From a technological and strategic standpoint (at least), radio in the UK is way ahead of our industry here in the US. The choices have been historically fewer, the investment in them (both financial and TLC) is greater, the brands are bigger, and the willingness to take risks hasn’t withered in inverse proportion to the size of the industry.
Because of those and other reasons, digital radio is way ahead there, too. And so is the realization that radio is not “radio,” it’s really a “multiplatform” experience, to use James Cridland’s word.
“When radio and new platforms collide,” says Cridland, “great things happen.”
Check out this video posted by Cridland from a UK conference called “Radio at the Edge”:
There’s more compelling narrative about radio’s potential future in this short video than in all the efforts of the NAB and the HD Radio Alliance combined: