Radio Ink is counting down to NAB Show 2024 at the Las Vegas Convention Center by having conversations with some of radio’s biggest innovators in the weeks leading up to April 13-17.
Today we talk tech with Xperi Senior Vice President of Global Radio and Digital Audio Joe D’Angelo.
Radio Ink: Xperi had a big showing at CES in January. We talked about that with Jacobs Media last week. What’s been the response to that and how is that momentum carrying over into NAB?
Joe D’Angelo: We did have a great show. We showed a couple of new cars, including the Nissan vehicle with our AutoStage platform with lyrics. And for the first time, you had recommendations in there. That was extremely well received. A lot of broadcasters also got to see the platform firsthand in the Hyundai Genesis as well.
We were able to present to the industry how radio can be positioned in a dashboard that is becoming more of a broad multimedia platform with this convergence of video, audio, and now gaming coming into the car. I think one of the apprehensions before CES is, where does radio fit in that media mix? What we demonstrated at the show and that we’re going to continue to demonstrate and advocate for and even implement is that radio has a role across all those media types.
If you just look at what radio has done with the internet on desktop platforms and traditional websites. You see video assets there. There are a number of radio stations that support gaming, and what we’ve done is give those broadcasters a path to get those same features, those same monetization opportunities into the car. That’s really going to be what we’re showcasing at NAB, as well as some unique monetization and measurement capabilities that we are bringing to the market around the core audio product.
Radio Ink: You’re hosting a showcase with Cumulus Media’s Pierre Bouvard, Hubbard Broadcasting’s Greg Strassell, and incoming RAB CEO Mike Hulvey. What can we look forward to at that event?
Joe D’Angelo: So last year we introduced what I’ll call our Gen 1 analytics from AutoStage where we gave radio stations the ability to see how they’re performing in the market, how their audience is flowing throughout the day, and how their songs are performing.
Over the past year, we’ve been working with Pierre and Mike and others in the industry to ask, what else do you want to see? What other data can we deliver that would make this information more actionable and impactful for programming, sales, and operations? What we’re going to preview on that panel is two-pronged: how a local station represented by Greg and how a national network represented by Pierre are using the data that we have.
We’ll start to preview the integration of their asks, like what additional information we can deliver. So for example, we will be showing you the actual number of cars in what we’re calling the Service Obtainable Market. There’s a vocabulary now that’s developing around analytics in the connected car that is different from pure digital and historical broadcast terms.
If you think about a single radio station within any DMA, the signal doesn’t cover the entire DMA, right? So if you’re trying to measure share or cume, people are listening to radio that are outside of the signal coverage of that station. So you can’t ever get credit for that. They’re not a credible potential listener.
What we’ve done with AutoStage is we’ve defined the coverage area of a radio station and the cars that are in that coverage area as the Service Obtainable Market. So we’re taking LA and then we’ll do an example with one of the big stations there. We look at the actual number of cars that drive in and out of the coverage area of that signal, and we say, that’s your potential audience. Of those cars that were coming in and out, what was your share of those acts? So I think it’s a much more realistic representation of station performance. And we’ll be talking about that at some lengths.
Radio Ink: And I know one of the other things you’re participating in is the Small and Medium Market Radio Forum, which I’ve heard from several folks is really one of the best-kept secrets of NAB. What will you be doing there?
Joe D’Angelo: A couple of things – I think the big groups are well aware of the status of HD Radio and the capabilities of DTS AutoStage, but I think a lot of the small and medium market broadcasters don’t realize the opportunity that’s available to them. So we’re going to be talking about HD Radio vehicle penetration in those small and medium markets so those operators can get a sense of what the opportunity is in their markets.
We’ll be talking about Quu’s interactive push and how that’s helping HD Radio broadcasters monetize digital broadcasts with enhanced ads. We’ll also be going into detail about AutoStage, since it’s a very powerful tool, especially in unmeasured markets.
If you don’t have Nielsen where you are, you’re selling based on reputation and a perceived reach. We’re now giving you real hard data to go bring to these clients. There have been some very, very successful case studies that we’ll be sharing with that audience – small media market broadcasters who were early adopters of AutoStage are using it to drive specifically new advertising clients. They’re using the visualization of the audience and the metrics to go close new business. And it’s free for broadcasters.
Radio Ink: Plus, that forum is a good opportunity to get some great face time in, just like at Cocktails and Conversation coming up on Sunday night. It’s always so much fun and a great gathering of radio folks. What are you looking forward to about this year’s event?
Joe D’Angelo: Well, I just found out it’s oversubscribed and I’m not surprised. It’s a very popular event. And it’s always good to catch up with everyone and have those casual conversations about trends in the business, what the election holds for them, and all the congressional activity going on now with legislation. It’s great to discuss the success we’re having in the car space and really thank the industry for their support and engagement with the technology solutions that we’ve been offering. It’s just a great time to get together and talk a little shop and have some fun.
Radio Ink: And while we can’t save cocktails for those who can’t make it to Vegas, Radio Ink has a special follow-up webinar planned with Xperi. We’ll be talking and showing off some of the latest developments from the NAB Show and what else you’ve got cooking. That will be in the last half of April.
Joe D’Angelo: Absolutely. We’ll highlight everything that was covered in the presentations and sessions and showcase what we displayed on the show floor. You’ll really get a good sense of the industry update and the conversations that happened at the show, even if you miss it.
