Putting The "Old" In New Media

Facebook unleashed the next phase of its plan for World Domination this week. It's more complicated than I want to get into here, but the shorthand is that by getting involved with other major sites and using a "Like" badge and comment system on those other pages, Facebook will be able to amass a lot of information about what its users do on the Net, and that, of course, is saleable. Meanwhile, Google has been tracking where people go on the Net for years and makes its money selling ads based on that, and selling the information it collects. Both companies are moving aggressively into a world where ad sales and the monetization of media are done with the aggregation of huge amounts of data on every user, and the old way of business doesn't apply. The media world is racing into uncharted territory.

So, what's radio up to on the Internet?

Oooh. That hurts.

This year's RTDNA/Hofstra study of broadcast news says that radio station websites aren't doing too well. The percentage of sites making a profit or breaking even fell slightly; the percentage of money-losing sites rose. And maybe that's because of what's on those websites.

Look, I complain about radio websites at least once a year. You've heard it by now: They're glorified sales kits. They're rarely updated. They don't give you any reason to come back on a regular basis. They use dull corporate templates. They're not customizable. They serve as a "value-added" dumping ground for client ads. Same stuff every year.

But, you say, look at my station's website! It has news headlines! It's got streaming! It promotes the station's contests!

Really. Hmm. And what compelling content that you can't get elsewhere does it have?

See, that's the problem. Even some of the better radio websites are just static repositories of media, sitting there waiting for someone to come and consume. But the web's gone beyond that, way beyond. Does your site allow comments? Is the local content front and center, and can users filter it however they want? Is the personality of your station and talent evident throughout the site? How?

Moreover, does your company look at the website as merely a promotional tool for the station or as a separate medium that deserves separate content? The best websites treat what goes online as a different animal from what goes on the air. Some offer separate, non-broadcast podcasts that feature talent not on the broadcast version. Some have columnists writing exclusively for the website. A rarely-updated talent blog or Twitter feed isn't enough. And, yes, this costs money, but it's a new business that's rapidly both supplementing and, in some ways, supplanting your old one. You have to look at the website as if you've been handed a license for a new property. The web isn't radio, or print, or television, and you're competing with very different business models.

(I won't even get into iPhone/Android/iPad/BlackBerry apps here other than to say that, well, it's time, and they ought to do a lot more than just stream your signal. But that's for another lesson)

Oh, but that's corporately determined. You're a lowly peon, also known as "talent." You can't do anything about that. True, surely, but how about your OWN web presence? I'll make it simple: When someone Googles you, what's the first thing that comes up? If it's not a site under your control, it should be. If it's not you, that's even worse. I can't tell you how many times I need to find information on someone and there's nothing available. It costs practically pocket change to get a domain and nothing to create a site where you can blog and post your bio and other pertinent information. Same for a Facebook fan page. People look for you on the Web and on Facebook. You need to be there and you need to be easy to find.

All of this is elementary, but when I see the radio industry as a whole remain way, way behind while the world changes around it, I wonder what the people in charge are thinking. It's 2010. We're way overdue.

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I'm running later than usual this week, so no rundown of items at Talk Topics, the show prep column at All Access News-Talk-Sports. Just know that it's updated and there are an unusual number of truly gross and disgusting items there this week. I can't control what's in the news. Also, take a look at "10 Questions With..." Compass Media Networks Mgr./Entertainment and Talk Programming Adam Wilbur, who gives a rundown about what's happening at the growing syndicator, and check out Net News for the radio and music industry news you need, first, best, and most complete. And the rest of the site gives you job listings, forums, and tons of resources you need, all free.

Also, do follow the Talk Topics Twitter feed: twitter.com/talktopics. You'll get all the topics in one handy place with links directly to the stories. You oughta also follow All Access Net News, too, at twitter.com/allaccess, where you'll get alerts about all the biggest industry news first. And at twitter.com/pmsimon, you get me, which means lots of sardonic life observations and Phillies and Eagles commentary, because that's pretty much me right there.

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Perry Michael Simon
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