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At the National Radio Hall of Faame ceremony last week, the acceptance speeches were like mini-TED Talks about how to make it in radio. The theme was all about how so many had been mentored, guided, and counseled during the early days of their careers. And in the process, it was a reminder about the value of paying it forward for all of us who have enjoyed success in the radio broadcasting business.

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These days, radio conversations are increasingly about data – how to use it, deploy it, and monetize it. And the car companies are traveling down the same highway. How data scientists use artificial intelligence – or AI – to understand their consumers and predict their behavior is taking on growing importance. Today’s post looks at radio station data – and how it can be wisely put to work for programming, sales, and ownership.

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Back in the day, listeners slapped bumerstickers on their cars to proudly display their loyalty to their favorite radio station. Today’s young people have a different way of shwoing their passion for their preferred brands – laptop stickers. What does it take for today’s consumers to show their affinity to the brands they love?

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As I travel around the country talking podccasting, the mosst frequently asked question is: What’s the ideal length for a podcast? Today’s post answers that question once and for all. Sort of.

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Radio has always been a prime marketing tool for selling cars, but in recent years, dealers and automakers have been shifting budgets to digital media. Now the pendulum is swinging back to legacy media – including radio. Reach is clearly a reason why radio is a strong branding tool, but the medium can provide much, much more.

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Classic Rock is a music genre that keeps making its way back in the headlines. It today’s post, we’ve got three compelling stories about Classic Rock music – how it influences dating behavior, makes for great storytelling movies and TV shows, and is the new soundtrack of a major ad campaign about the future (of all things). After all the heaviness in the news these days, it was time for a post that doesn’t take itself too seriously. Hope you agree.

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There’s a tendency in the media world for brands to pursue multiple initiatives as they strive to gain digital ground. But more and more, smaller companies are focusing their efforts on singular projects where they can marshal their human and financial resources. These days, there’s a lot to be said for eating the elephant, one bite at a time.

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As smart speakers move into the mainstream, their #1 use case is asking general questions. Stratetgic brands are embracing the familiar FAQ format to make their “skills” compelling and easy to use. For radio, the opportunities to do more than check off the Alexa box are right in front of us. Today’s post talks about how smart speakers like Amazon’s Alexa will be used this Thanksgiving season….and in the years to come.

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Of all the tech juggernauts in our lives, none has been more influential and more successful than Apple – even since the passing of Steve Jobs. In today’s blog, our post covers three new Apple stories that have implications on the radio business. Apple Watch, Apple News, and Screen Time are all tech developments that will impact the media and entertainment industries for years to come.

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Great creativity and content starts with curisoity – a key quality common to the best authors, musicians, painters – and program directors. Today’s post takes a look at the curiosity process, with a tribute to a certain cartoon monkey named George.

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With Halloween upon us, it’s just a matter of hours before Christmas music starting filling the airwaves. And that means it’s the perfect time for radio to step up its holiday game, whether you’re playing wall-to-wall Bing Crosby or sticking with the Beatles, Black Sabbath, or Brad Paisley. Guest-blogger Paul Jacobs takes to the keyboard with his must-read 7 ways radio can survive the holiday season. It’s holly, jolly, and smart.

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As the radio broadcasting industry becomes more cutthroat and dangerous, CEOs are looking for that unique opportunity to own an uncontested market. The book “Blue Ocean Strategy” provides the road map, and today’s blog post has three great examples of what this looks like. The water’s fine – get ready for a deep dive.

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Technology has changed the look of the modern-day radio studio, but the trusty “hotline” is still used in many stations to get a DJ’s attention, hopefully averting disaster. One of the best “hotline” strories came out of WPLJ in New York City back in its AOR days. Rumor or fact? Our blog post today clears it all up, and pays attribute to one of the best PDs ever.

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The role of women in the workforce is undergoing great change. The radio broadcasting industry is no exception, whether you’re talking about the corporate offices or the air studio. A new national research study is a must-read for everyone in the radio business, pointing to a major perceptual “gender gap.”

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Roy Orbison passed away 30 years ago, but his hologram is now on tour, accompanied by a live orchestra. Can technology resurrect Classic Rock and Pop stars who are no longer with us?

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We’re learning that social networks can “age out” just like radio formats. In fact, new research reveals that Facebook usage among teens is at an all-time low. And Mark Zuckerberg is losing no sleep because he owns the ultimate social media cluster. Today’s blog post looks at cluster strategy from a whole new angle.

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A legacy industry with internal culture issues, fragmentation, a workforce resistant to adapt to new technology, and outside competitors with much more capital and talent. No, we’re not talking about the radio broadcasting industry. Today’s post focuses on the speed bumps facing the world’s biggest auto companies – and what radio can learn from them.

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