lessons that TV, Newspapers and Pure-play internet companies could teach them about Web revenue. These competitors have more experience under their belt. Learn from them, and save ALOT of time and money.
Put 10 really smart Radio execs in a room……and ask them about how Radio needs to deal with the Web….and you will get 10 wildly different answers. Might make sense for Radio to poach seasoned Internet professionals with a full understanding of ALL Online media, and embed them through out their organizations. Just hiring a web seller and having a webmaster is not enough.
For more analysis of the NAB show in Charlotte, read Ken Dardis from AudioGraphics.com here.
