5 Questions With A CES First-Timer

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Westwood One SVP of Digital Content Tim Sabean has safely returned from the Consumerr Electronics Show madness in Las Vegas. It was Tim’s first trip to the craziness that showcases the hottest gadgets, latest digital inventions, and futuristic technology. We threw five questions at Sabean about his journey into the future.

Radio Ink: How was show?
Tim: The amount of information and gadgetry and technology is mind boggling. You can not comprehend it in a week. This show could last a month.

Tim Sabean

Radio Ink: When you first got there did you have a plan of attack?
Tim: I had meetings set up with various people and plans to randomly walk the floor to see what’s out there. I wanted to target the new technology, which I did. I think to walk out here cold is a big mistake. You need a plan of attack to see everything and get yourself exposed to everything.

Radio Ink: Was there something that really surprised you?
Tim: I was blown away by the Intel booth primarily because of their ability to track everything we do. You are no longer alone in this world. You are being watched 24/7 365. The different techniques and software that they use in order to attract; also animation and how fluid it has become. Animators used to take literally weeks or months to complete a project and now it can be done instantly. How it complements the audio portion of what I do in taking it and creating a 360 experience.

Radio Ink: What about the automobiles. Did you get to see any and how that will relate to radio?
Tim: The thing that blew me away was the two-way communication and connectivity in the car and how fluid it will become. Once again the data and tracking. The ability to have two-way communication back and forth with the content.

Tim Saben (left), Buzz Knight and WRIF’s Mark Pennington

Radio Ink: What is your thought on why radio people should go even just once?
Tim: They need to go to experience the technology and understand it. It gives you an idea on how to form your content you are creating on a daily basis into this new technology. There are all these different multiple delivery systems. Software vendors being collaborative with all these distribution channels and other content creators. It’s no longer a world of being in one lane and being extremely competitive. You are still competitive but you have to work together in order to create and grow an audience.

Radio Ink: In addition to how enormous it is, is there one takeaway you will take back and work towards the most that you got out of CES?
Tim: It is preparing for the future as a lot of this stuff is probably five years away. The one thing is getting into your archives and developing the assets you have, to prepare them for mass distribution coming up.

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