Media Info Bureau

Strong positioners move a radio station past utility grade. Nearly all of the listening going on in the United States is utility not foreground, not a reason for listening. It’s about getting your radio station near the useful part of the curve. That means moving away from being a utility.

March 26th: A major medical moment of the 20th century occurred on this date in 1953. That's when noted researcher and virologist Jonas Salk at the University of Pittsburgh revealed on CBS Radio that the testing of his polio vaccine on a 90-member group of adults and children had proven successful. The testing continued for two years with the vaccine declared sound in April of '55, paving the way for the licensing of the injected substance and the subsequent mass immunization campaigns. On this night in 1956 comedian Red Buttons made his TV acting debut on CBS's "Studio One."

March 24th: As Jackie Gleason would say, a little traveling music!!! We offer it for radio, vaudeville, Broadway and film performer Belle Baker who became the first person to host a radio broadcast from a moving train, on this day in 1932. That variety program was heard on New York's WABC. Eddie Cantor paid this lady quite the compliment at one time in saying Belle Baker is, "Dinah Shore, Patti Page, Peggy Lee and Judy Garland all rolled into one."

What can we do to separate ourselves from all others in the sales field? What can we do to enable ourselves to thrive and not just survive in the media sales world for decades to come? There are many necessary action steps we need to take to achieve the questions asked above but one that I believe works best is to

With today’s rapid consumption of bite-sized morsels of social media

The shifting of social media strategy and outlets--the game will never stop changing. The second you might think you have an inkling of how to do something new questions arise. Do I pay for sponsored posts on Facebook?

At the bottom of the Great Recession, radio had lost $5 billion of revenue, from over $20 billion in 2007 to

Ten years ago – on March 15, 2004 – Advertising Age published an editorial titled, “TV spots need a ratings systems.” That editorial said: “Eight-five percent of marketers are interested in commercial ratings for TV audience measurement, according to a survey released by the Association of National Advertisers.”

Part one of this guide, “Obtaining Information from FCC.gov With

The television industry is experiencing more consolidation than ever. Recently, Yahoo shut down IntoNow and

The National Alliance of State Broadcasters Associations began its life in 1985 as the Broadcast Executive Directors Association or “BEDA.” Even before the formality of incorporation, the Executive Directors of the State Broadcasters Associations had a long history of collaboration and interaction going back to the 1930s with the formation of the first State Broadcasters Associations.

Pioneers get shot. While there are many who counsel entrepreneurs to “embrace failure” or “be true to your passion”, most of the time entrepreneurs who pave the way with a new business model or even just a new business feel all alone and vulnerable. Of course, with greater risk there is greater reward and everyone knows that, but let’s be honest – most people are risk-averse. It’s much more comfortable to take a path that is well-worn. So, it’s no wonder that getting radio advertising prospects to commit to a test or a campaign is so difficult. They are terrified of something “new and unproven” or wasting their precious marketing resources. As someone who has seen the radio industry up close for more than 30 years, I have some advice for radio station sellers: