OK, pardon me for playing the role of “zookeeper” this morning, but it was hard to miss this story a couple weeks ack. If you’re part of a morning show, chances are good it provided at least a couple of quarter-hours of compelling radio for you.
It turns out a driver in Detroit died when his car overturned on a freeway ramp. According to the Michigan State Police, it turns out he was streaming pornography on his smartphone while masturbating at the same time. Talk about multitasking and distracted driving all in the same bizarre story.
But aside from the porn part, this guy may not be as atypical as he may seem. This “knucklehead in the news” is part of a growing number of consumers streaming something while they’re on the road. OK, maybe not porn.
The discovery/search company, Rovi Corp., reports that six in ten consumers frequently stream content while driving or when taking public transportation. Overall, nearly one-fourth say they view streaming content while driving.
The survey was conducted worldwide among 4,000 pay-TV and OTT subscribers (over the top, which means they get video content via the Internet). Overall, 1,000 of these interviews were completed in the U.S. So discerning observers might note these people may be somewhat leading edge when it comes to streaming.
But the growing trend of streaming in cars – audio and video – is amping up, fueled by seamless smartphone pairing, growing WiFi access, and eventually, cars that essentially drive themselves. Obviously, this guy in Detroit took the hands-free things a little too literally.
But when it comes to changing web habits, we also know there’s more video than audio streaming occurring, another signpost for the radio industry to keep moving in visual directions to ensure its content, brands, and personalities are getting noticed.
Last week we touched on autonomous cars, coming faster than we think. That’s one of several topics I’ll be addressing during a “connected car” presentation for Borrell’s Local Online Advertising Conference (#LOAC2016) next week in New York City. For radio, drivers during a long commute who may, in fact, have their eyes free present a prime opportunity for visual media. Interestingly, television stations, newspapers, and other outlets that have been effectively barred from cars for safety reasons may find their in-car content just became relevant.
For radio, in-car streaming presents both a challenge and an opportunity. First, does the audio stream provide a quality listening experience? I can tell you from spending time with many broadcast radio station streams each week that the answer is a definite “No.”
And second, providing visual entertainment that accompanies the audio – video streams, photos, and more – creates opportunities for radio to engage its commuting audience in new ways. But of course this is the case whether autonomous driving becomes mainstream or not. That video piece for radio becomes more important each year. The fact it will become more prevalent on the road suggests that more stations should be involved in video production and content creation.
Techsurvey12 will be out of the data oven soon, and we’ll learn more about the impact of video on radio listeners and radio brands. From “connected cars” to video streaming and on-demand usage, we will have great findings to share with you that will help your strategize your future.
Video is coming to dashboards, and the morning commute may never be the same. As for porn on the way to work – both eyes on the road and both hands on the wheel, please.
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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Cars are meant to be driven by people. With the radio on! “Keep your eyes on the road…keep your hands on the wheel….” – Paul Evens, 1959 https://www.youtuble.com/watch?v=u1cjaheraq8
Good advice, as always, Clark!
Fred,
I’ve had two online surveys in the field for two different stations in the last 30 days. One of the questions both entities wanted was the “typical” what stations do you listen to in the car? I asked that we add “other(s) to the laundry list of local station answers. “Other(s) came back #1 and #2 in both respective surveys.
I made no more than 12 phone follow up calls and found that 11 out of 12 “other(s) responses meant streaming audio from non-local sources. Nine out of those twelve were radio sources from other cities and other continents.
Hey, that’s great… I guess. I am one of those who listens to anything that isn’t from where I live. I actually prefer 4G connections to stations, rather than the transmitter and tower option, simply because it sounds better. Blah blah blah, I’m still typing stuff.
My question; based on what has transpired in our business thus far, how are any of these local stations going to monetize this quickly emerging habit?
It’s a good question, Sean. And as cars become universally connected, radio’s stronghold in the car becomes more precarious. This is part of the mission we’ve embarked on, trying to educate the industry about the changing dashboard, coinciding with the media culture change that is all around us. We need competitive streams, great apps, and the ability to be able to market these assets to advertisers. So that won’t be too hard. 🙂
LOL “So that won’t be too hard.” I laughed a good long time until I stopped. Nice quip. 🙂