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Public radio stations around the country are trying to regain their equilibrium in the face of rising deficits and difficulties monetizing their digital assets. But there’s one glaring opportunity few have truly leaned into that could exploit and enhance one of its true “superpowers.” Problem is, the competition sees it, too.

Yesterday’s blog post quesitoned whether the oft-stated myth – “Radio survived TV in the 1950s so it wlll reinvent itself in the Internet Age” – holds water. Today’s post is a more granular look at the specific digital content radio organizations have created during these past 30 years – and what will transpire moving forward. And I pose questions – 17 of them, in fact – every content creator and media executive should ask before greenlighting new media products. This is an interative process. I’m hoping to hear from many of you because this is truly a community effort. In fact, that may be the only way for radio to address its current set of daunting challenges.

A comfortable trope in the radio broadcasting industry has traditionally implied that just as the medium survived and even thrived after the television revolution in the 1950s, radio will innovate its way out of its current challenges. But is this historical perspective valid? In today’s blog post we journey back to the pivots radio made during those years, as well as the technology of those times that saved the day for radio. What can we learn from those wily broadcasters who figured out how to reinvent radio?

Last week in Prague, I was honored to speak at the WorldDAB’s auto event. Like our DASH Conferences, it was a fascinating mashup of automotive execs and radio broadcasters, coming together to discuss opportunities and challenges. There was a lot to take in so I boiled down the big takeaways in today’s post.

An amazing 60-second video of an over-the-top contest winner is a reminder to everyone in radio not just about the value of prizes, but the impact stations can have on people’s lives. Even a correct caller ticket giveaway that looks like just another element on the program log can provide the thrill of a lifetime for a listener, something that radio does like no other medium. At a time when many people are in need of a little joy, it can be radio to the rescue.

The excitement and drama surrounding AI intensifies when talk of the technology replacing jobs and entire industries takes flight. While the radio industry has been emotionally debating whether bots could replace DJs and VO pros, a new application has emerged: audience research. And a brand new startup claims “synthetic research” among avatars rather than human respondents is faster, cheaper, and just as accurate as the real thing. In today’s post, I break it down and tackle a topic we no doubt will be discussing and debating for the foreseeable future.

As media brands proliferate and have gotten more competitive, the need for standing out has never been greater. Amidst the video streaming wars, one player has emerged with a different model that’s paying off big time. There are some key lessons here for broadcast radio where the competitive scenario demands a unique and different approach.

Forever and a day, we’ve been taught the familiar maxim, “Content is king.” But now, one of the most perceptive observers of the media and technology universe is telling us there’s a new, more meaningful way to look at the landscape – and it’s all about through the lens of distribution. For readers of this blog, that’s nothing new, but the ways in which most broadcasters are developing their respective strategies might require some re-examination if our industry is to avoid the black holes that continue to make legacy media brands disappear.

What does it mean to be #1 in the market, especially those ultra-competitive major PPM metros? Not as much as it once did. Nowadays, broadcasters discount the top dog position because it’s based on 6+. But blowing past all competitors in town is SOMETHING. And a little digging into the ratings proves it. After all, not everyone in radio can make the claim, “We’re #1!”

As #TBT posts go, today’s entry is one of my all-time favorites. It is dedicated to the amazing men and women on the airwaves who, lucky for us, made radio their career. We want to hear them tell great stories, but most of all, we want to hear them tell their stories. As a rule, radio people are very interesting sorts, and yet, we often don’t know as much about them as we’d like. Maybe after reading today’s throwback post, we can change that.