http://www.rbr.com/ ©2007 Spoonlabs d.o.o. Vivvo CMS 4.1 2012-02-12T03:07:30-06:00 http://www.rbr.com/features/ideas-working-now/17234.html 2009-09-23T12:00:00-05:00 2009-09-23T12:00:00-05:00 Carl Marcucci Yesterday we heard from a cross-section of radio pros about how business is going. Today, we seek their thoughts on where the industry needs to go. Second question: What are the issues http://www.rbr.com/features/ideas-working-now/17234.html 2009-09-24T10:29:02-05:00 2009-09-24T10:29:02-05:00 Pocket Radio "REGENT COMMUNICATIONS, INC.""We are currently broadcasting 24 FM stations and two AM stations in digital, or high definition radio (HD Radio)... The economic benefit, if any, to our stations that have converted to HD Radio currently cannot be measured. Any future economic benefit to our stations as a result of digital conversion is not known at this time."http://tinyurl.com/nw9ts6"Saga Communications, Inc.""We also continue the rollout of HD Radioâ„¢... It is unclear what impact HD Radio will have on the industry and our revenue as the availability of HD receivers, particularly in automobiles, is not widely available."http://tinyurl.com/m5cs7l"EMMIS COMMUNICATIONS CORPORATION""We currently utilize HD Radio® digital technology on most of our FM stations. It is unclear what impact HD Radio® will have on the markets in which we operate."http://tinyurl.com/kkgd7jNow that ANALOG FM tagging is taking a foothold in iPods, why bother "upgrading" to Bob Struble's inferior technology? He makes Dr. Brinkley blush. http://www.rbr.com/features/ideas-working-now/17234.html 2009-09-24T12:51:05-05:00 2009-09-24T12:51:05-05:00 dale weston Content is the key. With the bulging population of Boomers getting more gray-haired by the day, this demographic still has the biggest effect on Radio, yet the marketers continue to chase the younger demo, who currently have less money and spend less time with any media of substance for quality advertising.Radio needs as an industry to promote itself better on other media, because we can't go back in time. Radio needs to embrace the new media and drive folks to the on-air qualities that is unique to it.Local content is great to a point, however, don't drink the "Fairness Doctrine" cool aid here either, because Talk Radio dominates with listeners of the Boomer demo with quality syndicated shows that have great success stories for direct response advertisers and other great products.In the current corporate-owned Radio environment, quality creative be it on-air talent, good promotional departments as well as quality copywriting and production should be a must at the local level. Less LSM's could be a way to afford creative again with the current business model.Gotta go, there's a Dick Orkin spot on the radio and I've only got 60 seconds to hear the funny spot... http://www.rbr.com/features/ideas-working-now/17234.html 2009-09-25T16:08:28-05:00 2009-09-25T16:08:28-05:00 Pocket Radio "there are more than 1 million receivers out there""Struble: Radio Is the Last Analog Medium Standing""HD Radio portables — No one's buying a lot of transistor radios anymore. The headphone radios that people used to run around the park with are all gone, and if radio wants to continue to be a reach medium, they've got to be in the devices people carry, which increasingly are cell phones, MP3 players, personal navigation devices... Insignia HD — I think this will be a nice little interim step for jogging or working out. It proves the viability [of the technology] and hopefully we'll get sales; but no, this is not going to sell in the hundreds of thousands... Radio alone — the sad reality of where it is — as a standalone device, it just doesn't exist anymore as a category. Nobody goes into Best Buy and says 'Where's the radio department?'"http://www.rwonline.com/article/87370Oh really, Struble? And, let's hear about how many have been returned:"Many Retailers Forecast ’08 HD-Radio Gain""Flanner’s notes, however, that returns on HD Radio for the home is higher than on other products. If you get a signal, the sound quality is spectacular, said Ernst. If you don’t get it, you don’t get it. It has a higher return rate than other products because someone can’t get a signal or maybe they live in a valley or too far away from the station."http://www.abt.com/about/news/twice_051908.php3