By Adam R Jacobson
RBR + TVBR
Somewhere in a corporate boardroom, in an American metropolis somewhere on the continent, the final touches on their broadcast company’s Q3 results are being made.
With terms like “SOI” and “EBITDA” front and center, some of the radio industry’s biggest players will be battling for coverage with the 2016 U.S. presidential election.
Maybe that’s all part of the plan, as the two most-challenged companies — Cumulus Media and iHeartRadio — respectively release their Q3 results on the morning of Election Day, and the morning after the election of our next president.
While the debt-laden duo have become the greatest reasons why internet streamers such as Pandora and Spotify seek to grow, and digital dollars continue their efforts to steal as much of radio’s pie as possible, an independently owned Adult Alternative radio stations serving the greater Boston area has perhaps stumbled onto a great way a radio station can embrace social media, and use it to build community.
Oh, there’s a sponsorship story here, too.
But this is mainly a tale about how radio can become listener-controlled in a way that brings in more than just dollars.
It brings brand passion Pandora wishes it had.
Thank WXRV-FM “92.5 The River” and its five-year Facebook Friday feature for proving why local radio still matters.
