Just Radio Only: A Nugget Of Gold In The Dirt

A Nugget Of Gold In The Dirt

Parked alongside the Colorado River, camping in our shiny silver Airstream trailer, my brothers and I passed hours of vacation time panning for gold as our folks sat patiently in their lawn chairs, appreciating the quiet.

"Got one!" I'd shout, as I ran the glistening nugget up to my parents, who pointed out that I had a piece of fool's gold. Not discouraged, I kept trying, and after a day on the river, my only treasure was a small bag of fool's gold.

History is littered with stories of miners who spent their lives digging for nuggets, but very few ever discovered true gold. What nuggets are you digging for?
Sometimes our lives are like those miners. We dig and dig in the same spot, day after day, in anticipation of a nugget, while others possess the answers we need. We become so consumed with our routines that we fail to search for nuggets in different places.
The silver lining in the economic cloud that has been hovering over our businesses is that our struggle brings innovation and new ways of looking at old problems. It's a good idea to learn how others are approaching the same challenges you face.
Last December I was approached by a gentleman who introduced himself and said, "A little nugget from the last session just paid for my trip and will probably change the way we do business."
For those of you attending our Forecast Conference next week in New York, it's my desire that you leave with that one little nugget that will help you discover gold. For those of you who are seeking new ideas, new approaches to old problems, you may find them at Forecast. Our entire purpose is to help you find gold in the coming year.
Very few seats remain at this point, and we are pacing 35 percent ahead of 2009, which probably means another sellout. It is my hope that those of you who own or run radio stations or groups, who are investors, board members, CEOs, CFOs, or senior executives who have never attended Radio Ink's Forecast Conference and who are in search of fresh ideas, will be with us on December 7. One nugget, one idea, can have a significant impact on your business.
Eric Rhoads
Radio Ink

PS: During the gold rush in 1854, the largest gold nugget found was in Carson Hill, California, above the Stanislaus River. It weighed 195 pounds and was then valued at $43,534. Based on today's gold price, that nugget would be worth $4.33 million. I hope the nuggets you take home from Forecast will be equally valuable.

I'm looking forward to seeing you in New York next week at Radio Ink's Forecast and, of course, at our reception in Harvard Hall honoring the "40 Most Powerful People in Radio" from the annual Radio Ink list. Also, many thanks to the sponsors who make this event possible (see below)

Radio Ink Forecast
December 7
The Harvard Club, New York
Seating limited to 200.

Get Forecast agenda and registration information at www.radioink.com/forecast, or call 561-655-8778.

Take a look at the updated list of companies in attendance:

3rd Avenue Media
Abacast
Access 1 Communications
AccuRadio
Alta Communications
American Eagle Media
Arbitron
Beasley Broadcasting
BIA Capital Strategies
Big Boy
BMO Capital Markets
Brewer Media
Broadcast Management & Technology
Broadcasters Foundation
Buckley Radio
CBS Interactive Music Group
CBS Radio
Citadel Broadcasting
Citadel Media
Clear Channel Communications
Connect
Cox Media Group
Cromwell Group Inc.
Cumulus Media
Dave Ramsey Show
Davis Wright Tremaine
Dial Global
Disney & ESPN Media Networks
DRAG
Emmis
Entercom
ESPN
Fletcher, Heald & Hildreth, P.L.C.
Goldman Sachs
Greater Media, Inc.
Group M Network Radio Group
Harris Corporation
Hip Cricket
Hubbard Radio
Huffington Post
ICBC Broadcast Holdings
InterTech Media
Katz Media Group
Kentucky Broadcasters Assoc.
Lincoln Financial Media
Liquid Compass
Local Focus
Luther King Capital Management
Marketron
Maverick Media
Media Monitors
Media Venture Partners
MediaSpan Online
Millennium Radio Group
Mindshare, North America
Mudrick Capital Management
Myers Publishing
NAB
Nautel
Navteq
New York Times
NextMedia Group
Nielsen
OMD
Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP
Pilot Group
Premiere Radio Networks
RAB
Razorfish
Ressen Design
Riviera Broadcast Group
Sandusky Advisors
SESAC
SNL/Kagan
Sparknet Communications
Strategic Value Partners
Sugarloaf Rock Capital
Talk Radio Network
Thoma Bravo, LLC
Timeless Cool
Triton Media Group
Triton Radio Networks
Union Square Ventures
United Stations
Univision Radio
Vibes Media
Virtual News Center
WBEB-FM
Wells Fargo Securities
Wilcox Capital
Yamanair Creative Worldwide
Zimmer Radio
Zoomer Media Limited

Register online at www.radioink.com/forecast, or call 561-655-8778.