RemainComm

ADM-About Da Money

I had the pleasure of sitting in on the first ever conference call of the membership of the newly created Association of Downloadable Media (ADM). I’m happy to say it’s well on it’s way to being the organization it should be, one that focuses on the monetization of podcasting and other downloadable media.

I also plan to participate in the beginnings of another organization, the Association of Podcasters & Online Media Producers (A working title) should that happen because of differences of opinion with the ADM. They have completed a survey which clearly indicates a need and desire for such an organization but, as of yet, have not posted any follow-up steps on their website. Though I am sure that will be forthcoming.

On the ADM call I was happy to hear absolutely no discussion of standardizing podcasts only the standardizing and measurement of the ways in which they generate revenue…if that is the goal of the podcast.

You’ve seen me talk about the need to measure the reach and effectiveness of new media here before. There will come a time we’ll need to show the return on investment to buyers of the medium.  You also know that as a long-time radio guy I am keenly aware of the danger of homogenizing the content and execution of new media. ADM seeks to address those issues in all the right ways.

If you’re a podcaster and want to make money doing it, ADM is well on the way to being the organization for you. Of course, it’s brand new and there will be some growing and learning to do. But if the call is any indication there is a great future for new media capitalists.

High School rocks...again!

It was the same thing every day, more than once each day. "Dad, are you sure you set the VCR right?" My family and I were on a short vacation along the North shore of Minnesota amidst the beauty of the Lake Superior ("...the big lake they call Gitchee Gumee "-Gordon Lightfoot) shoreline and my daughter's biggest concern was High School Musical 2. Why not? She's under 10 and the beauty and history of Split Rock Lighthouse is nothing compared to whether Troy and Gabriella will experience that first kiss (they do) or what the dance numbers will be like (they're great).

We arrived home late on Sunday night and there was absolutely no way we were going to hit the comfort of a familiar bed without watching "the TV event of the season" .  So for the next two hours, all of us, my wife, two kids, and me, ate pizza and watched the continuing story of Troy, Gabriella, Sharpay and the rest of the East High Wildcats. If you have kids, I'm sure you did the same thing a few nights earlier. You may have watched even if you don't have kids. The show, like the first one, is just plain fun and 2 hours well spent.

I smiled through the whole thing (OK, maybe with the exception of the scene where Troy dances solo in the desert. That was a bit awkward.). I was smiling not only because it was a great production but, because my family was together...smiling. We enjoyed a show without threat of having to hit the remote because it was inappropriate or surfing channels because it was dull. What a great chance to spend time with the kids. We laughed and made comments to each other throughout the whole show.  Since then, my daughter and, though he would never admit it, her older brother spend a good deal of time singing and dancing around the house.

The Disney Channel has proven you don't need to shoot something, blow something up, slime someone or make a star of a talking sponge to truly entertain and motivate a kid. 17 million people proved on a Friday night in August (and, I'm sure for many more nights to come) that "edgy"  isn't the only thing that cuts through. Yep, a good old fashioned beach movie will entertain millions and make millions at the same time. I'm good with that.

   

This one time…at Podcamp….

I’m headed to camp! I don’t know about you but that brings back allot of memories, both good and bad. A chance to be “on my own” and campfires on the good side and the smell of mildewed canvas (Kids, ask your parents what tents used to be made of.) and the late night pranks played on the skinny kid. (Though, I wasn’t completely innocent of pulling a few on others.) 

This time, thanks to a heads up from Garrick Van Buren, I’m off to Po dCamp. PodCampMN to be exact, on August 25^th. The smell should be one of brewing beer since its being held at Flat Earth Brewing in St. Paul, MN.

Easy access to beer…this alone should provide for some lively conversation. In reality, the conversation will be driven by many of the Podcasters that are driving the growth of the medium her in Minnesota and beyond. Even if you’ve never been a part of an “unconference” you should be there as well. This type of open source gathering allows for an incredible amount of learning without the “Bueller, Bueller. Anyone? Bueller.-like” presentation you’ll find elsewhere. My first unconference experience was at Minnebar and I was pleasantly surprised at how un-geeky it was. (Of course, this could mean I’m geekier than I think? Nah!)

Though being around for 5+ years or so, podcasting is still very much in its infancy. The big issues I feel it still faces are; maintaining it’s ability to be unique and non-conformist, the ability to measure it’s reach to better monetize it for business where appropriate, and improving the quality of production and presentation. 

I’m excited about the prospect of discussing these topics and hearing from those that are knee-deep in producing and distributing podcasts. I want to encourage anyone who has an interest in where media and communications are going to check one of these podcamps near you. You’re staring down the barrel of the future…find out all you can so you know when to hold your ground or when to duck. 

