Why Radio Needs To Be More Upfront

If the title of today’s post triggers you into thinking that I’m about to go off at the end of another long week, think again. No, this isn’t a missive about why radio broadcasting companies should be more transparent.

In fact, this one has more to do with the television side of the broadcasting industry. That’s where the “upfront” was born and and where it flourished. And in recent years, video streamers have glommed onto the concept, and reports are they’re acing the test.

Case in point: Netflix, the #1 video streaming subscription service. They were “first in” on the concept, and have perfected the “on-demand” killer app that has made it easy for millions of consumers to pay them several dollars every month to scan and view their content.

In fact, regular readers know Netflix is one of the “non-radio” brands I regularly write about. Why? Because they tend to be heads above their competitors when it comes to innovation and bringing added value to their subscription service. In recent months, I’ve blogged about their about-to-launch physical experiences, the “Netflix House,” in Dallas and suburban Philly. No one else is doing this kind of stuff.

And coverage of the recent Netflix upfront by Adweek is a stark reminder of how smart and clever this brand is. In case you’re not familiar with the upfront concept, it is a planned promotional and sales marketing event designed to gin up interest in upcoming new content, as well as generating sales commitments on the spot for these offerings. A successful upfront not only builds awareness of and excitement for new shows and concepts, but also sells out the inventory of advertising “avails” along with sponsorship opportunities.

As Adweek runs down the Netflix upfront extravaganza, the company can happily check off both boxes. And perhaps it makes you wonder why radio never really used the concept to get a jumpstart on its competitors, while also booking a lot of early sales.

Well, the cynics among you—a growing group BTW—might chirp in with the criticism that most radio companies and their stations don’t really have much in the way of new programming to unveil—and they’d be mostly right. But television has a way—even in slower years—of spinning new, original concepts and features. While not every radio station could pull off an upfront, if forced to do so, I believe many could do a better job packaging enthusiasm, energy, and new features to do a passable job.

The only radio group I’ve ever seen even attempt an upfront is the public media organization, Buffal0 Toronto Public Media, a PBS station and three public radio stations. Led by former MTV and Vh1 programmer, Tom Calderone, their version of this showcase is exciting, slick, and a great opportunity for local advertisers to hang out, schmooze, and yes, spend money on new BTPM feature programming. Paul and I have spoken at a number of these events over the past few years, and it is obvious that in a radio marketplace bereft of creativity and innovation, the upfront can provide a very positive contrast to “the rest of the pack.”

And based on Adweek’s retelling of Netflix’s recent upfront presentation, there’s a lot radio broadcasters can learn from their experience, execution, and emphasis.

Let’s start with the photo at the top of this blog post, where Netflix brags about their domination of a prime demographic—18-34s.

Seriously?

What kind of bizzarro world are we living in where all 37 rated radio stations in the Phoenix market claim to be targeting 25-54 ADULTS? No station admits to focusing on a demographic younger or older than this tired 30-year age cell. And given all these stations trying to appeal to the same target, most of them will fail to reach enough of these listeners to make a living.

But how does it work exactly that a television streaming juggernaut is unabashedly going after younger 18-24s specifically, while in radio, this notion is taboo, misguided, and off-message. Why are these young Gen Z consumers a perfectly appropriate group to target for Netflix (and many other media brands), but radio is forever charged with chasing a demo most stations have aged out of or are in the process of doing so?

But that’s not all. A deep dive into this Netflix story reveals one of the content areas they’re pushing related to live programming. After all, when you’re an on-demand company by design, viewers don’t even think of you when they have the here & now on their minds.

So, Netflix is reminding its sales/marketing base that while they excel at on-demand—the ability to watch pretty much anything whenever and wherever they wish—they’re also jumping into in-the-moment programming in a big way.

At their upfront, Netflix was all over their exclusive NFL game package on Christmas Eve Day, a deal they put together with the goal of truly breaking the “LIVE” barrier with a huge slate of games near the end of the year.

Netflix has also made a deal for WWE Raw events, more real-time programming that will help them set appointments, while making a statement about the depth of their programming.

Of course, even with all that voicetracking, much of the FM radio is still live most of the time. It’s just that stations never emphasize it. And it could be a big differentiator, especially up against podcasts and other prerecorded material.

In the same way Saturday Night Live emphasizes the value of that last word, broadcast radio could certainly use the L-word in front of morning shows and other live programming content.

It is notable that when he was CEO of NPR, Jarl Mohn (yup, another former MTV and Vh1 executive) had the intro to those top-of-the-hour NPR newscasts changed to “Live from NPR….”

Immediacy and being in that “now” format can and should be a radio asset. It might even make for great fodder at an upfront.

Another Netflix emphasis point has to do with audience measurement, specifically, expanding its global measurement partnerships. The Adweek story included ratings collabs with both Australia and Brazil.

Could radio pull off a similar benefit for its “platform?” After all, it was just this week Nielsen announced that PPM families will now have their tenure as panelists extended from approximately 20 to 26 months to three years, starting just a couple days ago. Come to think of it, maybe this isn’t exactly a plus for radio advertisers. But Nielsen’s spin is this extended time with many of the same respondents will reduce churn while making the panels (and the results) more stable.

Generating buzz, attention, and excitement is something all of radio needs to improve upon, whether it’s commercial stations fighting to market its inventory for a respectable rate or public radio and its efforts to remain relevant, fresh, and topical.

The Netflix upfront is a brilliant example of seizing the agenda, controlling the narrative, and setting the company up for big things in at least the near term.

Broadcast radio could benefit from a similar packaging event.

Just to be upfront about it.

Postscript: I would be remiss if I didn’t mention iHeartMedia, Audacy, and Cumulus do versions of upfronts to introduce radio programming and/or podcasts to advertisers.