Well, it’s become a holiday tradition – for us. Our final posts of the year give us a chance to look back at some of the more popular entries of the past year. Our choice for today is another one of those debates about the health of the radio business, with a special nod to Kidd Kraddick from this past July when he left the airwaves for good. We hope you enjoy this look back at 2013 in JacoBLOG. – FJ
There’s not a week that goes by without conflicting opinions about the state of our lives. Whether it’s a type of food that is both beneficial but harmful or news about a company like Apple that suggests both record sales and impending disaster, so goes it with the state of radio.
In the same week, these two headlines showed up in my Twitter account and email box:
AM/FM Radio Is Already Over, And No One Will Miss It
Radio Seems To Be Doing Quite Well
Part of the reason for this dichotomy may be due to the fact that the top headline is about the overall state of the medium – from advertisers to fans to regular listeners. It’s from a blog called Future Buzz written by a guy named Adam Singer who also is a product manager for Google Analytics. The second headline is from Radio Ink and it’s Wells Fargo senior analyst Marcy Ryvicker’s view of radio’s second quarter financial performance.
Now Mary Beth Garber has already responded to Singer (nothing like that rapid response), but it should be obvious to most of us in radio that there are good days and there are bad days, but the true state of an industry is not measured by Arbitron monthlies, Miller Kaplan quarterlies, or random articles and blogs that spring up daily.
To be successful in any endeavor, you have to play the long game. It’s the way that operators from David Field to Jeff Bezos envision the battlefield. Because these day to day headlines, emails, and “breaking news” alerts will break your heart or falsely encourage you – if you let them.
That’s why Kidd Kraddick’s tragic passing comes at such a pivotal time. It’s also why this year’s Morning Show Boot Camp may be more relevant to this industry than usual. While Don Anthony is celebrating his 25th year of these DJ-centric gatherings, maybe his event next week in Chicago will turn a bit more introspective and look more considerately at what personalities can contribute to radio as well as to their communities. And perhaps the larger radio industry would do well to rethink its rush to scalability and reassess how these two headlines might each have some truth, but at the same time, miss the mark.
Notably, Ryvicker bypasses personalities in her analysis of Q2 results and the look ahead. She studies sports radio, FM chips in cellphones, and Pandora among other factors. But the continuing impact of DJs and personalities simply cannot be found in her spreadsheets.
And Singer’s advice to AM/FM personalities is to scram and get over to the digital landscape as soon as possible. In his words, “abandon radio now because (DJs) would benefit greatly by setting up shop online.”
But the fact is that the scores of former AM/FM icons who took Singer’s advice are mostly struggling in the blogosphere or world of podcasts, a shadow of their former fame and greatness levels. Even Howard Stern only has a fraction of his clout and yank after more than a decade on Sirius.
Sadly, it often takes a tragedy – like a thoughtless shooting, a natural disaster, or the passing of an icon like Kraddick – to make us rethink some of the givens about our lives, our careers, and the industries in which we work.
It is hard not to be amazed – even for those of us who have worked in radio for decades – at the outpouring of passion that has gushed out of every social media platform over the past several days since the news of Kidd’s passing broke. What other medium could evoke this kind of emotional reaction? Surely, not Spotify or your iPod or that Indie station in Germany that you sometimes stream.
To that end, the Dallas Morning News ran an editorial about Kraddick specifically, and the power of radio in general:
“Such is the uniqueness of radio, a medium that in the world of television, cellphones and the Internet, retains a unique intimacy. When programmed just right, a radio show allows us to develop a personal connection. And Kraddick knew how to make that formula work. He exuded personality, and listeners returned the love. Many of his fans might not have recognized him at a restaurant, but they would have jumped out of their chair if his voice wafted from the next table.”
That’s a newspaper extolling the virtues of radio. What does that say about the power of this moment and the impact of this medium?
So for those of you who are industry professionals reading this blog, Kraddick’s passing sits at the fulcrum of many questions that we should be asking ourselves in the face of the two headlines like the ones above:
To DJs: Kraddick is proof positive that one guy can make a difference in millions of people’s lives and countless communities. Kraddick was a true entertainer on many fronts, but never ducked at the chance to touch people’s lives. He recognized that as he grew in stature, his ability to help and contribute grew, too. Yet, how many DJs and shows waste their celebrity by not assisting others or failing to step up in their hometowns and leverage their fame by doing great deeds? Use the inspiration of Kidd’s accomplishments to recommit yourself to showing up, serving, and being meaningful.
To sales reps: There simply has to be more to your pitch than rankers and metrics. If you’re representing a solid brand with personality presence, you have a powerful story, if you take the time to tell it. Kraddick wasn’t the only one leading the way in community and charity involvement. The impact of radio personalities is taking place every day in communities as diverse as Atlanta, Altoona, and Anchorage. You will live and die by the book if you allow buyers, planners, and account managers to dictate your narrative – and your rates. If you want to beat Pandora, Google, and even Apple, you’re going to do it on the shoulders of your personalities.
To advertisers: You can apply all the cost-per-point metrics and other accountable data that you like, but in what other medium or entertainment outlet are you going to get the kind of pure unbridled passion that comes out of the radio? It’s easy to take this medium for granted as new digital outlets and startups beckon. But if you want to truly connect with communities and the people that live in them, where else but the radio? And you have to admit that the power of radio personalities is real – a reason why you always request mornings and pay a premium for live reads.
To owners: It is time to rededicate efforts and initiatives to coaching existing personalities and growing new ones. Deals programs, apps, Christmas music, and Facebook “likes” mean nothing without the power of great radio DJs. This has to start top-down, and while all your company’s personalities won’t make the cut, the lifeblood and longevity of your brands is the magnetism and connections made by your DJs. Some broadcasters totally get this while others feel that syndicated personalities will suffice. Kidd Kraddick was obviously a fan of network shows but let’s remember that his true impact and reputation came locally in Dallas – and his fame grew from there.
Kraddick’s legacy will be far-reaching. His staff, his charitable efforts, and his community service will go on in one form or another. But truly honoring his memory by rekindling radio’s great legacy for its personalities will have long-lasting value for the entire business. Thinking about Kidd’s comments at our “Presidents of Radio” session in Austin five years ago, that would be the way he would have wanted it. He was an uber fan of radio.
So which headline is accurate? Or better put, which radio headline would we like to read about at this time next year? Try this one:
“Radio recaptures its greatness as personalities step up and make a difference in market after market”
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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