Radio's Most Innovative

Possibly the biggest buzz term in the advertising industry today is “programmatic buying.” And while many think it refers to low-rate remnant advertising or auctioning off inventory, “programmatic buying” is actually any sort of automated ad-buying system. The amount of advertising being sold through automated processes is skyrocketing. According to eMarketer, Magna Global predicts it will […]

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There was a time when the most sought after piece of mail radio stations received each week wasn’t a new release from a hot artist. It was the latest issue of Radio and Records (R&R), “The Industry’s Newspaper.” Most industry vets would agree that R&R was radio’s leading printed radio trade publication at its height, […]

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With this edition of Radio’s Most Innovative falling on Halloween, it only seemed appropriate to look for an innovation that’s a bit out of the ordinary. So today we’re shining the light on Barry Hansen, a musicologist with a Master’s degree from UCLA, who wound up making an unusual and indelible mark on radio. Maybe […]

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There are many factors that have contributed to Hubbard Radio’s All-News WTOP in Washington, D.C., being the top billing station in the United States for the last four years running.  They were one of the first News/Talk stations to make the leap to FM, which significantly improved their market coverage, and in turn, the ratings.  […]

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There are many factors that have contributed to Hubbard Radio’s All-News WTOP in Washington, D.C., being the top billing station in the United States for the last four years running.  They were one of the first News/Talk stations to make the leap to FM, which significantly improved their market coverage, and in turn, the ratings.  […]

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You may not have it marked on your calendar, but today is the 95th birthday of radio broadcasting, according to Rich Appel writing in BilllboardBiz.  As the story goes, it turns out that it was on this day 95 years ago when Westinghouse Electric engineer Frank Conrad sent music into the ether in Pittsburgh.  Eventually, that […]

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Certainly one of the most recognizable images in the history of radio is the ubiquitous RCS Rainbow Screen – the gateway into Selector.  And while Program Directors today enjoy the stability of version 12.53j, which includes a bevy of options they can customize to their station’s needs, we rarely stop to consider what the world was […]

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Certainly one of the most recognizable images in the history of radio is the ubiquitous RCS Rainbow Screen – the gateway into Selector.  And while Program Directors today enjoy the stability of version 12.53j, which includes a bevy of options they can customize to their station’s needs, we rarely stop to consider what the world was […]

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If you’ve never known otherwise, you may not even think about how much syndicated programming has changed the face of radio programming, personalities, and content delivery.  But in 1976, when Norm Pattiz launched Westwood One, there weren’t satellite receivers at every station, let alone FTP sites for distributing content.  Syndicated programming wasn’t common like it […]

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For this week’s “Innovation Friday” entry, we are going meta on you as we profile a fantastic innovation that has helped one cluster of stations be more innovative. One of our goals when we initiated “Radio’s Most Innovative” was to stimulate a spirit of risk-taking, hacking, and experimentation. At Greater Media Philadelphia, they have made it […]

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Well, appropriate to the T.G.I.F. spirit, how about a glass of Mens Room Original Red? Station or personality-branded products have been around nearly as long as there have been radio stations searching for products that can extend their brands to set themselves apart.  Coffee, hot sauce, mustard, barbecue sauce, and many others – all emblazoned […]

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When it comes to innovation, there are people who have one great idea that becomes their entire focus and legacy.  They become famous for doing one amazing thing or a single accomplishment. Then there are people who are fountains of ideas.  They are driven by always being around something new and interesting and only satisfied […]

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Just like the Millennial generation will never know a time when there was no Internet and instantaneous connectivity, some people reading this may be too young to remember the days of “paper adds” – that was when a radio station reported a song to the trades as a favor to the label rep, but didn’t necessarily put […]

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From the consumer viewpoint, one of the best things about radio is that it just works. You simply turn on a single and simple device, and your favorite stations are right there, delivering the content you want. Unfortunately, the same isn’t necessarily true when it comes to streaming. As more of us listen to streams using smartphones, tablets, […]

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The growth of the Internet has affected radio in infinite ways, including the creation of many unique partnerships.  None is as interesting as the ongoing relationship between radio and MrSkin.com founder Jim McBride. It was Confucius who said, “Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.”  […]

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For our second honoree in our “Radio’s Most Innovative” series, we are going back in time and possibly opening Pandora’s Box.  Our intention is to honor the station that originated the All Christmas Music promotion; a bold innovation that, as evidenced by the chart below, has had a large and lasting impact on the radio […]

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Our new initiative to highlight innovations and innovators in and around the radio business debuts today on what will be the first of many “Innovation Fridays.  Our first choice was a no-brainer.  Kurt Hanson is synonymous with innovation in our industry.  He’s been inventing and reinventing for years, and we’re pleased to honor him in our “Radio’s […]

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