All Episodes

January 16, 2025 19 mins

Join us as Sean Ross, the renowned writer and editor behind "Ross on Radio," explores the radio industry’s path to thriving in 2025.

Just in time for his annual Intriguing Stations column, discover how standout radio brands are redefining success with creative formats and localized engagement, from bilingual classics in Miami to innovative listener promotions worldwide.

Sean also dives into the resurgence of mass-appeal formats like Top 40 and Country, strategies for fostering deeper community connections, and the role of AI in production and content creation.

Sean shares actionable insights for broadcasters to extend in-car listening, leverage video content, and reimagine the audience experience. With practical advice and global examples, this episode is a must-listen for anyone looking to stay ahead in the ever-evolving radio landscape. Tune in to gain new perspectives on what it takes to thrive in 2025 and beyond.

Sean's INTRIGUING observations and concepts you'll want to discuss with your team!

  • The resurgence of mass-appeal formats like Top 40 and Country.
  • Creative ways stations are fostering deeper local connections.
  • Strategies for balancing traditional audio strengths with the rise of video and streaming platforms.
  • The impact of AI on radio production and content creation.
  • Spotlighting standout stations making waves in 2024 and 2025.

One Minute Martinizing - Timing (read here)

Please help us thank these BRANDWIDTH ON DEMAND supporters:


Get the FREE BRANDwidth newsletter

Return to OTHER BRANDwidth Episodes

Mark as Played
Transcript

Episode Transcript

Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
My first advice to people isstill to get the primary usage right.
Turn those nine minutes in thecar into 20 minutes, 30 minutes.
Make the listeners sit in the car.
Until you're done with thatthe driveway moment. Right.
Brand with On Demand rebootingradio with a different take on all

(00:23):
radio can be.
I think we've spent a lot oftime trying to teach a robot to say,
text the national keyboard andwe would be better off spending that
time with our staffs, even ifit's just to get better voice tracking

(00:46):
from the person who's voicetracking seven stations a day and
not getting any coaching andsending something generic.
Now your guides through themediamorphosis, David Martin and
author of the book Brand withmedia branding coach Kipper Magee.
Well, this time we're excitedto welcome a true legendary forecaster

(01:09):
who specializes in radio andmusic trends. He's the voice behind
the very popular Ross on Radiocolumn, a must read for anyone who
loves radio, works in radio,has ever even been been in radio,
or even complained aboutwhat's on the radio. Sean Ross is
back to share his take oneverything from niche formats to
AI. Spoiler alert. It's notcoming for your job yet. And of course,

(01:36):
we'll dive into what radio hasto do to stay alive in 25. Bramwood
on demand is proud to welcomeback the writer and editor of Ross
on Radio, which you can findon Radio insight, Sean Ross. Hey,
Sean.
Hey, Sean. Welcome.
Thank you.
Gentlemen, the year canofficially start now.

(01:57):
Yes, that we're having thisconversation and.
As we put the old year away,you've kind of noted a trend away
from the niche formats back tokind of a need for more broad mass
appeal radio. What are youseeing as we look ahead to 2025?

(02:20):
Yeah, it's been a gratifyingyear. The biggest formats are big
box formats.
Like classic hits likemainstream AC. It was gratifying
to see Top 40 have bettermusic and start to make a comeback.

(02:42):
It's gratifying to see countryfinally, the numbers for country
stations finally catch up.
Oh, yeah.
With the excitement aboutcurrent country music, I think going
forward, a lot of formats thatgot split over the last couple of

(03:07):
decades probably have a betterchance if they converge again. Adult
contemporary and hot, acactive and alternative. You know,
in a lot of places there seemsto be an opportunity for one station

(03:29):
that plays current rock as.
Opposedto two formats eachwith a.
Twoand a half share. And ifyou look at a station like the point
in St. Louis or thealternative station in Pittsburgh,
the X that can Cover bothfranchises. That's where you see

(03:49):
current based rock radio doingwell. And yeah, sometimes what's
niche and what's mass appealblends together. The biggest, most
copied radio station of thelast year is magic93.9 in Miami,

(04:15):
which is English languageclassic hits and Spanish language
jocks. That seems very niche.But in, in Miami it's massive and
it's being copied all over thecountry. And New York just got a
station98.7 emesis station.

(04:38):
Yup.
Now exitos98.7 doing someversion of that.
Well, Sean, you've highlighteda renewed focus on local content.
What strategies are workingfor stations trying to foster deeper
connections in their communities?
I think you foster aconnection break by break. I still

(05:00):
don't hear a lot of jockbreaks that give me any kind of sense
of place when we want tomention local geography. Now a lot
of stations are doing it witha sweeper.
Yeah.
Because there is not somebodyto say it's 50 in Toledo, 52 in Detroit

(05:20):
and 51 in CKLW.
Right.
And in a week like this withLos Angeles or last fall with Asheville
that we're reminded that radiois the emergency information franchise.
But what if we were that every day?

