RADIO URGED TO PURSUE MULTI-MEDIA FUTURE Radio and Records WTOP/Washington Internet Operations Manager Stephen Dolge told the crowd at today's R&R Convention Technology session that radio stations must embrace new delivery methods and find new ways to reach listeners in an emerging digital marketplace.
"Lose any concept that the radio that is in your car, on your table or in your cubicle is the only way your station is going to get its signal to your listeners," he said during this morning's "Broadcast Entertainment in an On-Demand World" program.
In particular, he cited podcasting and delivery of content through mobile devices as new outlets for radio content, and insisted that new technologies offer radio a way to expand its reach and cater its product to listeners' habits. "People's habits aren't driven by your clock; their habits are driven by their own clocks. There's only so much we can do to drive people to radio, so we need to go where they are," he said.
Dolge noted that one way his station accomplishes this is by targeting commuters. Dolge explained that WTOP creates podcasts that feature compilations of top stories, and posts those podcasts on its website for listeners to download and listen to on iPods and similar devices while riding buses or the subway.
Dolge asserts that creating unique content for a radio station's website is the only way to ensure the site is successful. "Think of your website as its own entity," he said.
Other panelists participating in the session were moderator Gerrit Meier of Clear Channel, John Lenac of Yahoo!, David Lawrence of Net Music Countdown and Online Tonight and R&R's Brida Connolly. |