NAB Show Sessions Look At 'Digital Strategies For Radio'

Talking Digital

WEDNESDAY's NAB SHOW 2012 featured an all-day "Digital Strategies Exchange for Radio" session moderated by the NAB's Dir./Digital Strategies SKIP PIZZI.  The program was part of a day-and-a-half series of workshop panels and presentations.

While billed as an "exchange" with few vendors and pitches, the WEDNESDAY session opened with a technical-difficulty-marred panel on streaming radio set up as a series of PowerPoint presentations.

It eventually got under way with talks from LIVIO RADIO's JAKE SIGAL (on the challenges of IP audio distribution to cars, including the need for apps in the dashboard rather than just on a phone), SANTA MONICA COLLEGE noncommercial Triple A-News-Talk KCRW/SANTA MONICA-LOS ANGELES' JENNIFER FERRO on her station's online activities, CLEAR CHANNEL's JEFF LITTLEJOHN on the development of iHEARTRADIO ("it's on fire"), LIQUID COMPASS' ZACKARY LEWIS recounting his company's development of streaming services, and vTUNER's JOHN OUSBY on his company's B-to-B Internet tuner software for connected devices and the need for standardization of station ID and descriptions on various devices (moving towards a "universal dial").

A session on how stations can use podcasting was missing consultant HOLLAND COOKE, who left LAS VEGAS to return home after the passing of his father, but Talk KTBB-A-F/TYLER, TX's PAUL GLEISER and NEW YORK PUBLIC RADIO's SARAH VAN MOSEL were on hand to address the topic, and COOKE's PowerPoint presentation was shown as well, with COOKE client GLEISER handling the narration duties for COOKE's chronicling of the changes in media consumption over the years and suggestions for using the Internet and podcasting to develop talent.

VAN MOSEL offered a PowerPoint on WNYC's podcasting and on-demand growth, touting the new ALEC BALDWIN podcast, the success of "FREAKONOMICS RADIO," and how "RADIOLAB" is mostly encountered by audiences online rather than through its broadcast version.  She also offered a breakdown of how her podcasts are monetized and how they are distributed (including through STITCHER, which accounts for 3% of traffic).  GLEISER offered his own presentation on how KTBB monetizes its digital activity, including a SUPER BOWL special blog and a political website, also with audio and video, and listed some likely advertising categories for online sales.

The morning's schedule also included a session on "personalized" radio for radio broadcasters, while the afternoon offered panels on mobile apps, social media (with JACOBS MEDIA and ALL ACCESS' LORI LEWIS), consultants RICHARD HARKER and JAMES CRIDLAND, and interactive/hybrid mergers of digital and traditional radio.

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