Another year and another ranking of Radio Ink’s “40 Most Powerful People In Radio” is on the streets and on coffee tables at stations everywhere.
And guess what? It continues to be comprised of CEOs, EVPs, and other heads of companies. This is nothing new. Now I know that inside the corner offices, those fortunate enough to be on the list track their actual rankings from year to year. And that’s understandable – they are all competitive people and it’s an honor to be proud of.
But as I was perusing this year’s list, I flashed back to 1999, and one of the early Summits in Los Angeles we put together as part of the R&R Convention. Jason Calacanis – new media entrepreneur and visionary – was our keynote speaker. Jason didn’t know a great deal about radio (besides being a fan), so in preparation for our event, he studied the current potpourri of radio trade publications.
And it was an unforgettable moment when Jason held up a copy of that year’s Radio Ink’s “40 Most Powerful” issue and told a full house that the list consisted entirely of corporate captains – in his words, “aggregators.” He openly questioned whether a medium that is about entertainment and information should be celebrating corporate achievement while content creators were left on the sidelines. Jason noted that not a single DJ or programming person was on the list.
And that was 1999.
Today, the media landscape looks a whole lot different. Pandora claims to be a major player in virtually every radio market, satellite radio has not gone away, HD Radio has not happened, and consumers are getting their content fix on a multitude of different screens and gadgets.
Yet, this year’s “40 Most Powerful” list looks an awful lot like it did back then. Yes, the names have changed. Now there’s Bob Pittman instead of Lowry Mays. But the job titles are all the same.
Despite the cataclysmic changes that have impacted the world of media, radio continues to be viable in spite of the competition. A recently released Nielsen study confirms that radio is still the go-to source for music discovery, and pure-plays continue to mimic traditional radio attributes.
But ultimately it will not come down to who best juggles the bottom line or who can make the best case to the investment community. The best content and the best distribution – or as Jon Stewart once said, the donuts and the trucks – will still be standing.
That’s why radio needs to celebrate its content creators, its true talent, its connections to consumers, just as the movie, TV, and other media industries do when they hand out award.
It’s not about CEOs, CFOs, DOS, or consultants. It is the people on-air and the geniuses behind the scenes who make it happen. That’s why millions of people tune in radios day in and day out, year in and year out.
The fact that a “40 Most Powerful” list continues to overlook the intangibles that come out of speakers and ear buds continues to speak volumes about the state of radio 13 years after Calacanis’ fiery speech. This is no knock on Radio Ink. It’s a great publication that celebrates the biggest power brokers in radio. And they would probably say that their new issue devoted to the best PDs is their tip of the hat to the programming side of the spectrum.
But none of Radio Ink’s Top 40 people would be where they are without Rush Limbaugh, Kevin Weatherly, Ryan Seacrest, Tom Poleman, or Tom Joyner. You could make the case that they hold a great deal of radio’s power. And every time people like Howard Stern, Adam Carolla, Steve Dahl, and the Magnozzi brothers leave the business (yes, public radio is radio, too), the industry’s infrastructure gets a little weaker.
What defines power?
Is it controlling the bottom line and expenses?
Is it attracting millions of consumers to tune in and engage?
I will leave that question to all of you, and the folks at Radio Ink to debate either in this space or in theirs.
But until we start seeing some people on their “40MPPIR” who are behind the mic or who provide the architecture and the content, you have to question radio’s priorities and vision. Why can’t radio celebrate innovation, whether it comes from the corner office or the on-air studio?
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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Well…. you’re right, but it depends on how you look at it.
We look at it from the internal perspective. Not the external. In other words Radio Ink’s list is a reflection of power within the industry in terms of who wields control within the industry. We determine that with a committee of five editors and we base it on gross revenues, profits, revenue per station, number of employees, involvement and influence on the community of radio. We debate Pandora, XM Sirius, and there may be times when they make the list (Mel has made the list in the past).
Talent, programmers clearly have power and influence, and we indeed have issues that point these out like our best PDs issue, etc. If our list was crafted from a listeners perspective it would be people like Limbaugh, etc. There was a time when Rush was on the list because of the influence he wields within the industry (generating ratings, income, competitive battles to carry his program, etc) but we made a decision to remove talent from the list a few years back because we really wanted to reflect who is running the industry.
Regarding celebrating innovation…. we do so with some of our awards and issues. For instance we have a new issue coming up, which is the RISING STARs issue. We celebrate influential women, top managers, programmers, african americans, hispanic broadcasters, etc,etc. We think recognition is important.
But point is well taken and we will revisit our discussions and appreciate the input.
Eric Rhoads
Publisher
Eric, I truly thank you for offering the official Radio Ink view. And I think your methodology makes a great deal of sense. Power is defined in a lot of ways, and the industry’s focal point has moved from the air studio to the corner office for better or for worse. Radio Ink does a great job of celebrating accomplishments from many different corners, and I have personally been a recipient and have contributed my opinions on the programming side of the spectrum. Just as The Radio Show might benefit from having more “talent” on display, the industry is moving to that point where it is our talent and our programming innovation that will make the difference in whether radio survives or even prospers in this maelstrom of media turmoil. You more than anyone know all about changing with the times, and I’m wondering whether it is in fact time to rethink some of those givens. Thanks for furthering the dialogue.
Let’s all keep in mind that for the average person, “Radio” is whatever sound comes out of speakers or earbuds or whatever. That being the case, I might suggest a new look at what defines a powerful person in “Radio”. “Radio” is much more than AM/FM, it’s probably better defined as “audio content”, whether it’s broadcast, streamed, podcasted, or consumed on demand.
Our industry continues to live in the past in many ways, and one of them is not recognizing that the consumer and the consumer electronics industry has redefined “Radio” in a way that the corporate titans and many pundits (not you Fred) have failed to acknowledge.
Just one man’s opinion from the real world.
And a valid opinion that goes to the heart of how the industry sees and defines itself in the new light of day. As contentional broadcasters attempt to be impactful in digital, and as pure-plays continue to mimic some of traditional radio’s “best practices,” you can feel that change in the air as to what’s important. Thanks so much, Mark.
(Standing and Applauding)
As one of the ‘little people,’ I just wanted to share my appreciation of your support in your “Most Powerful?” blog today.
But it’s OK, Fred. REALLY. It’s OK. Let the power mongers BE the power mongers. We’re NOT here for that. We’re the entertainers. We’re the talent. We get our rocks off by chatting with Bruce Springsteen and Paul McCartney(if we’re ever that lucky). We’re here to create those special moments with our communities. We’re here to provide the content and information that our listeners, fans, & friends will talk about for days, months, and even YEARS from now. We’re here to create moments. And memories. We make our listeners laugh and cry. We become FAMILY. We make them FEEL.
So sleep well tonight, Fred. Because when all’s said & done, we enjoy our lives TOO. No, we’re not the great and powerful. We won’t make that “most powerful” list, and that’s OK. We all can’t be PITMANS, MAYS’, or HOGANS, or even STERN for that matter.
But as George Steinbrenner knew,as he was rebuilding the Yankees empire in the 1970’s…the fans will come because of the talent and how they delivered.
Once again, thanks Fred Jacobs…for saving radio 1 blog at a time.
It IS all about the product on the field. Thanks for the passionate reminder of that. I hope everyone in a “power” position reads your comment. Thanks so much for taking the time to share it.