Five years ago, the world was a much different place. The COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on radio was both immediate and long-lasting. Advertising dollars shifted, listener habits evolved, and digital acceleration skyrocketed. Factor in the rise of AI, and the industry’s trajectory has been forever altered in the first half of the 2020s.
Now, as the dust settles and we look ahead to the next five years, the question remains: What does radio need to do to continue growing listenership, revenue, and relevance?
In the April issue of Radio Ink, Radio’s Top 20 Leaders share their insights on what it will take for radio to thrive in the years ahead.
What do you think are radio’s priorities for growing listenership, revenue, and relevance over the next five years?
“Start investing in sales, marketing, AI, and programming. For us to compete, we need to invest in our infrastructure to keep up with new media and the evolving media landscape. Be creative and go after new categories using AI and social media as added value to bring in new business to radio at a greater value.”
“I think of three words with some alliteration: REINVENT, REMEMBER, and REFLECT. The changes in advertising, technology, and attention span require us to reinvent our approach to both revenue generation and content creation. We must embrace the principles that don’t change but not fear changing our methods. We must always remember that the magic between a favorite personality and their listener has NOT changed. Finally, reflecting our communities has always made us relevant.”
“Radio needs to be an active partner in the communities it serves. That means that we need to be live and local. This presence in the community grows and cultivates our relationships with listeners, business owners, and community leaders. Our relevance in the lives of our listeners makes us a better listening choice than their personal playlists. The relatability and relevance of our personalities on their communities leads to larger Cume and Share numbers. The overall relevance of our brands in the communities we serve will lead to better revenue.”
Get the full view from radio’s top leaders in the April issue of Radio Ink, plus NAB’s April Carty-Sipp on industry advocacy and leadership development. Subscribe by March 14 to ensure you don’t miss this packed edition filled with expert insights and actionable strategies for success.
