• by John Gaffney , May 17, 2002

Radio Riffs: Why is radio able to post a one percent revenue increase for Q1 when newspapers, magazines and TV are still in the doldrums? Granted a one percent increase isn’t much better than a rounding error in most statistical reports, but I think there’s something to this. In fact, I think there’s two big reasons radio is up, or flat, depending how you like your one percent. First, radio formats are so targeted these days they’re void of individuality. But that formatting represents a clean demographic slice. NPR gets you older, intelligent and upscale every time. Top 40 gets you kids every time. And Rush Limbaugh delivers older conservatives every time. Advertisers like targeted ads these days. Second, it’s priced less, especially for local buys, than other media. That means companies with tighter budgets can still get the word out. Radio is more sheltered from the downturn than print, TV or newspapers. But its stability shows that there’s still power in local ads……….

More TiVO Riffs: I gotta be honest here. I think there’s three technologies that are laps ahead of consumer interest in them. One’s wireless Internet. The other’s iTV. The third is personal video recorders. I just don’t think a critical mass of America is interested enough to work hard when they’re watching TV. I define working hard as doing anything more than pressing the remote. Having said that, I like what TiVo is doing with Best Buy. Short version: TiVo subscribers can click on Best Buy commercials and see videos and other bonus footage from recording artists. When TiVo first hit there was talk of its ability to skip commercials when it recorded. But this here expands the advertising tool kit. I think TiVo has more to come in this area……….

Stat Riffs: The latest Nielsen monitor report shows that automobile advertising is up over all media by 10 percent over last year. Yet, the PIB says magazines lost 4 percent of their auto business. Over the same period. Nielsen also says Department stores are up 21 percent, but newspapers, which rely on department store ads, had a tough Q1. I think these two categories are diffusing their money more over the Internet. If I’m at a magazine or newspaper, job one would to be to get my share back of those two categories.