Yesterday at the NAB Radio Show, NAB President and CEO David Rehr unveiled a campaign to reposition radio for the future: "Radio 2020."
Radio 2020 a cooperative effort between the NAB, the Radio Advertising Bureau (RAB) and of course the HD Digital Radio Alliance.
"As we near commercial radio's 100th anniversary in 2020, this initiative will be our road map to building radio's future," said Rehr.
The first item of attack for the Radio 2020 initiative (which, by the way, is a pretty hokey name... c'mon, it's up there with Hulu), is to address consumers' demands for playlist variety and format diversity. Unfortunately, "variety and diversity" is something that "radio" is no longer associated with... and just happens to be what consumers get from iPods, satellite radio and internet radio.
"But," Rehr said, "we need to do a better job of informing listeners about the great variety that radio already provides."
(sigh) Radio is still stuck in this mindset that telling listeners something that isn't true will convince them otherwise. That only works in the old pre-fragmented world. That worked when radio, and TV, were all the public depended on for information. But it doesn't work today. Radio stations can't keep playing the stingers declaring "We're [you're state's] #1 home for rock 'n roll!" and expect people to believe it (because that new 160Gb iPod sure seems to be the real #1 home for rock and roll). And the same applies with telling listeners that there's great variety on radio - it doesn't work anymore. Don't tell them about it... do it.
"We must continually seek ways to meet the demands of our consumers - encouraging more variety and diversity, spurring more innovations in electronics, and helping marketers develop even more innovative and compelling advertisements," said David Rehr.
As much of a critic of Rehr as I am, I really can't argue here. Innovation, variety, diversity... all great things, and something that radio has lost in the last 15 years. But the proof is in the pudding - you can't make a purse out of a sow's ear... right David?
"You don't have to be wealthy to own a radio. In fact, you can buy one for a buck. And you don't have to be stationary to listen to radio - it's in your car, MP3 player, or headphones. What listeners love most, and what radio must promote, is how accessible, ubiquitous, and easy to use radio is," added Rehr.
Wrong.
Listeners don't care how accessible radio is. Listeners don't care that it's ubiquitous. Listeners don't care that radio has towers, spectrum, transmitters, contours, satellites, repeaters, buffers or anything for that matter. Telling the listener about distribution means nothing. Because they don't care.
What listeners care about is content. They want to turn on a device - be it a radio, a satellite radio, an iPod, their cellphone, whatever - and listen to something on their drive to work. Or hear something in the background while working on the job site. Or rev them up while they're cranking away behind a computer at work. Or laugh during the drive home after a crazy day at work.
Rehr concluded by saying that Radio 2020 will, "give ammunition to radio's loyalists" as they respond to industry critics. He told NAB Radio Show attendees, "We need you to be evangelical about Radio 2020 and talk to as many people as possible. Repeat it to yourself, to your colleagues, and to your family."
How about this? How about instead of drinking the NAB Kool-aid, and repeating "2020 2020 2020" to everyone in some cult-mania mantra... why not just do it instead? If "Radio 2020" is going to be some revolution in radio - which, let's face it, is a direct response to the fragmenting of media from satellite radio, internet radio, iPods, mobile audio, etc - then start acting on it, and stop talking about it.
If broadcast TV stations can survive cable (and even thrive amid 600 other channels), then radio can too... they just need to give a reason to do so.
sigh - it is quite tiring to be told this because as you state it is all hot air. i only listen to terrestial radio to hear a couple of specific local talk radio people when i know they will address an issue i want to hear discussed and hear what other people say.
other than perhaps football - which is a made for tv sport at this point in time - or baseball which i also would rather watch on cable - i have my iPod and satellite radio which serve me quite well.
by 2020 we will be off of HD radio and onto some other new over air technology of the minute - some evolved form of satellite entertainment - some extension of the iPod concept - and god knows what else anyway. AM and FM radio as we know it today will be still chugging along with fewer listeners as the younger techie familiar folks move up in years replacing the now aging AM and FM radio listeners that terrestial radio has at its listener base.
i am on the older side and got bored years ago by the stale play list mentality and tight formats on radio and have since moved on to alternatives to fill my listening needs. i cannot imagine what the NAB will try to conceptualize to invigorate listeners in the future.
Nicely written Ryan.
The one thing that Radio has forgotten, or, for that matter, fails to grip is that the tables have turned. With the proliferation of Ipods, SAT radio, etc the CONSUMER chooses what they want (and are more than willing to pay for it). They cant choose for us whats cool/hip/hot anymore, WE know, and they quite obviously dont.
The real problem is enpowerment: NAB and traditional radio still feel like they have "The Power" to be a trendsetter. With all of the new technology, the power is firmly in the hands of the consumer.
He should join the Bush administration -- he may really believe the crap he spews.
For all the criticizing Orbitcast does about the NAB, it seems they have a fascination -- almost a love affair -- with Mr. David K. Rehr. You folks do love to use pictures of him, perhaps it is time to come out of the closet?
No matter how you spin it, RADIO is heard by 233 million listeners per week.
No matter how you spin it, XM + SIRIUS = monopoly.
Those are the FACTS.
Rodney - How long have you worked for Clear Channel?
So Rod, did your dad touch you as a little boy? Is that why your scared of the homosexuals? Are you afraid you might catch it if you touch one? Tee hee, you callled Ryan a fag.
No matter how you spin it, RODNEY C is a VAPID CUNT who willingly laps up the rhetoric spewed forth from big daddy D's asshole.