Inside Music MediaJerry Del Colliano

What?

Overpaying for Time Warner Cable to become a bigger monopoly in an industry that Millennials will soon kill off.

What a strategy.

And as The New York Times reports, this deal was a field day for financial advisors who somehow always make their money.

Cable is dead.

I know.  I know.

Everyone else thinks it’s alive and well since Les Moonves snookered Time Warner into paying CBS double the retransmission fees for his network’s programming.  In doing so, CBS gets an extra lifeline for their dead business – network television.

So Brian Roberts gets bragging rights over that nasty cable baron John Malone who originally tried to steal Time Warner Cable for his monopoly, Charter.

Nowhere in any of the coverage will you see anything substantial about the customer.

I hated cable as soon as it was first available.

The installation. 

The service interruptions. 

The classic customer service failures.

But that’s nothing compared to bundling.

Cable bundles everything.

High speed Internet with landline phone service that no one really wants anymore.

And forcing customers to pay for ESPN (and now CBS) even if they don’t watch sports or any of the shows Les Moonves’ aging network has to offer.

I’m telling you – you think I’m wound up on this topic?  Don’t bring bundling on cable up to a Millennial.

Since there are 95 million of them and only a handful (and growing fewer) of cable and satellite operators, cable is a dead man walking.

That never stops radio from attracting venture capital to play monopoly and overpay for its excessive egos, but it certainly has nothing to do with a viable business that customers want.

They want time shifting.

They want cherry picking.

They want content on demand so they can binge on it.

And if you think I’m just talking about television here, think again.

Radio will have to get into time shifting.

At my March 26^th Philly conference I’m going to show you what some automakers have in the pipeline that will allow drivers (and listeners) to time shift radio programming.

Question.

Time shift what?

Nash FM?  KISS?  Michael Savage?

Cut me a break.

Time shifting is here and we had better look at alternatives to make all types of content available on that basis.

Some of the possibilities are dazzling and I know you’ll hitchhike on these ideas. 

Here’s a sampling of the 7 critical areas that matter most to broadcasters and digital entrepreneurs in the year ahead:

1. Specific ways to disrupt radio and put an end to digital competitors interrupting your station’s revenue stream.
2. Methods to master digital as a second stream of revenue alongside broadcasting.  Things like replacing your website with something better, eliminating podcasts for a product that will actually attract big money advertisers and a cost-effective, easy way to put your brand on every smartphone in your market without having to stream your station.  Just to mention three.
3. The nuts and bolts of starting your own station’s social media network independent from Facebook, Twitter or some other flash in the pan alternative.  From there, how to grow your fan base.
4. A well-defined strategy to change the sound and on-air approach of your radio station at one coordinated time.  You won’t want this to get in the hands of a competitor, for sure.
5. What you need to know about starting your own radio station video business – one that will be unlike anything you’ve ever seen, will not need salespeople to unlock the revenue potential and that will more than make up for any on-air advertising shortfalls you may run into this year.  I’ll show video examples and reveal the winning game plans.
6. From my work as a USC professor in the area of generational media:  the critical Millennial checklist.  This is what I use as my new business bible. You’ll get it.  Four things that the next generation of listeners must have in order to listen to radio in the digital age.  What they want from you.  On-air content you are not giving them that they would love.  A never before aired “contest” that would enthrall them. 
7. Exactly how you can time shift radio and how not to.  Time shifting is the new broadcasting in an increasingly on-demand world.  Failure to embrace time shifting could prematurely make your stations extinct.  But you will have innovative key strategies to get started with.

Jerry Lee will be there to give you the edge in helping advertisers do better so they spend more with you like they do with him in Philly.  He’s even bringing valuable handouts that only you will receive. 

Sean Hannity will join us live not to talk politics but the opportunities ahead for radio with Millennial listeners.  He is doing some impressive work in this area you probably don’t know about. 

Michael Harrison is the most quoted radio person by the consumer press because he sees future trends before most.  Let’s ask him about the future of radio, digital, talk, news and music. 

This event will not be available by stream or video – only live and in person. 

I can’t wait to share my enthusiasm and knowledge with you in Philly March 26^th.

Join the radio executives and digital entrepreneurs who have already reserved their seats.

Reserve a seat

Inquire about group rates

Inquire about sponsorships

If you’d like to stay on-site at The Rittenhouse Hotel at special conference rates, mention you’ve registered for the “Media Solutions Conference” to see if they have any rooms left in the special rate block.

Breakfast, lunch and all breaks included.  Starting time: 8am.  Ends 4pm.