Is Radio Still Relevant?

via thatretailchick. That Retail Chick collected some interesting quotes about radio today. Check it out below.

“We’re still a very relevant industry. We have people listening in droves, even the 12- to 24-year-olds. But we have to move into new areas.”
– Jeff Dinetz, president/COO NextMedia Radio Group, on radio’s need to take advantage of Facebook, Twitter and other digital platforms to retain top-of-mind awareness with listeners.

“We point listeners to our websites. We have interactive managers in every market. We are doing 7% of our revenue on the digital side. 50% of that is customized solutions for small businesses. In 2011, our expectation is that digital will deliver 10% of our revenue. That’s one reason our presence in small markets has improved.”
– Gary Rozynek, president/CEO Maverick Media, on how selling advertising in less-populated, more community-driven metros goes beyond the AM/FM dial.

“There’s one reason people listen to radio: to be entertained. If you’re not more entertaining than another song, shut up.”
– Terry Phillips, creative director/CBS Detroit.

“The PPM (ratings) data we have seen tells us that listeners pretty much interpret everything (not a song) as a commercial. The less you stop the music to identify yourself, the better. We have also done away with the long, pointless slogans. For us, it’s just ‘All the Hits’.”
– Ricky Roo, formerly of KDWB, on how Arbitron’s Portable People Meter has, in numerous markets, replaced the company’s decades-old diary method, spurring changes in programming strategy.

“You know that billboard your station has? I think you should cover it 60% of the time. That’s what you are doing anytime you leave your station vehicle in the parking lot.”
– Nienaber, on the need for stations to be seen on the streets constantly. (His favorite station vehicle among his clients? The one whose wheel wells are adorned with impossible-to-miss strobe lights).

“Imagine how excited we’d be if there were an artist here …”
– Mike Klein, program director WZKF (98.9 Radio Now) and WLGX (Gen X Radio 100.5)/Louisville, Ky., on how touring an empty performance studio at Clear Channel’s Minneapolis cluster didn’t diminish the giddiness of a contingent (including this author) of proud “radio geeks.”