If you’ve been in radio long enough, even for a couple of years, you’ve seen the cycle: consolidation, layoffs, “restructuring,” and the same pep talk about doing more with less. In a way, it’s validating to be one of the survivors. On the other hand, is that what you’d want? How do you stay relevant in a shrinking industry? Should you worry about being on the radio’s cutting edge? Maybe it’d be better to apply your skills in new projects? What’s a broadcaster to do?
It’s easy to feel like the walls are closing in. The radio industry is shrinking. In reality, most industries are reducing humans, but the demand for what radio people do best has never been bigger. Storytelling, connecting, entertaining, and managing (programming) content are thriving across platforms.
The challenge isn’t survival. It’s staying relevant during cutbacks and a technology attack that threatens your relevance.
