The Infinite Dial

There are loads of blog posts (in all industries) out there from pundits that follow this simple formula:

1. "[link to non-industry company] is doing X, and X is smart."

2. "Are you doing X at your company?"

3. "Why not?"

4. "Hmmmmmmmmm?"

It is refreshing to remind those of us in the radio industry, however, that sometimes, we do some things right--and that other industries are learning from radio. Here's one from a librarian! Read her four 'useful takeaways' to drive awareness, trial and usage for libraries that she gleaned from listening to local radio in Philadelphia and consider how Radio can continue to leverage these strengths in the future. The library is a venerable, local institution that has lost some of its "reach" and is being forced to change in order to remain relevant in a world where the Internet has become our primary source of information. Sound familiar?

Also, I loved this tidbit:

Lately, actually, I've been homing in on two stations, desperately hoping to hear one of my favorite songs of Summer 2006: "Crazy", by Gnarls Barkley, "SexyBack", by Justin Timberlake, "Ain't No Other Man", by Christina Aguilera, and "Promiscuous", by Nelly Furtado (featuring Timbaland).

...which prompted two thoughts:

• I remember finishing up a huge music research project for the launch of WKTU ten years ago (!) and commenting on how many great testing songs we had. Then-PD Frankie Blue replied, "yeah, but we will win this summer by owning two or three of them." Even in this post-Jack world, the "summer song" remains a potent force.
• I want to visit her library!

Shhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!