What Now? What Next? And What Actually Matters.

This week, I had the privilege of speaking at the Tri-State Radio Show in Covington, Kentucky. Broadcasters from Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky all participated. We shared the current state of our industry in our What Now? What Next? presentation.

And as I looked out at the room, I saw something I’ve been noticing more and more lately - a mix of excitement and uncertainty.

Because the truth is, everything feels like it’s shifting. New platforms. New competitors. New expectations.

It’s a lot.

But here’s what we need to remember: the fundamentals haven’t changed.

In the presentation, we discussed disruption. And not the kind most people assume. It’s tempting to blame technology.

But as Rishad Tobaccowala reminds us, “The future doesn’t fit in the containers of the past.”

And more importantly, technology isn’t what disrupts businesses; it's a lack of customer focus.

Think about it.

Netflix didn’t kill Blockbuster. Late fees did.
Uber didn’t kill taxis. Access and experience did.
Amazon isn’t killing retail. Bad customer service is.

That’s not a technology story; it’s a customer experience story. And that’s where things truly matter for us in sales.

Because we’re operating in a world where:

• Attention is everywhere.
• Content is infinite.
• And platforms are multiplying every day.

But here’s the key:

Attention is everywhere. Trust is not. Anyone can get views, but very few earn trust.
And that’s where local media—and great sellers—still win.

You don’t sell ads. You sell access to trust. That’s the shift.

Too many sellers are still leading with platforms:

“Here’s our station.”
“Here’s our digital package.”
“Here’s our impressions.”

But clients don’t buy platforms. They buy outcomes. They buy customers. They buy growth.

So, if there’s one thing to take from What Now? What Next? it’s this: stop selling what you have. Start selling what it does. Because the opportunity in front of us is massive.

We discussed everything from AI to retail media networks and how smart speakers are becoming a fourth sales channel. The ecosystem is growing, not shrinking. However, the winners won’t be those who chase every new trend.

They’ll be the ones who anchor themselves in what has always worked:

• Local connection.
• Credibility.
• Consistency.
• Real relationships.

You already have something the biggest digital platforms in the world are still trying to build… Trust.

You’ve earned it. You’ve built it. Now, you just need to package it, present it and sell it in a modern way.

So, what now? Lean in. What next? Getting better at telling the story of what you actually deliver. Because in a world full of noise…

Trusted voices don’t just survive. They win.

Think Big, Make Big Things Happen!

Jeff Schmidt is the SVP of Professional Development. You can reach him at Jeff.Schmidt@RAB.com. You can also connect with him on X, YouTube, and LinkedIn.