You probably read that iHeartMedia and TikTok are getting together to form a podcast network and national radio channel featuring TikTok influencers. While details are not yet fully available, here’s why radio should applaud this new venture.
First, this could serve as a launching pad for a new generation of radio talent. Countless radio believers—yours truly included—have wondered where fresh radio talent will be developed. It seems that on a weekly basis, we are reading about how one grizzled radio veteran after another is retiring.
At the same time, we find fewer and fewer development opportunities for aspiring personalities. The small market, fringe day part proving grounds have been replaced by automation and voice tracking. Gone are the days when someone could break in on the overnight shift in market #127 (Jackson, MS if you’re wondering).
Hopefully, this new partnership will be the minor league radio so desperately needs.
The second benefit could be even more foundational. TikTok influencers reach an audience that has all but abandoned radio. Don’t take my word for it. Just look at the weekly AWTE (or TSL) for the 18-24 and 25-34 demos in your market. In PPM world, we rarely see either of those demos listening to near an hour of radio per day. That is ALL radio in the market, not just your stations.
Can TikTok make radio cool again?
Certainly, iHeart will use this opportunity to hype their platforms and channels. And the TikTokers will likely reciprocate. But could this have an effect on the entire radio ecosphere? Will these influencers now tout radio as a viable, desirable, and even essential entertainment platform? Will they change hearts and minds or, at the very least, perceptions?
Let’s hope so. And maybe the other big groups can look into creating similar ventures, as well. In the end, this could be the boost radio has been looking for since the dawn of the digital age.
