(By Deborah Parenti) Spend a couple of days around a group of people with a unity of focus and shared purpose and you can’t help but get caught up in the enthusiasm that anything is possible if you dream it together.
That was a prime takeaway from my experience at Radio Ink‘s recent Hispanic Radio Conference in Miami. I wasn’t alone, either. The energy and urgency felt especially intense this time. After 14 years of weighing and debating the challenges and opportunities that lie in front of this vibrant segment of the radio industry, moves were made for decisive action.
It was invigorating. It was also a reminder of the power of connection. There’s nothing like getting like-minded people in the same room. Face to face, up close and personal, there is an energy that can catch fire and transcend differences.
Just look at the AM battle where so many disparate parts on an even larger scale have come together to take a stand and fight for a cause. And look at how far we’ve come in a matter of months! When radio, its listeners, and supporters unite, we are an absolute force.
As broadcasters, we need to find more areas that can bring us together for the good of the industry. And if not always of common interest, then in the interest of the common good. Reviving the minority tax certificate, something that goes beyond diversifying the work force to providing more diversification in ownership, would be one such example. Can we mount a similarly vigorous campaign to get this passed?
The same holds true for the Local Radio Freedom Act. Support for this continues to grow in both chambers of Congress, but it’s going to take continued pressure from radio and its army of listeners to make this act a reality. And while there are many supporters within the industry, some voices remain quiet. There could be obvious reasons for silence, but do they outweigh the common good?
Hispanic radio broadcasters have many distinct and sometimes different visions, but last week they demonstrated the enormous promise when cooperation and coalition take center stage – just like the fight to maintain AM on the dash. Call me eternally optimistic but I believe radio can defeat any challenge in our way, big or small, as long as we band together. Like Henry Ford said, “Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress; working together is success.” Open discussion, meet candidly, and look for consensus: maybe the sky can be the limit after all.
Deborah Parenti is Publisher of Radio Ink. Reach Deborah at [email protected]. Read her Radio Ink digital archives here or read her latest column with a digital or print subscription here.
