The excitement and drama surrounding AI intensifies when talk of the technology replacing jobs and entire industries takes flight. While the radio industry has been emotionally debating whether bots could replace DJs and VO pros, a new application has emerged: audience research. And a brand new startup claims “synthetic research” among avatars rather than human respondents is faster, cheaper, and just as accurate as the real thing. In today’s post, I break it down and tackle a topic we no doubt will be discussing and debating for the foreseeable future.

As media brands proliferate and have gotten more competitive, the need for standing out has never been greater. Amidst the video streaming wars, one player has emerged with a different model that’s paying off big time. There are some key lessons here for broadcast radio where the competitive scenario demands a unique and different approach.

Forever and a day, we’ve been taught the familiar maxim, “Content is king.” But now, one of the most perceptive observers of the media and technology universe is telling us there’s a new, more meaningful way to look at the landscape – and it’s all about through the lens of distribution. For readers of this blog, that’s nothing new, but the ways in which most broadcasters are developing their respective strategies might require some re-examination if our industry is to avoid the black holes that continue to make legacy media brands disappear.

What does it mean to be #1 in the market, especially those ultra-competitive major PPM metros? Not as much as it once did. Nowadays, broadcasters discount the top dog position because it’s based on 6+. But blowing past all competitors in town is SOMETHING. And a little digging into the ratings proves it. After all, not everyone in radio can make the claim, “We’re #1!”

As #TBT posts go, today’s entry is one of my all-time favorites. It is dedicated to the amazing men and women on the airwaves who, lucky for us, made radio their career. We want to hear them tell great stories, but most of all, we want to hear them tell their stories. As a rule, radio people are very interesting sorts, and yet, we often don’t know as much about them as we’d like. Maybe after reading today’s throwback post, we can change that.