Representation Association Conversation

If you’re like me, it’s pretty easy to find yourself bouncing all over cyberspace trying to digest information. It’s something that can consume vast amounts of time. Not to mention the wasted minutes (and brain cells) when you stop to see what rehab center that whacky Lindsay Lohan is headed to…C’mon, admit it, you look. Such is the case with news of the formation of the ADM (Association for Downloadable Media). So, when I did catch wind of it, I scurried on over to the ADM site to see what was up. 

I’m a big believer in the viability of building successful business around blogging, podcasting, videocasting, etc. as a marketing and advertising medium. My concern has always been the measurement of its effectiveness. In my opinion there is a certain amount of “cool factor” driving ad dollars to the web right now. It’s only a matter of time before ad agencies start demanding gobs of proof that the money they spend on that part of their marketing is working, ultimately looking for ways to get a better price. So it’s important that we provide them with the facts and figures to justify the current rates, and higher rates in the future. 

Anyway, according to their website, a big part of what the ADM is all about is just that. Note the Mission Statement: To provide leadership in and organization of advertising and audience measurement standards, research, education and advocacy to all those involved in portable media (Podcasts/ATOM/RSS media enclosures) across the Internet, iPods, MP3 players, mobile devices, P2P and other upcoming platforms. So, this being a brand new organization that is focused on something I believe in, I ponied up the dough to become a member (a bit spendy, but I’ve belonged to other organizations with significantly higher dues).

No sooner had I done that than I came across this post from Scott Bourne at onlinemediatricks.com.

My Own Little Communications Perfect Storm…

I experienced something I found surprising, and though the impact was only one of inconvenience for me (many associated with the events impacting this communications breakdown lost lives or were severely injured) it pointed out that it’s incredibly easy to take our communication technology for granted, especially in the face of unfolding tragedy. 

During the course of the day, my home phone service went on the fritz. No sweat, I picked up the cell phone and called to schedule a service call. After scheduling a service call, I got a call on the cell from my friend Steve telling me to turn on the TV because the I35W bridge spanning the Mississippi in downtown Minneapolis had collapsed. (I should point out that I live in a suburb just south of the Twin Cities.) As I tuned into local TV and checked the radio, my son came through the door to say he had been calling my cell and was not getting an answer. Turns out the call from Steve would be my last for awhile. Because of the increased cell traffic due to the bridge collapse, the system was just plain overloaded. By the way, as a little icing on the bridge crisis and its related rescue, a large storm complete with lightning was closing in on Minneapolis.

Wow, totally cut off from talking….but, thanks to my handy internet, not from seeing, hearing, and writing. A few short months ago I would have been far too busy to watch what was going on because I would have been making sure my radio stations were providing the needed information to our listeners. Now, I’m just another person trying to find information about my town.

Some quick observations…many of the local news stations offered streaming video online and most were struggling to keep up with the demand and updating their sites and broadcasts at the same time. Overall the coverage was very good on air and on line. I was able to watch, listen and blog all at the same time. I’ve also noted that some really don’t make good “spokespeople”, looking more freaked than calm and in control, some news anchors really work hard at stretching for the sensational. (I don’t think we need to start worrying about every bridge in Minnesota because this one fell.  Also, my Google PDA page on my cell (seems the data is still flowing) showed the first post reported from an Australian newspaper(?). Kinda weird to see a story dated the next day that I’m watching unfold. How global can you get?

Here’s a question, I still look to the local broadcast media first for info. Do those folks younger than me do the same? (Those crazy kids and that internet deal.) 

Radio and Today's New Technology

I know, I know...he's blogging about radio again. "Just when I think I'm out..." but today's post in RAIN: Radio and Internet Newsletter from Kurt Hanson about "Hints in iPhone Firmware.." got me thinking back to a comment I made to a post by another blogger some time ago. It seemed relevant in light what iPhoneology  had to say so I thought I'd repost it here (with some updates).

Clearly, streaming represents a pivotal point for radio. More and more of the business model relies on the internet and its related technology each day. The improvement of radio streaming capabilities is imperative. It only makes sense…if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em. I caution, and think about this; your streaming station will join the multitude of “online stations”, stores and sites offering entertainment. Not to mention the hundreds of other broadcast stations that stream. Sheesh! And you thought competing with the other sticks in town was a bitch? 

Here’s a thought; beat ‘em and join ‘em? 

While broadcast radio continues to find and improve those relatively new ways to deliver product (streaming, etc.) it should also remember to make the current delivery outlet (a receiver) more appealing. It's scary to think that, based on recent research, consumers feel that radio isn't portable. Yikes, that was once one of it's strongest selling points. Remember ads for "portable" radios. 

We can talk about the content of radio for Days? Weeks? Months? Please, I’m aging as we speak. For purposes of this piece let’s approach this simply from the hardware side. Sadly, much of the blame lies with us as an industry. As technology has moved forward allowing for once unimaginable devices for providing entertainment to be introduced, the way we have integrated radio with those devices has stalled. When the "Walkman" appeared in the US in 1980 it was only a matter of what seemed like seconds that those "cassette players" had AM/FM capability.