In Crisis Or Innovative? RAIN Summit Panel Focuses On State Of Radio Content

John Gehron

Legendary radio programmer JOHN GEHRON moderated a panel on creating compelling content for digital platforms

Another radio programming legend, LEE ABRAMS, warned about a crisis in media content, telling about walking into a newspaper during his stormy tenure at TRIBUNE and hearing many innovative ideas that were all for the paper's website, but when he asked why they didn't do anything for the newspaper itself, the response was, "oh, no, we can't touch that."  Online media, both social media and other websites, are "the new rock 'n' roll," ABRAMS said, but he said that the content area is not seeing the same action.  Terrestrial radio, he charged, is "still playing from the '80s playbook," with stations still using "Two-Fer TUESDAYs," deep-voiced imaging and STAR WARS sound effects.

Former KLSX and KABC-A/LOS ANGELES hosts FRANK KRAMER and HEIDI HAMILTON, who host a podcast and webcast for KABC that is not broadcast on the station, discussed their unusual situation, which HAMILTON, reaching for a description, called "an experience."  KRAMER joked about having been fired by the seminar's keynote speaker, CBS RADIO Pres./CEO DAN MASON, and described how the hosts were able to bring their loyal audience with them online.  The duo also noted that their content does not generally go over the line of indecency and would be airable on terrestrial radio.

RADIO PARADISE's BILL GOLDSMITH explained the genesis of the station, which is entirely listener-supported by voluntary contributions at donor-determined levels, as something he and his wife wanted to create which would be theirs and theirs alone.

AOL RADIO' THOMAS CHAU responded to GEHRON's question about how AOL differentiates its own channels from those of CBS and YAHOO! on the same player by citing the passion of the staff, including himself.

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