Podcast Chatter – RAIN Summit at NAB Las Vegas

In-Car listening Survey Results: For those driving cars model years 2009 or older – 67% responded that they listen to AM/FM radio the most. The numbers are lower for people who drive cars that are 2010 and newer – only 47% said they listen primarily to AM/FM since newer cars typically have an adapter to plug in wireless devices. (Larry Rosin, Edison Research)

• Norm Pattiz of Podcast One labeled the current era ‘the golden age of podcasting’ and likens the industry to the early days of traditional radio when programmers were still trying to figure out what kind of content would draw listeners

• Pattiz likened podcasting to using a DVR to record TV shows. Once you start using it, you won’t go back to ‘traditional’ media consumption. He also said he’s seeing more big brands (such as Geico, Burger King) entering the podcast advertising market

• Pattiz mentioned several revenue streams for podcasting including  advertising, subscriptions, product placement, merchandising and personality endorsements

• Tom Leykis on the podcast panel said his podcast was less like traditional talk radio and more of a social network, where he could invite fans to events. Leykis said making money in podcasting was all about engaging the ‘true fans,’ the P-1s were his bread and butter

• Leykis gave props to NPR for being ahead of commercial radio in rolling out a rich library of podcasts, offering narrowed down well produced content

• Panelists suggested chopping long form talk radio shows into smaller slices, offering digital listeners interviews and shorter segments, rather than posting the entire show in a single podcast. (Although Leykis doubted that many commercial stations would pay someone $40k a year to make this happen)

• In his ‘state of the industry’ address at the end of the day, RAIN Summit West founder Kurt Hanson said, except for Pandora, the online radio listening audience will remain flat for the next several years. Hanson likened today’s Internet broadcasting to the ‘great divide’ of days past.  Hanson said that’s when the FCC made broadcasters do more on their FM signals than simulcast their AM stations. Hanson says FM radio took off only when listeners could hear something that they weren’t already getting on AM

• DRONES are big this year – both on the show floor – and in NAB sessions, with panels talking about the future of using drones for newsgathering, and the legal aspects of using them now and in the future

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