Our Latest Industry Blogs

Everyone has experienced a different career journey. For many, the road has had its share of bumps and side trips. For a few, it’s been a relatively easy ride. But we all could have benefitted from the perspective we have now. Imagine being able to give your young self some advice from your perch today. Here’s what I would tell early radio Fred.

Technology has a habit of giveth and taketh things away. Not to go all biblical on you, but for every new innovation – like the ability for you to make your own playlists by choosing from millions of songs – we lose things in the process – physical music, artist curation, and album artwork, to name just a few. That’s what happening to those “greatest hits” albums – once a wildly popular staple of the music industry, now experiencing a serious decline. But for a certain radio station, the “greatest hits” could rekindle much-needed on-air energy. Click “READ MORE” below and I’ll tell you all about it.

There are momentous things happening in radio this time of year. But today’s blog post is about a more trivial matter that won’t make a ripple anywhere. After considerable thought, I deactivated my Twitter account last night. Holy Lori Lewis! But of course, there’s a reason, and it opens up a can or two of worms. So, now that I’ve hooked you, here’s my story and why I’ll be using different platforms in which to engage with you socially. I’ll miss tweeting with you, but it was time to say, “Gotta go!”

And the RIFs just keep on comin’. Last week, the largest radio company in the U.S., iHeartMedia, held its earnings call for the Wall Street investment community, explaining the past quarter’s performance. But the highlight of the call was Bob Pittman’s forecast for 2025…and beyond. What are the implications of his plan, and what can talent – or anyone else working in radio – do to better position themselves for an unpredictable, challenging future?

As media content options expand exponentially while attention spans shrink, the creative class is grappling with the best ways in which to present entertainment and information. In radio, most stations have played “The PPM Game” for more than a decade. And that dedication to keeping content short, concise, but entertaining is becoming part of a much larger, multi-platform trend. Long story short, keep it short.

You’ve no doubt heard the phrase “Content eats strategy for breakfast.” It underscores the importance of making sure everyone in your radio company – from the CEO to the receptionist – is on the same page. And as broadcasters hustle to implement change and new digital initiatives, company culture has never been more important. Today’s #TBT blog post is a reminder of the degree of difficulty of pulling this off especially in today’s ultra-competitive business environment.

What kind of qualities are radio companies prioritizing in program directors at a time when the industry is shrinking and consolidating these positions? What skills and sensibilities are most important today? Sometimes, we can learn more about our business when we step away from it. That’s what today’s blog post focuses on: a brand manager, showrunner, PD, but in actuality, her title is editor-in-chief of a magazine. And she can teach us a thing or two about radio.

In a world of exponentially more audio competition – podcasts, streaming services, satellite radio – how can a broadcast radio brand stand out, get noticed, and make a positive impression? It’s an important question many brands are grappling with in a radio industry struggling to remain visible and relevant. In today’s post, let me pose a possible pathway, albeit for a limited number of players who wish to make their mark and aren’t afraid to go in a different direction. The path to success isn’t an easy one nor is it cheap. But there’s evidence that suggests it can work.

A new opinion piece from a content marketing maven jumped out at me late last month. It poses key questions about how we’ve used tech breakthroughs to improve our product over the past 25 years or so. And now that we’re staring that freight train known as AI in the face, what have we learned earlier regarding developments about creativity and innovation? I don’t purport to have all the answers, but I can promise you today’s post contains key questions you might want to ask during your upcoming end-of-year evaluations. Happy Monday.