AI and how it is being used in Radio stations today by Chris Byrnes (October 2024)
I heard someone say recently that “People won’t be replaced by AI. People will be replaced by other people using AI.”
The World Economic Forum released its Future of Jobs Report recently. The report was 296 pages of insights on the global labor landscape and its outlook, and the term “artificial intelligence” appears dozens of times.
What really stood out to me is its list of skills on the rise — the human skills judged to be increasing in importance most rapidly between now and 2027. At the top of the list is something most of us are not short on: Creative thinking.
I believe that some of our most human qualities will be increasingly important in an era dominated by AI. That will include our ability to learn continuously in new situations, which I hope will make humans indispensable. I believe that our ability to think creatively and to be flexible will be increasingly important as time goes on. For example today many of us are using AI to generate first drafts of content but we then edit, refine and improve.
My belief is that when you use AI strategically to reduce busy work, this will free up more time for the creative brain to create. Those business that are creative and adapt will will likely do better over time than those who do not. I am in the radio business and own three FM radio stations in Ontario. Herer is how we and others are using AI tools:
AI Driven Sales tools
In major markets they are using AI Driven sales intelligence system designed to enhance local advertising sales by leveraging data-driven insights and streamlining the sales cycle;
AI Topic generating tools
Others are using AI-powered story discovery system that provides real-time insights and predictions about trending topics relevant to our geographic area. I am sure you are all familiar with Google’s What’s trending tool, but that only tell what is trending across Canada or Ontario. We use AI tools to tell us what it important to our audience in our local markets.
Creative writing AI tools
Our creative writers have the option of using an AI engine within our production software to turn copy points into a draft 15 or 30 second radio script. They will then adjust and refine the content to ensure it has the right emotional connection and a specific call to action.
AI Voices
We have also been experimenting with AI voices in non key dayparts. For example if you listen to Heart FM after midnight you might hear AI Layla. Here she is delivering the latest weather forcast and introducing the next song.
Here is AI Layla delivering a station liner and also intrioducing the next song on Heart FM in Woodstock
Here is the same AI voice on our Classic Hits station in Niagara doing a break
We are only using AI Voices in dayparts where we do not have announcers. I got my start on the air doing overnights, where I made lots of mistakes and leant a great deal. Unfortunately today young people do not want to work from midnight to 6am, so most stations run only music and imaging in overnightsd. Having AI Layla on the air overnights allows us to deliver local weather, as well as information about what’s trending, and also sell the benefits and features of our radio stations. I must stress our AI voices are not taking any jobs in our compnay. We have local professional announcers on the air from 5:30am till midnight, who keep our listeners entertained and informed with relevant local information they cannot get anywhere else.
Today’s audiences consume more content than ever before. They wake up to social media, drive with connected dashboards, and wind down with streaming services. But 84% of them listen to local radio each and every week.
As more non-traditional media brands are created, advertising opportunities will become more commoditized. Traditional broadcast brands need to differentiate themselves by working directly with clients to craft and offer customized solutions that target the right local customers. With the right resources, this will be a breeze. Stations will be equipped with a deeper understanding of their clients’ needs and preferences, and able to develop more effective partnerships. In a crowded market, it’s these personalized offers and person-to-person interactions that will foster long-term partnerships and repeat business.
I think AI will only get smarter and better as time goes on, and what we are doing with AI today will seem like the dark ages a few years from now.
