The skeptics haven’t gone away. But neither has radio.
If anything, the past year has handed the industry plenty of reasons to dig in: winter storms that sent audiences back to their most trusted source of real-time information, advertisers reporting returns that outperform every other medium they buy, and communities rallying around their local stations in ways that no algorithm could manufacture.
The proof isn’t theoretical. Radio Ink asked the Top 20 Leaders in Radio to share a development or moment from the past year that strengthened their belief in radio’s long-term future. What came back was less a defense of the medium than a celebration of it.
Here’s some of what they told us:
“I hear from our advertisers that the results we deliver are the best investment they get from any advertising. It is very reassuring that local radio can continue to deliver as we always have. It is especially gratifying when a new advertiser tells us they have received results beyond their expectations.”
“When the government stopped the flow of funds to programs that feed the hungry, people in our communities stepped in to change that by the call to help from local radio stations.”
“The recent Share of Ear study from Edison may have some concerned. If we are in the audio business (not just radio), it is good news as we grow podcasts. The stat to remember for radio is that it still WINS decisively in the car. That is why we need help from Congress in preserving AM (and FM) in that dashboard.”
Their stories are in Radio Ink‘s April issue, arriving April 13. Click HERE to subscribe today.
