As a result of writing this blog, I get to hear from quite a lot of people – directly in the “comments” section of this blog or on social media. Monday’s post celebrated 17 years of writing this blog, and it was great to hear from my “regulars” – those who read it every day, and who are especially apt to leave their opinion.
We’re living in a world comprised of strident poles where we find ourselves diametrically opposed to one another. You’re for masks or you’re against them. You’re a Republican or a Democrat. You think radio sucks or you are an ardent supporter. There’s no middle ground, much less any common ground as we take up sides, pick our teams, and do battle with one another. We may not be in the middle of another Civil War (yet), but we’re finally understanding how our ancestors could choose a uniform and start shooting at their fellow countrymen. It’s a crazy, divisive time.
This duality makes it difficult to know where we really are in the big scheme of things. And then along comes a global pandemic to totally disrupt our habits, our certainties, and our foundation. No wonder why we’re yelling at one another.
So, as your comments rolled in Monday to our post about our blog, I was struck by how many people pointed to my ability to find a gray area – and to not use this perch as a bully pulpit to admonish those who I believe are guilty of something as we go through this exercise to establish what’s wrong with radio and how can we fix it.
One of my best commenters is Bob Bellin, a guy I used to consult back in the ’90s. Over the past few years, Bob has emerged as a key observer of industry trends, while keeping me honest about these writing and musings. Here was his comment on Monday:
“Your blog manages to trigger thought and discussion, often critical of many of the largest radio companies. Somehow, you manage to do it without alienating those companies that hire you, or appearing to be their apologist. That’s a very fine line to walk but you do it with grace and skill. Its hard to mix diplomacy and criticism credibly, but day after day, you find a way.”
As is often the case, Bob nailed it. The world of sports has many phrases for unabashed die-hard fans, people who will support a team or an athlete, no matter the circumstances, through right or wrong, good or bad, or whether they’re playing at the top of their game or stinking it up on the field, the court, or the ice.
Those people are called “homers,” always rooting for the home team, even to the point of absurdity.
There are folks who feel that way about radio, perhaps not as big a tribe as they used to be. But nonetheless, they are 1000% behind the medium, defending it at all costs, rationalizing the competition, while insisting that radio survived the existential threat posed by television in the 1950s, and the medium will prevail against its digital predators in the current battle.
And then there are the haters, ironically most of whom are former radio professionals who have become alienated and thoroughly disgusted by the industry they once loved and that provided them with a platform and a living. But now, they point to consolidation and corporate greed as the bugaboos that have all but brought radio to its knees. Just ask them, and they’ll tell you that radio is in a death spiral.
Oddly enough, there’s common ground here. These two seemingly disparate groups whose strings of comments can get downright vitriolic at times actually agree on one thing:
They love radio.
And they can both be right at the same time. Radio is still a truly amazing, albeit a challenged enterprise. It can also be arrogant and oblivious to the competitive world around it. Both of those statements are true, while they are also false.
For very different reasons, of course, radio people now occupy opposite sides of the arena, ready to spring into action to vehemently argue and defend their points.
As Buffalo Springfield once presciently sang:
“There’s battle lines being drawn.
Nobody’s right if everybody’s wrong.”
That sums it up. Whether you’re new in the business or long retired, you worked in music or spoken word, public or commercial radio, AM or FM, sales or programming – your DNA is essentially the same. You may be defending and embracing radio or ridiculing and assailing it, but in the end, you would love to see the industry live up to its potential and its promise.
That’s the state of the radio union – or disunion – in early 2022. We are still not out of the pandemic, feeling its effects on the ratings and on revenue. And yet, the future seems very much in play at this moment.
In just the past few days, we’ve seen evidence to support both sides’ contentions.
GM announced this week it is shuttering Marketplace, an in-dash connected experience revolving around making retail purchases from the convenience of your car. In reality, this mobile ecommerce app was working around radio to connect with retail partners that included Dunkin’ Donuts, Domino’s Pizza, Applebee’s, IHOP, TGI Friday’s, Home Depot, Shell, and others.
We’ve been showing their promo video since 2017 in our car presentations when the service first launched. It depicted a driver of a GM vehicle making his way around town, using his nifty dashboard to make purchases, order ahead, and reserve tables at area restaurants. The concept was to partner with key retailers to circumvent the middleman – radio.
And it didn’t work.
Then there is Spotify, a name we hear a lot about in media news circles these days. Now they’re introducing Car Thing, a device designed to let people play the service in their cars. Again, working around radio in the dash. As Martin Piers points out in The Information, it is nothing more than a remote for the Spotify app on your smartphone.
Piers quotes a recent review in CNET, plunking down $90 for Car Thing is simply redundant to using your phone, plus it requires a Spotify Premium subscription. Once again, it’s another example of a big name tech company trying to play radio in the car – and striking out.
So, there are some tech big boys striking out on their efforts to try to take down radio. This is nothing new. At one time or another, seemingly every mega tech company has gone after what radio has. And the results have been checkered – at best.
And it continued last week in Hypebot, a web publication about media and technology I enjoy. In a story about a new partnership between the aforementioned Spotify and Complex Networks, Hypebot made this lofty statement:
“Spotify, Complex live programming deal moves streamer closer to making radio irrelevant.”