(05:41):
What if we were the localinformation franchise? Every.
Yes.
Not Facebook, not social media.
And to your point, in placeslike LA right now, a lot of people
can't get to anything thatneeds an Internet because they just
don't have it. And radio in LAis becoming their life support system

(06:05):
because at least they can pluginto that with batteries and still
get the information.
And I asked this afterAsheville and I'll ask it again.
How do we take back thatfranchise in happier times?
And on that point you've alsonoted that listener interaction seems

(06:29):
more critical than it everhas, especially now that we're trying
to fight against streams andsatellites and really even voice
track stations. What are someof the most innovative ways that
you've seen stations nowengaging their audiences not just
in disaster times, but reallyin those happier times you're talking
about?
I don't think it has to becreative necessarily. And again,

(06:54):
it's break by break in Canada.In the uk, topics are generally a
part of every hour. And someof them are trifling, some of them
are still favorite cookie or.
You know, should pineapple bea pizza topping? So some of it again

(07:15):
is just.
Getting listener voices backon the air, getting listener names
and businesses back on the air.
But some of it's bringing backshowmanship and local promotions.
One of my favorite promotions,it's A couple of years old now is

(07:36):
a woman named Lauren Hunterwho. Who was at the alternative station
in Edmonton where NathanFillion, the TV actor, is from. And
she got city hall to renameitself for the day as the Nathan

(07:58):
Fillion Civilian Pavilion.
That's great.
And it became an internationalnews store.
So just putting some of thatstunting back, I think makes a difference.
Tim Bronsel of Point to PointMarketing is a good friend of the

(08:18):
column. He recently wrote anarticle which you can see on their
website about the importanceof customized station video in radio
station marketing. Tim thinkthinks that a moderate video campaign
is as effective as the old TVblitzes used to be. Although I'd

(08:46):
like to see somebody do a TVblitz too.
Yeah. Well, I must say the BBCradio holds a clinic daily on how
to involve listeners on theirchannels. I mean, all you need to
do is Tune In Radio 2 andevery single hour there integrating
listeners into the their music stations.

(09:08):
To that point, Radio 2 is whyyou hear topics even on capital and
in Canada. Now radio inEdmonton, which was inspired by Radio
2 has influenced the wholecountry and you hear a lot more listener

(09:34):
interaction.
Yeah. As we enter 25, how canradio adapt and thrive alongside
streaming and digitalplatforms? Sean, particularly with
the rise of video podcastingand the challenges of maintaining
audio's unique strengths in anincreasingly visual world. What do
you think of that?

(09:54):
Dan Mason, then president ofCBS Radio, has been telling radio
broadcasters to make theirstation, a TV station for 15 years.
We're having this conversationin early January and we don't know
what the Future holds forTikTok, but there is certainly an

(10:19):
opportunity for radio to pickup some of the listener video usage
from Tik Tok. There is roomfor radio to extend what it does
by creating more of their ownvideo. And that's not just, you know,

(10:39):
that's not just wacky dancechallenges. That's. Here are the
new songs we've added thisweek. And turn me to the other point.
In terms of what radio can doto thrive overall and compete in
an increasingly video world,my first advice to people is still

(11:03):
to get the primary usageright. Turn those nine minutes in
the car into 20 minutes, 30minutes. Make the listeners sit in
the car.
Until you're done with thatbreak the driveway moment. Right.
You know, we need our driveway moments.
And again, the basics.

(11:24):
Talk about their town,introduce a great new song, play
something they haven't heardin a while, make them smile, make
them look at the radio and chuckle.
Yep. Don't forget the main channel.
Right.
And you know, and don't play astop set that's longer than the average

(11:46):
listening you occasion.
Okay, good point. Blasphemousas it may seem, that is a very solid
point. Also something youdon't hear in other countries, I
might add.
You know, if you listen toCapital FM, every British radio station
is pretty much stopped between56 and O2. 4 minutes of spots, 2

(12:13):
minutes of news when I domonitors of UK stations and it's
not that much more music. Butthe commercials are better still,
they're being broadcast on aviable digital tier instead of making

(12:35):
people go to satellite radiofor niche formats if somebody wants
one and they're still marketedand you go to London and you still
hear radio and the Uber mostof the time.
Yeah, you do. Yeah, you do.
So, Sean, the 800 tonautomated gorilla AI is kind of all

(12:58):
up in production, contentcreation in some places, even voicing
so now like it's going tosolve everything. But really, are
stations onto something legithere or is this just another tech
hustle that's going to leaveeveryone kind of baffled and eventually
bummed out? What's going tohappen with AI, Sean?

