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Radio on Main Street featuring
Ryan Higbie from XAPP Media

In this episode, we go back to the Westwood One Podcast stage at the Radio Show in Austin where RAB SVP of Digital Services, David Casper talks with Ryan Higbie, Vice President of Sales and Solution Services from Xapp Media.

David and Ryan talk about smart speakers and emerging interactive voice technology, the differences between platforms like Amazon’s Alexa and Google Home and what broadcasters need to know right now about making sure their audio brands are well positioned to take advantage of this new technology.

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Wall Street Weighs In On Radio

Jim Cramer, host of CNBC’s Mad Money weighed in on the most talked about radio merger – Entercom and CBS.  During this episode, Cramer provides an in-depth analysis of the merger.  He refers to it as a “transformational deal for Entercom” giving Entercom “a lot more heft –  it will make it the #1 creator of local content in America.”  He goes on to say that the new Entercom will  become the second largest radio company in America.

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Top 10 Radio Show Takeaways

This year’s Radio Show delivered information, insights and entertainment. But above all, it clearly demonstrated a reminder that partnerships among our industry and with our advertising community are stronger than ever and remain critically important.

Over the course of three days, a lot was shared, presented and stated.  So, here is a brief recap of what everyone should know in the form of a Top 10.

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Radio on Main Street Podcast Featuring Kirk Minihane from WEEI in Boston,
Podcaster and Broadcaster

In this episode of the Radio on Main Street podcast Erica Farber, President and CEO of the Radio Advertising Bureau, sat down at the recent Radio Show with Kirk Minihane from WEEI in Boston to talk about podcasting.

There’s a lot of buzz about podcasting these days and Kirk tells us more about what he loves about it. He also defines what he sees as the difference in being a podcaster and a broadcaster.

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Radio on Main Street Podcast Featuring Top Radio Consultants from RAB’s
Sales Consultant Series at the Radio Show

In this edition of the Radio on Main Street Podcast Jeff Schmidt, Vice President of Professional Development at the RAB, talks to some of the industry’s top consultants as they wrap up our Sales Consultant Series seminar at the Radio Show.

When it comes to change in our business, the cliches are numerous. We all know change is a process, not an event. But the only thing we know for sure is that change is constant. In sales, specifically media sales, the landscape changes hourly, it seems.

In this future-focused discussion, the panel looks at how we contact and engage clients and what we need to study, research, and know in advance of client meetings. The RAB’s 7 Steps to Selling Success haven’t changed, they’ve become more sophisticated and even more demanding. Unfortunately, what hasn’t changed is the amount of time in a day.

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Take a Break with Radio

Labor Day – While its origins are based on the creation of a day to celebrate and honor the work of trade and labor organizations, it means something very different today. Labor Day is considered a day of rest and unofficially marks the end of summer, barbecues, days at the beach and summer sports.

Labor Day and every day, radio will be there to entertain, inform and keep listeners company. Radio will be tuned in in-car to provide weather and traffic details. Radio will be present at barbecues, parties and family reunions, providing music and entertainment.

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Radio on Main Street Podcast Featuring Tim Clarke, Senior Director of Digital
Audience For The Cox Media Group

In this edition, Erica Farber, President and CEO of the RAB speaks with Tim Clarke, Senior Director of Digital Audience for the Cox Media Group. Tim oversees digital products, content and audience strategies for all of the Cox Media Group Radio properties.

In this podcast which was recorded at the recent Podcast Movement conference held in Anaheim, California they discuss how podcasting is a new and an exciting opportunity for radio.

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Reaching Sports Fans with Radio

Sports fans are amazing!  They will go to an event to watch “their” team play – whether it is 102 degrees or 2 degrees – they are there.  They identify with their teams and according to research on the subject, one professor of psychological and brain sciences was quoted as saying: “A huge part of who they are, where they derive a lot of their positive and negative affect, is from what their team is doing.”

Sports fans are very similar to radio listeners.  Both groups have strong emotional connections with the person or persons they are tuned in to.  So when you combine a sports fan that is also an avid radio listener, it’s a powerful combination.

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Radio on Main Street Podcast Featuring 2017 MIW & Marketron Rising Star Award Winner Jeni Grouws

This past week the RAB in partnership with BMI and the MIW (Mentoring and Inspiring Women in Radio) completed the 10th annual Rising Through the Ranks Women in Radio Management and Leadership Program.

In this edition of Radio on Main Street, Erica Farber, President and CEO of the RAB speaks with one of this year’s graduates Jeni Grouws, Station Manager and Morning Show Host for KDEC in Decorah, Iowa. Jeni is also the recipient of the 2017 MIW & Marketron Rising Star Award.

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Radio on Main Street Podcast featuring Oscar Rodriguez, President
of the Texas Association of Broadcasters

In this week’s Radio on Main Street podcast, RAB’s Dave Casper talks with Texas Association of Broadcasters President, Oscar Rodriguez.

