It's all about the content--NOT the hardware--even though the hardware is beautiful. It's all about giving you more reasons to use it, want it, and evangelize it. Oh, and spending money making it do exactly what you want it to do.
In radio's case, millions and millions and millions of people have our hardware only to experience a diminishing level of stickiness (compelling content) especially on music stations outside of morning drive...sans Ryan Seacrest, John Tesh, Tom Kent and some talented locals who remain in place.
The only thing, in my view, that will keep music stations vibrant in the years ahead is interesting and entertaining content around the songs. Strangely, dead roll segues also play a role, depending on the format. [our content must also be platform agnostic, another reason the rethink how we do it]
While staff reductions are a reality, [a reality that is not going to change any time soon] the time is now to start trying ideas that are not dependent on traditional radio DJ's. Certainly, a statement that will not be popular with jocks looking for work or even those who are still working. These ideas are not going to come from the accountants who are insisting on the cuts, but the creative minds that still populate radio stations across the country.
In a strange way, this very tough time in radio business may be the best thing to happen to radio--forcing us to do it different.
