More and more, it is becoming painfully obvious to programmers, managers, researchers, and yes, consultants, that the simple business model that has guided radio since Marconi is broken. It used to be that your ratings simply translated into sales. The higher your rank, the higher your rate.
For many stations, the basic transactional basis of radio sales was all about quoting rates, doing some negotiating, a lunch here and there, toss in a remote, and you're on the buy. In essence, there wasn't enough selling going on.
That model is about as relevant today as the pay phone. Now it's about accountability and results – not about cost per point or cume ratings.
Advertiser demands have become more complex. They are now demanding digital solutions, some of which traditional salespeople are ill-equipped to explain.
And as revenues plummet, even great brands will erode, because less money coming in translates to fewer staffers, less or no research and marketing, and dwindling resources. So, if programmers are serious about protecting their brands in order to get through the economic crisis, they must take matters into their own hands.
Along with my great staff at Jacobs Media, we recently wrote an article for FMQB's "Programming To Win" series. Click link below:
We hope you'll take the time to look it over, give it some thought, and test drive some of our suggestions.
Back when I was a programmer in the early '80s, PDs never had a clue about their stations' sales and revenues, there was no "value added," and jocks didn't do live reads. That's all changed, and today, programmers are stakeholders in the financial well-being of their stations.
I realize that the life of a PD today is exponentially more complex than even a decade ago, and many are now responsible for multiple stations in a cluster or region. But the onus of driving revenue has to be shared across different departments if radio is to survive this mess.
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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