Inside Music MediaJerry Del Colliano

Whenever an establishment media company like Arbitron that exists because Clear Channel is its main client says radio is the first choice for music discovery, I check my wallet next.

Yes, the happy talk radio press is slobbering all over themselves again saying that the 21^st Arbitron-Edison study firmly concludes radio is great and digital media is not so great.

That radio is the number one source for music discovery.

Try to catch a young person, the people who buy the most music, listening to a radio. 

Go ahead, try.

But the study says it’s 78% and it includes AM radio so you would be wrong and they would be right if you believe this stuff.

Then friends and family are the next most influential.

Are they kidding?

That’s right, you parents know how often your sons and daughters sit around the dinner table and ask you, “What good music have you discovered lately?”  It’s 73% in the Edison-Arbitron study.

In fact, who has dinner together anymore?

Okay, maybe you do.

But who has dinner together without your kids on their smartphones?  I got ya! Only 53% of 12+ respondents had a smartphone in this study.  What world are they living in?  I mean, come on.

Only 75% have smartphones among the 18-34 demo.  I ask again, what world are they living in?

I could go on but you know the answer already.

Radio is right up there on top of the world and everything else is not exactly radio. 

This delusionary thinking is brought to you by people with a horse in the race – radio.  The research, I’m sure was professionally conducted because Edison is a very reputable company, but the findings are useless in the end because everyone with two eyes – okay one eye – knows that the conclusions are wrong.

In fact, if you only knew the disturbing information about listening habits and your audience, you’d cut the bullshit and start concentrating on things that can actually be done to save radio and music.

So here we go.

What’s the real threat to radio – not the imagined threat.  This one disrupter is what you need in your sights.

The one hope for an AM station – and after that there is no hope.

The overlooked source for music discovery among radio audiences – better keep an eye on it.

The renewed threat of music television with a new twist you should know about.

At last – what Millennials want for news/talk radio. 

Click “read more” below for the answers.

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Talk to me privately here.