News/talk radio needs the next big thing and innovation. So does music, TV, movies, and seemingly every other form of entertainment. Is that next thing here and we just haven’t realized it yet? What will that next big thing be like? Are the people who are the gatekeepers too worried about the next quarter that they are missing the giant star in their midst?
If I knew what that next big thing was, I would be making wagers on Polymarket. I just know that anyone in a decision-making capacity in the standard entertainment venues of the past 70 years has been missing that big thing for the last 20 years or so.
There have been big music acts — but have these individuals changed what we expect from our music listening or concert experience? That answer is no.
Innovation is Always Key
I am a Gen X guy. There was a period in the late ’80s and as the ’90s launched — it was heavy metal power ballads. Everyone was playing them. Musicians signing with the labels were molded into that very successful template. Obviously, Guns N’ Roses breathed a little life into that metal genre, which was dominating MTV, radio, and CD sales. Overnight, the heavy metal power ballad was dead when one simple song by Nirvana hit the airwaves and MTV. “Smells Like Teen Spirit” was a nuclear bomb in the music industry.
Record companies, radio executives, and MTV dropped the metal bands seemingly overnight.
The innovation had arrived and the people loved it. Did radio and the record company execs love it right off the bat? Most did not, because people fear change. Most of the music pumped out by the record industry almost sounds exactly the same. Is it what the people want, or has this been a successful formula that has been creating profit? New songs tend to be very short, almost going back to days before any of us were born. Are short songs a ramification of PPM? Please help me out in the comments.
Movies are also in the same boat. The major movie studios have purchased legacy brands like Star Wars, DC, and Marvel. These movies had a real run for a long time, but now they are tired. These films use the same plots and characters, and the people are getting tired of it. Where is the innovation? In 2012, Disney paid a little over $4 billion for the Star Wars franchise. In movie box office alone, Star Wars movies have generated $5.9 billion in revenue since the purchase by Disney.
Now, Disney doesn’t get all that money — the studio has to split movie revenue with theaters, and there are other costs that eat into profits. Disney has generated about $2.5 billion from the Star Wars franchise, with other revenue streams — Disney+, on-demand rentals, and more — bringing in additional money. This being said, Disney’s whole deal is providing delightful and innovative experiences for those consuming their products. Great movies are still being made, but providing an innovative experience seems to be a huge challenge.
Plain old network TV. The profit game has changed for the medium. Reality TV, which has been around for 25 years with shows like American Idol, Survivor, The Bachelor, and other programs, is essentially all the same with a different backdrop and cast. Same story line. Being transparent, I watched the first two seasons of Survivor. I loved the show, but I dropped out in the middle of season three. Are there like five or so versions of NCIS running at the same time? What the heck? Try something new — don’t be frightened to fail.
The Road Ahead for News/Talk Radio
Then there is radio. News/talk radio has been following the Rush Limbaugh approach for almost 40 years. With PPM and knowledge of predictive listening trends, that Limbaugh template has run its course. It was amazing, but it is tired and quite frankly doesn’t connect anymore.
Also worth realizing is that most hosts are unable to produce an impactful and compelling 50-minute monologue every day. These are the facts. Who is the next innovator? Here is a message for program directors, market managers, and senior executives: encourage experimentation and don’t jump down the throat of the host who tries something that fails.
Also, hire talent above anything else. In my first program director gig, the station owner was focused on talent and upside. He encouraged me to hire people who needed to be told “no.” The station owner’s philosophy was simple — it is easier to tell someone no than to kick them in the ass. I didn’t get it at first, but I eventually realized that he was right. Hiring for talent first is super risky. Sometimes the talent needs serious handholding, or they will risk blowing themselves up or damaging the station and the company. This takes serious managers who are patient and allow for mistakes.
There are many factors why legacy media is struggling in the “what’s next” game — corporate debt, fear of short-term revenue loss, and having to explain to superiors why an idea failed. There are many reasons why experimentation is being squelched. Obviously, innovation is now online. YouTube is just dominating the innovation and failure game. YouTube has democratized creativity.
There are terrible ideas being created and there are awesome ideas. Looking at the success of YouTube-originated ideas like Kill Tony, MrBeast, Joe Rogan, and The King of DIY should work as an example. News/talk radio needs to innovate and not just play protect-the-platform strategies. Focusing on content and the imagination of experimenting is key. You are smart. You have great ideas. Try them out. If it fails, it is still a win.
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Peter Thiele is a weekly news/talk radio columnist for Barrett Media, and an experienced news/talk radio programmer. He currently serves as News/Talk Format Captain for Zimmer Communications. Prior to joining Zimmer, Peter held programming positions in New York City, San Francisco, Des Moines, Little Rock, Greenville, Hunstville, and Joplin. Peter has also worked as a host, account executive and producer in Minneapolis, and San Antonio. He can be found on Twitter at @PeterThiele.
