Radio IS, the Mother of All Media

RADIO was talking before film had a voice.

RADIO was singing before birdies could tweet.

RADIO was your music before there were downloads.

RADIO was interactive before books had faces.

RADIO was wireless before there WAS wireless.

Throughout 2012, BENMARadio will be offering a promotion for radio stations across the fruited plain called, "RADIO-- The Mother of All Media." It's meant to do two things---make your listeners understand commercial radio has a rich and innovative 80 plus year history, and second, while social media may be new and sexy, radio is the one who's given birth to all those so-called 'new' ideas, and is still the one that delivers messages and entertainment best.

That doesn't mean radio isn't without issues. As a member of a few Linked In groups, I see discussions every day that rage about the future of radio---- some even ask if it has a future at all.

The answer is simple----entertain them, and they will come.

Radio has the advantage of immediacy and theater of the mind. At any one time, we can be anywhere, or be any-THING to any-BODY. But what corporate radio has lost, and what they haven't taught you, is--- radio needs to entertain, to keep people coming back. Radio, when it was at it's best, has always been about giving the audience a reason to listen. That means your stop sets as well as your air talent.

It doesn't mean every commercial has to be a Busby Berkeley production (if that reference is too old, wiki 'Busby Berkeley')-- it means, you need to be aware of the fact that the listener is there to be entertained. A commercial that drones on for 30 or 60 seconds without having at least SOMETHING to attract the listener, will be of no use to you, or your client.

In the coming weeks, I'll be offering suggestions about how to make your ads more colorful,and entertaining (yes, even the ones that now drone). I will also be discussing our Radio Mother promotion to help your cluster make money and raise it's visibility and image.

Stay tuned. As Al Jolson once said, 'you ain't seen nothing yet.." (yeah, right, I know. Just wiki 'Al Jolson').