Steve Farella President & CEO, TargetCast tcm

Steve Farella

Steve Farella recently moderated a panel of industry experts at Advertising Week 2009 in NYC. The presentation highlighted some of the key challenges and opportunities facing the radio industry as it seeks to maintain and strengthen its position with marketers and listeners. Steve co-founded TargetCast tcm to create a media agency specifically designed for strong independent brands that need a high level of commitment and great strategic thinking to challenge category leaders. Steve’s leadership in the media industry is credited with helping to build some of its largest and most respected agencies. However, over time, he began to form a vision for a new media agency as he witnessed the progressive consolidation of independent media shops into mega-media conglomerates.

TargetCast tcm was launched to counter the attrition of independent media agencies and to build an environment where strong independent brands can find the resources, senior level talent and hands-on approach required to understand the integrated media habits and mindsets of consumers who are key to building business in competitive markets.

Prior to founding the agency, Steve served as the founding CEO of Havas' Media Planning Group, where he helped build the business to $3.4 billion. He has also been the chief media officer at Jordan McGrath Case & Partners, Young & Rubicam, Wells Rich Greene/BDDP and Ammirati & Puris. He began his work in media at Benton & Bowles and over the course of his career he has had extensive experience in nearly every major industry sector.

Currently Steve is a member of the Media Policy Committee at the AAAA's, on the Advisory Committee of St. John's University's School of Professional Studies, a speaker at the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School, a Vice President of the Muscular Dystrophy Association, and a past President of the Advertising Club of New York.

--Carl Marcucci

Among the questions we asked:
Do you think the move to put FM & FM HD in mobile phones will help the broadcasters? Why?
 
How can GPS/Traffic services help?
 
How will Internet in the dash change things? How is price a factor?
 
How about HD radio receiver addressability? Where does that stand?
 
Do you think music formats need to be improved? How?
 
How do we get younger demos to listen and participate in radio?
 
What are the positive assets of radio?
 
What are the negatives?
 
What is radio’s perception problem – with listeners, advertisers, buyers?
 
How can radio best sell its online and on-air inventory as a package?
 
How do radio companies need to evolve with the landscape to survive and stay current?
 
How can HD Radio change things? What will it take?