(13:20):
I think the best uses of itare for the back end. I think we've
spent a lot of time over thelast two years trying to teach a
robot to say text the nationalkeyword. And you know, we would be
better off spending that timewith our staffs. Even if it's just

(13:46):
to get better voice trackingfrom the person who's voice tracking
seven stations a day and notgetting any coaching and sending
you something generic. Why notput the effort into that person?
Why not put the effort intointo the high school radio person

(14:06):
who still comes by your station?
Hear, hear. Yes, we're withthe writer and editor of Ross on
Radio, which you can find atRadio Insight. Know someone we should
interview or a topic we oughtto cover? Well, let us know. Email
your suggestions toshow@brandwithondemand.com or reach

(14:30):
out on Social Brand with Pluson Instagram, Facebook and X. That's
BrandWithPlus. BrandWithPlus.
And if you're new to thepodcast, we want to say hey, welcome.
And please be sure to hit thefollow button. And of course let
us know what we can do to makethis even a better experience for

(14:53):
you. And if you've been withus for a while, we'd love to have
you tell a friend Brand withOn Demand.
Wherever you get podcastscoming up, Sean Ross shares his latest
writing. What intriguing radiostations of 2024 Will he talk about
find out next.

(15:15):
Yeah, we have a lot going on,multiple stations and formats. We
really need to bundle themall. Yeah, that's. That sounds really
good.
Who are you talking to?
Yeah, I'd like that. It's Davefrom Music Master.
Dave from Music Master at twoin the morning? Who is this?
I told you, it's Dave fromMusic Master.
Dave from Music Master, huh?What are you wearing?

(15:36):
Huh?
Khakis. From the industry'sbest music scheduling software, Nexus
integration, client server andyes, 247 support. Just like your
favorite neighbor Music Masteris there details@musicmaster.com
wondering how to put.
AI to work for you? Well,here's a must have tool. Radio Content
Pro constantly searcheshundreds of verified sources, then

(15:59):
curates content to use on theair, online and on social media.
It writes newscasts,entertainment reports, teases, phone
topics, blog posts, socialmedia posts and more for every single
topic. And RCP's amazing siteSidekick lets you personalize the
content to fit your style andlocal market. Get details and a free

(16:19):
7 day trial now.
Radiocontentpro.com Listentoday lead tomorrow Brandwit on demand.
We are with writer and editorof Ross on Radio, which you can find
at Radio Insight, Sean Ross.Sean, what are some of the most intriguing

(16:40):
stations of 2024?
Intriguing stations is the bigissue every year. A lot of the stations
that I could write about thisyear are the stations I wrote about
last year because a lot ofthem are still influential or successful

(17:02):
like Bilingual AC in Miami.
Or the adult R and B stations.
In Tampa and Orlando. Know hada great year last year and they're
still among our biggestsuccess stories.
So I think there'll besomething about.
The resurgence of top 40.

(17:24):
I think they'll be somethingabout which.
Country stations are thebiggest part of the format comeback.
And you know, we willobviously talk about Asheville because
you know, that was.
Clearly the, the, you know,for the wrong reasons. The most riveting

(17:45):
radio of the year.
All right, I think you'vecrushed it again, Sean. Yeah. Our
thanks to writer and editor ofRoss on Radio, which you can find
on Radio Insight, Sean Ross.We have links to Sean's Ross on Radio
columns and more all in theshow notes. Just scroll, scroll down

(18:05):
on your phone.
We would like to thank ourexecutive producer Cindy Huber for
getting all things togetherand our associate producer Hannah
B. Who helps with booking andcoming up next.
Right now you're listening toKipper McGee and Dave Martin on Brand
with I'm Valerie Gellerinviting you to join the next edition

(18:29):
if you're interested inbecoming becoming a more powerful
communicator, a more powerfulstoryteller and acing it in the brave
new world of digital media. Ihope you'll join us brand with next
edition.
That's a wrap, Kipper. It'sall about timing. We'll talk about
it one minute. Martinizingfind it in the show notes@brandwithondemand.com

(18:51):
I'm Dave Martin.
And I'm Kipper McGee. May allyour brand with be wide.
Advertise With Us

Popular Podcasts

Stuff You Should Know
Boysober

Boysober

Have you ever wondered what life might be like if you stopped worrying about being wanted, and focused on understanding what you actually want? That was the question Hope Woodard asked herself after a string of situationships inspired her to take a break from sex and dating. She went "boysober," a personal concept that sparked a global movement among women looking to prioritize themselves over men. Now, Hope is looking to expand the ways we explore our relationship to relationships. Taking a bold, unfiltered look into modern love, romance, and self-discovery, Boysober will dive into messy stories about dating, sex, love, friendship, and breaking generational patterns—all with humor, vulnerability, and a fresh perspective.

Dateline NBC

Dateline NBC

Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com

Music, radio and podcasts, all free. Listen online or download the iHeart App.

Connect

© 2025 iHeartMedia, Inc.