3-20-14
If you live in the Internet World you may be fogged by the false belief that every company that launches is an instant success, goes public, and everyone involved becomes filthy rich overnight. In the real world, new
businesses need time. They need time to grow. They need time to market. They need time to be agile and adjust to the fast-moving consumer who wants this thing today and that gadget tomorrow. Pandora, while wildly successful today, launched back in 1999. It would be many years - and a name change - before Pandora would become the audio juggernaut it is today. Will NextRadio be the app that puts Radio on every smartphone in America? Time will tell. For now, the service has the backing of Sprint, and most of radio's biggest broadcast companies. Consumers appear to like the app once they know its available. Will saving data become the driving factor that helps catapult the app to the masses? Hard to know. For sure, if radio stations do what they do best - offer great content - the app will continue to grow. To get you up to speed heading into the NAB show in Las Vegas, here's an interview with Emmis' Chief Technology Officer Paul Brenner.
(3/22/2014 1:35:30 AM)
The problem here is that the radio industry focuses on new technology over spending money on promotion and content. It is all about content. If you have superior content and the ability to promote it the audience will consume it wherever it is.
The radio industry with its lack of superior content and 10 minute long stop sets has the fate of the Titanic. Everyone continues to rearange the deck chairs while no one wants to change course so the ship doesn't hit the iceburg. It will hit the iceburg
Sorry, but you're wrong. Yes, Pandora started in 1999- but there were no smart phones then. Now smart phones have penetrated 65% of the market and this app is nowhere. That's not my opinion, it's reality.
Maybe it will get traction and I hope it does, but broadcasters need to know that this will just be one slice of the pie, not the whole pie.
The problem with this app growing is that most of the programming on radio is crap. Nobody wants to hear it unless they have no other alternative. Nobody wants the 10 minute long stop sets and 1970s Star Wars Imaging.
I am currently on a trip to Vail in Colorado.
On the bus trip from Denver the driver is playing Pandora
At the ski lifts they are blasting Serious XM or Pandora.
Took a ride on a snow cat and the driver was listening to something called InetRadio on his smart phone. No radio
(3/21/2014 4:33:55 PM)
Here are some actual numbers for you: http://www.markramseymedia.com/2014/03/is-nextradio-growing-or-sinking/
(3/21/2014 1:20:40 PM)
Sorry, just saw the link to the interview. :)
Add a Comment | View All Comments Send This Story To A Friend
