It’s Time To Really Collaborate (Emphasis On Really)

A few weeks back, I read a story about artificial intelligence and its effect on the “deepfake” videos, where you see actual individuals you know say and do things, but it’s not really them. It’s what happens when one uses a form of A.I. The gist of the story, though, was about an unlikely collaboration to create what they called a “lie detector” for photos and videos. You can see the full story here.

The most intriguing part of all this focuses on the two collaborators. Two companies which, at times, heavily compete in the software arena – Microsoft and Adobe. They have worked together to come up with a platform called “Content Credentials” that will, eventually they hope, distinguish what is real and what is not with social media-posted photos and videos. It’s gotten so much interest and attention that 900 companies have jumped in, including other direct competitors like Nikon and Canon, and The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal.

This got me to thinking: Have there been other instances where this type of collaboration has happened? How about Amazon and Kohl’s, where the department store handles all returns for the online giant? Target and Toys R Us have created, together, an online and in-store toy shopping experience that’s now a part of the physical Target store. And Daimler-Benz and BMW are currently collaborating to come up with several innovative automobiles.

Major competing companies working together to do some good for their industry. Imagine that? This all causes me to wonder about a big “what if” for our radio industry?

What if every major radio broadcast company, starting with iHeart, Cumulus and Audacy, put aside their differences and collaborated seriously to find a better, more reliable listener measurement system?

Why use a system now that continues to create more questions than provide more answers? Why do other media have measurement in place that can offer detailed information about the user while this one is still “working on issues?” Are we solving the correct problems with our stations using this system, or are we chasing imagined ones? Why do we continue to accept the results generated from this service as the benchmark for advertising revenue and job security? Why is it so hard to measure ear bud listening? Why are these broadcast giants writing enormous checks to a company that considers radio an afterthought?

I’m not talking about another advisory council or board. I am talking about the CEOs and heads of programming from all these major companies putting in the effort together to determine the best system or a suggested system for measurement.

It’s happening on the television side. I left this collaboration example for last for obvious reasons. It just so happens that Fox, NBC Universal, Paramount (CBS), Televisa/Univision and Warner Bros./Discovery launched a joint industry committee they intend to use to vet and certify the “dizzying array of measurement technologies that has come to market in recent months.” See that story here. TV broadcast companies -- fierce competitors on any platform -- working side-by-side for the improvement of the entire TV industry.

Our business model is changing. Streaming and on demand have become an integral part of our audio delivery. The measurement of how listeners perceive us, find us, and listen to us must change, but it cannot be done without a unified effort on the part of our industry. If these television groups can do it, why can’t the same action be taken by our radio groups? It will take time, but for radio, the clock is ticking. It’s time to at least catch up.

Who knows? Maybe we’ll find out that radio is still as viable as it always has been!

“Taking Your Radio Presence To The Next Level. Be it an artist, radio programmer or on-air talent. Coaching and mentoring down to your foundational level”

Contact me:
John Shomby
Owner/CEO Country’s Radio Coach
jshomby@countrysradiocoach.com
757-323-1460
https://countrysradiocoach.com