As success in today’s media environment increasingly requires “all-platform” thinking, Buzz Knight Media Founder and Radio Ink columnist Buzz Knight brought together some of radio’s most innovative minds to give actionable insights for cross-platform success.
The panel, held at NAB Show 2025, featured South Carolina Public Radio Director Sean Birch, Hubbard Radio Executive Vice President of Programming Greg Strassell, iHeartMedia WBZ Boston Reporter Matt Shearer, and Alpha Media Executive Vice President of Content Phil Becker.
Knight opened the discussion with his experiences producing the takin’ a walk and Music Saved Me podcasts, underscoring the need for connection and storytelling across every available channel.
Shearer shared how social media platforms, particularly TikTok, now prioritize content discovery over follower counts. “Now social media platforms are for us to reach new audiences, designed to put your content in front of people who are most likely to engage with it, which is something that radio, television, newspapers just don’t have,” Shearer said. After initially hesitating to make videos, Shearer said WBZ has since seen a measurable audience growth in younger demographics.
Birch explained that broadcasters must accept the fragmentation of audiences across platforms like YouTube, podcasts, and streaming. “We don’t live in a world anymore where we have everyone tuning into the same TV program every single Sunday night,” Birch said. He emphasized the need to respect different audiences by creating content specifically tailored for each medium.
Strassell stressed that content creation across platforms not only supports audience growth but also reinforces brand awareness when traditional marketing budgets are stretched. “Any engagement you do, there are opportunities to promote the mothership,” Strassell said.
Becker encouraged broadcasters to worry less about where audiences consume content and focus more on being present wherever audiences choose to engage. “Focus on where they use you, not where they use you,” Becker said, adding that a strong social media presence also plays a major role in business success today.
Shearer later showcased a viral news video he produced for WBZ, which creatively highlighted a Massachusetts town’s devotion to a local grocery chain. Initially intended for radio, the storytelling piece became a social media hit, demonstrating how adapting traditional skills for new platforms can build massive online audiences.
Birch discussed SC Public Radio’s project Who Wants to Win?, a pop-culture game show designed for both radio and podcast audiences, with future ambitions for national syndication. Birch emphasized that different platforms serve different audiences and that success requires creating platform-specific content rather than repurposing radio material without adaptation.
Strassell and Becker also shared examples of successful cross-platform efforts, including WRMF’s KBJ Show hitting 7,000 daily YouTube views, and WTOP’s Target USA podcast growing its national security coverage through video distribution.
The panel closed with a set of takeaways: authenticity wins, platform-specific strategy is crucial, and social media must be viewed as social marketing, not just engagement. Becker urged attendees to view cross-platform content as a vital part of both brand growth and revenue generation.
Among the standout advice, Shearer said, “Stand out. Don’t blend in,” while Birch added, “Understand that these different platforms have different audiences.”
