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I went to RadioDays in Prague. No, not Prague, OK but Prague, Czech Republic. This was my first trip out of the U.S. since 2020. I was excited to see old friends, make new ones and catch up on the state of radio in Europe.
I haven't heard exact numbers for attendance, but the venue seemed full. Lifted travel restrictions made getting there easier. Prague was full of tourists: airports were busy. Planes were full. All good signs of a returning travel industry.
Now, to radio in Europe. This conference focused mostly on programming, promotions and podcasting. Europe has embraced podcasting even more than the U.S. has. But we shouldn't forget the originators of podcasts....that would be the radio announcers who have been creating content for decades.
But the most interesting, and a bit disconcerting, session was by Daniel Anstandig from Futuri. He demonstrated RadioGPT, which has taken AI to a new level. The session was full and you could tell the presenters present by the stunned looks on their faces as we exited. I know they were thinking, "What should my NEXT career be?"
Futuri has another product called TopicPulse. This software searches over 250 sources around a pre-determined geographic area and provides information to announcers so they can be topical and relevant. Now TopicPulse provides that information to AI announcers. Daniel's AI can provide up to 4 voices to create a morning show....all AI! His service can clone your present announcers' voices.
And the really scary thing is, if Daniel hadn't kept reminding the audience that they were listening to AI voices, you would have forgotten. They were that good!
There is an on-going discussion about whether AI can provide the heart and soul that has always made radio meaningful to its audience. It's an entirely different topic about the legality, ethics, ETC. for using AI. But, despite all questions, AI is here. Big time. It is already being beta tested in US and Canadian markets. Are announcers and presenters a thing of the past? I hope not. I believe not. But live announcers may have studio mates that aren't.
It's a brave, new world. As I left the session I thought, "Thank God I'm in sales!" Despite programmatic, and all the efforts to make radio commercials into a commodity, great sellers have found ways to differentiate their product, to show value beyond a CPP. Selling radio remains a good way to ensure that you have a job! For you announcers who would like to transition to the revenue side of our business, I have openings in several markets. I'm happy to assist!
Prague was a good time. I came back realizing we are on the cusp of a new day in our industry. We must learn, understand, and adapt to the "new normal". Again. But that is what radio does best. We morph into a relevant "thing". We continue to serve the public. We continue to serve businesspeople and help them to succeed.
I enjoyed the company. I enjoyed the atmosphere of Prague and the history there. I enjoyed the wine! Next year, the conference will be in Munich. I look forward to continuing my education there!
Happy selling and happy adapting!
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