Bob Pittman On The Future Of Radio

Bob Pittman

Bob Pittman said ”I love businesses where the product is better than the perception,” during an interview with Berlin School of Creative Leadership President Michael Conrad recently. According to Forbes, Pittman said people often forget that Clear Channel has the widest reach of any TV and Radio outlet in the country with more than 243 million listeners each month and more than one million outdoor advertising displays in more than 30 countries.

Pittman, according to Kara Bettis at Forbes, says that we discovered that instead of anchoring the individual inside at home, the increase in technology freed us to be more active. People want to stay connected while they travel, commute or exercise. Instead of isolating us, technology helps many people create new hobbies, build more relationships and explore the world.

Pittman described an individual’s music collection as his “way of shutting out the world…a cone of soft protection.” No commercials or outside forces, the music is only in his control. Radio is the mirror opposite. We turn on the radio to be educated and understand what is happening in the world. Radio’s job is to keep society informed on a daily basis.

Pittman clarified that Spotify and Pandora are categorized as music collections—because of the customizable playlists—while TuneIn is a radio station. “Although the press and the industry may talk about audio streaming together,” says Pittman, “they do so at their peril because if you operate music as one thing you will certainly fail.”

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