For thirteen years, I’ve been part of the RAB’s National Radio Talent System at four different colleges: Bloomsburg, Western Kentucky University, the University of Georgia, and, most recently, Appalachian State.
If you aren’t aware, the NRTS is “the first and only program of its kind in the world, discovering and preparing the next generation of broadcasters by introducing them to radio and leading professionals.” Every year at each location, they put on what is now called a Media Career Academy for those interested in broadcasting.
During my time being one of those “professionals”, I think I’ve developed a pretty reliable benchmark.
Year after year, classes got smaller. Interest in radio softened. When I’d ask for a show of hands from students interested in radio as a career, I’d usually get two or three. This year at App State, something different! In the largest class I’ve had in close to 7 years, all but two hands went up. That’s the kind of moment that makes an experienced broadcaster like me stop and say, “Wait a minute…”
“Have we been looking in the wrong place for signs of the future?” These students appear genuinely interested. Another anomaly – usually the questions I would be asked after my presentation would be focused on podcasting or video. This year? Content creation. How A.I. is helping radio. How serious are we taking streaming? I could go on. All radio-related, though. What struck me wasn’t that they wanted to work in radio as we knew it. It’s that they saw radio as part of a broader content creation ecosystem now and in the future.
We, in the industry, often measure the future through ratings, revenue, budgets, and staffing. I just spent a day looking at a different indicator: The next generation.
And for the first time in a long time, that indicator flashed something positive. Okay, so maybe it was one class. Maybe I got lucky. Maybe App State simply recruited an exceptional group of students this year. But after thirteen years of visiting college radio programs, I know what I’ve seen before.
And this wasn’t it.
What do you think?
