"Traditional television has not disappeared. The audience has not disappeared. What has disappeared is the idea that everybody is going to watch the same entertainment simply because a network tells us when it’s on."
The Edison Research data proves what we already knew. Younger audiences put much more emphasis on their phones. You can argue that the industry misplayed that push that's been steadily growing for years. But there's also time to rectify that, too.
I haven't heard that any of the top folks in the publicly held radio companies are saying, "Our companies aren't doing well. I've made a lot of money, so I'm going to work for a greatly reduced salary and benefit package until we can turn this around. That might save some jobs in my company."
I was on a Zoom call last week with one of my former bosses, and we agreed that we're glad we're not doing surveys for a living anymore. It's a very tough business, and all these factors can cause some strange results.
In 1970, newspapers were doing OK, still making money from subscriptions, display advertising, and want ads (remember those?). Many big markets had two papers, and perhaps one was "failing." Who could have accurately predicted where the newspaper business would be in 2026?
There are some very good academics in our universities who could offer new thoughts and ideas. But in my view, the business folks and the teachers don't spend enough time together.
The Edison Research data proves what we already knew. Younger audiences put much more emphasis on their phones. You can argue that the industry misplayed that push that's been steadily growing for years. But there's also time to rectify that, too.
"I'm able, with a lot clearer focus, to call out the nonsense, the lies, the false promises, and all of the showmanship and theater that is in politics. I saw it firsthand."