The author is president/CEO of JVC Broadcasting in Ronkonkoma, N.Y. He issued this comment after we posted our story on the massive layoffs ongoing at iHeartMedia.
I am sick of the headlines.
Every time I open an industry publication, it’s the same old song: another major radio conglomerate cutting jobs, eliminating local programming and consolidating operations. Another story about an industry trying to shrink its way to success.
And frankly, I’m tired of it.
Not because these companies are making business decisions — that is their right. And there are a lot of talented people working at those companies.
I’m tired because these failing corporate strategies have become the public face of our industry. Every headline tells the world that “radio is dying.”
It’s not.
As an independent broadcaster, I can tell you that radio is very much alive. It has provided an incredible living for me, my family and hundreds of employees over the years. It continues to generate massive results for advertisers, entertain millions of listeners and serve local communities every single day.
So I have to ask: If radio is supposedly broken, why are independent broadcasters across America still investing in stations? Why are we hiring? Why are we creating massive local events? Why are we putting live personalities on the air?
Why are we growing our businesses while others are shrinking theirs?
Maybe the problem isn’t the medium. Maybe the problem is the model.
Wall Street measures radio by quarterly earnings and short-term spreadsheets. Main Street measures radio by community impact, local relationships and long-term viability.
At JVC, we still believe in live and local. We believe a morning show should know the mayor, the high school football coach, the local restaurant owner and the family that just lost everything in a house fire. We believe local salespeople should be out on the pavement helping small businesses grow — not sitting behind a screen selling from three states away.
We aren’t perfect, but we’ve built a thriving company by investing in people instead of eliminating them.
So here is my question to the industry: If one group keeps cutting talent, stripping local content and signaling to everyone radio is in decline … while another group continues to invest, serve its communities and build highly profitable businesses…
Who is really doing it wrong?
Radio isn’t the problem. The way some companies choose to operate it is.
I’ll keep betting on local radio every single time. Who’s with me?
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