The TAB just concluded their annual convention in Austin.  Dave talks with Oscar about themes emerging from this year’s convention, the role of state associations in broadcasting and what he sees as some of the key challenges and opportunities facing broadcaster today.

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An Important Audio Device

Throughout the course of history there have been numerous audio and portable audio devices that allowed listeners to take their content with them wherever they went.  On July 27, an announcement was made that may have surprised some people – Apple revealed that it was discontinuing the iPod nano and shuffle.  These two products should receive some recognition because they made audio history and forever changed how people take audio with them.

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Radio on Main Street Podcast Featuring Steve Goldstein, founder of Amplifi
Media, On the Subject of Podcasting

The world of on-demand audio, such as podcasting, is growing rapidly so Erica Farber, President and CEO of the RAB sat down with one of its biggest champions, Steven Goldstein, founder of Amplifi Media.

Steve is recognized as a thought leader in audio programming, marketing and management and has a track record of success in virtually every major radio format for some of the country’s top broadcasting companies.

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Radio speaks to the “Middle Child”

Whether you read ad industry trades, online or print news, there are always articles referencing millennial influences or changes impacting boomers. However, there is very little attention paid to Generation X, which Pew Research referred to as the ‘middle child’ in a 2014 article. Sandwiched between two larger generations, Gen Xers who in 2017 are somewhere between the ages of 38-52, are a much smaller group in size and therefore are often overlooked by marketers.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), Generation X spends more per household annually than any other generation – approximately $67K which is almost $20K more than what millennials spend. Additionally, they have the highest household income compared to the other generations.

So how do you reach this often over-looked and valuable generation? With broadcast radio — of course.

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Radio on Main Street Podcast
Featuring Dr. Tony Alessandra,
Author and Sales Talent Consultant

In this episode of Radio on Main Street, Jeff Schmidt, SVP of Professional Development at the Radio Advertising Bureau, sits down with author and talent consultant Dr. Tony Alessandra to talk about what makes a great salesperson – Nurture or Nature?

Dr. Alessandra believes that with the right attitude and aptitude, successful salespeople can be nurtured and natural-born salespeople can be directed to greater success. With his simple and effective method companies can learn how to create a rewarding work atmosphere that effectively helps them retain good people.

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Attention Back-to-School Shoppers

It’s time to get ready and get shopping for Back-to-School (B2S).  If you think it’s too early to reach those consumers, think again.  According to Deloitte’s 2017 Back-to-School survey, 71% of B2S shopping occurs during an eight-week period – July through August.

As the medium used closest to the moment of purchase, radio can help influence where they can get the best deals.  According to this same Deloitte survey, consumers are shifting from shopping at larger department stores and specialty channels to mass merchants and off-price venues.   Additionally, 20% of the respondents had not yet decided if they would shop in-store or online and “might be persuaded by targeted promotional efforts.”

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Radio on Main Street Podcast
Featuring Matt Scarano, iHeartmedia
Executive and Chairman of the Illinois Association of Broadcasters,
Chicago Committee

In this episode of Radio on Main Street, Erica Farber, President and CEO of the RAB speaks with Matt Scarano, President of the Chicago region for the iHeartmedia Markets Group. Matt is also chairman of the Illinois Broadcasters Association’s Radio Broadcasters of Chicago committee.

Matt and Erica discuss how Chicago radio is working together as a group using their collective airwaves to spread the message that radio is the most effective medium for advertisers.

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Dynamic and Interactive

That’s what radio is – dynamic and interactive.  So shouldn’t a website dedicated to providing all of the stats, data, research and information about radio be that way too?  Introducing the new dynamic and interactive Why Radio micro-site — an easier to navigate, extensive radio marketing and research guide.

OK, so this blog is supposed to be about sharing information and not filled with commercials according to the rules of blogging.  Well, rules were made to be broken, weren’t they?

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Radio on Main Street Podcast
Featuring Ben Thomas of
The Buntin Group

When you hear the words; “Golden Age of Radio,” you might be thinking of the past.  Ben Thomas, Senior Vice President and Channel Engagement Director for the largest independent advertising agency in Tennessee – The Buntin Group – says that right now is radio’s golden opportunity.

Jeff Schmidt, who leads our professional development team at the RAB had a candid conversation with Ben Thomas regarding what agencies want in this ever-changing landscape.  In a provocative and direct way, Thomas tells us what radio does well, and how to gain more attention.  He also shares what not to do.

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Radio Ties It All Together

Local radio stations are a reflection of the community – the events and the personality of the town or city they communicate and engage with daily.  On July 10th, Chicago radio stations joined as a community to simultaneously broadcast an interview with the Founder, President and CEO of Wintrust Financial Corporation — a bank holding company headquartered in Chicago.

In all, 40 stations in the Chicago area simultaneously aired a :60 second interview with Ed Wehmer, Founder, President and CEO.  During this interview, Wehmer shared his views on radio’s effectiveness.

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