Innholdsfortegnelse for October 13, 2025 i Radio Ink Magazine

A lot can be said about radio’s increasing emphasis on its digital assets. And depending which side of the fence you sit on, digital could be considered the Midas touch — or just a paper tiger. Let’s face it: these days, everyone’s glued to their phones, scrolling through social feeds, streaming music, and catching podcasts on the go. So how do we jump into the digital pool without leaving behind everything that makes a station unique? It’s a fine balancing act, bringing radio’s unique magic into the digital age without losing what makes it special. Extending a station’s brand across digital assets shouldn’t mean tossing aside the personality, local flavor, and real-time connection on which listeners rely. Used wisely, digital assets can complement traditional broadcast strengths with more precision targeting…

Programmers spend hours finetuning music logs, coaching talent, and analyzing Nielsen, but there’s one area that’s still far too overlooked: the on-air mention. You know the ones — the quick tags at the end of a promo, the “live reads” dropped into a break, the liners your talent fires off without thinking. Too often, these are phoned in, and when that happens, everyone loses. Especially sales. We’ve all heard it: “This hour brought to you by Joe’s Car Wash.” Flat. Lifeless. No energy. No context. No reason for the listener to care. That kind of read isn’t just forgettable, it’s ineffective. And when those mentions don’t move the needle, advertisers question whether radio works. The problem isn’t the medium. It’s the execution. Great on-air mentions are about connection. They’re not…

Feeling worn down? Are your efforts falling short of sales quotas? If you’re ready to get your career back on track and hitting record-breaking numbers, I have two proven concepts that are sure to lift your spirits and your sales: exercise and prospecting. The Power of a Daily Walk Let’s start with exercise. Getting up early and taking a long walk is just what the doctor ordered. Three miles is the perfect distance — a half-hour out and a half-hour back. It’s an easy habit to build, and it will do wonders for your mind, body, and soul. Think of it like Jerry Seinfeld’s approach to writing jokes. He says the key to success is to “never skip a day” and to “string as many days in a row as…

Yes, you can tell AI to create a radio commercial for Joe’s Plumbing. Just like you can tell AI to create a painting of your wife inspired by the Mona Lisa. But what do you think will mean more? Which kind of work will truly connect? Which one will your client — and their customers —appreciate? The answer lies not in the efficiency of the output, but in the humanity of the input. AI isn’t the villain in this story. Nuclear energy can power cities or level them. The internet can connect hearts or spread hatred. AI can amplify human creativity or replace it entirely. The difference lies not in the technology itself, but in how we choose to wield it. Radio has always been about more than delivering information.…

There will be many well-deserved cheers at this year’s NAB Marconi Radio Awards as broadcasters from across the country gather to recognize stations, programming, and personalities who have shaped the industry, but the loudest cheers in the Edison Ballroom are most likely to come from the youngest in attendance. Among the many finalists and categories, College Radio Station of the Year carries special significance. It not only highlights the work of student broadcasters, it reminds the industry of its duty. These nominations represent proof that the next generation remains engaged and determined to shape the medium’s future. This year’s finalists form a constellation of tri-state ambition: Columbia University’s WKCR, Montclair State University’s WMSC, Hofstra University’s WRHU, Rider University’s WRRC, and Seton Hall University’s WSOU. That all five finalists hail from…

When I work with young recording artists on media training, the first question I ask is not about their background. I always ask about their “story.” Then, I can find out who they really are. I won’t just get a list of accomplishments, I’ll find out their “why.” And everyone has a great story! With a recording artist, the story seems a logical thing to want to know and for him/her to articulate. But how about our side of the business? What’s your story? If someone were to ask you, what would you tell them? Almost everyone gives me a list of where he/she worked, for how long, etc. — a resume. I’m sure whenever you have applied for any job in this business, the first item you send along…

There’s a surefire solution to make your sales go up. Not sometimes, every time. Follow this formula. Work consistently. Get ready for the payoff. All you need to do is… Learn to Be a Great Storyteller In sales, our first job is to get positive attention. If you don’t get the attention of a prospect and hold it, you lose. That’s it. So doing more prep than others, listening to prospects, and telling them a story about their success with your products and services will benefit your actual sales. Become good at this, because you will be in the slow lane without it. Sell Solutions, Not Spots Rather than just selling ad time, topperforming radio salespeople position themselves as marketing consultants. You and I can call it whatever we want,…

Standard General Managing Partner and Chief Investment Officer Soo Kim has made a career of finding fortunes where others on Wall Street saw famine. He doesn’t flinch at words like “distressed” or “turnaround.” He embraces them with the confidence of someone who’s spent three decades navigating finance’s unexplored waters. While most investors ignored radio, either chasing the shiny penny of streaming services or carving up the attention economy on social media platforms, Kim saw something others missed: authentic voices speaking to communities that corporate consolidation had largely written off. His MediaCo Holdings now anchors itself on two of New York’s most iconic stations: the heritage Urban radio powerhouse WBLS and hip hop’s original home, Hot 97. But Kim’s vision extends far beyond nostalgia for radio’s solid-gold past. His recent acquisition…