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Not A Summer Lover
Oh how I dislike summer, let me count the ways. First, it’s hot. Anything over 23 degrees Celcius or 80 Fahrenheit is too hot for me. Are we eating outside? Do we have to? We do? Okay, no sun on me please.
Oh look I’ve been invited to someone’s lake house. What? There’s no air conditioning? I can’t come I have incurable Giardia.
So far this summer, there have been nights where the temperature did not drop below 90 Fahrenheit outside. For me, I’m done with summer around July 15. This goes back to my days in radio when it was time to start answering questions about what we would be doing for a big splash in September… you know, when life for people begins again in what is an unofficial new year in the media consumption season.
As a bonus this year, Spotify picked July 15 to be the best time to roll out a new server platform; meaning I would be rebooking every ad in the Sound Off Media Company. Good times. The ads are done, and now I can move on to getting the promos back in order. We have 70 podcasts we work with so by mid-August everything should be running smoothly again.
One good way to look at summer is every day in July feels like a Saturday, and every day in August feels like a Sunday; which makes September a giant Monday.
Summer is also a time when family comes to visit. My sister came to visit and told me I would die from the 5G Tower near my home, the Splenda squirt in my drink, and the spot on my face. In the meantime, I’m drinking galloons of water everyday, peeing twice daily and wondering where the rest is going.
All that said, there are people in the media world having their hearts ripped out. I am due to go on a massive rant that is the disgrace of the CRTC in Canada, who have not changed radio regs in 22 years and left stations to literally die overnight; and Rogers who bought the remaining shares in Maple Leafs Sports Entertainment, closed six stations, then JACKED the Sportsnet subscription rate - all in a week.
The reason I did not bother to go off on that, plus layoffs at iHeart Radio, Audacy, ESPN and Corus Entertainment, is because there are more to come and I’d rather do the whole rant all at once. As they used to say in radio when there were peopel to say it too… Standby.
But Good news is on the horizon for summer dislikers: The NFL Training Camps are underway, the right team won the World Cup, and the days are to be filled with the understanding that September is almost one turn of the calendar away. Please enjoy these awesome podcast offerings of solutions to your media woes, audience building, and a solution to the clutter around you.
Chris Brunt: Radio's Digital Evolution Continues
I ran into an old radio friend who asked me some questions about radio and what they should be concentrating on in the digital space. After writing a long winded 12 page report, I asked Chris Brunt from Jacobs Media to come share some of his ideas about how radio can improve its position in the media world.
In this episode we talk about:
Radio's three-decade journey from basic websites and email newsletters to today's digital-first world of streaming, social media, video, and mobile apps.
How programmatic audio has become a meaningful revenue source—even for public and non-commercial broadcasters—and why agencies increasingly view it as part of the broader digital audio marketplace.
The right way to use Facebook and social media for business, including FTC-compliant influencer marketing, Meta Ads Manager, and why relying solely on organic reach is no longer enough.
Why broadcasters need to "be everywhere" their audience is—on YouTube, smart TVs, streaming apps, mobile devices, and short-form video—to stay relevant with younger listeners.
How local personalities can build powerful digital brands through authentic video, podcasts, and community-focused content, even without massive followings.
Why radio stations should invest in their own apps, embrace simple video production, and focus on creating original, useful content instead of chasing perfection.
The Declutter Queen on Finders & Keepers
The Declutter Queen, Avery Cundill, appeared on Rachel Kramer Bussell’s podcast Finders & Keepers to talk about… Decluttering. In short - If you’ve struggled with clutter or simply feel like your stuff is owning you rather than the other way around, this episode will help you drill down on the questions to ask yourself before starting to purge your possessions.
And be sure to give Avery’s show “The Declutter Queen” a follow too!
Our Podcasts on Supported Video Apps
Both my main podcasts can be found on video in many places. I can’t figure out why anyone would want to watch something they could easily listen to. But why argue? I am a proponent of being everywere so I’ll just shut the F up and tell you that both my shows are available on YouTube. (Who isn’t) The latest episode is below.
But did you know that you can also find them on your phone in some places you may not be aware of? Places like the iHeart App, Apple Podcasts and Amazon Music? (USA Only for the last one) You can toggle between audio and video depending on you situation in life. Everyone wins!
Best Thing I Listened To This Week
When I was living in Montreal in the early 90’s, I would go see a Montreal Expos baseball game, head home and fall asleep listening to Steve Somers’ talk show on WFAN. He would mention every hour that it was “Me Here, You There… and your calls at … ) My cousin Kingman came to visit me this summer, (one of the better parts of my summer) and told me that Steve Somers has a podcast. It’s largely “catch up radio”. Steve is 4 days younger than my late father and he is still doing shifts on WFAN… it’s good to hear him talking sports in my ear again. He also has a book….
I did a trailer in the radio and podcast world for a new documentary about Brunello Cuccinelli. I don’t appear in the trailer on in this video… but I am totally going to check out this documentary.
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