Two media companies recently announced transformations. Both are using the language of connection. But they’re talking about two very different kinds of connection. Earlier this week, Hubbard Broadcasting unveiled a new brand identity: “Media That Connects.”
At almost the same time, public radio operator KQED released a new strategic plan centered on becoming the Bay Area’s “most essential connector.”
At first glance, those ideas sound remarkably similar.
A closer look reveals that they point toward two very different futures.
Expanding the Audience Model
The Hubbard rebrand reflects how the company sees itself evolving. Hubbard is no longer just a radio broadcaster. Today, it reaches audiences through radio, podcasts, streaming, social media, websites, events, and other digital channels.
As CEO Ginny Hubbard explained, “For over 100 years now, we have connected with local audiences to make the communities we serve and their businesses stronger.”
In other words, Hubbard’s transformation is about expanding the ways it connects content creators and advertisers to audiences. That’s a logical response to today’s media environment. Consumers no longer interact with brands through a single channel. They move fluidly between platforms, and media companies have adapted by meeting them wherever they are.
The fundamental business model, however, remains the same. The value comes from connecting audiences with content and advertisers.
Expanding the Community Model
KQED’s transformation starts from a different premise.
The organization’s strategic plan calls for “transforming KQED from a respected public media organization into the Bay Area’s most essential connector.”
But it’s a different kind of connection.
The plan says KQED will “help Bay Area residents engage with one another, strengthen civic life, and cultivate empathy across our region.” It also describes creating “meaningful, in-person and virtual experiences that connect people to one another and to the Bay Area.” Rather than expanding the channels through which content reaches audiences, KQED is increasing the ways audiences connect with one another.
The distinction may seem subtle, but it has significant implications.
Why This Matters
Neither organization is making these changes in a vacuum.
Media companies everywhere are facing pressure. Audience growth is harder than it used to be, attention is fragmented, and revenue models are under strain. The old playbook isn’t working as reliably as it once did.
Both Hubbard and KQED are responding to that reality, but they’ve chosen different paths forward. Hubbard is broadening the channels through which it connects audiences to content. KQED is increasing the ways it helps people connect with one another.
One is focused on strengthening connections between creators, audiences, and advertisers. The other is focused on strengthening connections between members of a community.
Neither approach is inherently right or wrong, but they lead to very different businesses. One is built on getting people to come back for content. The other is built on getting people to come back for each other.
A Question for Broadcasters
As broadcasters look for sustainable ways forward, this distinction becomes increasingly important. The question isn’t whether you’re creating connections. The question is who you’re connecting.
Are you connecting content creators and advertisers to audiences?
Or are you helping audience members connect with each other?
Because those are becoming two very different businesses.
For decades, radio has excelled at the first model. Stations have served as connectors between talent, advertisers, and listeners.
The growing interest in community suggests a different possibility: serving as a connector between listeners themselves. That’s the transformation KQED appears to be pursuing.
Seth Resler is a 30-year broadcasting veteran and the founder of Community Marketing Revolution. He helps broadcasters, podcasters, creators, and media organizations answer these questions inside his free Community Roadmap Challenge. Registration is currently open for the next Challenge, which begins June 22.
