As he opened the Radio Show here in Dallas NAB President/CEO Gordon Smith challenged broadcasters to face the future and find the right path for radio.
“Are you preparing for a future where the marketplace is becoming increasingly competitive and unpredictable?”
The industry needs to determine if the future means terrestrial, streaming or both, he said.
One thing that is certain, Smith added, is that everyone can agree that radio’s future lies in being incorporated into every device.
Noting the wireless carriers’ recent implementation of a 90-character text message-based wireless emergency alert system, Smith said radio can supplement such a system.
Smith noted the recent death of the longtime president of the Texas Association of Broadcasters, Ann Arnold. Calling her a passionate and fearless advocate for radio and television, Smith said Arnold will be missed.
In her portion of the show opening, RAB President/CEO Erica Farber said “Radio is not tied to a device — radio is everywhere.” It’s in the car, online, on your phone and on mobile devices, she noted.
Farber urged attendees to think beyond selling :10s, :30s and :60s — to offer innovate solutions to advertisers.
