38 RADIOINK•COM MAY 6, 2019
see the dashboard potentially being
the same. Imagine what would happen
if our industry was faced with another
fee similar to ASCAP or BMI — a fee
just to be included in the dashboard.
Given the $16 billion we generate pri-
marily from control of the dashboard,
it would not surprise me to eventually
have to pay for the space we use to
generate it.
My worst fear is listeners start find-
ing it easier to use digital in the car
by voice commands and stop using
the dial. Now, all that said, our indus-
try needs to double down on live and
local, and at the same time make sure
our streams are as easy to call up on
devices as Amazon Prime or Spotify.Fuss: Yes, we have to stay relevant to
keep people listening.Davenport: It is a concern, but
research consistently shows that
when people are in their cars, radio is
the overwhelmingly dominant audio.
However, as technology changes in
newer cars, other options are available
such as voice activation, podcasts, and
streaming. For this reason, we audio
stream all of our stations on as many
platforms as possible.Patrick: I do worry about radio los-
ing dominance in the car, office, and
elsewhere. We need to develop better
ways to reach younger audiences and
to remain relevant as an audio enter-
tainment and information source in our
communities. The challenges in smaller
markets are no different than in the
large markets. Being relevant, enter-
taining, and important to the listener is
our opportunity.Perkins: Of course, I worry about
the future of our business in general.
However, I cannot spend a lot of time
worrying about it. I must focus on how
to be close to our listeners and custom-
ers and be a resource for their success,
and therefore our success.Becker: I am thankful to organizationslike the NAB that continue to work on
keeping radio in the vehicle. The tech-
nology that is available is making it
easier to find radio with voice activa-
tion. Now it comes back to our stations
to market themselves better and remind
listeners how they can find their favorite
station.Radio Ink: What would you like to see
radio do better?
Fuss: We need to do a better job show-
ing bigger companies, especially all the
chain stores and franchises, that radio
should be a part of their ongoing mar-
keting. Most of them do a remote for
their grand opening, then you never hear
from them again. That’s not the proper
way to use radio.Davenport: Local, local, local! Create
better content and establish an emo-
tional connection with your audience.
There is not a more exciting time
for radio than now. Digital audio is
everywhere, and as broadcasters we
must embrace change and continue to
improve the listening experience.
Perkins: Promote the value of radio, our
access and engagement with our listen-
ers, and the results — if done properly —
we deliver for our advertisers. I know we
do a poor job of that, and I believe radio,
in general, does a poor job.
I wish there were a company that had
the easy access to great creative and tal-
ent to produce radio promotion spots for
different size markets and we all agreed
to promote them. They can’t be highly
produced, in your face — I believe they
must be relatable, possibly even format-
specific. Frequency works, so why don’t
we use it to promote ourselves?Stone: Competitors working more
together on rate integrity. Stop under-
cutting each other. It only drives the
market revenue lower.
Working together in markets to drive
home how live and local radio is. Serving
the communities better by working
together on projects that help the people
we serve. Create more live and local tal-
ent — the kind of talent that has stayingpower, talent that becomes the local
celebrity. The kind of talent people want
to wake up to and ride home with.Patrick: I would like to see radio stop
measuring our success in all markets as
whether we are beating our competitor
down the street. The targets should be
direct mail, print, and billboards. We do
not have local television in our markets.
There is too much competition among
stations. Hyper-serve your audience
and focus on tomorrow, not yesterday’s
battles.
I also think that the real measure
of success should be whether we have
helped the people and institutions of our
communities connect with people. If we
do our jobs right, we will do well finan-
cially. Long-term, we need to know that
we have made a difference in the lives
of others. This is a great business that
allows us to help others and lead our
communities forward.Becker: I would like to see radio do a
better job of self-promoting the things
they do best. Other sources have done a
better job of promoting themselves, yet
radio still has the strongest numbers in
listeners.
I would also like to see radio hold its
value. Radio continues to be a great
place for advertisers to get results, so
we need to get away from lowering our
prices and added value and focus on
writing good commercials and bringing
customers to our businesses.Goldsen: Stop fighting with each other,
embrace change, and focus on the
needs of the end user, our listeners.
Our biggest weakness is also our big-
gest strength, and that’s the multitude
of voices in our industry. With all of the
handwringing about consolidation, com-
mercial over-the-air broadcasters in
the United States remain the strongest,
diverse, and frankly unique communica-
tion media voices on Earth. I’m proud
to be in this industry, and as I enter my
43rd year as a radio broadcaster, there’s
nothing else I’d rather have done in my
career.