Convergence: The current state of play

If you want a highly informed snapshot of audio broadcasting’s evolution, spend some time at a RedTech Summit. The annual meeting of C-suite decision-makers is more than an eye-opener; it is an opportunity to witness dramatic change. Three years ago, broadcast radio was the big momma in the room, podcasting the needy child, and AI was the yapping dog on the porch. Last year, podcasting became a teenager and took control of the remote, and AI kicked down the door and settled on the sofa. This year, all three became a family.

If there’s a term to describe the current state of play in audio broadcasting, it’s ‘convergence.’ It became clear in this year’s Summit that major broadcasters know that podcasting is no longer a distant cousin or an add-on within their portfolio; it needs to be an integral part of their offering. Audio consumers may look to radio for a sense of community and the kick of a live connection, but they also expect to listen to what they want when they want it. In several respects, broadcast radio and podcasting share values, such as the quest for authenticity and the need to establish relationships. And AI is on hand to help.

Critically for broadcasters, the fluidity of audio consumption presents opportunities: Podcasting can offer things that live radio can’t and vice versa. As one person put it, “There’s room for both.” One Summit exercise randomly allocated podcast scenarios to groups, instructing them to identify audiences and marketing and monetization strategies for those podcasts. It became apparent to broadcasters that podcasting was well within their ambit. The term “untapped opportunity” was mentioned more than once in the reportbacks. However, finding the right balance to present a fuller audio broadcasting portfolio demands an appetite for experimentation and risk.

Once a home, now a battleground

Broadcast radio is no stranger to threat; its death has been continuously heralded since the advent of TV. One of the reasons for radio’s longevity was its portability, which gave it a home in the car; drive-time is one of radio’s key audience metrics. It’s emblematic that previous challengers to radio in the car — cassettes, CDs and USB sticks — traditionally sat below the tuner in most car audio systems. However, on many of today’s in-vehicle audio entertainment screens, radio stations are more than a button press away. Therefore, this year’s Summit dedicated time and input to investigating the wealth of challenges — and opportunities — that in-vehicle audiences present. 

Discussion around in-vehicle audiences summoned deep-seated differences in priorities and opinions. RedTech Summits are immersive affairs, and this year’s event was no different. Questions abounded: While in-car analytics offer real-time data, they offer only a snapshot of audiences, so how much value should we place on them? How do stations target young people in cars if they don’t drive and are more likely to be on their mobile phones in cars? How will voice assist features shift station and program selection? How will the AI embedded in connected phones shape in-car audio consumption? And how important is the dashboard in a person’s decision to buy a car anyway? The fact remains that, in many ways, how audio is consumed in the car is illustrative of radio’s position within the broader audio landscape — the car dashboard is no longer radio’s home; it’s now a battleground.

Inspiring and startling

While the popular focus of artificial intelligence may be on its sparkly generative properties, this year’s Summit explored AI’s broader opportunities and impacts. Attendees shared diverse case studies of where AI has revolutionized backend productivity and operational efficiencies in everything from programming and scheduling through metadata tagging and filing to hyper-targeted and personalized sales and marketing. 

Within generative AI, case studies were both inspiring and startling. In Mexico, for example, AI has dramatically cut the time journalists spend translating and transcribing stories. In India, it has helped revive 1950s Bollywood hits by remixing them for young audiences. But the Summit also witnessed AI’s very convincing dabbling in music, which is at the heart of so much audio entertainment. It seems audio’s every output, whether speech, music, or imaging, is now within the realm of AI. This has significant ramifications for broadcasters and publishers, not least regarding legality and ethics. AI is not naturally talented; it is trained on the input of others. It was one of several issues that pitted those relentlessly working AI into every sphere of audio broadcasting and those seeing its outcome, imagining its future path and urging caution and reflection.

Opportunities beyond the obvious

If there’s one area where radio, podcasting, and AI overlap, it is digital audio, where this year’s Summit spent considerable time. Given the global representation of the Summit’s attendance, input on developing and monetizing digital assets was diverse and often eye-opening. Broadcasters and audio publishers were encouraged to consider the multiple places — beyond the obvious — within the media ecosystem where they connect with consumers. One example was a national broadcaster that, through a simple but not uncontroversial tactical shift, went from four digital assets to 174 and significantly shifted its revenue stream to digital. The revelation caused something of a stir amid those in the room.

In a way, that captured the defining essence of every RedTech Summit. In a secluded space where strategic decision-makers from diverse markets can freely experiment and exchange ideas without interference or judgment, entrenched ideas are often overturned, and novel opportunities are explored. Importantly, shared commitments to innovation seed long-term connections and an ever-growing support structure to steer our industry towards a sustainable future.

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