Our Latest Industry Blogs

There I was at 35,000 feet over Nebraska when I spotted a Mashable article on Twitter with this title: “Old, boring radio remains strong—but this app wants to change that,” complete with a sepia-tone photo from the 1940s featuring a family listening to old time radio. So today’s #TBT blog post is a message to all those media, tech, and entertainment reporters who just love to take that cheap shot at radio.

Radio has enjoyed long periods throughout its storied past where habitual listening became deeply rooted in the American psyche. But in recent years, big historical moments like COVID have spurred behavioral and perceptual shifts that are significant. In today’s post, I’ve picked out three areas where the data suggest consumers are modifying their lives—and perhaps their radio listening. See if you agree with my logic and let me know how these shifts impact your ongoing success.

In an overloaded competitive media environment, it is especially challenging for any local radio station to stand out and get noticed. And that brings me to perhaps my most rewarding consulting experience and the dumbest radio contest you’ve ever heard of. I promise.

There are many analogies to last week’s selection of a new pope and a media organization having to suddenly replacing its CEO. Having done it for centuries, the Vatican has it down. And there are lots of things broadcast radio entities can learn from conclave and how it carries out its charge. The selection of an American to become the next pope was a bold one, and today’s blog post lists seven lessons radio companies can learn from this amazing tradition.

When we launched The AI EDGE Newsletter in February 2024, our goal was simple: to provide insight and perspective on the rapidly evolving world of technology and artificial intelligence and its impact on broadcasters, especially at the station level. At the time, AI was still largely a mystery and, for many, a source of concern. AI DJs…

When your perception and performance both lags, it’s usually an indication something’s wrong. In the world of consumer good and services, marketing is frequently the culprit. For broadcast radio, the industry has struggled to get an effective message out. Maybe it’s time for something different.

I’m a sucker for sports analogies. And I’ve got a great one for today’s #TBT blog post. There are some incredible similarities between successful NBA coaches and high-achieving radio PDs. That’s because the great ones know how to push the right buttons to get optimal results. I’ve assembled my high-five list of ways that separate the good ones—from the great ones.

It was the Chinese military strategist, Sun Tzu, who famously said “Know thine enemy.” But for broadcast radio in 2025, do we really know the answer to that question? I take my shot at it in today’s post.

There is always lively debate in radio circles about whether the quality of today’s stations can even touch how things sounded “back in the day.” But the more salient issue is the loss of the shared radio listening experience. We’re all listening to different music, different talk shows, and different personalities. That’s where today’s blog posts land and unravels the key differences between today’s stations and those that made history decades ago.

This spring, Apple’s Watch—now the most successful tech wearable in the world—celebrated its 10th anniversary. Like so many digital innovations, Watch has already had several iterations, but none bigger than the space it now owns—THE health and wellness device you wear on your wrist that is not only functional but fashionable. Apple’s success with Watch contains a number of important lessons for the radio broadcasting industry as it struggles to find its next “killer app.” That’s the topic of today’s blog.