Who ate my Radio

Things are rough in media land. Shutdowns, late paychecks, and empty desks tell a grim story. It’s enough to make anyone worry about their future, myself included.

Seeing my colleagues struggle makes me feel helpless, but instead of wallowing in it, I ask: How did we get here?

Part of the answer is simple: we got stuck in our ways. The good times lulled us into thinking the old playbook still worked. While the world went digital, some broadcasters kept fiddling with the radio dial, missing the whole new music station.

I saw this firsthand at a big media meeting. We talked about terrible ad sales on the different broadcast media platforms and the need to rethink the future. Seeing it as an opportunity to drive some change,  I suggested using this “programmatic buying” thing to make it easier for companies to buy ads. You know, skip the endless phone calls and let computers handle it. Polite smiles, but not much else.

It turns out, it wasn’t just talk. That same company laid off 40 people last month. Clinging to the past can be costly.

Pointing fingers won’t change things. Change is here, and we can’t fight it. Instead, let’s learn to surf the wave.

We have to ditch the old map and explore new roads. The media landscape is wide open, with tons of uncharted territory waiting to be discovered.

And where do we start? Platforms like QuillBot show us a glimpse of the future, where storytelling breaks free from the old boxes. We can use data, connect with audiences in brand new ways, and rewrite the rules of what “media” even means.

It won’t be easy, but hey, who said adventure was a breeze? As we explore this new world, let’s find our balance, hold onto what works, and embrace the unknown. This isn’t the end of the story; it’s a whole new chapter waiting to be written.