What if morning shows didn’t start until 7 a.m.? And stations programmed one killer four-hour block daily and repeated it six times? What if every commercial had to be a live read?
Sounds a little radical, right?
So did this: “One day there will be a UFC fight on the White House lawn and millions will watch.” But here we are.
Doesn’t everything feel a little ridiculous — or radical — until it becomes normal? Cassettes, DVDs, MP3s, smartphones, streaming, Netflix. Now it’s Wi-Fi everything, NFL on phones, self-driving cars, 3D-printed homes, and anything you want delivered to your bunker… sometimes by drone.
I’ve been thinking about this UFC/White House event and whether it’s rooted in business, friendship, politics, the sport’s popularity, or just a massive idea. It’s all of it, but it really doesn’t matter.
The point is simple: in media, entertainment, tech, sales, and distribution — including our RockTernative space — evolution always starts with thinking. Radical thinking. Irrational thinking. The stuff that sounds ridiculous until it suddenly isn’t.
Nothing Makes Sense Until It Does
- The iPhone didn’t make sense — it was unthinkable in the ’90s
- Metallica didn’t make sense — early critics called them ‘mindless noise merchants’
- Netflix didn’t make sense — now we wonder what took them so long
- Amazon didn’t make sense — I just bought a pool noodle and I don’t even own a pool
It starts with thinking… and a goal or vision. I’ve moderated my fair share of brainstorming sessions, and the two rules that matter most are always the same:
- No judging. (Yes, there are bad ideas — but calling them “bad” kills the room.)
- Radical ideas welcome. (Forget budgets and resources… think big.)
RockTernative Needs a Real Brainstorm
RockTernative is overdue for a real brainstorm. Not another clock tweak, testing the same 500 songs, or a stopset move to outsmart PPM. A real, ‘air everything out’ brainstorm.
Ninety percent of the ideas will end up on the floor. But some won’t. And one of those might be the difference-maker. Moreover, if we’re being honest — most of the advice given to this industry, while smart and well-intentioned, is conservative, incremental, and predictable. There are endless columns and posts for the rational, safe, and convenient. But rarely do we get radical.
Why can’t radical become rational when everything around us proves it can? Both Rock and Alternative were once defined by doing things no one else would or could do. RockTernative used to be radical.
Free Offer — First Come, First Served
So here’s my offer: I’ll moderate five free brainstorming sessions for qualified teams (non-compete with my clients). No strings attached. Your ideas, not mine; I’ll pull them out of you. First come, first served. Email me.
But we can warm up right here.
Remember, no judgment — one idea triggers another. Just a few more “what ifs” to help shake the rust off.
A Few More “What Ifs” to Get You Started
- What if stations held a “listener council” every Friday that had a say in decisions?
- What if morning shows were just two hours of straight fire, repeated?
- What if giveaways weren’t allowed unless they’re valued at or above the daypart’s average spot rate?
- What if stations had “no repeat” days where nothing could air twice?
- What if one day per week the commercials were reserved for local businesses only?
- What if on-air and digital/social teams were staffed 24/7, always creating content?
- What if radio kicked its 25–54 addiction and created new formats aimed at underserved demos — and marketed them aggressively?
- What if “coming up next,” “on the other side,” and other clichés were illegal?
Most everything today was radical at one time. And while some of the above may not feel radical to everyone, it absolutely does to others. Still, Radio’s next chapter won’t be written by being cautious. A different, brighter future will come from new ideas and more imagination. And I can assure you the future of radio does not sound exactly like it does today.
Radical thinking might be the most rational thing we can do right now.
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Keith Cunningham is a music industry and Rock/Alternative columnist for Barrett Media and the founder of Black Box Group, a modern-modeled creative & strategic consultancy built for brands that need strategies with teeth. He’s the former Master of Mayhem at 95.5 KLOS-FM in Los Angeles for over a decade, a nationwide consultant, and has been repeatedly voted one of America’s top Program Directors and strategic thinkers. Keith has built his career by taking multi-million-dollar brands from worst to first and leading Marconi & Gracie award winners along the way. A data nerd with a rock-and-roll heart, he is an advisory council member for St. Jude fundraising, a fantasy football champion, and lover of his daughters & dogs. Reach him at keithblackboxgroup@gmail.com or on LinkedIn or X.
