Streaming Radio: Alt Brand Extension
Did you know that within 3-5 years, experts predict that all brand new vehicles will carry streaming radio? The future of radio is streaming and alt-weeklies are uniquely qualified to benefit from this technology and make money doing it!
4. The transition from atoms to bits
“The change from atoms to bits is irrevocable
and unstoppable. Why now? Because the
change is also exponential - small differences
of yesterday can have suddenly shocking
consequences tomorrow.”
Nicholas Negroponte
Nicholas Negroponte
Being Digital
Being Digital
12. Key elements of Storytelling
Tell the truth
Make it matter
Never be boring
Valerie Geller
Media Consultant
Geller Media
13. Repurposing Content
“Putting together a story for Print, Audio or
Video storytelling is different. Print needs to be
descriptive, video has B-role and audio is
narrative and engaging. About 85% of each
story can be used by the other medium.”
Erica Moura
Multimedia Reporter
Boston Herald
Newspapers, TV and Radio
I won’t review the history of newspapers, you guys know that. The only thing I would highlight is the recent transition from print to digital/online.
TV and Radio - They have been subject to government regulation (FCC). The rationale behind this is that spectrum in limited and the “airwaves belong to the people”. There is a requirement to “serve the community” and keep it clean(the 7 dirty words). Until fairly recently there were limits to how many stations you could own in a market.
If you were granted a license there was a significant capital expense in starting up and operating a station. Getting tower space, running lines from the studio to the tower for broadcast, automation systems, phone systems and lots of other things that were required for station operation. That is all before investing in content and talent.
Like automobiles have taken the place of the horse and carriage, these things do not happen immediately.
Major radio and its networks have taken on debtThey are trying to adapt to new media Under pressure for additional royalty payments
When it comes to reading traditional newspapers or websites that specialize in news, customers are increasingly using more than one device and the overall adoption rate has doubled in the last year. Digital news is becoming more mobile, more social, and more real-time. This year’s Reuters Survey takes a look at some of the devices people are employing to read news and the countries in which the adoption is most prevalent.
In the last ten months (published last June), using tablets to read online news has almost doubled. Weekly online news use has risen from 8% to 16% in the United Kingdom and 13% to 25% in Denmark. All across the board, readers are choosing tablets for the social media and interactive elements that digital brands are starting to provide.
The barriers to running a media property have been lowered. The reach of media properties have expanded.
It was once just your distribution area, i.e. where you delivered your news or how far your signal reached. With the internet your distribution is world-wide.
You have all made the transition to digital. You have lots of content and know what to do with it. Expanding your footprint into an adjacent media space is straight forward.
There is no FCC license required to broadcast on the Internet. There is no limitation on content. There is no major capital investment.
What works is compelling content, connecting with your community in a meaningful way. This is what Wolfman Jack did in American Graffiti, he was the linch-pin of his community of listeners. With just a phone, some music and a radio station he tied his community together.
The interesting thing is that with the FCC lifting the local ownership rules it has enabled more centralization of radio stations. Centralized programming homogenizes what makes each community unique. From Clear Channel to NPR, remember the N in NPR stands for national.
Yet what is most compelling is what you already provide, the “community”, “culture”, “arts” and “local”. Expanding to radio can help with all of these things while also enabling an added component, “live”.
How do you develop compelling content? It is really story telling. Something you do in the newspaper business already.
Like print, connect with your constituency.
What is working today? A lot of what worked yesterday. Create compelling content. Be the linchpin of your community, create a background for discussion and engagement. Use the new tools to connect with your community.