If you’re a fan of the Lincoln Lawyer movies, you know the lead character, Mickey Haller (played by Matthew McConaughey), is an L.A.-based attorney who is quite unconventional. Haller, created by suspense writer Michael Connelly, doesn’t even have an office.
He does all his work from the backseat of a Lincoln Town Car as he motors through the streets and freeways of Los Angeles. Of course, Haller has a driver – typically, ex-cons and former clients who are indebted to Haller for one reason or another.
But the concept of the car as a rolling office isn’t so far-fetched. In fact, General Motors’ CEO, Mary Barra, says that in just five years, it could become a reality for many of us because of the rapid development of the autonomous car. Barra’s company is doing a lot of thinking about how we spend time in our cars, and how we will in the future. The radio industry would be smart to start giving this a little thought as well.
As she recently told Business Insider, “Whether it’s a second office or entertainment, I think there is a lot of new opportunities when you have that person in the vehicle.”
She sees the confluence of electric, autonomous, and sharing – three mega-concepts that will transform her industry. And if you’re in radio, your industry, too. That’s because a world where vehicles that drive themselves are in abundance means fewer traffic jams. And less congestion means a less captive audience, and even in markets like L.A. or D.C., fewer or no road reports.
The GM concept car is the electric new Bolt, already autonomously rolling around San Francisco, an urban driving experience that will most certainly test the self-driving proposition because of its uniquely challenging driving conditions.
How big a deal could autonomous turn out to be? Another clue is Google’s recent announcement to spin off self-driving cars into a new and separate business. Called Waymo (way forward in mobility), its CEO – John Krafcik – says the self-driving car isn’t that far away from becoming a reality:
“We’re getting close. We’re getting ready. And we want to tell the world about it.”
Waymo is working with Fiat Chrysler, making the case they’re not a car company, but as Krafcik puts it, “We are a self-driving technology company.”
While there is debate in the autonomous community about whether these cars will have steering wheels or pedals, there’s very little conversation about what the media array will consist of in self-driving vehicles. Will manufacturers include media players, radios, and other options? Or will driver/passengers bring their smartphones or tablets into the vehicle, importing their own personalized media and entertainment?
As Barra notes, part of the thinking behind autonomous is how it impacts people:
“I think from an individual perspective what you get back is time. Time is almost a currency for most people, and so we will be giving back that time and a new experience. So we are not only working on the technology, but we are also working on the experience in the vehicle.”
That spells the potential for a completely different on-the-road experience when it comes to precisely what we’ll be doing in these cars and how we’ll be informing and entertaining ourselves.
But there are deniers – people who believe autonomous is way, way off in the future, and it just won’t impact the commuting world as we know it in our lifetimes. If you’re of that belief, consider this money quote from Barra:
“I’m on the record as saying we are in the midst of seeing more change in the next five years than we’ve seen in the last 50 years.”
If it’s happening in cars, radio will be impacted. All the more reason why it’s in radio’s interest to stay apprised of what’s happening in the automotive space, and for industry leaders to be connecting with and talking to their counterparts in automotive.
As for characters like Mickey Haller, he may be an old school lawyer, but having a second office in a car that drives itself may fit right into his legal lifestyle. And it will give author Michael Connelly lots of new plot lines.
For radio, it’s another indicator that the world is changing, and our beloved medium will need to change with it.
We’ll be checking out all the autonomous technology at CES next month. Look for our podcasts, blog posts, and other reports from the floor of the Las Vegas Convention Center.
Thanks to Elnora Lowe.
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.
- The Changing Face Of Social Media (OR WTZ?!) - January 13, 2025
- Traveling At The Speed of CES - January 10, 2025
- The One Thing Missing At CES? - January 9, 2025
In “The Untouchables” Robert Stack proclaimed “When they put radios in cars, I’ll be the first to buy one.” Even to a ’60s teenager, that line sounded amusing. As we continue to transition to supreme dashboard connection, PLEASE make radio access simple and separate. There are times setting the new systems is more dangerous than texting on the highway! And Santa, please finally make HD radio content relevant and easily accessible. Clark http://www.broadcastideas.com
Clark, these are big Christmas wishes. I hope you have Santa’s ear. Thanks for commenting and happy holidays.