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A few weeks ago I was having lunch with a long time radio personality and he asked me, "Do you think if I had a podcast it would help or hinder getting back on the air?"
I had two answers for him: I said "Yes, of course!". But then we slowly talked our way to a no; unable to see an increase in immediate brand value for his personality. (The keyword being immediate) Since then, I have spent the time wondering if out-of-work radio personalities should be investing their time in podcasting.
Podcasting is quite simple for those working in radio. Take your morning show and condense all the audio and post it to iTunes, then add any extra stuff that did not make it to air. It meets all the demands for younger radio listeners who just want to hear their favourite radio shows on their time. Talk based formats like NPR and CBC have embraced podcasting and made their content readily available, and in some cases it is the only way some listeners interact with those brands.
I still had podcasting on my mind during my fishing trip with my cousin when he and I started talking about one of his colleagues, Jen Ringoen, who was travelling to Dallas for Podcast Movement 15.
"Wait! There's a conference for podcasting? And there was one last year?"
Last weekend in Fort Worth, PM15 promised participants, "You can expect to find a place where not only will you leave motivated and inspired, you’ll leave a BETTER PODCASTER."
That's right: Podcasting talent is gathering on their own volition to share ideas to better themselves. When was the last time your morning show or drive show got on a plane for something similar?
This brings me to Jen Ringoen who is simply a podcast fan who paid her own way from San Francisco to the PM15 Conference in Fort Worth. By day, Jen Ringoen works at the San Francisco based media services firm, Kingman & Co, specializing in advertising sales and recruiting. Jen's latest project is called The Podcast Hunt, and Jen writes in her first e-newsletter:
"How have podcasts moved me enough to travel to Fort Worth, Texas in the middle of summer to attend a conference dedicated to them? Perhaps it’s the bond I’ve formed with my favorite hosts-- no surprise given that they are literally in my head (via my headphones) for several hours per day. Or maybe it’s because I'm not forced to make time to consume audio. While I walk to work, wait at a bus stop, cook dinner and run errands, I listen. Podcasts weave themselves seamlessly into my life. They bring joy and productivity to otherwise lame, arduous tasks. Of course, not all podcasts touch our hearts and blow our minds. For every auditory masterpiece, there are two guys in a basement talking into microphones à la Wayne’s World. And, like a good book, finding the right episode can be time consuming and frustrating. The idea behind The Podcast Hunt is simple: to build a community of listeners to share, discover and discuss podcasts. Though we’ll start as an e-newsletter, my hope is to eventually provide a platform that’s more social and collaborative. Let’s help each other find our next listen."
I highlighted the important part in case you missed it: Written by someone in radio's most coveted demographic, Jen has pinpointed the exact thing that makes (or made) your radio station famous, and the exact reason why people under 30 have less passion for terrestrial radio than they should. Take a look at your product:
Do you "force" 18-39 year olds to make time to consume audio?
Do you tell them to listen tomorrow at 7:10am for the big announcement that they could win Selena Gomez tickets if they qualify to qualify to win?
Do you make any additional content available from your most compelling artists or hosts, that can be listened to anytime? If you are not making a podcast, are you listening to any? There are ideas, talent, and programming opportunities all available for free.
Podcast Movement 16 is less than a year away in Chicago. That's a direct flight for most of us. See you there.