"Does radio have a branding problem or a content problem?"

Another interesting article from Fred Jacobs: Is Radio Losing The Battle For The Ear?

He makes reference to companies who’ve quietly (or loudly in some cases) phased out the R-word in favour of more generic terms like "audio" or "media".

Does radio have a branding problem? Or does it have a content problem? Does the word ‘radio' symbolize an antiquated entertainment form?

I don’t believe it does - it’s a term everyone understands and describes an art form as much as it does a medium. Successful podcasting requires the same skillset as successful broadcasting.

A podcast is essentially an on-demand radio programme. For example, suggesting a show first broadcast ceases to be "radio" when it’s available as a listen again would be ridiculous.

The word has lived on in our multi-platform digital world. Online-only stations are still "radio", so this shift away from the term isn’t due to a device switch. It’s merely to distinguish between linear broadcasting/narrowcasting and on-demand.

In that case, a radio show can be broadcast/narrowcast or podcast. Oh, and there’s no such thing as a "live podcast" as that would make it a broadcast, narrowcast or "livestream" - glad we’ve cleared that one up!

Can radio still win with a live & local strategy or has that ship sailed?

I’d question whether that was ever the right strategy. I’ve written about this many times, including standing up for voice-tracking a couple of weeks ago. Much of the best TV is polished and pre-produced and the same goes for radio.

Being multi-platform with content that’s relevant to your audience is far more important than "live and local", both of which aren’t necessarily essential ingredients for the best radio (they could be of course - but that’s definitely not the primary way to achieve it).

As the radio futurologist James Cridland says:

Where proper, real, radio scores is when it’s relevant to the audience - entertaining or informing them, talking about what’s going on in their lives, their interests, their points of reference. The human connection and shared experience that proper radio offers is the unique selling point of the medium. Live and local might help get there. But that’s not the most important thing.

Also - go where your audience is, be visible and make it easy for listeners. Utilise social media and repurpose your best audio content for on-demand (or vice versa).