A peer whom I respect a lot mentioned something to me that I hadn’t really thought of in those words before:
“If you want to set barriers against the new technologies, do it with non-preemptive entertainment… like personality!”
What he’s saying is that new technologies will always arise because they are common, comparatively easy. What’s scarce, however, is talent. On-air talent. Personality.
Technologies can leapfrog each other. They can spinoff each other. They can copy each other.
Talent is unique. Talent is original. Talent is one-of-a-kind. Talent is scarce. Talent can’t be dreamed up by a cadre of techies plugging away at workstations. This, in fact, is why Satellite Radio is working so hard to buy it up. They get the notion that people are more likely to pay for what’s better. Well, guess what, Radio. People are also more likely to listen to what’s better for free.
Radio’s opportunity is clear. Now get out there and do something.