Vivvo CMS 4.1 http://www.rbr.com/ ©2010 Spoonlabs d.o.o. http://www.rbr.com/files.php?file=rss_logo1_757997737.jpg http://www.rbr.com/ http://www.rbr.com/features/ideas-working-now/20402.html IDEAS WORKING NOW Mon, 25 Jan 2010 11:12:00 -0500 The radio business is off to an uncertain start in the new year, with the Citadel bankruptcy filing and other filings sure to http://www.ecrp.com IDEAS WORKING NOW Tue, 26 Jan 2010 13:19:11 -0500 Mr Shea raises some interesting points – but with all due respect Nash Curves and Sell-through Rates sound an awful lot like Wharton text book terms, which are pretty much anathema to those of us who believe that it was Wall Street MBA’s who contributed to the design of the destructive business models that got radio where it is today.The “negative sum game” he refers to is a direct result of the commoditization of advertising inventory. Once upon a time, radio and the other legacy media could control the supply by reducing inventory. The internet changed all that and more. Obsessing over unit rates (pricing power) will only perpetuate radio’s long slide into irrelevance.Business owners and consumers share a common contemporary attitude toward advertising. If you’re “selling”, I’m not interested – not at any price.On the other hand, this whole business of contextual marketing opens up an interesting new marketing frontier. Mel Karmazin is famously quoted as saying some years ago that “Google f’d up the party.” Google is a service. I seek information, Google provides it and recommends business partners that might offer relevant support for whatever it is I am trying to accomplish. My toilet leaks – I call a plumber to provide the service that addresses my needs. The point is that people rarely if ever “negotiate” with service providers.Radio operators who move now to restructure as multi-platform local media service businesses - as opposed to selling a commodity (spots) - are likely to survive for a very long time.Paul W RobinsonEmerald City Media Partnersprobinson@ecrp.com