With a bit of magic and a lot of wit, David Pogue plans to help demystify the future of radio during today’s keynote address.
The New York Times personal technology columnist, author, musician and magician delivers his keynote following NAB President and CEO David K. Rehr’s state of the industry address, 3:30–4:30 p.m. The session is sponsored by RCS and precedes the opening of the exhibition floor.
Asked via e-mail about his message for attendees of The NAB Radio Show, Pogue said he has several. “About how technology always adds on, never fully replaces, older technology. About quiet trends that will be taking root and affecting everyone. About the Internet in everything,” he stated.
Pogue is a self-described “music/theatre geek,” and he worked as conductor, synthesizer programmer, arranger or assistant on several Broadway shows after graduating from Yale. During his time in New Haven, Pogue became enamored with Apple computers and their potential use in easing music-copying chores. He went on to co-design music software, including Coda Music Technology’s Finale, as well as to write manuals.
It was his computer and technology skills, as well as his writing, that led Pogue to his current profession. In 1998, he began writing for Macworld Magazine and in November 2000 he became the personal technology columnist for the New York Times. Pogue has also written a series of how-to guides, including his own “Missing Manual” series.
Pogue has written a lot about satellite radio, webcasting and other newcomers to the media world. However, Pogue said he still feels radio is filling a unique niche within today’s media mix.
“[The] short answer is, it fulfills the functions it always has. It’s local. It’s live. It’s interactive. No other audio source quite fits that mold,” he stated.
Talking about the current state of other challengers to traditional radio, Pogue stated that there would be room for a good Missing Manual for radio, particularly to address all the various media that fall under the radio rubric.
“For example, we’re still saying ‘Internet radio,’ when we mean all kinds of different things. And what is Pandora and Last.fm — is that really radio? What about a podcast — is that radio? What if it’s a podcast of a radio show? It’s getting complicated fast.”
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