Retail stores are closing all across the country. “It’s Amazon! They’re stealing our market!” That’s the refrain. And it’s true, right? But wait… Has America lost its taste to shop locally? And what does that imply for local broadcasters who also compete for the attention of their audiences with platforms not bound by geography? Here’s a reality check from Forrester Retail Analyst Brendan Witcher: Consumer confidence is the highest it’s been in over a decade, and leading reta

So all the leading (and not so leading) Republican presidential contenders will be stretched across two stages at the end of this week in the first official debate of the election season. So what can radio learn from this political extravaganza? Well, consider what you will and won’t see. You’ll see little of any depth or seriousness. That’s because time is so short. You’ll see that there is no “winning” or “losing” of the debate on the power of argument or the weight of issu

This is something of a tradition for me – to post one particular spooky video I produced about three years ago. Every year on Halloween I share it again. If you’ve seen it before please forgive the indulgence. The truth is that my list has swelled to about double what it was last year at this time, so this is new for many. It’s a lesson from one of Hollywood’s most famous monsters for all the radio and media monsters of today. Enjoy. And happy Halloween. #jameswhale #radio #t

Is your radio brand just a radio brand? This past holiday season one movie changed what it means to be a “movie,” and there’s a lesson wrapped up in that change for any radio brand, too. The movie was Anchorman 2, and the “change” is outlined in the Slideshare presentation below from Gary Vaynerchuk: Anchorman 2 Changed what it Means to Be a Movie from Gary Vaynerchuk To quote Gary: What makes this different is that they’re not just using pre-existing assets [and repurposing

Earlier this year, CBS was blacked out on Time Warner Cable in several major markets due to a dispute over content rights fees. CBS wanted more and Time Warner didn’t want to pay it. More than 3 million Time Warner Cable customers lost access to CBS-owned stations, Showtime, and three other cable nets for a month until the standoff was resolved. So what happened? The monthlong CBS blackout for Time Warner Cable customers in major markets was a key factor leading to the cable

He stops traffic.  Literally. When my wife and I take him to public places crowds swarm around him, iPhones clicking away. He’s Otis, our 145-pound Newfoundland.  And he teaches the lesson of attention. Attention is scarce always – never more than today.  Bright and shiny objects abound, many of which substitute for the same or similar functions of the traditional radio experience, but always with something new.  These objects compete for our limited attention, and it’s the t