Did you know that radio has the highest reach against teens versus any other broadcast medium or electronic device? And radio’s reach is even greater than that of game consoles!
Month: January 2017
Radio on Main Street Podcast featuring Jim Thompson, Broadcasters Foundation of America
In this episode of Radio on Main Street, RAB President and CEO, Erica Farber speaks with veteran broadcaster Jim Thompson. Jim now heads the Broadcasters Foundation of America, a charitable foundation whose mission is to be there when times get tough for radio and television professionals.
Jim and Erica talk about the history and mission of the Broadcasters Foundation of America and look forward to some of the fundraising events that help the foundation help your fellow broadcasters. Who knows….maybe even you, someday.
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Radio on Main Street Podcast featuring Delilah, Nationally Known Radio Personality
In this episode of Radio on Main Street, RAB President and CEO Erica Farber talks with Delilah, Premiere Networks’ nationally syndicated personality about the relevance and power of radio to today’s media consumer. Delilah also shares her secret for connecting with her radio audience across generations.
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Silence Can Be Golden in Radio Ads
A barn. Blue skies. A horse running through the fields.
A great image just came to your mind reading those words, right? But what color was the barn – red? What color was the horse – brown, white, black, spotted? And while the horse was running through the fields under the blue skies, was it a winter day with snow on the ground or were there wild flowers growing. Whatever your answer was, it doesn’t matter. The image that came to mind was relevant to you and that is the power of radio commercials.
Insights into CES 2017
The overarching theme behind all of the products showcased during CES® 2017 centered on providing a positive experience to the consumer.
The RAB team hit the road (in this case the convention center) to get an inside look at how the IoT and specifically, AI is changing our future. According to Shawn DuBravac, Chief Economist and Sr. Director of Research for the Consumer Technology Association, there are five key trends:
- The new voice of computing – using voice to manage and connect with devices
- Artificial Intelligence – taking care of things that we don’t
- The network – tapping into the potential of our own connected devices
- The transformation of transportation – how vehicles will evolve
- The digitizing of the consumer experience – how augmented/virtual reality will shift entertainment experiences, etc.
That list may perplex some but we are all experiencing them already today in some form or fashion. The voice that was frequently referenced throughout CES was that of Alexa. While Alexa, the voice of Amazon Echo, is not new, how Alexa currently uses the consumer’s voice to interface with other devices is quickly expanding, and Ford displayed how their partnership with Amazon’s Alexa Voice System can work. Artificial or Augmented Intelligence is on the verge of making a consumer’s experience better – even easier – by either automatically adjusting a refrigerator’s most efficient temperature to potentially playing a podcast automatically while driving. And speaking of driving, self-parking or automatic braking systems already exist, but the opportunity to provide the passenger of a driverless vehicle with endless entertainment options are in our future.
With Alexa Voice System technology being integrated into literally everything it can, there is a great possibility that voice activation will replace the graphical user interface (mouse, keyboard, touch screen, etc.) in the not too distant future, according to DuBravac. Therefore, the implications and opportunity for “branding” radio stations and their call letters to help a listener tune the dial are enormous.
So what does this mean for radio? Like the numerous products and innovations in technology displayed at CES, at the center of it all is the consumer – providing them with the best possible experience – and that is what radio continues to do. Just this past week, CBS Radio News and iHeartRadio each announced their integration into some of these devices. CBS Radio News will now be available on Amazon’s Alexa service. iHeartMedia announced iHeartRadio’s integration across connected devices and tech.
Radio will always be there to deliver content to their listeners – with either the push of a button, the touch of an app or even through the use of their voice.
If you’d like to see some what our team experienced, visit RAB.com, scroll down the homepage and go into the CES section of our video wall.
Radio on Main Street Podcast featuring Mark Gross, Highdive Advertising
In this week’s episode, Erica Farber chats with newly appointed Chief Judge for the 2017 Radio Mercury Awards, Mark Gross, founder and creative director at Highdive Advertising.
Mark will share his plans for this year’s competition, what it took to win three Best in Show Radio Mercury Awards, and how anything is possible on the Radio.
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Closing the 2016 Political Year
Today’s blog post is courtesy of Leo Kivijarv, Ph.D., Executive Vice President & Director of Research of PQ Media
As stated in our previous guest blog posts, this was a strange year given the Trump candidacy. He spent significantly lower on media advertising and marketing than previous presidential candidates on most media platforms, with the exceptions of digital, event marketing, promotional products, public relations & word-of-mouth. Continue reading “Closing the 2016 Political Year”
Radio’s sustaining presence
in American culture
Today’s blog post is courtesy of Ginny Morris, Chair and Chief Executive Officer, Hubbard Radio, LLC
Radio, as an industry, will celebrate its “first” vibrant 100 years in 2020. The country has seen the evolution of radio over that time from a nascent technology with few users to a pervasive and ubiquitous part of American culture. We all know radio’s history, right? The AM band dominated for decades before the FM band finally found its legs, and combined, the two continue to be a solid foundation for today’s ever-evolving “audio landscape.”
Our family has been in the broadcasting business since the early 20’s. My grandfather, Stanley E. Hubbard, started with one radio station: WAMD. In our company’s 90-or-so years we have never been more excited about the radio business. Audience levels are near an all-time high of 247.4MM people 12+ every week. Radio offers a richer experience for our listeners across our digital platforms and a more dynamic environment to help our advertising partners grow their businesses.
Continue reading “Radio’s sustaining presence
in American culture”