It’s not even a question – it’s a statement.
These moments are now coming fast and furious. And while many of these challenges will likely go the way of Marketplace or Car Thing, the fact is that everyone seemingly has its crosshairs on radio.
To make matters worse, radio is blowing opportunities of its own. In this week’s “Blogstein,” Steve Goldstein’s blog that is uniformly excellent, Steve pointed to the resurgence of spoken word – a trend that podcasters
have capitalized on while radio continues to program the same old talk programming.
In “This Undeniable Trend Should Frighten Every Talk Radio Station,” Steve points out that spoken word programming is skyrocketing in the podcasting world, appealing to younger demos.
And on the other side of the coin, listening to spoken word on broadcast radio is trending down. Worse, the median age of a talk radio listener is 56 – older than any other radio format.
Of course, the fact many talk stations are on AM is an issue, but so is the fact these stations are staid, conservative, and old – a bad combination of stasis that has caused this format to atrophy. And of course, the loss of Rush Limbaugh dealt a blow to a format already clinging to the fumes of the past.
Steve’s solution?
“Talk radio needs to think beyond the transmitter and experiment with listening via streams, podcasts, and smart speakers to succeed in this environment. Programmers and hosts must be more inclusive, try new types of content, and work hard to attract different voices and audiences. What matters most is to be bold and not afraid to branch out.”
Will this happen? Not the way broadcast radio is headed, generally content to keep its radio portfolio acting as a marketing tool for its podcast and digital assets, while doing little to improve its programming content or its connection to its audiences.
Investment in “other” may be a good strategic strategy for broadcast radio companies now forced to diversify. But it if comes at the expense of continuing to protect and invest in its core radio product, radio broadcasters will have missed the moment to energize a medium that still has plenty of gas in the tank.
Right now, many broadcasting execs are meeting at CRS. In just a few weeks, it will be the NAB Show in Vegas, and the virtual All Access Radio Summit.
My sense is that radio people are excited about hanging out with one another once again, the first time that’s been possible since the COVID pandemic changed everything.
I’m looking forward to these gatherings, too. But I hope conference organizers don’t just populate their keynotes, panels, and sessions with the same topics, the same faces, and worse, the same-ness of thinking and acting. This is the time to get down, to air it out, to have meaningful dialogue, to passionately argue your position, and to come away with actions, tactics, and maybe even a plan.
So, back to the premise of this blog – am I pro radio, “eating the cornbread,” and insisting that radio will come out of this just fine?
Or am I an angry, frustrated former radio manager who has higher expectations, who knows the industry can do better, and still very much hopes that leadership will step up and seize this moment?
Yes.
Or to quote Homer….
“DOH!”
Your comments are welcome.
Jacobs Media has consistently walked the walk in the digital space, providing insights and guidance through its well-read national Techsurveys.
In 2008, jacapps was launched - a mobile apps company that has designed and built more than 1,300 apps for both the Apple and Android platforms. In 2013, the DASH Conference was created - a mashup of radio and automotive, designed to foster better understanding of the "connected car" and its impact.
Along with providing the creative and intellectual direction for the company, Fred consults many of Jacobs Media's commercial and public radio clients, in addition to media brands looking to thrive in the rapidly changing tech environment.
Fred was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 2018.
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You make some very good points, Fred. As does my old boss, Steve Goldstein. There are many people in talk radio who are concerned at the “aging” of today’s political talk. And though some real pros I know insist you can still talk right wing politics all day “because the country NEEDS to hear this”, I am well aware that there are 50, 40 and 30 somethings who are turning to podcasts BECAUSE they DON’T talk politics and are going for entertainment. I also remember, that I once worked in a local talk station in my hometown. SOME of the hosts talked politics. But, I also remember discussions about the best way to choose a fine wine…or how to cook a good steak and the phones still rang if the host was compelling enough. Entertain, not preach. And make it good. Entertaining talk needs to return. The hosts need to get off their political podiums all the time. It’s not 1990. And the man who once ruled is now gone. Time for a change.
Give me a great show about area restaurants and I’m IN, Kevin. Who said talk radio has to sound the way it does?
I’m so weary of people who left the biz bashing it.
I’ve worked for the big companies, so I do sympathize… but if an enthusiastic yett mediocre talent such as myself can find independent companies that are willing to let me program their stations, others can too.
Ditto, Zeb! I bailed on one of the popular Facebook radio groups because I got SO tired of the get-off-my-lawn bashing.
I left one recently for the same reason. (Wonder if it’s the same group?)
Radio is challenged, it’s true. But I just spent the morning here delivering weather updates, sharing the closing and delays due to today’s winter storm, took calls on our “swap shop” program, and even playing some songs.
Keeping things entertaining AND informative, and changing the ratio when needed, is something radio, especially local radio, can still do very well when the effort is made.
I don’t have time to devote a lot of energy to the “negative nabobs” who seemingly live only to complain and yell at clouds (since we’re doing Simpson references).
