Keeler, WIBX Featured in NBC Today Show Story About Radio

WIBX and the Keeler Show were featured in an NBC Today Show news story regarding a recent movement by music artists asking Congress to make radio pay for the music they play. NBC's Ryan Nobles produced the story that featured an interview with Boys II Men which recently lobbied Congress to pass a bill that would require radio stations to pay to play. Ryan gave me the chance to give my very strong opinion on this issue.

The group members delivered a letter to Congress on Monday signed by some 300 artists saying that the media dynamic had changed, and that AM and FM radio was no longer needed to help artists promote their music, so they believe stations should pay each time am artist's songs were played on the air. The model would be similar to the one used to pay artists when their music is streamed on platforms like Apple Music and Spotify.

On the other side is radio, which was the part of the story I participated in. While I don't officially represent radio or WIBX's owner Townsquare Media (TSM), I have plenty of opinion on the topic. The thought that radio no longer plays a part in artists promoting their music is not only absurd, it's incorrect. A great example is the way record promoters and record companies still campaign to make sure radio stations around the country play their artist's music. The music played on a radio station and the intimate DJ/Listener relationship that still exists today creates a connection that hasn't been duplicated by any other medium thus far.

Has Radio Maintained its Audience?

Radio, unlike newspapers and television, has indeed been able to maintain its audience through the digital changes that have significantly affected how Americans consume their information and entertainment. While it's true, we have much more competition than ever before, the medium is actually growing listeners, likely because we were way ahead of the game in participating in online streaming options like YouTube, Facebook, podcasting, and several digital platforms. In fact, WIBX alone is available on AM and FM channels, online streaming, the free WIBX950 APP, and our morning show airs video and audio every day on our Keeler Live stream YouTube channel. Additionally, each TSM personality shares content from their radio shows in the form of digital online content/blogs and news stories dozens of times a week to keep the audience engaged with what's happening on their shows and in their local communities.

Here are the facts: AM/FM radio listening in larger U.S. markets will increase by +24%. For national marketers and media agencies, the expected impact in 2025 will be a +10% increase in total U.S. listening levels, according to Nielsen.

Here's another interesting statistic that might surprise you. During the last five years, AM/FM radio has overtaken linear TV in ratings. As of 2023, AM/FM radio’s 18-49 ratings were 12% greater than TV. Among 25-54s the gap between TV and AM/FM radio ratings has been steadily closing. Based on TV and AM/FM radio audience forecasts, 2025 will see AM/FM radio overtake TV in the all-important 25-54 demographic by 13% and widen its ratings lead over TV among 18-49s by 47%.

Watch Ryan Noble's piece from NBC's Today Show featuring WIBX:

What Makes Radio Different?

Original content with unique local views and personalities make the on-air product "one of a kind" and personal, not only with talk radio which is absolutely unique to the talk show host, but the music DJs as well, who share their music format with the local audience in a way that is unique to their personality. Additionally, radio is immediate and is always there to serve their local community with live updates, whether it be normal day-to-day activity, or during weather related disasters, and many other types of community emergencies. The COVID shutdown was a great example of radio's importance which became the place to turn in our community with live updates from health and community officials that were up to the minute, airing 7 days a week during the height of the pandemic.

What Would a Pay-Per-Play-Fee or Any Type of Airplay Fee Do to Radio?

If the artists get their way and a bill like this passes, it would definitely hurt radio across the board. Radio has operated with a business model that has helped showcase and promote popular music with no charge to artists since the very beginning. Advertisers pay to have their messaging heard, funding radio's day to day operations. Time and time again we hear from artists recalling that moment they heard their record on the radio was the moment they knew they had made it in the industry. When an artist plans a concert in a community, the first place they go to promote it is the place that plays their music - the local radio station. A tax on airplay for radio stations would absolutely disrupt the business model and would almost certainly result in job cuts around the country. While it's true the current legislation would offer a reduction in fees for local independent radio stations, any additional fee would be enough to break the backs of these stations which in many cases, are already struggling to make ends meet. Fewer announcers and air personalities means less unique, local, live messaging and fewer people to be in the studio to respond to a local crisis when it occurs. Requiring radio stations to pay to play music might also force radio companies to seek alternatives to playing music choosing to change formats to talk, sports, or community programming which could severely interrupt the balance of viable formats in an individual market.

Should artists make more money?

I'm assuming music artists should make more money, especially the ones who aren't yet or never will be superstars - but to try to take it from the hand that feeds them doesn't make sense. The music industry has a long and storied history of creating bad deals with artists over the years who unknowingly enter into agreement that are nothing short of highway robbery, because they feel it's their only way to succeed in the industry. So, yes, I do feel the artists have a battle for a better deal on their hands and they do deserve better residuals for the art that they create. I just feel like their fight is with the record companies and not with the thousands of radio stations around the country which make them a household name - for free.