Stay Viable People

Table of Contents

• Stay Viable People

• Where Has Matt Been?

• Stop Doing This!

• Best Thing I Heard This Week

• But Wait, There's More!

Stay Viable People

A few weeks ago, our local phone company Bell who owns too many radio stations decided to sell off 40+ radio stations. Many news outlets that also own radio stations decided to run with a quote from a spokesperson saying, “Radio was no longer a viable business.”

The quote riled radio people in a nasty way. On the day this happened, I was interviewing a radio personality from that same company who appeared perplexed at the comment. They didn’t say what they were thinking, but I could tell they were confused to be getting a paycheque from a company that had demeaned their work.

Weeks later, radio is still notably ticked with Robert Malcolmson’s “Not a viable business anymore” quote. My good friend Darrin Harvey from Rewind 89.9 in Kentville, NS shared receipts of radio’s viability in 2024.

He dropped off a shirt, hat & handwritten letter on his way home yesterday so it would be there when he got home from school…

Most of the time I need to play therapist with overblown situations, so allow me to break this down for everyone.

Robert Malcolmson holds the position of Chief Legal and Regulatory Officer at Bell. Who is entertaining quotes from Legal and Regulatory over the viability of radio? And why would they say that? Or better… who is that quote aimed at? Answer: Shareholders. The words are designed to paint the phone company as a forward-looking, “we are getting away from the past and zooming to the future” company. They only use those radio stations to sell phones using the ad time while keeping the operations mildly profitable or flat.

Let’s also remember some other troubling parts of the quote.

The stations were not going broke; they were sold. So while the Chief Regulatory Officer does not view radio as viable, there were more than a half dozen buyers who do. What are telling the people you just did a transaction with?

Bell still have a few hundred employees with ties to their remaining radio properties. You have pretty much told them their work is not valued and polish up your LinkedIn profile.

What about the paying advertisers who still floating their ad dollars to Bell?

Thankfully, the Sound Off Media Company does not have someone to spew irrational quotes to shareholders. But if we did, that person would be suspended for two weeks and put on an apology tour to every employee, our industry competitors, our listeners and advertisers, and the people we sold the “not viable” businesses to. I might still be ticked off after that and just fire them.

People matter. They want to feel acknowledged, heard, and embraced. Audio is one of the greatest ways to touch people and it is a shame that the most dreary of all soul’s tarred the most viable way to communicate.

Where Have I Been This Week?

I was a guest on the Boiling Point

STOP DOING THIS!

You don’t need 5 to 10 different pieces of social media to market your episode. You need 1. So much time is wasted on creating all 9 highlight clips to plaster on 9 social media platforms. Here’s what you’re actually doing:

• You are littering the internet with crap.

• You are telling people your show is crap. You do not have 9 highlight clips…. If you have a good show you MIGHT have one.

• The only person who thinks they have done a good job is you.

Instead, challenge yourself to find the one highlight of the show that your audience will find interesting. Then tell them about it.

That’s it – that’s marketing for your show simplified.

Best Thing I Heard This Week…

Maureen Holloway, along with Wendy Mesley is the host of the Women of Ill Repute. The weekly show is the two of them interviewing the most notable of people. This week’s episode is out Tuesday with musician Bruce Cockburn. Maureen tweeted the following:

And as it turns out – there is a podcast episode with an answer for this. Dallas Taylor is the host of Twenty Thousand Hertz, a show that delves into the world's most recognizable and interesting sounds. They have attempted to decipher why we are constantly making the TV louder or softer, and why Gen Z’s are just opting to keep the subtitles on.

Click the episode art to listen!

But Wait, There’s more…Latest Show Info!

Maie Pauts from Boom 97.3 in Toronto joins me to discuss her career; everything from why she got into radio, the early days at CFNY, then CHUM, and now Boom 97.3 in Toronto.

And if you don’t feel like watching an entire show – you can also skim through the transcription which you can find toward the bottom of the episode page.

Click to Listen!

Matt is still available for voice-over work! Check the site below for demo & pricing.