Zeb, I think what you’re seeing in at least some of those who once loved radio but soured on the way the industry evolved (or devolved) is that dreams were dashed along the way. And I understand their pain. I think, however, like those who call the PD to bitch about something on the air, they are still fans who simply yearn for a better station. Passion comes in any number of emotional varieties. Appreciate you commenting, and I wouldn’t use the term “mediocre” loosely. You’ve hacked out a nice career.
As always Fred, a great read and Bob’s thoughts are spot on. You walk that line like a “Wallenda”! 🙂
I’ll just add how interesting the industry has become since I left the day to day leadership world, in said industry. I say this non stop now….but the biggest change:
I listen like a consumer, not a defensive radio guy.
Consumers appreciate and in many cases love great radio…but I wish I had all the time back I had in radio meetings thinking whether we should use the world “the” or the word “they” in a 30 second radio contest promo 🙂
When Steve Goldstein left the day to day radio world, I recall having a convo with him the day he announced his new company. He had a fantastic quote that I remember to this day.
“I’m not quitting radio, DP, I’m quitting towers”
Pretty profound, in hindsight, huh? 🙂
I will, gently, take issue with Mr Goldstein’s abandonment of towers. One of the many things I love about radio is its technical robustness–which it wouldn’t have without those towers, the essential component of the point-to-multipoint architecture that defines radio. Internet’s nice, but when it goes down your radio will still hear that tower.
As to the rest of the system (format, content, etc)–carry on.
Thanks for the kind note, Dave. I also noticed John Covell commented on your Goldstein quote. And I get that. John is a fan of the technology that us made our careers and gotten radio to the century mark. I cannot speak for Steve, but I think he was saying he wanted to go beyond a mindset that was so tethered to towers and transmitters, it couldn’t see the rest of the media landscape. That’s why I love these convos.
Your conclusion says it all, Fred. It’s YES … to both sentiments.
I have to go with John Covell. I believe the best thing about radio is ‘free’. Over the air, no subscription, no app, no tracking, I could go on. Witness the Car Thing, a trick to drive subscriptions. The young especially are savvy about that. I believe podcasting is maturing and we are seeing a leveling off of adoption by percentage of market. And the great stars will survive when the bubble pops. Talent will win. Is it not also the case that the smartspeaker thing is showing some wear at the seams? Adoption is slowing and some who bought them are not using them like the all-seeing all-knowing talk music and information appliances they were sold as. Let’s talk politics! Politics is not just about left or right. Those are convenient labels that just spell words. ‘Left’ and ‘right’ and all the nuances are about a world view. Not just gross and bone dry demographics.
New is not better because it is new. Old is not better because it has been tried. What works only works for a reason. Trends move pretty fast in the 21st Century. If all we have are labels and demos we’ll fall off the curve.
We are still in the grips of increasing polarization, and the micro-niche-ification offered by cocooning with your favorite podcast will further cement that. What we actually need are far fewer platforms! Common forums where people can talk, disagree if they choose, and learn from each other.
No argument from me, UL. And you are right about the fleeting value of new – and old. You’ve got to earn your value proposition every day. Why should a consumer care, pay attention, spend time with you? Address those needs, and you might make it through the morass.
Science has not yet developed or discovered an enzyme or agent that removes -radio~ from a person’s DNA. It occurs to me that kvetching about radio is part of said DNA, whether a person is “in” or “out.” There are countless people (like me) who are out and accept that “it’s not 1986 anymore,”and kvetch… yet we continue to defend and ardently cheer for radio. Maybe it’s like being a Lions fan, Fred. You know what the team needs to improve, you want desperately for the team to win, but you know the O-line or D-secondary needs help. You can rip on the Lions if you’re from Detroit… but if you’re from Green Bay, KC or Buffalo, “Don’t you dare talk s##t about my Lions!” See, we’re all “homers.”
You’re right about the DNA part. Anyone is has ever worked in radio – even for an air shift or a minute – doesn’t forget about it and still talks about it. And again, I know even the most critical of the business at this moment in time still love it and what it meant to them. They have the honest and strong desire to “make it great again,” if you’ll excuse the expression. As for the Lions, guilty as charged.
Not only a on-line broadcasting hostess, I still listen to both AM and FM radio. But I am also an amateur radio operator who also transmits on a different set of radio frequencies. I enjoy both styles of communication and support the emergency communication service we can provided the citizens and emergency management services in any disaster or weather related event. Both require interaction with people and it is very important to maintain our connectivity as a human spectrum. Music and talking keep us connected.
Thanks for the comment.
Why is it that the smart people are HERE (on Fred’s blog) -and the dummies are THERE (in the front offices or their private planes)?
I remember when Rush (RIP) was rolling through his radio show with production, updates and a “Top 40” talk show. It was compelling, entertaining and fun. Secondly it was about politics. When you talk talk, it’s just like music radio. Relate to the listener. How difficult is that ? Apparently in 2022 for some, it is. For those here, it ain’t. Fred, (and the commenters here) please bring your comfy folding chairs, set ’em up on my lawn and stay as long as you want.
Maybe that’s my new tag line, Dave: Where the smart broadcasters hang out.
Seriously, thanks for the comment.