There isn’t a broadcasting company that doesn’t hope that answer is “yes,” and guess what: “Yes” is right. A recent New York Times piece outlines exactly how successful this can be – in television: Nielsen ratings, which measure the number of viewers who tune in for shows at the time of their broadcasts, are down for the networks yet again – 10 percent this season. NBC has responded by learning to make money from viewers who stream its programs – and now it is learning how to

Yesterday I published a piece that argued two things: First, the decline in streaming for broadcast radio stations is real – it’s a trend, not a blip. Second, that decline has consequences not only for your streaming strategy but also for the strategy of spreading your radio brands across every new platform under the sun (“Alexa, I mean you!”). So what do you do? Here’s what I think you have to do. And not just you, but everyone who comes at digital from a place that has not,

When you talk to radio broadcasters about their podcasting strategy, they tend to see it from the same perspective: The one that relates to their own content. But there’s another way to see podcasting strategy, one that is right in front of your ears. I have a secret podcast project (B2C, not B2B) launching this spring (it’s gonna be killer), and that has given me the chance to chat up some of the key figures in the “business of podcasting” space. I encouraged one to reach ou

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

Lizzie Widhelm is Pandora’s Senior Vice President of Ad Product Sales & Strategy where she spearheads the team that brings advertising products to life and to market. At this Q&A from hivio, the audio future festival, Lizzie talks about the evolving Pandora platform and how it’s changing its sales strategy to meet the future head-on. Here are some of the questions we cover: Why is this evolution of Pandora so important? How is the new shape of Pandora likely to be different f

Think digital and radio are two separate worlds and digital learnings can’t make audio content across platforms better and more popular? Think again. Anya Grundmann is NPR’s Vice President for Programming and Audience Development. She leads NPR’s programming center and its strategy for program acquisition, evaluation, and development. In this remarkable presentation from hivio, Anya shares what NPR has learned from its digital efforts and how those digital efforts have enhanc

Ad blocking is exploding. Here’s how to fight back. And… This is what makes your fans “tick.” It’s episode 44 of Media Unplugged with branding authority Tom Asacker and media strategist Mark Ramsey. Plus, rants and raves on why Anderson Cooper’s ban on the Orlando Killer’s face and name on-air is well intentioned but ultimately useless, how most people share online content without reading it first, and much more. Listen as we go inside media to reveal the ugly truth! Click th

So NPR has decided it won’t promote its podcasts or NPR One on air, and many critics are calling them out for what they describe as stupidity. I think these critics are missing the larger point. Sure, NPR derives a huge portion of its revenue from local stations, and local stations have long been uncomfortable (to say the least) with NPR’s practice of routing around them to deliver their content – in many cases, content popularized by these very local stations – directly to c

I could drone on and on about the lessons Donald Trump teaches media companies, but many of the lessons are so obvious that I need not bother. There’s one, however, that you may find surprising. The Trump campaign has on file the name, phone number, address, and email of every one of the tens of thousands who flock to Trump events nationwide. Can your brand say that? Now I’m not suggesting this is unusual in the political sphere. My guess is that it’s the norm (which is why i

How can terrestrial radio partner with online radio for the benefit of both? That’s just one topic tackled by Duncan Orrell-Jones, CEO of Slacker Radio. In this Q&A from hivio, the audio future festival, Orrell-Jones outlines Slacker’s business strategy and how it contrasts with the strategies of more familiar names like Pandora or Spotify. Slacker’s emphasis is on building a state-of-the-art radio experience and pursuing unique deals in partnership and distribution. Some of

Yesterday I published a post that detailed how the typical radio station’s Facebook strategy is, at best, off-base, and at worst, non-existent. To coin a phrase, that post “went viral” and generated a bunch of response, most of which came privately (such is the fear of consequences in the radio industry). I’m going to share some of those responses with you along with my answers. All of the feedback I received is thoughtful and sincere, and most of it reflects an inherent fric

I’ve watched with some bemusement a debate in broadcasting circles: Does it makes sense for broadcasters to embrace an abundance of digital tools – including video – to tell their stories and reach their audiences across platforms? Or should radio folks simply do better radio? After all, can you really compete with Hollywood? With ABC and NBC and CBS? Well of course you can. Indeed, people are doing it every day. And they’re doing it without the benefit of the magnificent sta

Are you wasting your time nursing digital pennies and dimes when the “big money” is in the dollars that flow to your coffers from traditional agencies buying traditional radio in traditional ways? “Yes.” At least, that’s the opinion of one radio industry analyst, whose solution is to double-down on traditional revenue and the ratings methodology which feeds its ecosystem. Better content, sold better – that’s his answer. While I agree and routinely argue that radio professiona

What is this show @midnight that has exploded in ratings and social media buzz since its debut last October? And why should radio care? You should care because @midnight and its creator/host Chris Hardwick have cracked the code on how to use Twitter – and there’s much you can learn from their strategy. Writes The Wrap: Hardwick’s “@midnight” on Comedy Central – a half-hour comedy/talk/game show hybrid that, as its name suggests, deals with all things internet and social media

If you’re like me you get an empty feeling from too many radio mobile apps. The addition of podcasts and social links can’t mask the fact that the app is often little more than the audio stream with a fresh face. But is that all radio mobile apps should be? Clip Interactive doesn’t think so. Bill Freund is Clip’s EVP Chief Revenue Officer. What follows is an abbreviated transcript. For the full Q&A click the video image below. Prefer audio? Try this: Download Audio (You can s

There’s a tendency to obsess on devices. But if you’re in the content business devices are only channels of distribution for that content. The real challenge and opportunity for media brands is to spread content across all popular platforms in a form and a context that fits that platform. To chase a device is to miss the forest for the trees. For example, do you need iPhone and Android apps? Not necessarily, but you do need a mobile strategy. Because as consumers spend more t

Earlier this week I argued that DJ blogs often are a waste of time and effort. Today I’m going to share a few thoughts on how to make them better. 1. You don’t need a DJ blog There is no requirement that your digital platform include a DJ blog. Just because you can doesn’t mean you should. And just because many of the stations around you are producing a waste of bits and bytes doesn’t mean you should follow suit. So first of all, ease up. 2. You do need a digital strategy Do

[A longer version of this post appeared in NetNewsCheck] “Podcasting” is the term describing the creation and consumption of on-demand video and especially audio. It was the “next big thing” – about six or seven years ago. And today? Not so much. That doesn’t mean there isn’t a lot of podcasting going on out there. It doesn’t mean there aren’t a lot of people making and listening to them. It doesn’t mean podcasting lacks a place in our media portfolio. But podcasting is most

In the race to exploit new digital opportunities, Kleiner Perkins partner Mary Meeker has described three “consumer Internet ‘white spaces’ yet to be reimagined.” One of these was the “ear” and another was the car. And she describes the latter as “largely untapped.” Naturally, broadcasters are in a tizzy because one industry’s white space is another industry’s breadbasket. Indeed, roughly two-thirds of radio listening occurs away from home, largely in autos. What to do? What

Before 1960, the drive-in was king. It was ground-zero for a demographic segment Hollywood had forgotten in its obsession to meet head on the challenge that was television, and that demo was teenagers. So a generation of films and filmmakers arose with that segment squarely in their sights. And chief among them was a director and producer who is still working today: The legendary Roger Corman. Even if you don’t know Corman you know the names of the A-listers whose careers Cor