(By Deborah Parenti) At a time when the industry could use it most, radio found itself front and center in a universally positive light during the recent spate of hurricanes and tornadoes faced by many communities over the past month.
The night Milton made landfall on the Florida coast was also the night of the NAB Marconi Awards in New York. As winners took to the stage, the usual victory speeches were set aside, with many taking their moment of glory to speak with pride about what their sister stations across the Southeast were doing at that exact same time.
In the face of unimaginable tragedy, radio’s performance in providing service to its listeners has been exemplary and the praise was hard-earned by those stations on the front lines. At a time when criticism of the industry comes from within and without — albeit warranted in many cases — nobody can blame us for waving our banners high.
Amid this, we are in the midst of a major tug-of-war. For all the emphasis placed today on digital — inarguably our revenue growth leader — digital can’t communicate anywhere close to what happens when a mic opens.
Yet, the preponderance of cutbacks continues to be on the broadcast side of the business, in part because that’s what today’s ownership (investor and equity partners) demands. Why? I would suggest that it is too easy for shareholders to dismiss what they don’t understand. What is textural by nature is often difficult or impossible to relate to in strictly tangible terms. Especially among those born and “programmed,” in the words of author and businessman Robert T. Kiyosaki, to “look at the numbers, fire people, and kill the business.”
Yes, that’s a little harsh, but history is filled with chapters detailing such stories — and not just among broadcast groups. What’s the answer? I won’t pretend to know, but it could start with acknowledging our reality.
We share and celebrate stories of radio’s heroics during times of crisis as we continue to press Congress to bring the “AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act” to a vote (and October’s storms alone should be enough for legislators to wake up and get this done), but are we listening to ourselves?
There is the real and present danger that the medium we are touting will not be functional if it continues to suffer constant culling. Radio must invest in the broadcast side of the hall as if it were a matter of life and death, because it is — for our listeners in an emergency and for us each and every day.
Deborah Parenti is President and Publisher of Radio Ink. Reach Deborah at [email protected]. Read her Radio Ink digital archives here or get her latest Publisher’s Beat each month with a digital or print subscription here.
