The Usual Stuff Isn’t Working

May 1, 2025

For years, perhaps decades, the radio industry has been lamenting the loss of revenue. We have seen other platforms – primarily digital – eat our collective lunch for far too long. Unfortunately, the lament we hear all too often is – “we’re waiting for revenue to turn around.”

This feels like Forrest Gump waiting at the bus stop. Radio revenue is not going to turn around unless we make it happen.

If you’ve read this far you likely believe in the power of radio. The power to entertain. The power to inform. And our power as an advertising medium.

What are we doing – collectively and at the market level – to leverage these superpowers to make radio great again?

You are likely meeting with your ever decreasing staff on a regular basis trying to figure out how to crack the code on the radio revenue problem.

If you’re not doing this or, worse, you’re still operating under the rules of engagement from twenty years ago, I’ll save you some time and suggest you stop reading this column right now.

Still here? Great. We are looking for collaborators. Industry professionals who believe in the power of our medium and believe our best days are ahead of us, not in our unregulated past.

We have ideas and, perhaps, a few answers. But in no way have we cracked the code – yet. Collectively, however, there are enough smart people in our business who not only believe but have the desire to return radio to its rightful place as an essential advertising medium.

This is not going to happen because of our desire, though that is important. We will do this with facts and data. We will use reality to alter perception.

We have collaborated with some of our clients to create new strategies for targeting a traditionally overlooked listener demographic—by uncovering and shining a light on stories that were getting lost in the weeds.

Who else wants to take the bold step forward? Who else believes in radio and is willing to affect real change?

We are committed to turning this dream into a reality. Who else will join us?

Let’s get the conversation started. Reach out to our marketing coordinator, Bethany Barsoian, at 410-295-6619 x36 or by email at bbarsoian@researchdirectorinc.com.

In case you thought the title of the column sounded familiar is because it is a quote from Dr. Peter Venkman.

-Steve Allan, Programming Research Consultant

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