The Password is INTENT

A few days ago I wrote a post about shared experience and explained how we are no longer the megaphone of our markets.  Radio has always been about shared experience.  Those who broadcast on the radio shared their experience(s) with listeners and they listened.  Sure a few phoned in or came to an event, but mostly, like all (I say this with love) old media we operated a one way street. 

I came across this amazing slide show I want to share with you.  Normally when I find a presentation I find worthy of including on this blog I will read it 2 or 3 times, pick a slide or two that really captures the essence of the message, and put those pictures in the body of the post.  This time was different--there's so many important points to digest that a couple of slides just won't do it. There's some very insightful information here.  I hope you will read through it and share it with those who may not normally read blogs--if you know what I mean. 

Digital Strangelove (or How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Love The Internet)

View more documents from David Gillespie.

New Media...from a TV Exec's Perspecitve

Jeff Zucker of NBC Universal went on Charlie Rose earlier this week and discussed everything from digital platform profitability to fixing NBC Primetime to Conan taking over from Leno and lots more. Of course, TV is dealing with many of the same challenges as we are in the radio business; so it is interesting to watch and listen to his answers on how he is dealing with then.

Let me boil it down to 3 key words that I think best describe his central themes: time, talent, and change.

It's a long interview, but if you are a media junkie like me it was time well spent.

Happy Anniversary

It was 10 years ago the first mp3 player was released by a tiny Korean company. Soon to be followed by countless others, some of which you may be familiar with. Of course, this invention ushered in a new era in portable on-demand music that changed everything! (not to minimize broadband speed and an infinite amount of content--free and otherwise on the 'net)

From Engadget:

Odds are, you take your iPod or Zune for granted. You probably don't think about the crazy technological advancements we've made, but take a ten-year look back at the world's first MP3 player -- the MPMan F10 -- and you'll get a sense of just how far we've come. Manufactured by Korea's Saehan Information Systems, the device was launched in March of 1998 at CeBIT, and went on sale in the Summer through Eiger Labs for $250. The player featured 32MB of flash memory (which could be upgraded to 64MB via mail-in scheme), connected to PCs via parallel port, and had a miniscule LCD for playback info -- but it laid the groundwork for the tech we have today. Following the MPMan's release, Rio unleashed its PMP300, which received a warmer reception and all-but eclipsed the F10's status as "first" amongst players, likely due to the company's well-known (and groundbreaking) legal battle against the RIAA. Still, first is first, so help keep the MPMan's rich history alive, and celebrate its ten-year anniversary this month with campfire songs and story-telling. Check out the archived read link of the original Eiger Labs site for a wild and wacky trip through time.

The HD Radio Blues

In the beginning many of us were excited about the possibilities of IBOC errrrr HD Radio. As BB King sung so many times--the thrill is gone. I turned on my HD Radio this morning for the first time since nighttime AM HD broadcasting was approved a few months ago. Why? I was reminded I had it when I opened my email to read in Inside Radio, as I have also read elsewhere, that Consultant Fred Jacobs and HD Alliance leader Peter Ferrara are sparring over the latest radio ad campaign:

HD Alliance defends new ad campaign. The HD Radio Alliance's new ad campaign is drawing fire. Critics worry about how the campaign portrays existing analog radio - while doing little to sort out consumer confusion about HD Radio. Consultant Fred Jacobs says the new campaign "stunned" him because he thinks it positions analog radio as "repetitive, and lame." But Alliance chief Peter Ferrara says the industry needs to adjust its message to what today's consumers are thinking.

For the most part HD Radio has not broken any new ground. FM's have programmed mostly line extension formats or narrow niche formats and AM's have banked on the improved audio quality to draw listeners. While the audio quality improvement is impressive (yes, there are those who disagree with that), that alone will not bring new listeners to the band. And don't get me started on the channel numbering!

I'm not going to get in the middle of Fred and Peter's debate. Both men are capable of defending their own positions. In my opinion HD Radio has been a terrible distraction at a time when traditional radio is facing challenges as great as its ever faced. Not to mention the fact that thus far it has been a massive failure on multiple fronts--consumer confusion or disinterest leading to only a reported half million radios sold. It is safe to say finding an HD Radio in the hands of a listener would be as difficult as finding the proverbial needle in the haystack. How many of those radios are in the hands of radio people?

We know that "improved" audio quality will not move the needle. If better sounding audio was important, mp3's would not be as big an audio format as it is. We know that deep cuts, or dance, or bluegrass are not likely to get consumers in droves heading to the local Best Buy to pick up an HD Radio.

So, what's it gonna take? Something different, something that is also web based since there are so few HD radios, and something that has a financial commitment that extends for more than a quarter or two for it to work. It's gonna take embracing competitive technologies that can actually help the platform grow. It's gonna take a staff dedicated to making it happen. And finally, it doesn't have to be local to a single market.

It wouldn't take a great debater to argue this is no need for more places to get audio entertainment. However, IF we can create a genuine need people might latch on to the technology. Maybe in '08.