They're Not That Conservative

Today's blog is from our own Keith Cunningham who speaks on radio needing to step it up and take "risks" to improve its quality by embracing new digital initiatives.

While there are many opinions about whether or not cable news networks are biased, here’s a news flash:  Fox News is NOT conservative when it comes to the digital world.

If you were at Summit 13, you saw Leo Laporte talking about the importance of radio embracing new digital initiatives.  Leo must have broken into Fox News headquarters and explained the importance of creating new digital initiatives.  For a network where the target demo couldn’t be considered early adopters or Gen Y, it’s interesting to see them creating online only content.  To clarify, they’re producing live, behind the scenes, unedited, interesting content you CAN’T see on your HDTV.

Fox News seems to understand that regardless of their target demo, “old media” cannot rely on past models.  And I’m sure it’s only a matter of time before this content is available on our cell phones.

The need for new tactics and event programming at radio continues to increase.  Here are a few thoughts to jumpstart the process (all of which have obvious audience and sales benefits).

• Why wouldn’t morning talent extend their show an extra hour for an online-only audience?
• Why can’t weekly music meetings be streamed online, with a chat/comment component for the audience?  After all, our music decisions are supposed to be audience based, so let them in on the process.  It’s that behind-the-scenes stuff that listeners crave.
• Why can’t a morning show stream its “prep” or “creative” meetings? 
• Why can’t stations “stream” ALL the new songs they get, and let the audience tell PDs and MDs which ones stand out?  Nikki Sixx talked about this, too.  If there’s not room on the playlist, there’s certainly room on the website.
• Why can’t a PD do a LIVE, audio/video AMT on the station’s website?  Scientific?  No.  Interesting for the audience?  Yes.
• Why can’t new CD releases or concerts be reviewed online, with audio and video of the DJ guiding the audience through it all?
• Why can’t all live shows use a web cam every day?
• Why can’t a lot more interviews be recorded for the online audience?

The larger picture here is that anyone can now blog, create video, or even build their own mini-radio station or larger-than-life persona online.  And consumers can now get commercial-free Pandora, NFL games on our cell phones, a 24/7 AC/DC channel on Sirius to promote the band’s new release, and new TV programming being created for the online, cell phone, and MP3 audience.  Radio needs to rise above the content fold, not fall beneath it. 

This is only the beginning of what is sure to be an unbelievable explosion of new digital content.  So, as Leo Laporte, Nikki Sixx and many of the “Presidents” suggested at Summit 13, it’s time for radio to step it up, listen to the audience, and take more risks.