(By Pat Bryson) I just returned from speaking at the Texas Association of Broadcasters convention. There were 1100+ broadcasters in attendance and the atmosphere was electric, to say the least.
One of the hot topics was AI. Will it save broadcasting or destroy it as we know it? How do we use it? How do we integrate it into our systems? Can it make us more productive? Will announcers and production people have a job in 3 years?
What we were reminded of is now much AI has already entered our daily lives. Buy something online and you get the “and you might like this also” email. And most of the time, I DO like their additional suggestions. Spell check (the bane of MY existence:it refuses to recognize that CNA is NOT CAN) is another use of AI.
But before we all update our resumes there was another overriding message at this convention. LOCAL, LOCAL, LOCAL. The broadcasters who will prosper in our new reality are those who are deeply integrated into their local communities. They live, work, and play with their viewers and listeners. They understand what is important to the community because they live in that community.
Community service awards were given out. We heard extraordinary stories of stations reaching into their communities to find and fill a need. The TAB honored long-time legends in the industry.
Most of all, the two days were a celebration of what we do and why we do it. Broadcasting is not dead. We will continue to reinvent ourselves and march into the future unthwarted by technology. We will harness the new ideas and systems and use them to make us more productive and efficient.
Lesson learned: Technology can assist humans but cannot replace us. We have beating hearts and blood that runs deep in our cities and towns. We understand WHY we do what we do, and we don’t need “prompts” to tell us.
I’m looking forward to another celebration of what makes our industry next month when I speak at Radio Ink‘s Radio Masters Sales Summit, September 10 and 11, in Cincinnati. I hope I’ll see you there.
Long live radio and television!
Pat Bryson is the CEO of Bryson Broadcasting International, a consulting firm that works with sales managers and salespeople to raise revenue. She is the author of two books, A Road Map to Success in High-Dollar Broadcast Sales and Successful Broadcast Sales: Thriving in Change available on her website. Read Pat’s Radio Ink archives here.
