Mike Stiles
Just as you begin to wonder if radio?s ever going to be allowed by its current owners and managers to evolve into future business models, along comes a beacon of hope, proving that innovation, risk, foresightedness, ambition, nimbleness, and creativity are still alive and kicking inside our industry. Hubbard?s WTOP-FM, Washington (103.5) made the decision they were going to be more than a radio station. They were going to be a digital news organization. They weren?t like, ?we should kinda look into this,? or ?we might lean that direction one day.? They did it. While most stations are cutting staff and hanging onto the platform they?ve got for dear life, WTOP doubled its staff and is building a new platform so they?ll have somewhere to jump.
Jump is probably the wrong word. The imminent changes in our industry won?t require something as sudden as a jump. But they definitely demand an evolution in what we do and how we do it. And the construction of that next phase should probably start sooner rather than later.
In checking with WTOP?s Sr. VP/GM Joel Oxley, I got the story behind the strategy.
1. Hubbard, the operation?s owner, is encouraging and supporting these efforts. You heard me?a station group taking a risk and trying something new!
2. Oxley thinks news and info is an ideal format to take digital, but says all formats can take advantage of digital opportunities once they?ve found what makes sense for them.
3. It?s not either/or. A commitment to a digital does NOT hurt your on-air property. It extends your brand, and shows listeners & advertisers you?re engaged in the latest digital opportunities. Oxley says, ?It?s hard to say what form of distribution will be most important as we go forward, but we will not keep up if we don?t maximize every way to distribute our product.
4. Speaking of advertisers, they WANT you to be engaged in the latest digital opportunities. Oxley says theirs think it?s a must for them to be in this space in a big way. They want to know the station is keeping up with marketing options.
5. As for the social component, WTOP is continuing to find the best ways to use Facebook and Twitter. They want it to enhance everything they do, from a product, marketing, distribution and revenue standpoint.
6. Stations are reluctant to invest because they demand instant ROI. Oxley says you?re probably not going to get that. But they?ve already seen growth in the people interacting with the brand, so they know they?re benefiting where branding and distributing their product are concerned.
Being at a station that was not looking to the future and actively preparing for it while I watched stations like WTOP get in the game would make me really nervous.
Mike Stiles is a writer/producer with the social marketing tech platform, Vitrue, and head of Sketchworks comedy theatre. Check out his monologue blog, The Stiles Files.
Find him on Facebook or on Twitter @mikestiles
(8/18/2011 4:01:06 PM)
A long time ago as a director for affiliates of a budding satellite content provider, I stood at the NAB in DC and hawked our format with glossy folders which stated boldly, AM Radio's Last Chance. Die hards clung to their old ways and did just that, died hard. I think the digital conversion will be a great boost with the right content. Given that every single phone is equipped both with FM receivers and web enabled radios.
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