Radio is Ready, Just Add Youth
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"I'm not internet savvy" is a phrase that's repeated to me many times. Mostly it's a defensive statement, said just after the other person and I start discussing how advertisers are moving more money online. That most of my discussions on this topic are with radio station GMs and owners is troubling because they should be very internet savvy by now.
Operating in an information vacuum is a major problem in the radio industry and the basis for why I argue that its executives need to step aside and allow youth into leadership roles.
It's not that these older white men who are running radio aren't smart enough to know a Twitter from a Linked In request. They just don't care - and it's not out of ignorance. What's holding them back from exploring is the human trait of feeling safe in familiar surroundings.
The comfort zone has now become uncomfortable, which leaves the choice of exploring and risking failure or continue to do what you've been doing and guaranteeing failure. (Want to see change in real-time? Visit Twitter's The Media is Dying feed.)
If you are going to use the internet for business, such as having a radio station web site, then the internet needs to be understood from different perspectives.
- What are my web site's visitors' needs?
- How will visitors navigate through my site?
- How does my core audience use the rest of the internet throughout each day?
- What applications are available online to enhance my understanding of the internet?
- What applications (widgets) are available to enhance my visitors' experiences?
As an example, let's introduce Google News, a wonderful way to stay updated on items of interest to you. Google News scans 4,500 worldwide publications to deliver topics that you select. Click on any of these links and you'll see the potential of this online tool.
If you are leading a radio station or group, using Google News to expand your knowledge seems a given. A few weeks back I was having dinner with a radio exec who's known by everyone in the business. He has scores of awards, and is highly respected. Yet when the topic of Google News came up he knew nothing about it.
I also recently spoke with a couple of station owners. Neither one knew about Google News. Fact: Few radio managers that I've talked with since Google News was launched over 4 years ago have heard about it. (How can you not know given the position of this service on Google's home page? It's by remaining in your comfort zone, never daring to explore the internet's potential.)
There are dozens upon dozens of internet applications that the elders of the radio industry are oblivious to. So comes the question, how can radio move online if its leaders don't know the true internet landscape? At what point will they start promoting youth and giving them power to make decisions that effectively move the radio industry online?
If you are one of those older white males who sits in a radio executive's chair, here are a few challenging questions for you. Is your station making a move to create a social network on your web site? Why? Even if visitors consider joining, what revenue can be generated by this?
Does your station have a MySpace page? Are both web site and MySpace pages updated regularly? Is your station listed under the correct keyword search terms? Do you do a monthly newsletter with solid information, or is it just a promotional push of "me, me, me"?
The way radio has been done is dead. That's not to say radio is dead. But the one-dimensional "you talk to them by pushing programming on your clock" style of radio is as dead as, say, HD Radio. Only none of the elders in this business will admit it.
Are you internet savvy enough to understand how web site ad testing will start a new revenue stream for your station? If not, please look around for a youthful person who does. Then give them the reins. For the good of the industry, your ride in radio is over.
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